IKEA's cheapest smart home gadget is also my favourite – here’s why

As a tech journalist specialising in smart home, it feels like everywhere I look right now is IKEA’s new smart home gadgets. Following a huge launch of 21 Matter-compatible products last November, and the updated VARMBLIXT shown off at CES, the brand is impressing almost everyone with a lineup that’s both surprisingly advanced and affordable at the same time.

That said, I’ve noticed that despite how budget-friendly IKEA’s smart home range is, people still seem to gravitate towards the more “premium” picks. Products like the ALPSTUGA air quality sensor (£25) or the SOLVINDEN floor lamp (£29) are getting a lot of attention, even if calling them "premium" feels slightly ridiculous when they’re still cheap in the grand scheme of things.

However, I’m here to convince you that IKEA’s most budget-friendly gadgets deserve just as much love – and there’s one in particular that I want to talk about first.

I recently got my hands on a good amount of IKEA’s new Matter-compatible devices, and I’ll be reviewing them properly on the site soon. For now though, it’s the BILRESA remote control that’s really won me over.

Don’t get me wrong – smart buttons aren’t new. We’ve seen similar products from brands like Philips Hue and Tapo for years, but there’s something about IKEA’s £3 version that feels special. Despite the tiny price tag, it feels surprisingly premium in the hand, and it’s small enough to slip into a pocket, leave on a shelf, or keep tucked discreetly by the sofa.

It does require batteries, but nothing fancy – just two AAA batteries, so there’s no need to hunt down anything unusual. It also comes with adhesive on the back, meaning you can permanently stick it wherever makes sense in your home.

Whilst the BILRESA can be used to control a wide range of smart home devices due to its Matter support, I’ve been using mine primarily with smart lighting. As sitting under the big light in the living room is borderline sacrilege, I’ve got multiple lamps around my living space, which inevitably means I’ll get comfy on the sofa and realise I’ve forgotten to turn half of them on.

This is where the BILRESA comes in. A single button can control up to 10 devices at once, and you can assign different actions depending on how many times you press it. For example, a single tap turns on my floor lamp, and a double tap switches off the ceiling lights. It's something as simple as this that feels intuitive and incredibly versatile – without locking you into controlling just one device.

Keep an eye out for my full review coming very soon, and until then, you can buy the BILRESA smart button for £3 from IKEA.