Recommended Products
Recommended Products
Section titled “Recommended Products”Here you’ll find products we use and recommend ourselves. Everything has been tested in our own smart home setup.
🚀 Starter Kits
Section titled “🚀 Starter Kits”Perfect for getting started with smart home.
| Product | Price | Why we recommend |
|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB) | $80 | Best platform for Home Assistant |
| SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 Dongle Plus | $20 | Reliable Zigbee coordinator |
| SanDisk Extreme 64GB microSD | $15 | Fast and durable for Pi |
📡 Zigbee Devices
Section titled “📡 Zigbee Devices”Coordinators (USB dongles)
Section titled “Coordinators (USB dongles)”| Product | Chip | Price | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 Dongle Plus E | EFR32MG21 | $25 | ⭐ Best choice |
| Conbee II | - | $40 | Good, but expensive |
| SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 Dongle Plus | CC2652P | $18 | Good budget option |
Sensors
Section titled “Sensors”| Product | Type | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aqara Door/Window Sensor | Contact | $15 | Small and reliable |
| Aqara Temperature Sensor | Temp/humidity | $18 | Accurate and compact |
| Aqara Motion Sensor P1 | Motion | $25 | Fast response |
Switches and Plugs
Section titled “Switches and Plugs”| Product | Type | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| IKEA TRÅDFRI Outlet | Smart plug | $10 | Cheap and reliable |
| SONOFF ZBMINI-L2 | Relay | $12 | Behind switch, no neutral |
| Aqara Smart Plug EU | Plug w/ metering | $25 | Power monitoring included |
📶 WiFi Devices
Section titled “📶 WiFi Devices”Shelly (recommended brand)
Section titled “Shelly (recommended brand)”| Product | Type | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shelly Plus 1 | Relay | $15 | Behind switch |
| Shelly Plus 2PM | 2x relay + metering | $25 | For blinds/lights |
| Shelly Plug S | Smart plug | $20 | Power metering, compact |
| Shelly Wall Display | Touchscreen | $90 | HA dashboard on wall |
🔧 ESP32 & DIY
Section titled “🔧 ESP32 & DIY”Boards
Section titled “Boards”| Product | Type | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ESP32-WROOM-32 | DevKit | $5 | Standard choice |
| ESP32-C3 Super Mini | Compact | $3 | Small and cheap |
| ESP8266 D1 Mini | WiFi board | $2.50 | Simple and cheap |
Sensors for ESP32
Section titled “Sensors for ESP32”| Product | Type | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| DHT22 | Temp + humidity | $3 | Good precision |
| DS18B20 | Temperature | $1.50 | Waterproof version available |
| HC-SR501 | PIR motion | $1.50 | Simple and cheap |
| LD2410C | mmWave presence | $5 | Detects stationary people |
| BME280 | Temp/humidity/pressure | $4 | 3-in-1 sensor |
🛒 Where to Buy?
Section titled “🛒 Where to Buy?”- Amazon - Large selection, fast delivery
- AliExpress - Cheapest prices, longer delivery (choose “Ships from EU/US”)
- Banggood - ESP32 and sensors
💡 Our Top 5
Section titled “💡 Our Top 5”If you only buy 5 things, get these:
- Raspberry Pi 5 - The heart of your smart home
- SONOFF Zigbee Dongle Plus E - Best Zigbee coordinator
- Aqara sensors - Reliable and good price
- Shelly Plus 1 - Behind existing switches
- ESP32 + LD2410C - DIY presence sensor
Last updated: December 2024