Zigbee smart plugs compared

Zigbee is a wireless standard designed specifically for smart home devices. Unlike Wi-Fi devices, Zigbee plugs don't each register with the router but with a central hub (gateway, bridge or coordinator). That keeps your Wi-Fi free, and the devices keep responding even when the internet goes down.

Another plus: mains-powered Zigbee devices such as plugs usually act as routers in the mesh network. They relay signals from battery-powered sensors and thereby extend the range of your smart home. A well-placed Zigbee plug can therefore solve connection problems with distant door or temperature sensors.

Not all Zigbee is the same: most current devices use Zigbee 3.0 and work with many hubs, but the range of functions still differs. For example, a device might switch on a manufacturer's gateway but only show its readings in an open solution such as Home Assistant (with ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT). Take a look at your hub's compatibility lists before you buy.

Check the maximum load (10 or 16 A), whether energy monitoring is built in and whether the plug has overload protection. For outdoor use there are Zigbee outdoor plugs with IP44 protection. Behaviour after a power cut is also important: good models can be configured to come back on or deliberately stay off afterwards.

Multipacks make particular sense with Zigbee, because every additional plug strengthens the mesh network.

In everyday use, Zigbee plugs stand out mainly because they don't: they respond quickly, rarely lose their connection and run independently of the Wi-Fi router. That makes them a good basis for automations with motion detectors, door and window contacts or buttons. When setting up, plan at least one mains-powered Zigbee plug per floor so that the mesh network reliably reaches distant sensors too.