Ikea Klippbok Leak Sensor w/ Matter over Thread (review)

Whether you’ve got a smart home set up or not, one thing you really should have in your home is a leak sensor. These can save you an enormous amount of time, money, and stress simply by alerting you the moment – or even the second – a liquid-based leak is detected. That early warning can make all the difference, allowing you to deal with the problem quickly and potentially avoid costly repairs and a mountain of insurance paperwork.

For many Apple Home users, the default choice has long been Aqara’s leak sensor. I’ve been using Aqara sensors myself since before there was even an Aqara hub. I’ve got one under the sink, one near our washing machines, and another underneath our AC units, and they’ve yet to let me down.

That said, Aqara’s sensors do require an Aqara hub. Whilst that’s not an issue for me, as I’ve got several, it can be a sticking point for some users. This is where Matter over Thread devices come into play, and in this case, Ikea’s new Klippbok leak sensor.

With Klippbok, you still need an Apple Home hub acting as a Matter Controller, and ideally one that also includes a Thread Border Router. Without those two elements, you’ll struggle to make the sensor particularly useful. The HomePod mini, HomePod (2nd gen), Apple TV 4K (2nd gen), or Apple TV 4K (3rd gen, 128GB) all fulfil both roles, so if you already own one of these, you’re covered.

The biggest differentiator here is price. The Klippbok is selling for a very modest US$7.99, £7.00, or €6.99. When you factor in the lack of any requirement for a dedicated hub, that makes it a very compelling purchase indeed. If that already sounds appealing, read on for the full review.

PACKAGING | CONTENTS

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Ikea has long been strong on design, and that carries through to the packaging for this new batch of devices. The box puts the product front and centre, with the Matter logo clearly visible at the bottom. There’s very little mention of Thread, however, which has led some to question whether these devices actually use it. They do, so there’s no need to worry on that front.

Around the back, there’s minimal information, with a simple note stating that the sensor requires two AAA batteries, which aren’t included. That said, AAA batteries are widely available and easy to pick up from Ikea itself, which keeps things convenient.

The top of the box features the product name – KLIPPBOK – which translates loosely as scrapbook. Why Ikea chose this name isn’t entirely clear, but unusual product names are hardly new territory for them.

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Inside the box you’ll find the sensor itself, along with a small amount of printed documentation. One of these includes a sticker with the Matter code, provided in both QR and 11-digit numeric formats.

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The sensor itself is plain, slightly off-white, and deliberately unobtrusive. It has a pill-like shape and measures 17 x 70 x 40 mm (H x L x W). On the front, there’s a small LED window that pulses white during pairing. Once paired, it remains off until a leak is detected, at which point it flashes orange.

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Despite its compact size, the built-in speaker is surprisingly loud and will sound whenever a leak is detected.

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On the underside are four small rubber feet, which keep the leak probes slightly raised off the surface. The two metal probes themselves are positioned at one end of the unit.

This underside also houses the battery compartment, which is easy to open and includes a subtle rubber seal to help prevent water ingress. As the compartment faces downwards, water ingress is unlikely unless the leak is sudden and substantial.

Inside, there’s space for the two AAA batteries and a small pairing button. In practice, you’re unlikely to need this button, as inserting the batteries for the first time automatically puts the sensor into pairing mode.

ADDING TO APPLE HOME

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This is an area where some users have reported issues, not just with Klippbok, but with Ikea’s Matter over Thread devices more generally. I’ve personally tested five other Ikea products alongside Klippbok – Myggbett (contact sensor), Myggspray (motion sensor), Bilresa (smart button), Alpstuga (air quality sensor), and one of the bulbs from the Kajplats range. All of them paired successfully on the first attempt.

In the case of the Bilresa smart button, I’ve even removed and re-added it to Apple Home without any problems so far. Klippbok itself also paired first time, but after being added, it has occasionally flipped between connected and disconnected states in quick succession.

Within Apple Home, the sensor appears alongside other sensors at the top of the Home view. In its settings, you can see whether a leak has been detected, the battery level, and whether the alarm is active, which appears to refer to the built-in siren.

Under Status and Notifications, it’s included in Home Summaries by default, as you’d expect for an alarm-based device. You can tailor notification behaviour to suit your preferences, although leak alerts will always notify you immediately, regardless of time.

For automations, the only available trigger is when a leak is detected. There are no additional conditions or states you can use beyond that.

One important note is regarding firmware updates; The very first time I installed the leak sensor, there was a firmware update available and waiting for me to install. This is another bonus when it comes to the new Ikea products, which means you truly don’t need their hub or app at any point.

IN USE

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As this is a written review, it’s not possible to demonstrate the alarm sound (you can see it in the video though), but it’s loud enough to be genuinely annoying if you’re in the same room. From elsewhere in the home, you’re unlikely to hear it clearly, which is precisely why integrating it into a smart home setup is so important. That way, you’ll still receive alerts wherever you are.

Although the sensor works autonomously – meaning it’ll still sound an alarm even if it’s not connected to a smart home system – you’ll get the most value from it when it’s properly integrated and sending notifications to your devices.

Response times have been extremely fast in my experience. Between the built-in siren and the lack of any requirement for an Ikea hub, Klippbok arguably represents better value than Aqara’s leak sensor. Aqara’s standard model currently sells for US$16.99, with the T1 version priced at US$20.99. A three-pack of the standard model brings the per-unit price down to US$14.33, but that’s still nearly US$6.50 more than Klippbok, and that’s assuming you already own an Aqara hub.

That said, reports of connection issues are far more common with Ikea’s Matter over Thread devices than with Aqara’s Zigbee-based products. My Aqara devices have been consistently rock solid, and when issues do arise with Zigbee, they’re usually easier to diagnose through basic troubleshooting. Matter over Thread is generally reliable too, but when something does go offline, it can be much harder to pinpoint the cause.

So, whilst Klippbok offers excellent value and a very low barrier to entry, you may be trading a little stability for that lower price. Whether that’s a worthwhile compromise is ultimately up to you, but there’s no denying that Ikea’s aggressive pricing on its new Matter over Thread range has shaken up the market purely on cost alone.

Will I be continuing to use it? Unless I find a suitable place for it, then not at present, as my Aqara leak sensors are in place, and until one of them dies, the Klippbok is staying boxed up. That’s not a reflection of the device itself, more that it’s currently surplus to requirements.