Ikea’s smart donut lamp is a sweet treat

At a glance:

• Ikea’s Varmblixt lamp now offers color‑changing, dimming and Matter‑based smart control for $100.
• The lamp ships with a pre‑paired Bilresa remote and can be used stand‑alone or via the Dirigera hub, Apple Home, Google Home or Amazon Alexa.
• It provides 12 preset colors, a replaceable 25,000‑hour bulb and a matte finish that distinguishes it from the original glossy version.

What is the Varmblixt smart lamp?

Ikea has taken its popular Varmblixt “donut” lamp—a bulbous, table‑top fixture that resembles a glazed pastry—and turned it into a fully‑featured smart lighting product. Priced at $100, the lamp keeps the iconic round shape but adds a matte surface, a long power cable for flexible placement, and a remote control that lets users turn the light on and off, dim it, or cycle through colors without a hub. The device is built around a user‑replaceable LED bulb rated for 25,000 hours of operation. Unlike the non‑smart predecessor, which only emitted an orange glow, the smart version can emit a wide spectrum of hues and tunable whites, making it suitable for ambient bedroom lighting rather than task lighting.

Features and design

The Varmblixt comes with a Bilresa remote that has two buttons:

• Single press: toggle power
• Double press: cycle through 12 preset colors
• Long press: dim up or down The preset palette was curated by Dutch artist Sabine Marcelis and includes shades of white, blue, green, pink, orange, yellow and purple. The remote runs on standard AAA batteries, which are cheaper and easier to replace than the coin‑cell batteries found in many competing smart remotes. In addition to the remote, the lamp can be wall‑mounted or placed flat on a table. Its one‑foot diameter means it occupies a noticeable footprint, but wall‑mounting frees up bedside space—a practical benefit highlighted by the reviewer’s teenage daughter.

Smart home integration

Out of the box the lamp works with the included remote, but pairing it with Ikea’s Dirigera hub ($109) or any Matter‑compatible controller unlocks hundreds of additional colors, scheduling, adaptive lighting, and scene control. The lamp is compatible with:

• Apple Home (including Adaptive Lighting)
• Google Home
• Amazon Alexa
• Any Matter‑over‑Thread ecosystem such as Apple HomePod, Amazon Echo Show or Google TV Streamer When connected to Dirigera, users can enable Ikea’s adaptive lighting feature, which gradually shifts the white hue throughout the day to mimic natural daylight. The lamp can also be linked to Ikea’s $9 Myggspray motion sensor, allowing the light to turn on automatically when movement is detected.

Setup experience

Setting up the Varmblixt is straightforward. The remote arrives unpaired, but Ikea’s minimalist instructions guide users to reset both lamp and remote (by holding their programming buttons) and scan the Matter QR code with the Home Smart app. Once paired, the lamp appears in the same room as the remote, and the remote can be assigned additional scene‑control functions. The reviewer noted a few hiccups: initial attempts to add the lamp to Apple Home via Matter failed several times, and the remote’s connectivity was occasionally spotty. However, after a week of testing and a final successful pairing through the Dirigera hub, the connection proved stable, with only occasional lag when controlled via the hub.

Performance and limitations

The Varmblixt outputs 180 lumens, which is adequate for soft ambient lighting but insufficient for reading or other task‑oriented activities. When turned off, the lamp’s matte finish looks “fairly drab,” a cosmetic drawback mentioned by the reviewer. The long power cable, while helpful for placement, can be cumbersome when wall‑mounting. Despite these minor issues, the lamp’s replaceable bulb and AAA‑powered remote are praised for their practicality and low ongoing cost. Compared with higher‑priced competitors like Philips Hue or LIFX, Ikea’s offering is inexpensive, aesthetically pleasing, and integrates seamlessly with the broader Matter ecosystem.

Market positioning and future outlook

Ikea’s Varmblixt is part of a new line of ultra‑affordable smart home devices that start at around $5 and all use Matter‑over‑Thread for connectivity. Other devices in the lineup include:

• Kajplats smart bulbs
• Myggspray motion sensor
• Grillplats smart plug
• Bilresa smart buttons
• Timmerflotte temperature sensor
• Alpstuga indoor air quality monitor By leveraging Matter, Ikea reduces the need for a dedicated hub for many users who already own Thread‑enabled controllers. This strategy positions Ikea as a serious contender in the budget smart‑home market, offering design‑forward products that blend into home décor while delivering functional connectivity.

Overall, the Varmblixt smart donut lamp delivers a compelling mix of design, affordability, and extensibility, making it a strong entry‑level option for consumers looking to dip their toes into smart lighting without breaking the bank.