- IKEA Ankarlägg is a new battery-operated motion-sensitive light
- It’s completely 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 just launched a new motion-sensitive light, which you can place 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 get home, your bedroom if you need to get up at night, or a closet when you open the door.
The Ankarlägg is also cheap. 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 launches globally. That’s much less than a typical smart bulb and motion sensor package, which can easily cost four times as much.
It’s also more versatile than many other lights and sensors. According to the French IKEA website (translated by Google), “this lamp can be installed anywhere because it runs on batteries and does not require wiring.” Instead, it has a self-adhesive backing that allows you to mount it on any flat surface.
The Ankarlägg light turns off if no motion is detected for 30 seconds, helping to save energy. According to IKEA, the battery lasts about six months if activated 10 times a day.
No hub needed
IKEA is making a name for itself in affordable smart home technology, with products like the Bilresa remote control kit, Timmerflotte temperature sensor and Myggspray wireless motion sensor promising to automate your home at a bargain price.
However, although IKEA 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 is not yet available in Australia). It’s much more expensive than a Philips Hue Bridge, which opens up the world of Hue bulbs and sensors.
The Ankarlägg is a simple device, but hopefully we’ll see more standalone devices in the future that are great value and don’t rely on additional, more expensive accessories to access their full functionality.
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