Matter-enabled smart plugs work with most of the widely used home automation platforms, such as Alexa, Google, HomeKit, and SmartThings, but the Shelly Plug US Gen4 adds another dimension with support for the Zigbee wireless protocol (along with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth). This single-outlet plug has a compact design, supports voice control, and offers detailed power usage reports. Moreover, it will automatically shut down if your power consumption exceeds a threshold. At $19.99, it’s reasonably priced for a smart plug that offers so many features and earns an Editors’ Choice award alongside the TP-Link Tapo P110M ($29.99 for a two-pack), which costs even less but doesn't support Zigbee.

Design and Features: Compact Size, Thoughtful Details

Available in black or white, the Gen4 is a 15A plug that can handle a 1,800W load. It measures 1.5 by 2.5 by 2.0 inches (HWD) and is small enough to fit in a two-outlet receptacle without blocking the second outlet. The front of the plug holds a three-prong outlet, a control button, and an ambient light sensor. The control button turns the plug on and off with a single press, and the light sensor can be used to turn it on or off based on the room's lighting.

Holding the button down for ten seconds resets the plug to its factory defaults, and pressing it three times in quick succession toggles between Matter mode (default) and Zigbee mode. The back holds a three-prong plug and an LED indicator light that flashes blue while the plug is in pairing mode, flashes red when it is trying to connect to the internet, and glows solid green when it is connected and powered on.

(Credit: John R. Delaney)

Features: Matter, Zigbee, and Deep Energy Insights

The Gen4 plug is Matter-enabled, which means you can add it to your Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, or SmartThings home automation platform and control it with those apps and via voice commands. In addition to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, it has a Zigbee radio that lets you connect it to compatible devices, and it acts as a repeater to extend the range of your Zigbee network, a feature you don't get with the TP-Link Tapo P110M. It doesn't offer native support for IFTTT applets, but you can use the Webhooks IFTTT channel to create a URL that triggers an automation on a secondary smart home device.

The plug uses the same Shelly mobile app (available for Android and iOS) as the Shelly Flood Gen4 water sensor, and it appears in a panel on the app’s dashboard. The panel has an on/off button and displays the current wattage, voltage, and ambient light status. Tap the panel to open a screen that displays detailed power stats, including wattage, voltage, frequency, and watt hours. A graph in the middle of the screen shows watt-hour consumption, and below that is an on/off button.

(Credit: Shelly/PCMag)

A menu that runs along the left side of the screen offers numerous settings options. Here you can see notifications, view detailed power consumption charts for total energy and voltage, and check an activity log. You can also set auto-on/auto-off timers, create schedules, configure darkness and brightness (ambient light) thresholds, and choose a script from the library to have to plug work with Zigbee and other Shelly devices.

Other settings let you configure network, Matter, and Shelly cloud server settings, and set maximum power, voltage, and current protection thresholds. The device settings menu is used to adjust LED light settings, update the firmware, reboot the device, and perform a factory reset.

Installation: Quick, Seamless, and Beginner-Friendly

Installing the Gen4 plug is easy. I downloaded the Shelly mobile app, created an account, and powered on the plug. It began flashing blue, and the app immediately recognized it, so I tapped Add Device, selected my Wi-Fi SSID, and entered my Wi-Fi password. I then tapped Add Device again, and after a minute or so, the plug was added to my network. I gave it a name and added it to a room to complete the installation.

(Credit: John R. Delaney)

Performance: Fast, Reliable, and Highly Responsive

The plug performed flawlessly in my tests. It instantly responded to on and off app commands, and the ambient light sensor always turned off the switch when it reached my specific darkness threshold. I had no trouble controlling the plug using Alexa and Siri voice commands or adding it to a HomeKit scene. My Alexa routine to have the plug turn on when a TP-Link Tapo TC85 camera detected motion worked perfectly, and it followed my schedules without issue. Power protection also worked without a hitch: I set a 120-volt threshold, and the plug immediately shut down and sent an alert when the threshold was met.