Smart light bulbs look set to enter the mainstream as housewares maker Ikea prepares to enter the market in April with a range of Internet-connected devices.

Ikea’s new TRÅDFRI lighting range includes bulbs, LED panels and cabinet doors that can be controlled using a remote or app. Sensors are offered as an optional extra to allow the lights to switch on and off automatically when someone enters a defined space.

The company describes TRÅDFRI as an extensive product range with wireless, plug-and-play solutions that allow people to easily adapt lighting in the home. “Choose a light for early mornings, another for late evenings and a third for cooking or working at home,” the company said in its pitch. “Dim, turn off, turn on, and switch from warm to cold light using a remote control or the new TRÅDFRI app. Smart Lighting enable us to have better lighting at home, in an easy and affordable way.”

While smart home devices are gushed upon in some quarters, particularly the tech press, the reality is that uptake of the Internet of Things devices in the home hasn’t matched the hype. In 2015, Statista reported that only 3.7 percent of American homes had a smart home device, not including smart televisions. Although that figure led every other country by a significant margin, it’s still only a small percentage. Some sections of the market have grown — in particular, connected alarms — but growth in the market overall has remained fairly steady even though some are predicting higher growth rates going forward than others.

Cost and availability are the two main factors influencing the market, with smart light bulbs often being 10 times more expensive than their dumb rivals. For example, a basic Philips Hue wireless lightbulb on Amazon can cost as much as $59 for a high-end model.

Inter IKEA Systems B.V., famed for its low-cost practical products, is doing the same with its range of smart globes. The cheapest Ikea smart LED bulb costs $11.99, while a full kit that includes a wall-mountable and battery-powered dimmer switch, two white-spectrum bulbs and a small smart hub costs $79.99, compared with a similar kit from Philips that costs $129.99.

While that still sounds fairly high versus a traditional light bulb, Ikea sells a dumb LED light globe for $10.99, meaning that the barrier to entry becomes $1 per bulb versus double, triple or even more. It’s a sales pitch that could help take smart home appliances into the mainstream.

Photos: Ikea