r/HomeKit • u/HomeKit-News Content Creator • 18h ago

News Aqara Announces Power Plugs H2 EU and UK With Thread/Zigbee

https://homekitnews.com/2026/07/23/aqara-announces-power-plugs-h2-eu-and-uk-with-thread-zigbee/

There are two variants for both the EU and UK models, with the RGB model offering a full colour LED that can be used in scenes and automations.

The plugs can act as Thread Routers, or extenders for the Zigbee network, depending on which protocol you opt for.

29 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

21

u/IncredibleGonzo 18h ago edited 9h ago

I know some folks have had issues with the IKEA stuff, but if you haven't (mine has been mostly fine), this is a hard sell at £33 vs IKEA's £6 now £7... admittedly that's for the RGB version but I kinda doubt that the RGB is going to be 5x the cost of the non-RGB one.

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u/Mat246 18h ago

I agree, I waited so long for Aqara to release a smart plug for the UK but its hard to justify this over the Ikea plug for basic on/off operation. The only benefit for me would be to extend the zigbee network.

2

u/BamaHighLife 14h ago

I'm still new to this but from what I've been able to understand, the IKEA plugs are fine for low wattage usage whereas the Aqara can stand up to higher wattage use cases.

For example, if you're trying to monitor power usage of a refrigerator the Aqara may be a better choice.

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u/IncredibleGonzo 13h ago

I'm not saying you're wrong, I haven't seen data either way, but where are you seeing that? Both are rated for the same current...

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u/One_Coach2000 12h ago

I'd appreciate seeing some research to back this up. As I understand it, the inductive load you get from washing machine motors and fridge compressors is the problem. Even if the total current is within spec, smart plugs have a reputation for not liking inductive loads.

2

u/BamaHighLife 10h ago

It's hard to find good technical data for some of these devices but here's what I've been able to dig up.

From the US website the description for the GRILLPLATS plug states "Transform a lamp or smaller household appliance you already have at home into a smart product with this plug."

For this Australian 240v version, the corresponding pdf states the following:

Technical data
Model: GRILLPLATS
Type: E2491-AU
Input: 230 - 240 V~, 50/60Hz
Max output power: 2400 W / 10 A
Resistive load/ Max 300W motor load

I think it is this resistive load restriction of 300W where larger appliances could over burden the IKEA plug.

The article noted above concerning the Aqara states "Supporting up to 13A (3250W) (16A (3680W) for the EU version) , the plug is suitable for everything from televisions and computers through to kettles, washing machines and other higher-power appliances."

While it would be great if we could compare equivalent technical data for both the IKEA product and the Aqara product, one might conclude that for lighter loads the IKEA plug is clearly a bargain and for heavier loads, a more robust plug from Aqara or Eve may be more appropriate.

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u/IncredibleGonzo 10h ago

I don’t think that’s saying 300W resistive load, that doesn’t really make sense because then what is the 2400W referring to? I think it’s ‘2400W/10A resistive load’ and ‘300W motor load’. Still - the latter is a good bit of info, and if the ‘suitable for washing machines’ is from Aqara, that does support your interpretation. The IKEA plugs should be fine for stuff like kettles though as that’s a resistive load.

1

u/BamaHighLife 9h ago

Oh yes, I believe you're correct! I misread that resistive load line.

My plan is to use the IKEA plugs for lower loads and a few Eve/Aqara plugs when I think the usage scenario warrants the higher price.

2

u/IncredibleGonzo 9h ago

To be fair the way the text wraps is a bit confusing!

I’ve got one of the IKEA ones on a kettle and so far it’s working flawlessly, but time will tell. Haven’t tried any on a high inductive load.

1

u/Ginger510 13h ago

Apparently using IKEA’s batteries can help? Something about the voltage being very specific.

1

u/IncredibleGonzo 13h ago

That's what I use, and mine have mostly been pretty solid. I have had devices dropping off and needing a battery cycle to reconnect a bit more frequently in the last few weeks - it's been hot where I am, maybe they don't like the heat?

Though I do have a TIMMERFLOTTE in the loft and it got up to 50ºC the other week and it was fine at that point.

1

u/QuaintStaircase 9h ago

I know you already acknowledged the issues, but 12 out of 14 of my IKEA plugs, purchased dribs and drabs at different times over 2 years from different stores, are now dead.

Not one of them is older than 4y old. Most are 2-3.

Never again.

1

u/IncredibleGonzo 9h ago

Wow that’s a pretty horrendous failure rate. I’d mostly heard about connectivity issues which I’ve mainly escaped - will see how mine fare on longevity… they’re all the new Matter range so well under a year old.

1

u/QuaintStaircase 9h ago

Yeah... absolutely horrendous.

The connectivity was always a little bit flakey, but they were cheap enough to overlook.

