Every once in a while, you come across a device that haunts your nights and may spontaneously appear in your dreams. You imagine it on your desk, next to your best 4K television or filling a wall like a vertical box of delicious donuts.
IKEA’s quirky donut-shaped Varmblixt lamp is that product, and I haven’t stopped obsessing over the Bluetooth lamp since I saw it at CES 2026.
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However, I’m glad that IKEA decided to keep the small physical remote control, which means that even if you don’t want to connect the lamp to an app, you can access all 12 colors (the app control takes the level of customization to 40 different shades).
There’s another reason I’m obsessed with Varmblixt: I used that remote. Unlike most other Bluetooth LED lighting systems that make difficult, almost jarring changes between colors, Varmblixt takes it in stride.
With each press of the remote, I watched the color change almost imperceptibly and then slowly transition to the new, fully dimmable shade. Not only that, but the color diffusion under the molded glass is almost perfect. It’s just beautiful to look at and I loved basking in the glow.
Function follows form
None of this would work so well if there wasn’t such a clear union between the design and color choices. Dutch artist Sabine Marcelis clearly designed the pair to be a combination of color and shape. Even the way the colors change feels more like a symphony than a switch, and it’s the perfect match for Varmblixt’s smooth look.
Perhaps the other thing that attracted me to the Varmblixt is its fundamental simplicity. No hubs, just the option to use the remote or app.
One wonders if the Philips Hue line of smart lighting products would make the same kind of sensation if it paid so much attention to design and simplicity.
I remember thinking that Varmblixt would be perfect if it was also rechargeable and truly wireless; then my secret dream of a wall of them could come true.
The other thing I loved is that even though this is a more powerful and smarter version, Varmblixt will still only cost $99 (prices will vary outside the US) when it ships in April.
I know this is just a flashlight, but the best tech products are usually the ones that do one thing and do it very well. Varmblixt seems to succeed on that level, but it will do more than that because when you have one or more of these donut-shaped lamps in your home, they will be instant conversation starters. And whether you’re using your app, voice, or the handy remote to control them, I bet you’ll elicit more than a few ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’.
By the way, there is another option from Varmblixt, a large LED pendant lamp, which looks like a random group of hanging ‘U’s. It currently only supports white light and will also ship in April for $149. I don’t dream of that lamp.
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