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The Shelly Plug Gen4 has an LED indicator on the back of the device that casts a glow on the wall and makes it easy to see from a distance.
Very few Smart home appliances As versatile as smart plugs. In addition to working with almost anything that uses a wall plug, it’s easy to set up and move to any outlet in your home. still, Smart plugs They typically do little more than simple on/off switches with occasional power monitoring features. But the Shelly Plug Gen4 stands out as an exception by offering compatibility with a number of smart home platforms, light sensor, and deep settings options for power users.
I spent a few days testing the Shelly Plug Gen4 and found it to be a capable smart plug, even if some of its more advanced features are beyond my skill level. Let’s dive into the three features I liked the most, and what I didn’t like about them.
The deep features are a joy and a deluge
I can’t say if these features are truly necessary or a game-changer, but it shows how much Shelly has thought about providing additional tools beyond the standard remote access, schedules, and automation you get from other smart plugs.
Many aspects of Shelly’s smart devices are more than most people will need, and some may be better suited to technically advanced people or those with an IT background. But that doesn’t mean that regular users won’t be able to take advantage of and appreciate some of their unique features. There are three in particular that I think anyone could benefit from: the customizable indicator light, Energy management tools And the ability to turn off the button on the device.
Customizable indicator light
Unlike the small indicator light on the front of most smart plugs, the Shelly Plug Gen4 has a large LED indicator that’s easy to see from a distance because it casts a glow from the back of the plug onto the wall. You can disable the light, but I think the power and toggle modes could be very useful. In power mode, the light turns on when the smart plug is turned on, and the light turns off when the plug is turned off. In toggle mode, the light switches between two different colors to indicate whether the device is on or not.
Shelly offers Night Mode options that use a built-in light sensor to adjust the brightness of the light — or turn it off entirely — depending on the brightness of the room.
This may not seem like a big deal, but it’s easy to imagine how it could be useful. For example, imagine seeing a red light when someone accidentally turns off the power plug of your Internet router or home security center. Since you can adjust the brightness as well as the color, you also have the option of using the Shelly plug as a mini plug Night light When you turn off the lamp at night.
Energy management
The next notable feature of the socket is power management. Like many smart plugs with energy tracking, the Shelly Plug Gen4 monitors power consumption in watt-hours, but increases readings for voltage, current (amps), and frequency. Although it’s a great way to see if a device is working properly, the real benefit is that you can set the smart plug to turn off when the device is drawing too much wattage, voltage, or current. For example, you can set the smart plug to only work with low-amperage appliances like lamps instead of high-draft vacuum cleaners and air conditioners. I also like that Shelly provides a power dashboard to see real-time power consumption by device and device type, which is great for discovering potential Energy vampires Unreasonably increasing your energy bill.
The Shelly app is very customizable, and I love that there is a web browser version. But the settings menu for each device can be a little cumbersome to navigate.
The button you can turn off
Finally, I’m a big fan of the option that lets you disable the switch on the front of the plug, which Shelly calls the “Detach Switch.” My thoughts immediately went to curious kids pressing random buttons or people forgetting to turn plugs back on. This setting makes it harder for them to tamper with your devices by completely removing the actual option. You can also set a PIN in the app to further secure access. I didn’t even get in Script library It allows for more complex customization, but this is definitely something reserved for power users.
Shelly’s universal compatibility provides outstanding flexibility
While most of the advanced connectivity features are excessive for the average person, Home Assistant users and IT departments that manage smart devices for businesses and schools will find a lot to like with Shelly devices, and not just the smart plug.
Typically, when I say a smart plug is cross-platform compatible, I’m talking about the system APIs it supports over a Wi-Fi Internet connection. (That’s how many devices communicate with the likes of Amazon Alexa and Google Home.) But the Shelly Plug Gen4 is unique because it offers more comprehensive hardware and software compatibility. It has built in Zigbee and topic Compatibility, which is not unusual since this is mostly based on Zigbee’s native cross-compatibility with Matter’s Thread radio frequency. From there, the Zigbee device just needs to become Matter certified.
Moreover, it supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. While I can’t speak to Bluetooth features, Wi-Fi compatibility extends beyond what you might expect, including support for two Wi-Fi networks and local Wi-Fi control.
Is Shelly Plug Gen4 worth it?
I feel that the Shelly Plug Gen4, like most Shelly devices, is better suited for tech users and small businesses, like Airbnb rentals, than for the average home.
I’ll be up front: pay $25 per person Chile Plug Gen4 Smart Ingredients are a bit steep, considering that you can often buy four-packs of similar products from them Goofy, become and Amazon Basics For almost the same price. There is also an issue Chile Premium The service, which locks down some features – such as offline notifications, weather forecasts, in-depth monthly energy reports and more customization options – for a monthly fee of €4 (€36 annually). I don’t think a subscription is necessary or worth it unless Shelly makes up the majority of your smart home system — and even then, it’s overkill.
The indicator light and extensive settings options might make it a better choice for local smart home control on Home Assistant and as a useful night light, or if you need a specific feature like power management for an important device. Power users will probably like it, but most people are better off using the Shelly Plug Gen4 occasionally to supplement other smart plugs — or opting for a less expensive option, like the Tapo, instead.
