In a world where there is no shortage of smart plugs, I am going to compare 4 zigbee 3.0 compatible plugs from the brand Nous, Neo, Aqara and Lidl. Trying not to forget anything. Below you will find a comparison in the form of a table which allowed me to decide between these catches.

Thanks to Domadoo for allowing me to carry out this test.

Visual comparison

You will find at Domadoo for sure, the Us, neo and Aqara plugs in EU(fr) plug-in version, all are supplied in a box with more or less complete instructions.

Rendered from the front, you can see for yourself that the Us Smart Zigbee Socket A1Z and the Aqara Smart plug SP-EUC01 are delivered in EU version, which is a plus for versatility.

Nous Smart Zigbee Socket A1Z

Of the 4 sockets, this is the one with the best aesthetic result, with translucent plastics and one of the most successful operating/integration buttons, it is also the smallest and lightest socket tied with the neo socket Plug-007SPB2, you will realize that it integrates the Tuya protocol, going further we realize that the manufacturing design and the integration of the components is completely similar to the neo Plug-007SPB2. Domadoo sells this socket in an EU version, Tuya must be the manufacturer and only the aesthetic aspect differs from the Neo Coolcam.

Despite all these positive points, I encountered a signal strength problem, as a reminder, the 4 sockets were installed in the same place and it turns out that the Nous sends out a signal half as strong as the others.

Is it a product problem or is it an error in my installation… .

On the diagram below we can see that it is a router (signal repeater) and recognized under the zigbee model TS011F

the Us Smart Zigbee Socket A1Z has ( 9 functions ), it allows to:

• control the on/off state (fortunately otherwise it would not be intelligent)
• to set the state after a power outage
• to set the operating status of the LED on/off-on/on-off/off
• to measure the instantaneous power
• to measure the instantaneous intensity of the current
• to know the voltage
• to measure the sum of the energy consumed
• to block the operation of the physical button
• to know the quality of the signal

US - ZIGBEE 3.0 SMART SOCKET + CONSUMPTION MEASUREMENT

By Nous

The Zigbee 3.0 smart plug allows US to control any traditional electrical device remotely, via smartphone or by voice.

Buy Now out of Domadoo

Neo Coolcam Plug-007SPB2

Similar to the smart socket Us Smart Zigbee Socket A1Z, the Neo socket diverges in a single point and that is at the level of the rendering of the color of the plastics. In my opinion it is below the Us plug, indeed the orange is a bit more flashy, it is also found at the level of the button, some will like it. The socket is sold at domadoo in EU version (fr), on Aliexpress you will find the EU version, which in my opinion is more versatile provided that it is pluggable in EU version (fr).

On the diagram below we can see that it is also a router (signal repeater) and recognized under the zigbee model TS011F

the Neo Coolcam Plug-007SPB2 has ( 9 functions ) (again identical to the Nous Smart Zigbee Socket A1Z), it allows to

• control the on/off state (fortunately otherwise it would not be intelligent)
• to set the state after a power outage
• to set the operating status of the LED on/off-on/on-off/off
• to measure the instantaneous power
• to measure the instantaneous intensity of the current
• to know the voltage
• to measure the sum of the energy consumed
• to block the operation of the physical button
• to know the quality of the signal

NEO - ZIGBEE TUYA 16A SMART SOCKET + CONSUMPTION MEASUREMENT (FR FORMAT)

By Neo coolcam

Control your electrical device remotely, anywhere in the world from your Smartphone and measure the electrical consumption in real time.

Buy Now out of Aliexpress Buy Now out of Domadoo

Aqara Smart plug SP-EUC01

The Aqara socket is more imposing compared to the two previous ones, the quality and rendering of the materials is present, I would even say that it is of very good quality. The white plastic is shiny, the white button is well integrated. The warning light on the front is very small and discreet, ideal for living rooms (bedrooms, etc.). When the package is very well done, the complete instructions.

As you can see in the diagram below, it is also recognized as a router (signal repeater), as for the others, the integration into zigbee2mqtt is done without worries.

the Aqara Smart plug SP-EUC01 has ( 8 functions ) allows to:

• control the on/off state (fortunately otherwise it would not be intelligent)
• to set the state after a power outage
• to measure the instantaneous power
• to measure the instantaneous intensity of the current
• to know the voltage
• to measure the sum of the energy consumed
• to know the temperature of the room a plus
• to know the quality of the signal

AQARA - ZIGBEE 3.0 SMART PLUG CONNECTED SOCKET - SP-EUC01

By Aqara

Turn on or off the connected devices manually, remotely or using a time scenario, and know their consumption with the AQARA SP-EUC01 socket.

Buy Now out of Domadoo

Lidl SAPZ 1 A1

We come to the lidl socket, compared to the others, it’s the biggest, integration into your home can be more difficult, the quality is there, it’s also the cheapest on the market, on the other hand part it only offers 2 functions well below the competition, fortunately like the others it acts as routers.

the Lidl SAPZ 1 A1 socket has ( 2 functions ) and allows:

• control the on/off state (fortunately otherwise it would not be intelligent)
• to know the quality of the signal

Comparative table

Images for the end

The image below will show you the intensity of the brightness of the physical on/off button or the operating light for the Aqara socket. Note the Us and Neo Coolcam sockets have a function to disable the light.

Actual size of the sockets, I hope that with this shot you will be able to realize the size of the modules.

Ranking

After a long reflection and using the table I decided to establish this result:

1. Neo PLUG-007SPB2
2. Aqara SP-EUC01
3. Nous A1Z
4. Lidl SAPZ 1 A1

Going back to this ranking, I decided to put the Aqara socket in second position before the Us because it did not encounter any signal strength problems and ** above all it incorporates a temperature sensor which makes it the only two-in-one plug, so we can discuss its price, which is the highest.**.

If the We hadn’t encountered any signal problems, I would have put it in first position tied with the Neo.

Conclusion

Here’s a complete comparison, and I know the final ranking may be questionable, but the signal problems encountered with the Us A1Z made this smart plug go from first to third position. I believe that the zigbee mesh is very important and in my opinion it is therefore part of the first choice criteria. To conclude, I see only one interest in buying the Lidl SAPZ 1 A1 socket, its price, for the rest, go your way.