Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 vs Smlight SLZB-07P10

The Smlight SLZB-07P10 takes it overall on value and range, being cheaper and built on a high-power chip with a strong amplifier. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 counters with a higher rating and effortless official setup, so it wins for buyers who want zero firmware hassle.

Setup and radio power. The Smlight SLZB-07P10 uses a high-power CC2652P10 chip but ships with outdated firmware you must flash, while the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is official Home Assistant hardware recognized automatically with no flash. Both are USB-only Zigbee and Thread dongles.

The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2, which is recognized automatically by Home Assistant and is essentially plug-and-play. The Smlight SLZB-07P10 must be flashed to current firmware before use, and flashing the Thread firmware in particular can be difficult.

Both have external antennas and +20 dB-class amplifiers, but the Smlight SLZB-07P10's high-power CC2652P10 chip is aimed at larger, spread-out Zigbee networks, while the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2's +4.16 dBi antenna gives strong whole-home coverage with easier setup.

Buy the Smlight SLZB-07P10 if you want a compact, high-power USB Zigbee coordinator for a larger Home Assistant network and are comfortable flashing firmware. It is USB-only and Zigbee/Thread only, with no Ethernet, PoE or Z-Wave.

Buy the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 if you want the official Home Assistant radio for Zigbee and Thread with automatic setup and no firmware flashing. It runs one protocol at a time and is USB-only.