Smlight SLZB-MR5U vs Sonoff ZBDongle-P

The Smlight SLZB-MR5U wins on capability with Ethernet and PoE placement, Thread support, dual-network mode, a Bluetooth proxy and stronger antennas. The Sonoff ZBDongle-P remains a proven, well-supported Zigbee coordinator with a longer 2-year warranty.

Breadth of features. The Smlight SLZB-MR5U is a network-connected Zigbee and Thread coordinator with dual-network mode and a Bluetooth proxy, while the Sonoff ZBDongle-P is a USB-only Zigbee-only coordinator on the Texas Instruments CC2652P chip.

The Sonoff ZBDongle-P, at 2 years, ahead of the 1-year warranty on the Smlight SLZB-MR5U. Both are radios that plug into a host running Home Assistant, Zigbee2MQTT or similar software.

The Sonoff ZBDongle-P is the long-standing community reference Zigbee coordinator, usually plug-and-play with Home Assistant. The Smlight SLZB-MR5U is a newer, more feature-rich coordinator that adds Thread, dual network and network placement on top of Zigbee.

Buy the Smlight SLZB-MR5U if you want a flexible Zigbee and Thread coordinator that mounts over Ethernet or PoE, runs dual network, and includes a Bluetooth proxy and stronger antennas for a larger Home Assistant network.

Buy the Sonoff ZBDongle-P if you want a proven, high-power USB Zigbee coordinator for Home Assistant with excellent community support and a longer 2-year warranty, and you do not need Thread, Z-Wave or network placement.