Shelly Plug US Gen4

Buy it for the controls you will actually use

At $24.99 for a single white plug, Shelly Plug US Gen4 faces a straightforward value test. The checked Tapo P110M two-pack costs $23.99 and already offers Matter switching and energy monitoring. For two lamps or simple appliance tracking, Tapo is the better starting point.

Shelly's advantage is the depth of its local tools. The plug has its own browser interface, schedules, webhooks, MQTT support and scripting. It is more appealing when a plug needs to participate in a custom automation than when all you want is a voice-controlled lamp. Local use does not require Shelly Cloud.

Availability matters too. On September 9, 2026, Shelly's US shop had the white single in stock. The black single and the checked white two- and four-packs were out of stock. Treat their advertised pack discounts as unavailable offers, with shipping and any applicable tax additional to the single-plug price.

Small details give it some personality

The white rectangular body is 64 mm wide, with a grounded US socket and a front button. A matching black version is also listed. You can switch the load at the plug, and the control button can be disabled in settings when accidental presses would be annoying.

Its multicolor indicator can reflect consumption, use a custom color or be switched off. Adjustable brightness and night behavior are useful beside a bed or behind a television; a permanent bright indicator would be less welcome.

There is also an ambient-light sensor that distinguishes bright, twilight and dark. That offers an extra input for supported automations, but it is not a precision light meter. Nor does the presence of that sensor establish that your chosen Matter app will expose it. It is an interesting extra for someone using Shelly's tools, rather than the main reason to buy an otherwise ordinary plug.

The extra radio is a choice

Gen4 includes Matter over Wi-Fi and offers Zigbee through alternative firmware. That gives the plug another possible role if your home later moves to a Zigbee coordinator. It does not connect the same plug to Matter and Zigbee simultaneously or bridge other Zigbee accessories into Matter.

The Wi-Fi radio supports Wi-Fi 6 on 2.4 GHz. We would not pay extra on the assumption that the logo guarantees better reception; the local tools and protocol choice are the concrete benefits. Metering is useful in Shelly, while detailed histories and sensor features depend on the interface you use.

A useful enthusiast plug, within its limits

This is an indoor 120 V plug rated up to 15 A/1800 W for resistive loads. Its manual excludes directly attached plug-in transformers and battery chargers, so it is not a universal adapter for every device in a crowded power strip. A suitable cabled lamp is a clearer use case.

Choose Shelly when the browser controls, custom automation or Zigbee option earns its premium. For ordinary switching and energy tracking, buy the cheaper Tapo pair. Eve Energy is another option for an existing Thread home, but its higher price makes it a deliberate ecosystem choice rather than a budget substitute.