Ikea's new 2026 smart home and home security devices quickly earned several spots on my recommendation lists, thanks to their high affordability (many around $10) and full compatibility with the cross-brand smart home standard Matter. The big caveat was that you needed a Matter hub, like an Apple TV or an Echo Show, to use the devices. Now that step has gotten easier with Samsung's latest SmartThings expansion, announced on Tuesday. 

Previously, you needed Ikea's own Dirigera hub, around $110, and a SmartThings hub from Samsung to get Ikea's devices to work in the SmartThings app. Now you just need a compatible SmartThings hub, and it can support Ikea's Matter devices, which total around 25.

Those devices include smart plugs, access sensors for doors, motion detectors, temperature and air quality sensors, smart bulbs and lamps and plenty more to experiment with. The low costs make Ikea an especially good choice for affordable smart home add-ons in apartments, dorms and first homes, with speedy setup, thanks to the Matter support.

If that sounds interesting, there's an important catch you should understand. Your Galaxy phone or similar mobile device can't act as a SmartThings hub on its own. Instead, you'll need a separate hub, like Samsung's $130 Aeotec to get Ikea devices to work smoothly with SmartThings. 

When I contacted Samsung, their spokesperson provided me with a handy list of other SmartThings hubs that could work and save you some money. "Your Samsung TV, Smart Monitor, Family Hub refrigerator, or Sound Bar could already be a smart home hub, ready to connect and control devices without the need to buy and set up another device," Samsung told me. "For those who prefer a standalone hub, some other options include the SmartThings Station, the Aeotec Smart Home Hub, the Aeotec Smart Home Hub 2, and the SmartThings Hub V2."

That's good news if you're already a fan of SmartThings and have a hub ready to go, but it's a pretty expensive investment if not. Keep in mind, Ikea's Matter devices work with other hubs provided by Amazon Alexa/Echo, Apple's HomePod and new Apple TVs, Google's Nest hubs and so on. If you have any of these devices around your home, Ikea's sensors are still a great way to save while adopting home tech.