IKEA is set to expand its smart home product lineup in January 2026 with 20 new devices supporting Matter-over-Thread, which will work directly with Apple HomeKit without needing an intermediary hub, marking a significant upgrade from their previous Zigbee-based offerings.

These new devices, including smart lights, sensors, and remotes, will support both Matter and Thread protocols, replacing Zigbee to improve compatibility across multiple platforms such as Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Samsung SmartThings.

This development enhances interoperability, affordability, and ease of use, aligning with IKEA’s goal to remove barriers to smart home adoption and target the mass market.

In addition to smart home products, IKEA is updating its audio lineup with new Bluetooth speakers like the retro-style Nattbad and the Blomprakt lamp-speaker, filling gaps left by discontinued Sonos Symfonisk products.

These new speakers, supporting features such as multi-speaker setups and Spotify Tap, will be the first since IKEA ended its partnership with Sonos earlier this summer.

Despite higher production costs due to certification requirements, IKEA plans to keep the prices of these new products affordable.

IKEA has been testing smart home products for some time and aims to improve cross-brand compatibility and ease of use through the adoption of the Matter standard.

IKEA will gradually replace its existing Zigbee-based products with new protocols while maintaining support for Zigbee’s Touchlink feature for direct device-to-device connections, ensuring backward compatibility.

The new software leveraging Matter 1.4 will enable energy consumption measurement and better integration with Thread networks, with a stable release expected later in 2025.

The updated Dirigera hub now supports Thread radio and Matter via a beta firmware, allowing it to act as both a Matter Controller and Thread Border Router, with plans to expand support to more device categories.

IKEA’s strategy aims to simplify smart home setup and usage, especially for Apple HomeKit users, by enabling automatic compatibility of Matter devices without additional certification.

Overall, IKEA’s move signifies a commitment to integrating smart technology into its furniture and making smart home devices more accessible and seamless for consumers.