When looking for clever yet affordable solutions to product your home from damp and leaks, IKEA is the surprising place that should be on your radar. Their recent launch of the KLIPPBOK Water Leakage Sensor might just be the smartest home solution I’ve seen for tackling leaks, and it’s only £7.
Last year, IKEA announced it would be launching a series of affordable smart home gadgets, designed to make your home more efficient and even help you save money. And with each new smart arrival, we’ve been left pretty impressed.
There’s no arguing that it’s been a very wet and damp year, and if you’ve been struggling with leaks, IKEA’s latest smart home buy could be exactly what you need. Here’s how it works.
As with all IKEA smart home products, such as their new air quality sensor, the KLIPPBOK Water Leakage Sensor is Matter-compatible or connects directly to the IKEA DIRIGERA hub. Don’t worry, I’m also fairly new to the world of smart home gadgets, so I didn’t understand what Matter-compatible meant at first. In short, it means that smart home devices can work harmoniously together even if they are different brands. This means devices from Apple, Google Home, Samsung and Amazon, etc, can seamlessly work together using the unified Matter standard.
The sleek, small leakage sensor will beep when it detects a leak, giving you peace of mind during the wettest months. It’s particularly helpful when placed behind dishwashers and washing machines, alerting you before it’s too late.
When connected to a smart home hub, the sensor will send an alert to your smartphone about the leak. Its small size also means that it’s easy to position in hard-to-reach areas. It’s well-suited to the space under your sink, kitchen appliances and anywhere you suspect is prone to damp or leaks.
When left, water damage from leaks can cost you a fairly hefty bill to fix. Plus, if your leak causes damp and mould in your home, this can put your family at risk, too.
I don’t have a smart home. My partner has a smart speaker, and I’ll admit it’s great being able to control it from my phone and request songs by my voice, but other than that, I don’t have a Smart home ecosystem. However, I’d say that this IKEA leak sensor is still a handy gadget even if you don't subscribe to a full automated smart home. Only recently, I discovered a leak under my sink that had gone unnoticed, and I’d had to bin some of my belongings. I wish I'd learnt about this device sooner; it could have saved me time and money.
As well as IKEA’s smart leakage sensor, I’ve also done some digging to find some affordable alternatives you can also shop online.
This sensor has six detection probes on both its top and bottom to detect leaks and drips. It alerts via your phone, a beep or you can even sync it with Tapo smart bulbs which flash when a leak is detected.
This Amazon bestseller includes three sensors and one base station. It will beep or alert your phone, and the reviews say it is easy to set up and effective at detecting leaks.
This sensor detects freezing temperatures as well as leaks, making it a good choice if your home is also prone to frozen pipes.
The leak sensor is the first smart home gadget that has genuinely piqued my interest. It’s a simple solution that provides huge peace of mind.
