- IKEA Skaftsärv is a gradient LED light that costs $6.99 / £4 (around AU$8)
- It looks like the Philips Hue Play gradient light bar, but it can’t reflect the colors of a TV screen.
- The WiZ Gradient Light Bar is an affordable alternative that can be synced to a TV
IKEA has just launched a new lamp that looks strikingly similar to the popular Philips Hue lamp, but at a small fraction of the price. The IKEA Skaftsärv is available in the UK for just $6.99/£4 (around AU$8), and each has three lighting zones that can cast a colorful glow on walls or shine across the room.
As our colleagues at T3 point out, it bears an uncanny resemblance to the Philips Hue Play lightbar, and if you like the idea of making your home theater more immersive but are put off by the price, you might be tempted to buy a pair of Skaftsärvs, but there’s something you need to know first.
Although the Skaftsärv can change color in response to music and is dimmable, there is no way to connect it to your TV or PC monitor to magnify the colors on the screen. It’s impressive considering how little it costs, but it’s just a decorative lamp, not a smart light.
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In contrast, the Philips Hue Play light bar can be used to add ambience to a room or to create an Amblight-style effect around and behind your TV when connected to a Philips Hue HDMI sync box. Up to three light bars can be connected to the same power source.
You can control your light bars through the Philips Hue app, and like all Philips Hue devices, they’re compatible with major smart home ecosystems so you can operate them with voice commands, connect them to your other smart devices, and use them in automations. Take a look at our Philips Hue Play light bar review to learn more.
Lighting for less
If the Philips Hue light is out of your budget, but you want something that provides a similar experience, take a look at the WiZ Gradient Light Bars, which cost just $59.99 / £54.99 and work very similarly when connected to a WiZ HDMI Sync Box.
Although they use different technologies, Philips Hue and WiZ smart lights are made by the same company (Signify), so you can be sure you’re getting good quality. In fact, our reviewer Abigail Shannon gave the WiZ Gradient Light Bars a nearly perfect four and a half stars out of a five thanks to their ease of use, versatility, and smooth color gradient. Check out our full review of the WiZ Gradient Light Bars for more details.
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