For some time now, ITEAD has offered a smart socket with power measurements, but with the official release of the iPlug series, these features are now available via ZigBee to consumers in the UK and other regions (via compatible socket sizes). The only thing to check is whether the smart socket is any good!
Sonoff iPlug
I received the UK version of the Sonoff iPlug (EU version E/F is also available). It’s a white puck that fits in the UK socket nicely without imposing on neighbouring sockets, even on extension leads. The smart socket uses ZigBee 3.0, so you’ll need one of the Sonoff ZigBee Hubs. As the smart plug is constantly connected to power, it doubles as a ZigBee router extending your mesh network.
Besides small LED indicators (blue/red), the socket features a single button that doubles as pairing and toggle (child lock option available in the eWeLink app), and it’s extremely inexpensive, costing only $13.50 at launch! It’s one of the least expensive smart sockets available on the market with power measurements.
Sonoff iPlug eWeLink troubles
When the Sonoff iPlug was sent to me, not every Sonoff ZigBee bridge would connect to it properly to show the power consumption details. Yes, the device would pair, and I could control the ON/OFF toggle, but that was about it. My ITEAD contact advised me to wait for device-specific firmware changes to make it all work as it should.
I have waited a few days, updated firmware and tested the Sonoff iPlug with Sonoff ZB Bridge Pro (review), Sonoff ZB Bridge U (review), NSPanel Pro and iHost to see which devices work correctly. Adding it to Sonoff Bridge Pro went without a hitch, and after a few moments, I was able to see the device paired via ZigBee in my ecosystem.
At the time of the writing, Sonoff ZB Bridge U and iHost were not able to leverage power measurement just yet (it makes sense that these two report similarly, as they are based on very similar hardware, as outlined in this post). A similar story can be told about NS Panel Pro – the device shows up, but does not allow for power data to be added to the panel’s built-in Power Dashboard.
The only device right now that has access to the full capability of the Sonoff iPlug is the Sonoff ZB Bridge Pro. It’s disappointing to see other devices from ITEAD’s lineup not living up to expectations. I’m positive that over time this will be added, but I don’t quite understand why release devices to the market without full support. It’s hard not to feel let down by this, especially if you invested in ITEAD’s latest hubs.
Features
As eWeLink device, Sonoff iPlug offers typical smart features. You can control the outlet remotely, set schedules and timers and take advantage of advanced options like interlock, inching and define power on/power loss state.
Included power metering, offers also software based overcurrent/overvoltage protection (don’t use the smart socket as a circuit breaker as software solutions are much slower in response times) and let you cut off the power delivery based on consumption limits.
I checked the power measurement accuracy against my typical kill-o-watt style meter and the same light bulb was reporting very similar figures on both devices. It’s accurate enough for most household scenarios
Note about keeping history
While current power draw is updated in the app every 2 seconds and eWeLink offers usage charts and historical data for up to 6 months, it’s worth noting that historical data inludes the cumulative draw saved at hour intervals. If you were hoping to access more frequent reads, you are out of luck unless you use the plug with NodeRED and save the data yourself to a database – see my NodeRED and InfluxDB write up for details.
Sonoff iPlug in other ecosystems
Sonoff iPlug in Tuya
I have a nice Matter enabled hub from Zemismart that I wanted to try! Unfortunately despite upgrading the firmware, I was not able to even pair Sonoff iPlug with the hub. It’s a shame as usually eWeLink devices are cross compatible with Tuya.
Sonoff iPlug in Alexa
If you have an Alexa Hub (AmazonUK|AmazonUS) with a ZigBee hub built in, you can skip the eWeLink skill integration completely and add it directly to your Alexa device. You’ll give up on some core features like inching, interlocking and advanced power thresholds as well as on storing the data long term.
It takes a 20-30 seconds to add the device, but once paired you can toggle it via Alexa commands without the eWeLink skill.
Sonoff iPlug in NodeRED (ZigBee2MQTT)
For the best flexibility and control over Sonoff iPlug, I used NodeRED connected to my SM-Light coordinator. You can also use Sonoff ZB Dongle or flashed Sonoff ZB Bridge Pro. alternatively, if you own the iHost, you can add NodeRED via Docker and utilise the iHost ZigBee hardware for the same effect.
While I could pair the plug straight away, it shows up as a previoius gen device (S60ZBTPG) without the power meter data. This means that the converter has to be updated for the device to work. I have no doubt this will happen soon enough, so keep your ZigBee2MQTT up to date until then.
Sonoff iPlug in HomeAssistant (Z2H)
I’m completely new to Home Assistant, so I was not sure what to expect and how quickly I could add Sonoff iPlug to my instance of Home Assistant. Since it’s already set up with the SM-Light coordinator, I wanted to see if this would work without any additional changes. It’s a new product, It’s interesting to see how responsive the community is!
After HA update (I had one pending for 2 weeks) I tried pairing Sonoff iPlug with my coordinator! A couple of moments later, I had the plug ready to go with power monitor data already available to me. That’s awesome!
Shop with Sonoff
Take a look at the ZigBee and WiFi range of the devices compatible with eWeLink:
Final Thoughts
It’s nice to see a UK smart plug that offers power measuring via ZigBee. The device feels solid in operation and accurate. All this without breaking the bank. I only wish Sonoff iPlug was better supported at start by ITEAD, as it’s disappointing to see device launches with many expensive hubs being left out in terms of power measurment support. Let me know your thoughts in this Reddit thread.
🆓📈 – See the transparency note for details.
