IKEA might be known for its brilliant bedding and space-saving storage solutions, but it recently launched an intriguing new smart gadget range. I chatted to David Granath, Range Manager for Lighting and Home Electronics at IKEA, about the Swedish homeware giant's new additions, and he revealed an unexpected favorite: the Timmerflotte temperature sensor.
"I think it's a great example of what we want to offer: a simple, useful product at a price point most can afford," he comments. The Timmerflotte is already available to buy, and costs a wallet-friendly $9.99 at IKEA US and an even-more-affordable £5 at IKEA UK. As David points out, that's a low enough price that you could easy kit your home out with one in each room.
The beauty of this product – other than the price – is that it's supremely user-friendly. It requires almost zero tech knowledge to set up, and even less to use. "We chose to add a simple display on the product, which for me is key," explains David. "It takes away the need to understand how it connects; it simply works out of the box."
Like the rest of the new additions, it's compatible with the universal Matter standard, which means don't need to worry about it not playing nicely with your existing smart home ecosystem, if you have one.
The screen also means you don't need to use the app to gain useful insights – although, of course, that's available if you do want to dig deeper. "It gives you instant access to see temperature and humidity," David continues. "And whenever needed it's available in your apps to use for automations or see values when you’re away from home."
Hands-on
I have one of these at home to try out, and the initial setup really is effortless. There's a little Celsius/Fahrenheit toggle under the cover so you can choose the one that's right for you without having to go via the app.
By default, the screen is off. Press the top of the sensor once and it'll flash up the current temperature, followed by the humidity level, before going blank again. Slightly diffused dots of light make up the numbers, and give the whole thing a friendly, low-tech look. I especially like that there's no excess information to clutter things up.
However, there are a couple of minor down-sides that it's worth being aware of. First, these are battery-powered rather than rechargeable, so make sure you've got some AAA batteries in your drawer or you won't be able to do anything at all.
Second, it looks like you'll need an IKEA Dirigera smart home hub in order to hook the product up the app and access the extra functionality and insights (I don't have one, and I was only able to view the on-screen stats). I'm awaiting confirmation on this from the IKEA team, as it's not clear on the product page, but if that is the case, you'll need to factor in the extra $109 / £60 cost of picking up one of those.
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