Here’s the question I get asked all the time. You want to try IKEA smart home stuff. Do you really need to spend $110 on the Dirigera hub or can you skip it?
Short answer: yes, you still need it for a real setup. But the nuance matters.
I bought my first IKEA smart bulb two years ago without the hub. Stood in the store, thought how hard can this be. Pretty hard, as it turns out.
But things have changed in 2026. The question deserves a fresh look.
What Changed in 2026
The big news is Matter over Thread. IKEA launched 21 new products at CES 2026, all Matter-compatible.
CNET reported that most of these devices can technically work without the hub in basic modes.
That sounds like good news on the surface. But here is what that actually means in practice.
The new Varmblixt smart donut lamp ships with a Bilresa remote. That remote lets you cycle through 12 preset colors and basic on-off-dim without touching the hub or an app. Same deal with the smart pendant light.
That’s genuinely useful. But it’s also the ceiling of what you can do without the hub.
What You Actually Get Without a Hub
Let’s be specific about what “no hub” actually means.
Without the Dirigera hub, your IKEA smart devices run on Bluetooth. Range is limited to about 30 feet from your phone.
You can control devices individually from the IKEA Home Smart app. You get basic on-off and dimming.
You cannot set schedules. You cannot automate devices to respond to other devices.
You cannot control them when you’re away from home. You cannot connect more than about 10 devices before Bluetooth gets flaky.
CNET notes that while you can link IKEA remotes and bulbs without a hub, most useful features lock behind the Dirigera. That includes scheduling, automation, and remote access.
One Reddit user on r/tradfri described their frustration trying to use older TRÅDFRI gear without proper hub support. The same logic applies to the new Matter devices: basic mode works, advanced mode needs the hub.
The Real Math on the Hub Cost
$110 for the Dirigera hub. That’s a real number.
Here is how to think about it. If you buy two smart bulbs at each, you’re at without the hub. Add the hub and you’re at $140 for a setup that actually does something useful.
Compare that to Philips Hue, where a starter kit with 3 bulbs and a hub runs 0+. At $140 for a full IKEA setup with hub and 2 bulbs, you’re already getting most of the functionality at a reasonable price.
Now here’s the alternative nobody talks about. Buy just the hub first. Wait for a sale.
IKEA runs frequent discounts on the Dirigera, sometimes down to $80. Then add devices slowly.
The hub pays for itself the moment you want to automate more than two things.
What You Can Do With the Hub That You Can’t Without
This is the important part.
With the Dirigera hub, you get scheduling. Your porch light turns on at sunset and off at 11pm. Your bedroom bulbs dim automatically when you hit the pillow.
You get automation. The motion sensor detects movement in the hallway, and the hall light turns on.
Door sensor opens, entrance light turns on. These sound like gimmicks until you live with them for a week.
You get remote access. You’re at work, and you wonder if you left the lights on. You open the app and check. You turn them off. All without driving home.
You get Matter integration. Your IKEA devices talk to your Google Home, Apple HomeKit, or Alexa setup. The hub bridges IKEA’s ecosystem to everything else.
CNET confirms that the Dirigera hub unlocks 40-color support on the Varmblixt lamp, not just the 12-color basic mode. That’s a meaningful difference.
When You Can Genuinely Skip the Hub
There are real scenarios where the hub doesn’t make sense.
You want one smart bulb in a lamp. That’s it. You’re renting and can’t install anything permanent.
You move in six months. Skip the hub. Bluetooth mode is fine for this.
You want smart bulbs in a small apartment where your phone is always nearby. Bluetooth range covers most spaces without dead zones.
Skip the hub. See if you actually use it before committing $110. You’re curious about a smart home but not sure yet. Skip the hub.
Start with two bulbs on Bluetooth. If you find yourself wanting schedules after two weeks, then buy the hub.
That’s the honest use case for going hub-free. Not because it’s better. Because you’re testing the water.
The Thread Border Router Question
Here’s something new in 2026. Some newer IKEA devices act as Thread Border Routers. This is part of the Matter over Thread setup.
In theory, Thread Border Routers reduce the need for traditional hubs. In practice, it is more complicated.
The Verge reported that Thread Border Routers remain a pain point. Having too many, not enough, or the wrong type causes onboarding failures and connectivity drops.
For now, treat Thread Border Router capability as a bonus feature. Don’t design your setup around it. The Dirigera hub remains the reliable backbone.
My Honest Recommendation
Buy the hub on day one if any of these apply to you: you want more than two smart devices, you want schedules, you want automation, you want voice control through Alexa or Google Home, or you want remote access when you’re not home.
Skip the hub if you want one or two bulbs for basic on-off control and you’re on a tight budget. Just know you’re going to hit limitations fast.
The $110 is worth it. Here is the simplest way to think about it.
The Dirigera hub makes everything else you buy afterward twice as useful. Devices that cost $15 each suddenly do way more because they can talk to each other.
That’s the real value of the hub. Not the $110 hardware. The ecosystem it unlocks.
Check IKEA’s smart home range to see current hub pricing and bundle deals.
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Have a specific question about your setup? Drop it below.
