Who doesn’t know this: In the evening, you want to read a little to your child, but the battery of the reading light is empty again. At night, you stumble over Lego in the hallway in the dark because the light switch isn’t where you expect it. While changing diapers, feeding, or going to the bathroom at night, the light is either far too bright – or you have to get up every time to turn it on or off, often even with the baby in your arms.

It was precisely these everyday situations that prompted us to install an IKEA Smart Home. We tested lights, motion sensors, and remote controls based on the new Matter standard. In the future, we also want to control our lighting by voice commands. In this post, we share our experiences so far – and will continue to update it.

Overview

Here you can see the floor plan of our apartment:

These installed IKEA Smart Home products are Matter-compatible:

Motion Sensors in the Hallway

In the hallway, we installed two MYGGSPRAY motion sensors, each controlling KAJPLATS bulbs (E27 with 1521 lm and E14 with 470 lm).

Through the app, we set the light to be strongly dimmed and warmer at night, while during the day it shines brighter and with cooler white light.

This way, we can navigate safely even half-asleep without stumbling. At the same time, the light automatically turns off as soon as no movement is detected – saving energy and maintaining quiet.

Toilet

In the toilet, we also installed a motion sensor and a KAJPLATS bulb (E27, 470 lm – fully sufficient). Here too, the light is adapted to the day-night rhythm.

Bathroom

The bathroom setup is similar. Additionally, we installed a BILRESA remote with a dual switch, allowing manual operation of the light during the day. The motion sensor cooldown is deliberately longer, so you don’t have to move constantly to keep the light on.

Children’s Room

In the children’s room, we use a floor lamp with a KAJPLATS bulb (1055 lm). Most of the time, we control the light directly from the bed with a BILRESA remote with a dual switch – to turn it on/off or dim it. Since it’s a low Montessori bed, this saves us from getting up constantly.

It is the only bulb in our apartment that not only supports the white spectrum but also allows color changes – which we found especially fitting in the children’s room.

Additionally, we installed another BILRESA remote with a scroll wheel. Thanks to the magnetic mount, it is detachable and fixed directly next to the light switches by the door. This allows us to dim conveniently and switch between floor lamp and ceiling light.

Bedroom

In our bedroom, both the baby crib and the changing table are located.

Above the sofa, we installed a clear KAJPLATS bulb (E27, 806 lm), which we can conveniently control from the bed with a BILRESA remote with dual switch.

Next to the light switches by the door, there is also a BILRESA remote with a scroll wheel. It controls both the sofa lamp and three spots above the bed and changing table (KAJPLATS GU10, 575 lm).

The remote controls are a real gamechanger for us: Especially at night during feeding, we can set the light very dim and warm, and control it directly from the bed – a great advantage to ease sleep deprivation.

Control Hub and Voice Control

For simplicity – and also for cost reasons – we chose the DIRIGERA Hub as the central control of our Smart Home.

As soon as Google Gemini is supported by Google speakers, we also plan to get a Google Home Speaker for voice control. This way, we could also make verbal queries to the AI – for example about recipes, which will surely be fun for the kids.

Conclusion

Finally, I want to briefly summarize what we particularly liked about the IKEA Smart Home with the new Matter-compatible devices – and where we still see room for improvement.

Pros:

• Existing light switches could be retained
• Relatively low price
• Remote controls and sensors use standard AAA batteries
• Quick and easy installation

Cons:

• Remotes are a bit tricky to open (fear of damaging the plastic)
• The MYGGSPRAY motion sensor has no integrated light sensor
• MYGGSPRAY reacts somewhat delayed
• The scroll wheel of the BILRESA remote is slightly slippery (we prefer dual switches, but they don’t allow switching light groups)
• BILRESA remotes have a slight delay – the light does not react as instantly as a classic switch, making operation less intuitive

Door and window sensors can also be useful. Since our windows are locked, this was not a priority for us. We use blinds to completely darken the rooms for sleeping – especially important with children. Unfortunately, they can currently only be operated manually and cannot be integrated into the Smart Home.

What is your opinion on the new Matter-compatible IKEA Smart Home devices – or Smart Homes in general? Are they a gamechanger for you too, as they are for us? For us, they make everyday life noticeably easier. Feel free to share your experiences in the comments!