Ikea's Big CES Debut: Everything I Saw in the Scandi Smart Home Suite

It’s no secret that I’m always on the hunt for reliable, affordable smart home gear, which often means turning to Ikea whenever I need a new remote or sensor for my home. Ikea’s low price is certainly a major factor, but I also appreciate the wide selection and option to control everything locally without an internet connection.

So, I jumped at the chance to stop by Ikea’s cozy display suite at the Venetian during CES 2026. Since this is the company’s first foray into CES, I think opting for a private suite rather than a showy booth on the main show floor was a good choice to emphasize the cozy vibes (and cozy prices) of its latest technology.

Read more: Best of CES 2026: 22 Winners Awarded by CNET Group

While Ikea announced many of these products last November — including smart home sensors, smart lighting and Bluetooth speakers — the home furnishings company also surprised me with updates to the stunning Varmblixt series of lamps and a $10 Bluetooth speaker that isn’t half bad. Here’s everything the brand had on display, with a few highlights that caught my attention.

Varmblixt enters the Matter equation

The most striking elements of Ikea’s CES display are the updated Varmblixt donut and pendant lamps. Originally debuting in 2023 through a collaboration with Rotterdam-based designer Sabine Marcelis, these latest Varmblixt versions are now compatible with the wider Ikea Home Smart app and Matter ecosystem.

While the first iterations of the Varmblixt donut lamp boasted a fixed color palette, the Varmblixt smart donut lamp’s Matter capabilities support an automatic color cycle of 12 preset colors right out of the box using the included Bilresa remote control. You can even expand it to 40 colors and access dimming controls by linking it with Ikea’s Dirigera smart home hub.

During my visit, I didn’t think to try the remote with the smart donut lamp to see if it only cycles through a preset color pattern or if you can pause it on a specific color. My Ikea contact confirmed that you can manually cycle through the colors to find your favorite. You don’t need a Dirigera hub for this function, only the included remote. (The same applies to the smart pendant light.)

The Varmblixt smart pendant light also features an engaging design. However, it limits its color palette to shades of white, so you can snuggle up with a mellow, soft, warm white or lock in your focus with cool daylight — and everything in between.

Ikea rarely stands still, and has already hinted at additional smart lighting products on the horizon in 2027, including more collaborations with Marcelis. Perhaps we’ll see the rest of the Varmblixt series receiving Matter compatibility or even some new designs?

A suite of Matter-enabled gear for under $15

Ikea announced its Matter-compatible smart home lineup at the end of 2025, but my visit to the brand’s CES exhibit was my first time seeing many of these products in action. (I’ve been using the Klippbok water-leak sensor, Timmerflotte temperature and humidity sensor, Myggbett door and window sensor since Nov. 2025.)

The immediate standout was the Alpstuga air quality sensor, which monitors carbon dioxide, particulate matter, temperature and humidity. You can check the status of your air anytime on the built-in display or in the Ikea Home Smart app.

I also appreciate that the new Myggspray motion sensor is weatherproof with an IP67 rating. This is huge because outdoor motion detectors are still relatively rare compared to indoor units — and much more expensive. The previous Ikea Vallhorn motion sensor had some weatherproofing — a relatively weak IP44 rating — but it’s nice to have a bit more protection in inclement weather.

While the prices are largely comparable to the previous lineup of Zigbee-based units, many of the sensors are more affordable than their predecessors, which were already among the best values for smart home gear:

• Bilresa remote control, dual button: $6 (compared to the $6 Rodret and $9 Somrig)
• Bilresa remote control, scroll wheel: $10
• Myggspray motion sensor: $8 (compared to the $9 Vallhorn)
• Myggbett door and window sensor: $8 (compared to the $10 Parasoll)
• Klippbok water leakage sensor: $8 (compared to the $9 Badring)
• Timmerflotte temperature and humidity sensor: $10
• Alpstuga air quality sensor: $30 (compared to the $42 Vindstryka)

The above products are available now. Ikea also has a selection of new smart plugs and smart light bulbs on deck for availability in April 2026:

• Grillplats smart plug: $8
• Tofsmygga outdoor smart plug: $15
• Kajplats smart light bulbs: $6 to $14 (includes various color and brightness options for standard E26 sockets, E12 candelabra sockets and GU10 track lighting)
• Various combo packs with Kajplats bulbs and a Bilresa remote control: $10 to $24

I look forward to putting many of Ikea’s latest smart home products through their paces this year. Still, I should note that the simple nature of most smart sensors means there’s rarely much to say beyond noting their affordability and reliability.

Samsung SmartThings now supports Ikea’s latest smart home products

Another announcement to come out of CES is Ikea’s new partnership with Samsung SmartThings. One of the fruits of stronger SmartThings support is the ability to add Ikea products directly to a SmartThings hub, which typically expands functionality without requiring workarounds.

For example, I use many of Ikea’s discontinued Tradfri remotes in my SmartThings system, but they function differently than in the Ikea Home Smart app and typically require a custom third-party driver to work well. Getting them working isn’t difficult for a veteran smart home nerd, but I’m all for having a clear setup process that’s much easier for the average person.

According to Samsung’s blog post, this Ikea update is still rolling out — specifically, Bilesa scroll wheel remote support. However, my SmartThings system still has trouble detecting new Matter devices on the Ikea hub, despite the process working independently for both systems using a Myggspray motion sensor. I suspect that these minor compatibility issues will be resolved as the rollout progresses.

Ikea’s latest Bluetooth speakers

Bluetooth speakers aren’t strictly smart home products, but I wanted to mention Ikea’s new Solskydd, Kulglass and Kallsup speakers. All three speaker designs feature collaborations with Ola Wihlborg, including limited-edition designs on the Solskydd and Kulglass, created by Swedish colorist Tekla Evelina Severin (Tekla).

The Solskydd speaker comes in three sizes: 8 inches ($80), 11 inches ($100) and 18 inches ($140). Notably, the 8-inch size is portable with a built-in battery, while the two larger sizes require a power cord for operation.

While the audio quality seemed good during my time with the speakers, I’d need to hear them in isolation before making any definitive statements. My favorite element of the Solskydd speakers is the wall-mounting option, which gives them just a bit more flexibility than other Bluetooth speakers I’ve used. The distinctive designs also seem to work well for individuals who want speakers that don’t distract from a room’s interior design.

I really like the bright green color option, and my demo unit produces surprisingly great audio quality for a $10 speaker. For comparison, I tested a cheap $8 speaker from Five Below, which performed much worse at maximum volume. That said, you shouldn’t expect audiophile quality, particularly in terms of bass, but the midtones and treble sound very good.

Interestingly, you can link multiple Kallsup speakers together. Sara Ottosson, senior product developer for Ikea, said the team tested this function with up to 100 speakers, but hinted at possibly adding more than that. I’m skeptical about the practicality of running 100 Kallsup speakers at once, but even having four or five linked devices could change the game for a small indoor party. (It isn’t waterproof like the $16 Vappeby, which launched in 2023.)

Although the Solskydd and Kulglass speakers are available now, you’ll have to wait until April for the Kallsup.