IKEA's new motion-activated light 'can be installed anywhere' — and it doesn't need a hub

• The IKEA Ankarlägg is a new battery-operated, motion-sensitive light
• It's fully wireless and self-adhesive, so you can use it anywhere
• It has a battery life of around six months, and doesn't need a smart hub

IKEA has just launched a new motion-sensitive light, which you can stick anywhere and doesn't require a smart home hub to work. The IKEA Ankarlägg (which is shaped like a cartoon light bulb) can illuminate your hallway when you come home, your bedroom if you need to get up in the night, or a closet when you open the door.

The Ankarlägg is cheap, too. As German site Notebookcheck reports, it costs €2.99 in continental Europe, and will hopefully launch in other territories soon. If it follows IKEA's usual international pricing, we can expect it to be around $7 / £4 / AU$5 when it rolls out globally. That's a lot less than a typical smart light bulb and motion sensor bundle, which can easily cost four times as much.

It's more versatile than a lot of other lights and sensors as well. According to IKEA's French website (translated by Google), "this lamp can be installed anywhere because it runs on batteries and requires no wiring." Instead, it has a self-adhesive backing that lets you mount it on any flat surface.

The Ankarlägg light switches off if there's no motion detected for 30 seconds, which helps to conserve power. According to IKEA, it has a battery life of around six months if it's triggered 10 times per day.

No hub necessary

IKEA is making a name for itself in affordable smart home tech, with products like the Bilresa remote control kit, Timmerflotte temperature sensor, and Myggspray wireless motion sensor all promising to automate your home for a bargain price.

However, although IKEA's controllers are cheap, they only work when connected to a Thread hub, which can be a considerable expense. IKEA recommends its own Dirigera hub, which costs $109 / £60 (and isn't yet available in Australia). That's much pricier than a Philips Hue Bridge, which unlocks the world of Hue bulbs and sensors.

The Ankarlägg is a simple device, but hopefully we'll see more standalone devices in future that are great value and don't rely on extra, more expensive accessories to access their full functionality.

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