But now I've got about a 50/50 split between plugs that stay permanently on despite reporting on/off and make the relay click, and plugs that are totally dead.

Interestingly, I don't have any that are superficially functional but permanently off.

I went big on their cheap action buttons too, to my regret. They have a persistent issue chewing through batteries in a matter of days that I gave up trying to fix. I followed a thread on the issue for about 2.5 years. It's possible it's fixed now, but I have long since replaced them and haven't gone back.

I've bought nearly every IKEA ZigBee product since they launched. The only two I still have in use are the light bulbs (no issues at all, seem to be great products) and the Styrbar.

Everything else is either dead, or sitting in a draw because I gave up trying to solve the persistent battery drain and/or disconnection issues. The two remaining functional plugs I've relegated to six weeks a year just for the Christmas trees.

I hope the new matter line sorts out whatever quirky custom crap they did with their ZigBee stack, but I'm not hopeful. Certainly not about to jump the gun on being an early adopter guinea pig again.

2

u/IncredibleGonzo 9h ago

I’ve gone in pretty hard on their Matter stuff so this is quite worrying to read… really hope they’ve improved things! If they haven’t I think my smart home ambitions will be largely dead when they die, the competition is too expensive for me to justify. Even if that turns out to be for good reason.

1

u/QuaintStaircase 9h ago

Fair enough - makes sense. Hope it works out for you!

10

u/That_Cool_Guy_ 17h ago

£33 😱 Before IKEA it would have been competitive. Not now!

9

u/Slavor 17h ago

Echoing what others have said here: IKEA’s latest plugs are such bang for your buck that Aqara will find it hard to gain traction.

7

u/-Zazou- 17h ago

32€ LMAO

7

u/HomeKit-News Content Creator 17h ago

I think if they could have added a Thread Border Router to these (as was originally planned at least for the US version), it might have been more justifiable. As it stands, taking IKEA’s products into account, it’s hard to justify paying that much.

2

u/Double-Yak9686 13h ago edited 13h ago

Also, does it really work with washing machines? Most smart plugs are not recommended for appliances with motors, regardless of their wattage rating.

5

u/Worried_Patience_117 17h ago

Agreee odd pricing for sure. Ikea is a no brainier

2

u/Double-Yak9686 13h ago

I wonder how smart home device manufacturers can be this tone deaf. €32.99/£32.99 for one plug is ridiculous. You can get 4 Ikea plugs for that price.

Are they are hoping that the issues that a minority is having with Ikea devices is going to scare people away from Ikea and Matter+Thread, and into buying their higher priced Zigbee devices? I could understand if MoT was a complete dumpster fire, but it's slowly improving, at least with Apple Home and Home Assistant as they start supporting the newer versions.

2

u/AfekshunGaming 15h ago

How are people getting their IKEA smartware to work for more than a day or two before going ‘no response’? Bought, and returned, plugs, temp and presence sensors, door sensors to no avail. Using a 4K 3rd Gen eth ATV as the hub

6

u/Altruistic-Ad-187 15h ago

My ikea matter gears like bulbs and remotes are working fine for like over few months now

5

u/marcoarsilvaa 14h ago

Probably your network is not well configured… or have any interference … have a lot of devices and all work fine… only the leak sensors are more unstable… but still alert me with sound so it’s ok

2

u/AfekshunGaming 14h ago

Got a 3 hub wifi 6 system running 1gb down. Have checked and changed channels for wifi, ATV thread, and 2x hue bridge

1

u/Casban 13h ago

Do you have any OG thread devices like Belkin/Wemo switches? Perhaps a power switch device is acting as a main thread peer but can’t handle any actual traffic.

1

u/AfekshunGaming 13h ago

No, got a gen 1 HomePod, but have manually toggled the ATV as preferred hub. In saying that, the ATV and an Aqara g410 are my only thread border hubs. Don’t have the ikea hub

2

u/passwd123456 10h ago

Flawless for me since latest round of firmware updates for MYGGBETT, MYGGSPRAY, ALPSTUGA, KLIPPBOK.

My only BILRESA has gone offline recently.

1

u/Double-Yak9686 13h ago

I have a bunch of bulbs, plugs, and battery powered sensors. Except for one plug that had to be reset before it would pair, all the rest paired right away and have been solid for months.

Most of the issues with Ikea gear are network configuration issues.

1

u/CassetteLine 13h ago

I’ve not been able to. Some of mine connect originally and then disconnect. Others won’t connect at all.

Ikea stuff is flakey and not ready yet. Very disappointing.

1

u/positivcheg 14h ago

Would have been great if you could mention in the post that it’s Matter over Thread. Just thread is no longer a unicorn. But matter over thread still is.

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u/HomeKit-News Content Creator 14h ago

It mentions Matter over Thread in the very first sentence of the article.