Updated October 2026
Data from Amazon and official Nabu Casa and Zooz sites.
2026 verdict
The protocol job decides this USB dongle pair, and the Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick is the Z-Wave controller.
It is Series 800, weighs 20 g, lists no external antenna, and carries a 5 year warranty. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is the other radio: Zigbee 3.0 coordinator and Thread border router on an EFR32MG24, one antenna at +4.16dBi, transmit power published at 10 dBm, and no Z-Wave. Dual-network is unsupported, so those two radios are not on together. Both are USB and both work with Home Assistant. Only the ZBT-2 works with Zigbee2MQTT. Buy the Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick for Z-Wave. Buy the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 for Zigbee or Thread.
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| Feature | Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 | Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $65.00 | $39.95 | Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick |
| Rating | 4.7 | 4.6 | Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 |
| Warranty | 1 year | 5 years | Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick |
| Z-Wave Controller | NO | YES | Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick |
| Thread Border Router | YES | NO | Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 |
| Power | USB | USB | Tie |
| Connectivity | USB | USB | Tie |
| Zigbee Router | NO | NO | Tie |
| Matter Bridge | NO | NO | Tie |
| Dual Network | NO | NO | Tie |
| Bluetooth Proxy | NO | NO | Tie |
What the differences mean
Which radio it speaks
The Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick is a Z-Wave Series 800 controller and not a Zigbee coordinator. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 coordinates Zigbee 3.0, can border-route Thread, and is not a Z-Wave controller. Dual-network is unsupported on the ZBT-2, so Zigbee and Thread are a choice, not a pair. Buy the radio your devices already use.
Antenna and body
The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is a standing unit, 83 x 83 x 179 mm and 157 g, with one external antenna at +4.16dBi. The Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick is a 56 x 20 x 5 mm, 20 g USB stick with no external antenna. Its transmit power is not documented, so do not treat a blank radio figure as a loss. The ZBT-2 publishes 10 dBm of transmit power.
Warranty
The Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick is covered for 5 years. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is covered for 1 year. On a stick that lives plugged in for years, that is the durable difference once the protocol is already decided.
Software beside Home Assistant
Both dongles work with Home Assistant over USB, and neither has Ethernet, Wi-Fi or PoE. Zigbee2MQTT applies to the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2. On the Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick that integration is not applicable, because the stick is not a Zigbee coordinator.
Which one to buy if
- the devices you already own speak Z-Wave
The Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick is the Series 800 controller, with a 5 year warranty. The other dongle does not control Z-Wave.
- the network is Zigbee 3.0 or Matter over Thread
The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 coordinates Zigbee and can border-route Thread. The Zooz stick does neither.
- you want an external antenna on the coordinator
The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 has one antenna at +4.16dBi. The Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick lists none.
- you want the longer warranty on a Z-Wave stick
Five years of coverage sits on the Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick. The ZBT-2 warranty is 1 year, and it is not a Z-Wave controller.
- + Rating: 4.7
- + Thread Border Router: YES
- - Price: $65.00 vs $39.95
- - Warranty: 1 year vs 5 years
Winner
- + Price: $39.95
- + Warranty: 5 years
- + Z-Wave Controller: YES
- - Rating: 4.6 vs 4.7
- - Thread Border Router: NO vs YES
What owners say
Owners of both dongles describe a Home Assistant setup that is basically plug in and go, without a cloud hub in the middle. Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 owners single out range from the external antenna, official hardware that shows up on its own, and Matter-over-Thread pairing once Thread is the radio in use. They complain that Zigbee and Thread do not run together, that the border router can be fiddly, and that there is no Ethernet or PoE. Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick owners single out instant recognition in Z-Wave JS and locks and sensors that pair without compatibility errors. They complain that Long Range still falls short on a very large property, that the stick is sold on a region-specific frequency, and that leaving an older controller can mean rebuilding the network.
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
- Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better overall: Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 or Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick?
The Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick when the protocol is Z-Wave: Series 800, a 5 year warranty, and a 20 g USB stick. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 when the protocol is Zigbee 3.0 or Thread. They are not two versions of one radio.
What is the biggest difference between the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 and the Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick?
Protocol. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 is a Zigbee coordinator and Thread border router on an EFR32MG24. The Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick is a Z-Wave Series 800 controller and not a Zigbee device. Dual-network is unsupported on the ZBT-2.
Do both dongles work with Home Assistant?
Yes. The Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 and the Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick both list Home Assistant support over USB. Zigbee2MQTT is for the ZBT-2. It is not the integration a Z-Wave stick uses.
Can the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 run Zigbee and Thread at the same time?
Not as a dual network. Dual-network is unsupported. It can coordinate Zigbee 3.0 and it can border-route Thread, and owners describe those as one radio at a time. The Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick does neither protocol.
Who should buy the Zooz Z-Wave Long Range Stick?
Home Assistant users building a Z-Wave network, including locks and sensors, who want a small Series 800 controller with a 5 year warranty and no Zigbee radio in the same stick.
Who should buy the Nabu Casa Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2?
Home Assistant users who need a Zigbee 3.0 coordinator or a Thread border router, with an external antenna, and who already run Z-Wave on something else.
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