Updated October 2026
Data from Amazon and official Nabu Casa and Smlight sites.
2026 verdict
The Smlight SLZB-06 takes this one on placement, because this Zigbee coordinator connects over Ethernet with PoE, Wi-Fi or USB while the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is USB only.
It also adds +20 dBm of transmit power with a +5 dBi antenna, Zigbee router mode and a Bluetooth proxy for BLE sensors. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is the lower priced of the two and the official Home Assistant radio, with a Silicon Labs EFR32MG24 that owners describe as plug and play, and it looks tidier on a shelf than the long Smlight case. Both can act as a Thread border router. Choose the Smlight SLZB-06 when the coordinator should sit away from the server on a network cable, and the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 when the Home Assistant box has a free USB port in a good spot.
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| Feature | Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 | Smlight SLZB-06 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $65.00 | $72.99 | Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.2 | Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 |
| Power | USB | USB, PoE | Smlight SLZB-06 |
| Connectivity | USB | USB, Ethernet, 2.4 GHz WiFi | Smlight SLZB-06 |
| Zigbee Router | NO | YES | Smlight SLZB-06 |
| Transmit Power | +10dBm | +20dBm | Smlight SLZB-06 |
| Antenna Gain | +4.16dBi | +5dB | Smlight SLZB-06 |
| Bluetooth Proxy | NO | YES | Smlight SLZB-06 |
| Zigbee Chip Model | EFR32MG24 | CC2652P | Different strengths |
| Warranty | 1 year | 1 year | Tie |
| Z-Wave Controller | NO | NO | Tie |
| Thread Border Router | YES | YES | Tie |
What the differences mean
How it connects
The Smlight SLZB-06 joins the network over Ethernet, PoE or Wi-Fi, so the radio can sit in the middle of the house on one cable. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 must plug into the Home Assistant host over USB, which puts it wherever the server happens to be.
Bluetooth proxy
The Smlight SLZB-06 also relays Bluetooth sensors to Home Assistant. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 does not act as a Bluetooth proxy.
Radio and range
The Smlight SLZB-06 uses a Texas Instruments CC2652P with +20 dBm of transmit power and a +5 dBi antenna; the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 uses a Silicon Labs EFR32MG24 with 10 dBm and +4.16 dBi. Owners of both report good coverage, and central placement does as much for range as the numbers.
Router mode
Only the Smlight SLZB-06 can also run as a Zigbee router, which gives it a second life extending a mesh if it is ever replaced as coordinator.
Which one to buy if
- your server sits in a closet or a metal rack
The Smlight SLZB-06 can live anywhere a network cable reaches, away from the server and its interference.
- you want the official radio with no configuration
Owners describe the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 as recognised and set up automatically by Home Assistant.
- you also have Bluetooth sensors to bring into Home Assistant
The Smlight SLZB-06 works as a Bluetooth proxy; the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 does not.
- the coordinator will stay in view on a shelf
Owners of the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 like its look, while Smlight SLZB-06 owners call their case large.
- + Price: $65.00
- + Rating: 4.7
- - Power: USB vs USB, PoE
- - Connectivity: USB vs USB, Ethernet, 2.4 GHz WiFi
Winner
- + Power: USB, PoE
- + Connectivity: USB, Ethernet, 2.4 GHz WiFi
- + Zigbee Router: YES
- - Price: $72.99 vs $65.00
- - Rating: 4.2 vs 4.7
What owners say
Owners of both radios praise how cleanly they join Home Assistant and how far their external antennas reach. Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 owners single out the automatic setup on Home Assistant Green, quick pairing of Matter over Thread devices and a design they are happy to leave in view, while complaining about the price, running Zigbee or Thread but never both, and a Thread setup some found fiddly. Smlight SLZB-06 owners focus on where they could put it: centrally on one PoE cable, stabilising a mesh that used to drop devices, and even serving a remote network over Wireguard. Their complaints are a case they call large and a bit unsightly, and a minority of units that needed regular power cycling.
Price history compared
Every price change of both, in the same store, so the gap between the two lines is what one costs more than the other.
- Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2
- Smlight SLZB-06
Loading price history...
