This Build-It-Yourself Security Kit From Ikea Is My New Favorite Thing


Pros

  • Very affordable with most sensors around $10
  • Easy setup
  • Fully Matter-compatible for Apple, Google and Alexa
  • Largely accurate performance
  • Only needs AAA batteries
  • A variety of home automations are easy to set up

Cons

  • If you don’t have a compatible home hub or speaker, you’ll need Ikea’s $110 hub
  • The air quality monitor isn’t the most accurate

Ikea has experimented with smart home gear before, but the furniture-and-meatballs powerhouse has mostly stayed in its lane. However, at CES 2026, Ikea unveiled a new plan, a strong push into the home security world with a set of tiny, fully Matter-supported devices for your doors, rooms, air quality and more. Of course, I had to try them. And now I’m obsessed.

As a home security editor with years of experience testing kits, I’ve never seen one so affordable and (perhaps a first for Ikea) easy to set up with your phone. There’s still slight Ikea-style jank around the edges, but these devices are among the best options for people just getting started with home security, especially renters and those already turning to Ikea for budget-friendly choices. If you’ve been skeptical about adopting security devices before, this is the option that’ll win you over.

Note: You can buy these security devices together or pick and choose — with each around $10 — depending on what you need and how whimsical you find their names. This is another thing I really like about Ikea’s approach.

Design and setup

Ikea's security sensors in yellow boxes on wood table.

Ikea’s sensors have cute names and low prices.

Tyler Lacoma/CNET

Ikea’s security set is compact and includes both adhesive strips and screw-in hardware for installation, though the lightweight design makes the strips the easiest option. The devices either plug into USB-C or run on AAA batteries; there are no built-in rechargeable batteries.

The sensors, while compact, don’t have the best design quality I’ve seen. Battery covers, for example, proved fiddly and sometimes difficult to re-attach. But they’re easy to understand and surprisingly capable, especially at these incredibly low prices for setting up a multi-pronged security system.

Apple Home's app showing an Ikea sensor connecting.

Matter support means Ikea’s sensors are easy to set up on multiple platforms.

Tyler Lacoma/CNET

Thanks to the Matter home standard support, setup proved very speedy. I scanned a QR code on the sensor manuals that took me over to the Apple Home app to connect the devices in only a couple of taps — no need to create a new account or enter home or ID information. The same is true of Google Home or Amazon Alexa, depending on what platform you prefer. All you need is a compatible existing hub (such as my HomePod or Google Nest Hub Max).

Ikea's app showing the option to add Ikea's own hub.

If you don’t have a home device that can act like a hub, you’ll need to add Ikea’s hub to your shopping cart.

Tyler Lacoma/CNET

Ikea does have a smart home app of its own you can download, but there’s a catch: It requires the addition of the Dirigera, the $110 Ikea hub. You’ll also need the Dirigera if you don’t have an existing hub that supports one of the “big three” platforms. This is where a compatible home hub — such as an Apple smart speaker, a Nest display or speaker or a newer Echo Show smart display — really shines, allowing Ikea’s system to complement your existing platform.

Now, I’ll walk through each sensor to show what you get and how it performed.

Myggbett: Door and window access

Ikea's access sensor on a wood door frame.

Ikea’s slim access sensor works very well for its size.

Tyler Lacoma/CNET

Access sensors come in a variety of designs. Ikea’s are long and slim, made to sit neatly along the top of a doorway or on narrow window trim. The Myggbett’s instructions, like all Ikea manuals, rely on universal pictographs rather than words. It’s charming, but if you’ve never installed a security system before, you’ll need to study the diagrams closely to understand what to do.

Fortunately, the two halves of the sensor are easy to align and forgiving when it comes to oddly shaped doors. Throughout my testing, the sensor reliably told me if the access point was open or closed. From there, you can use your platform of choice to add more actions such as sounding an alarm — something I’ll talk about more below.

Myggspray: Motion tracking

Ikea's motion sensor above a door.

Ikea’s motion sensor detects both people and light.

Tyler Lacoma/CNET

The Myggspray is the largest of Ikea’s sensors, but it’s also compact compared to many motion sensors I’ve tested. And it senses light, too. Here, Ikea’s pictographs were a helpful guide to proper placement, with clear warnings about windows and rain exposure.

Mounted in my office, the sensor reliably detected when someone was in the room and whether the lights were on. I’ll show below how that status can be linked to other devices, such as compatible smart lights.

Klippbok: Water leak detection

Ikea's leak sensor on a counter.

Ikea’s leak sensor is one of the most compact I’ve seen.

Tyler Lacoma/CNET

Water leak detectors are nifty little devices that can sit under sinks, water heaters and pipes to notify you when pooling water is detected so you can act quickly. Ikea’s version is the smallest I’ve ever seen, but it also worked well in tests, although unlike some models, the Klippbok can’t detect dripping water from above.

