IKEA just released a super cheap Philips Hue Play Light Bar lookalike, but there's one big drawback

Date:
Thu, 26 Mar 2026 17:11:26 +0000

Description:
The new IKEA lamp costs the same as a cup of coffee, but don't expect it to create an immersive home theater experience.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter The IKEA Skaftsrv is an LED gradient light costing $6.99 / 4 (about AU$8) It
looks similar to the Philips Hue Play Gradient Light Bar, but can't mirror colors from a TV screen The WiZ Gradient Light Bar is an affordable alternative that can sync to a TV IKEA has just launched a new lamp that
looks strikingly similar to a popular Philips Hue light, but at a tiny fraction of the price. The IKEA Skaftsrv is available in the UK for just
$6.99 / 4 (about AU$8), and each one has three lighting zones that can cast a colorful glow onto your walls or shine into the room.

As our colleagues at T3 note , it bears an uncanny resemblance to the
Philips Hue Play Light Bar, and if you like the idea of making your home cinema system more immersive but have been put off by the price tag, you
might be tempted to snag a pair of Skaftsrvs instead but there's something you should know first. IKEA Skaftsarv at IKEA for 4 Although the Skaftsrv can shift colors in response to music, and is dimmable, there's no way to connect it to your TV or PC monitor to extend the colors from the screen. It's impressive considering how little it costs, but it's only a decorative lamp, not a smart light. Article continues below You may like The Philips Hue Flourish table lamp is getting an upgrade to take on IKEA IKEA's donut-shaped Varmblixt smart lamp is landing early in some stores IKEA just revealed a new donut-shaped smart light and it'll look sweet on your tables or walls

By contrast, the Philips Hue Play Light Bar can be used to add ambience to a room, or to create an Amblight-style effect around and behind your TV when connected to a Philips Hue HDMI Sync Box. Up to three Light Bars can be connected to the same power supply.

You can control your Light Bars via the Philips Hue app, and like all Philips Hue devices, they are compatible with all the major smart home ecosystems so you can operate them with voice commands, connect them to your other smart devices, and use them in automations. Take a look at our Philips Hue Play Light Bar review to find out more. Lighting for less If the Philips Hue light is outside your budget, but you want something that will provide a similar experience, take a look at the WiZ Gradient Light Bars, which cost just
$59.99 / 54.99, and work in a very similar way when linked to a WiZ HDMI Sync Box.

Although they use different technologies, both Philips Hue and WiZ smart lights are made by the same company (Signify), so you can be confident that you're getting good quality. In fact, our reviewer Abigail Shannon gave the WiZ Gradient Light Bars a near-perfect four and a half stars out of five thanks to their ease of use, versatility, and smooth color gradient. Check
out our full WiZ Gradient Light Bars review for more details. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Today's best light bar deals Philips Hue Play White and Colour 114.98 86.98 View See all prices WiZ Gradient Light Bars 38.49 View See all prices IKEA Skaftsarv 4 View See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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