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better overall: Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 or Smlight SLZB-06?
The Smlight SLZB-06, for its Ethernet, PoE and Wi-Fi options, higher transmit power, Zigbee router mode and Bluetooth proxy. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is the lower priced, official USB radio, and the better fit when the Home Assistant host is already well placed.
Which is the better Thread border router for Home Assistant, the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 or the Smlight SLZB-06?
Both can act as a Thread border router and neither runs Zigbee and Thread at the same time. Owners of the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 report fast Matter over Thread pairing, though some found the border router setup fiddly; the Smlight SLZB-06 offers the same role from a network-connected box.
What is the biggest difference between the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 and the Smlight SLZB-06?
Where the radio can go. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is a USB device tied to the Home Assistant host, while the Smlight SLZB-06 connects over Ethernet, PoE, Wi-Fi or USB and can be placed centrally in the home.
Does the Smlight SLZB-06 need a PoE switch?
Only for PoE. Without a PoE switch the Smlight SLZB-06 can run on USB power and connect over Ethernet or 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, which is still more flexible than the USB-only Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2.
Who should buy the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2?
Home Assistant users, especially on Home Assistant Green, who want the official Zigbee and Thread radio, a plug-in setup and a device that looks good next to the server.
Who should buy the Smlight SLZB-06?
Anyone whose Home Assistant server sits in a poor spot for radio, who has a PoE switch, or who wants Bluetooth sensors relayed from the same box as the Zigbee coordinator.
Full comparison table
Compare all 36 Dongles side by side
You are looking at two of them. The full table lines up all Dongles in the catalog with the same specs, so you can filter by what you need and sort by price or rating.
- 36 Dongles
- 32 specs compared
- 29 filters
SmlightSLZB-MRW10
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SmlightSLZB-06 U
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SmlightSLZB-MR3
€158.13
SmlightSLZB-MR5U
$119.99
SmlightSLZB-07
$34.99
SmlightSLZB-MR1U
$102.99
SmlightSLZB-07p7
$36.99
SonoffZBDongle-E
$24.90
SonoffDongle Plus MG24
$35.90- Nabu Casa
Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2
$65.00 
SonoffZBDongle-P
16% OFF$39.99$33.45
ZoozZ-Wave Long Range Stick
$39.95
Nabu CasaHome Assistant Connect ZWA-2
$79.00
SonoffDongle-PZG23
$39.90
SmlightSLZB-06M
$72.99
SonoffDongle Plus PP10
$35.90
SmlightSLZB-06p7U
$78.99
SmlightSLZB-MR2
€111.97
SonoffDongle Lite MG21
$24.90
AeotecZ-Stick 7
$39.99
DonglesSmlightSLZB-06 MG24
4.5(6)$82.99
DonglesSmlightSLZB-06 MG26
3.4(7)$84.99- DonglesSmlight
SLZB-06 U
5.0(5)$72.99 - DonglesSmlight
SLZB-06
4.2(182)$72.99 - DonglesSmlight
SLZB-06M
4.6(111)$72.99 
DonglesSmlightSLZB-06P10
4.4(11)$85.99
DonglesSmlightSLZB-06p7
4.4(11)$79.99- DonglesSmlight
SLZB-06p7U
4.6(33)$78.99 
DonglesSmlightSLZB-07 MG24
3.3(5)$45.99
DonglesSmlightSLZB-07 MG26
4.5(86)- DonglesSmlight
SLZB-07
4.9(20)$34.99 
DonglesSmlightSLZB-07P10
3.0(1)$48.99- DonglesSmlight
SLZB-07p7
4.8(8)$36.99 
DonglesSmlightSLZB-MR1
4.4(11)$103.99- DonglesSmlight
SLZB-MR1U
4.8(16)$102.99 - DonglesSmlight
SLZB-MR2
4.6(8)€111.97 - DonglesSmlight
SLZB-MR3
5.0(1)€158.13 
DonglesSmlightSLZB-MR4
4.0(5)$130.00- DonglesSmlight
SLZB-MR5U
5.0(1)$119.99 - DonglesSmlight
SLZB-MRW10
5.0(11)$100.00