Hands-on with IKEA's smart donut lamp. Simple decor, high-tech function

The first IKEA Varmblixt lamp had orange glass to create a warm glow. It was bold in its own way with a heavy dose of ‘70s style. The newer smart version of the Varmblixt lamp keeps the iconic circular, donut shape, but adds the ability to change colors and smart home connectivity.

I’ve spent a lot of time with various smart home products over the years. Usually, it’s the ones that have the widest compatibility that have the best value. That’s one of the reasons I’ve been so happy with the Varmblixt in my early testing. Its Matter technology means that it can work with Apple, Google, and Amazon right out of the box.

Here’s what you need to know about IKEA’s latest smart home product, if you’ve been eyeing its funky design.

What the IKEA Varmblixt can do

The IKEA Varmblixt might be a smart, tech-infused lamp, but it’s also fairly simple in most regards. It’s not overly intimidating. The LED bulb is non-removable. There’s only one button on the light, which turns it on and off. And it only comes in a white exterior.

In a sense, the Varmblixt isn’t flashy because it doesn’t need to be. Its main appeal is its distinctive shape. Does the 12-inch circular lamp look like anything else besides a donut? It’s the donut lamp.

Where things get more interesting is IKEA’s inclusion of Matter. This is a smart home protocol that allows various platforms and apps to connect to the same devices. All of the major companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon with Alexa support Matter devices right out of the box.

To set up the Varmblixt, I opened the Apple Home app and tapped Add Accessory. I scanned the QR code on the back of the lamp and then waited a minute for it to add it to my smart home.

Once it was ready, I could ask Siri to turn it on and off. I could tap on it in the app to change colors or adjust the brightness. The lamp uses an LED inside, so you never need to change the bulb. It’s vivid and can handle pretty much any color you throw at it.

Having a connected lamp is great, but needing to mess with your phone every time you want to adjust it is a pain. Thankfully, the Varmblixt comes with IKEA’s Bilresa smart remote control in the box. While only $6 on its own, it’s a great device.

The Bilresa remote gets set up the same way, by scanning a code to add it to your smart home. Once it’s registered, you can tell it what you want it to control. I set mine to turn on with one button press and turn off by double-clicking the same button. Then I set the lamp to turn one color with the press of the second button and another color when double-clicking that second button.

There are six total commands you can add. In addition to single and double clicks, you can also program each of the two buttons to do something when long-pressing them. If you don’t use the remote much, it’ll be tricky to remember all the commands. But if you use it daily, it’s easier to keep them straight.

Is the IKEA Varmblixt lamp worth spending money on?

IKEA sells the smart Varmblixt lamp for $100, the same price as the non-smart version. So, in that regard, the new donut lamp is a little bit better value. It also comes with a $6 Bilresa remote control that can be used for any other smart devices in your home app.

The donut lamp is a unique smart light. But as cool as I think it is, it won’t be for everyone. And I don’t think any number of high-tech features will make you want to use it if you don’t like how it looks. However, if you’ve had your eye on the new Varmblixt, there’s no reason not to pull the trigger on it. It’s great.