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e

Homeware

Is IKEA's Disembodied Dimmer A More Romantic Take On Smart Bulbs?

Keep your eyes out for TRÅDFRI... and its teeny remote

By Kat Bauman - March 30, 2017

IKEA is finally pushing seriously into smarter home territory with the TRÅDFRI system, a series of LED lights finally coming to global stores by the end of March. The networked lighting is built around a small series of bulbs and furniture panels, a network connection hub/gateway powered by Ethernet, and controlled via app.

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The system uses Zigbee Light Link standards and offers a wide range of tailoring for space and use needs, from desk lamps to glowing cabinetry. The bulbs and app accommodate a wide range of luminosity, dimming options, plus three preset color temperatures (2200K, 2700K, and 4000K), ideal for mood-specifying your spaces.

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Set daily timers for lights, control them remotely, and station lights as far as ~30 feet apart. It's all fairly standard, with some IKEAesque visual tweaks. By far the biggest and most fun feature for me is the addition of a motion controlled remote dimmer, apparently used sans buttons or triggers. You just hold it in the air and turn like a traditional knob.

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I need to stop evaluating IKEA designs through a lens of "how fast would I break or lose this?" and start thinking about how responsible people use things, because smart widgets get exponentially more interesting that way. While the TRÅDFRI offers a more recognizable controler with clear adjustment buttons, the puck shaped dimmer is obviously more playful. And easily lost. And unnecessary. And possibly imprecise. But fun!
It docks with its equally puck-like charger, so if you're a more responsible remote user than I am, it'll be easy to keep charged, stored and looking cool on a desk.

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Paired with IKEA's strategic low prices, these lights might have what it takes to beckon newcomers into the Smart Home fold. At >$100 for a gateway and a pair of bulbs, I imagine a lot of dorm rooms are about to get a lot more beguiling.

Too bad smart lighting can't make your kissing better or your wall-facing paintings less creepy

Kat Bauman

Irritated machine-lover and international Portland correspondent.

3 Comments

Victor johansson

a year ago

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@Kat Bauman The dimmer doesn't have a charger, not sure where you got that idea from... It has a replaceable coin-cell battery that lasts for two years.

@Ono Oh nO! Using it in midair is obviously jut for show in the video, when it's attached to its mount or any other surface the interaction is identical to a traditional dimmer (or any other rotary knob for that matter) In the store its displayed on the mounts and it works and looks kind of like a normal dimmer. With the added coolness of removability :)

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Victor johansson

a year ago

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Z

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@Kat Bauman The dimmer doesn't have a charger, not sure where you got that idea from... It has a replaceable coin-cell battery that last for two years.

@Ono Oh nO! Using the dimmer in mid-air is obviously just for show in the video, when its magnetically attached to the mount or any other suface the interaction would identical to using a traditional dimmer (or any rotary knob for that matter)

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Ono Oh nO!

a year ago

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Z

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This dimmer looks unconfortable to use, you pick it up, face it vertically , turn an awkward 45 deg until your wrist is going nowhere and then you need to use a second hand to keep turning it.
I like having a remote, I like the gesture interaction, and obviously the colorful puck is very neat, but the actual interaction is awkward.
Also I agree with the you Kat about the high level of loose-ability. Maybe that's the point, they want us to keep buying pucks.

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