I love using my Google Home to control smart devices in my home office, but I’ve yet to expand that to the rest of the home due to the cost. Options like LIFX and Philips Hue are undeniably fantastic, but nowhere near affordable. IKEA, maker of the best cheap furniture, is preparing to step into the smart home arena with extremely affordable new bulbs and more, and now, we’re finding out that the products will have Assistant compatibility.
IKEA’s TRÅDFRI smart lighting options include several different LED bulbs with prices starting at $11.99 in the US. The current bulbs rely on a physical remote to enable their smart functionality, but the company revealed today that it will be updating the series this Summer to be compatible with an app, as well as most smart home platforms.
That includes Google Assistant, meaning that Google Home owners or anyone with Assistant on their smartphone will be able to control the inexpensive bulbs with ease. Further, IKEA is bringing along compatibility with Amazon’s Alexa platform for Echo owners, and the option to use Apple’s HomeKit.
While competitors such as Philips don’t have reason to be worried about IKEA’s option seeing that they only provide white light, this inexpensive platform is certainly a step in the right direction when it comes to enhancing the home with technology.
To get things going with IKEA’s system, you’ll need to pick up the gateway (which is available with two bulbs for $79.99), and whichever bulbs are required. Pricing starts at $11.99 and currently maxes out at $40. You can preview the available hardware over on IKEA’s website.
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