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Dongles · Head to head

Smlight SLZB-MR5U vs Sonoff ZBDongle-P

Full Smart Dongles comparison in 2026

Updated October 2026
Data from Amazon and official Smlight and Sonoff sites.
2026 verdict
On paper the Smlight SLZB-MR5U and the Sonoff ZBDongle-P are both Zigbee coordinators; in practice the Smlight SLZB-MR5U is the more capable radio.
Smlight SLZB-MR5U
Winner
Smlight SLZB-MR5U
$119.99
Buy on Amazon USACheck price
It connects over Ethernet with PoE, USB or Wi-Fi, runs Zigbee and Thread at the same time on two EFR32MG24 radios and proxies Bluetooth to Home Assistant, none of which the Sonoff ZBDongle-P offers as a USB-only single-radio stick. Both reach +20 dBm of transmit power, both include an external antenna and both work with Home Assistant and Zigbee2MQTT, so a plain Zigbee network runs the same on either. The Sonoff ZBDongle-P is much cheaper, carries a two-year warranty against one, and uses a Texas Instruments chip that makes migrating an existing mesh easy. Buy the Smlight SLZB-MR5U for Zigbee plus Thread off the server, and the Sonoff ZBDongle-P for pure Zigbee on a budget.
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FeatureSmlight SLZB-MR5USonoff ZBDongle-PWinner
Price$119.99$33.47Sonoff ZBDongle-P
Rating5.04.6Smlight SLZB-MR5U
Warranty1 year2 yearsSonoff ZBDongle-P
PowerUSB, PoEUSBSmlight SLZB-MR5U
ConnectivityUSB, Ethernet, 2.4 GHz WiFiUSBSmlight SLZB-MR5U
Thread Border RouterYESNOSmlight SLZB-MR5U
Antenna Gain+5dB+2dBiSmlight SLZB-MR5U
Dual NetworkYESNOSmlight SLZB-MR5U
Bluetooth ProxyYESNOSmlight SLZB-MR5U
Zigbee Chip ModelEFR32MG24CC2652PDifferent strengths
Zigbee RouterYESYESTie
Z-Wave ControllerNONOTie

What the differences mean

Twin radios

The Smlight SLZB-MR5U uses two EFR32MG24 radios and runs Zigbee and Thread together, one per protocol. The Sonoff ZBDongle-P has a single Zigbee radio and no Thread, so you cannot add a Thread network without a second device.

Chipset and migration

The Sonoff ZBDongle-P runs a Texas Instruments CC2652P, the same chip family many existing Z-Stack networks use, so owners report migrating a mesh onto it quickly without re-pairing. The Smlight SLZB-MR5U uses two Silicon Labs radios, so a TI-based migration path is not the same story.

Placement

The Smlight SLZB-MR5U connects over Ethernet with PoE, USB or Wi-Fi, so the radio can sit centrally on one cable. The Sonoff ZBDongle-P is a USB stick and stays with the host, which is the whole difference when range is the problem.

Bluetooth proxy

The Smlight SLZB-MR5U relays Bluetooth sensors to Home Assistant. The Sonoff ZBDongle-P does not, so a home with BLE temperature or presence sensors needs a separate adapter alongside it.

Price and warranty

The Sonoff ZBDongle-P is far cheaper and carries a two-year warranty against the Smlight SLZB-MR5U's one. If you only need Zigbee, that gap is hard to justify against the Smlight's extra radios.

Which one to buy if

  • you want to run Zigbee and Thread at the same time
    Smlight SLZB-MR5U

    The Smlight SLZB-MR5U has a dedicated radio for each protocol, so neither has to give way to the other.

  • you are migrating an existing TI-based Zigbee mesh
    Sonoff ZBDongle-P

    The Sonoff ZBDongle-P uses a Texas Instruments CC2652P, and owners report moving a Z-Stack network onto it without re-pairing devices.

  • the coordinator has to sit away from the server
    Smlight SLZB-MR5U

    Ethernet with PoE lets the Smlight SLZB-MR5U go in the middle of the house while the server stays put.

  • you want the cheapest proven Zigbee coordinator
    Sonoff ZBDongle-P

    The Sonoff ZBDongle-P is the least expensive option of the pair and the one with the longest community track record.

What owners say

Sonoff ZBDongle-P owners call it the reference USB Zigbee coordinator. The CC2652P radio is detected instantly when Home Assistant reboots, it works with ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT across HAOS, Docker, Proxmox and NAS hosts, and it usually runs with no firmware flash at all. Range and responsiveness come up often, with several owners finding it quicker than a ConBee II and strong enough for multi-floor homes, and migration from another stick is quick because the IEEE addresses carry over. The complaints are about the case and the setup: the bulky aluminum body can crowd a USB port and usually needs a short extension cable, virtual machine passthrough can require blacklisting and configuration, and the firmware-flash instructions are rough even though flashing is optional.

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.

  • Smlight SLZB-MR5U
  • Sonoff ZBDongle-P

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better overall: Smlight SLZB-MR5U or Sonoff ZBDongle-P?

The Smlight SLZB-MR5U is the more capable device, with two radios for Zigbee and Thread, a Bluetooth proxy and Ethernet placement. The Sonoff ZBDongle-P is the better buy for a Zigbee-only network, much cheaper with a two-year warranty and a TI chip that makes migration easy.

What is the biggest difference between the Smlight SLZB-MR5U and the Sonoff ZBDongle-P?

Protocol capacity and position. The Smlight SLZB-MR5U runs Zigbee and Thread together on two radios and connects over Ethernet, while the Sonoff ZBDongle-P is a single-radio USB Zigbee coordinator. For a Zigbee-only home the practical difference is smaller.

Can I migrate my existing Zigbee network onto the Sonoff ZBDongle-P or the Smlight SLZB-MR5U?

Migration without re-pairing generally depends on both coordinators sharing a protocol stack. The Sonoff ZBDongle-P uses a Texas Instruments CC2652P, the same family many existing networks use, so owners report quick migrations. The Smlight SLZB-MR5U uses two Silicon Labs EFR32MG24 radios, so that TI path does not apply.

Does the Smlight SLZB-MR5U run Zigbee and Thread simultaneously?

Yes. It carries two EFR32MG24 radios, one for Zigbee and one for Thread, and supports dual network mode so both run at once. The Sonoff ZBDongle-P has no Thread support at all.

Who should buy the Smlight SLZB-MR5U?

A Home Assistant home adding Thread and Matter devices to an existing Zigbee network, especially where the coordinator needs to sit away from the server and existing Zigbee devices cannot be re-paired.

Who should buy the Sonoff ZBDongle-P?

Anyone running a Zigbee-only Home Assistant setup who wants the cheapest proven coordinator, with strong range and a two-year warranty, and does not need Thread or Ethernet placement.

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