Alpstuga: Carbon dioxide tracking, time and more

Ikea's air quality sensor on a black table.

Ikea’s air quality monitor can show several types of data.

Tyler Lacoma/CNET

The Alpstuga features a tiny LED screen you can put anywhere there’s a USB-C connection available, such as by your computer. You can switch between various monitoring features and a clock, but its standout capability is a CO2 monitor to keep an eye on general air quality.

I’m a big fan of air quality trackers that provide insight into indoor conditions and alert you when things like a fireplace or gas oven are affecting the air, so you can open a window or switch on an air purifier. Ikea’s version is one of the cheapest I’ve seen, but it seems to struggle with accuracy.

ikeas-sensor-and-switchbots-together

Ikea’s sensor seemed less reliable than more expensive models. 

Tyler Lacoma/CNET

One of my top air quality monitors is the SwitchBot Meter Pro with its Swiss-designed carbon dioxide sensor. I’ve been using it for over a year and it’s always been reliable when it comes to CO2 shifts. By comparison, Ikea’s model read noticeably higher — even after acclimating — and showed more frequent, wider swings in CO2 levels than my other sensors, which made me question its reliability.

If you don’t have any air quality monitoring, the Alpstuga is certainly better than nothing, but I don’t think it has the same accuracy as an expensive monitor. Keep that in mind if you want to add this one to your security arsenal.

Timmerflotte: Temperature and humidity tracking

Ikea's temperature button on a wooden table.

With a press of this button, you can see the nearby temperature and humidity.

Tyler Lacoma/CNET

This model is a small, button-style sensor that displays the surrounding temperature and humidity with a quick press. You can place it almost anywhere and tap it for the latest readings. In my testing, it proved consistently accurate no matter where I put it. The push-to-activate design is both fun and battery-friendly, though it doesn’t provide continuous readings.

Ikea’s app controls and automations

Apple Home showing alert options for an Ikea security device.

You can set or remove phone alerts for any of Ikea’s devices.

Tyler Lacoma/CNET

Whether you choose just one security sensor or the whole suite, connecting them to the app of your choice creates a number of options.

On their own, these sensors are largely passive, showing their status in the background. That’s not helpful if you want alerts or action if someone’s breaking into your room or other problems come up. In settings, you can find options to enable and customize phone alerts so you receive notifications when significant changes occur.

For some, that may be enough. But the Matter support also means you can set up automations with other smart devices you may have, revealing a new level of security enhancements. For example, since I have smart speakers, I linked one to Ikea’s access sensor and set it to blast a marching band song at full volume whenever the door opens, but only during the hours it’s supposed to stay closed. It’s as good as a siren, if I ever need it. You can do the same with the motion detector, too.

Apple Home showing a speaker automation with Ikea sensors.

Home automations depend on what your platform supports, but you have plenty of options.

Tyler Lacoma/CNET

Other automations depend on the platform you use. Here, Apple Home falls a little flat because it doesn’t support quite as many smart devices as other home platforms. But with the right connections, you can set up all kinds of tricks. Link the temperature sensor to your thermostat and turn on the heat when a specific room drops below a specific temperature. Or set the air quality monitor to turn on a smart air purifier (or a compatible smart plug connected to a purifier) when CO2 levels go over 1,000 ppm. Or connect a smart lock, put the motion sensor in a garage and set it to unlock your front door when it senses a car pulling in after 5 p.m.

Automations like these aren’t required, but they add plenty of value to Ikea’s security system if you ever want to expand your smart home, and they’re easier to set up than ever. You won’t get the more advanced capabilities such as geofencing and arming/disarming tricks, but Ikea’s not aiming for the traditional security system market anyway.

Final thoughts on Ikea’s security devices

Ikea’s security kit is adaptable, lets you pick what features are a priority and proved as effective in my tests as kits that cost five times as much money. The ability to instantly set up sensors with the home platform of your choice thanks to full Matter support is also welcome.

Everything I’ve discussed works best when you already have a device that can act as a home hub for Alexa, Apple Home or Google Home. That may not be possible for those first dipping into the home security pool, which means you’ll need to get a (relatively) affordable $100 Dirigea hub from Ikea. I’m also measuring ongoing battery life performance, but so far that’s less of a concern.

Otherwise, it already appears Ikea has carved out a niche in the home security market — ideal for newcomers and anyone looking to save without sacrificing too much, a concept the Swedish brand knows well.

In the coming months, I’ll be testing out other new Ikea smart home products, including the latest smart plugs, to see if they’re also budget contenders. For now, its suite of security products has proven competent while filling an important niche.





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