Smart Plugs / Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) vs Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)
Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) vs Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)
Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)
The one to buy for a sump pump or dehumidifier — and it needs a Z-Wave hub.
Wins overall by 1.0 points
Quick Verdict
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) takes this by a clear 1.0 points. The one to buy for a sump pump or dehumidifier — and it needs a Z-Wave hub. The Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) only makes sense if it wins on a category you care about more than the total.
The Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) and Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) are both closely matched smart Plug models, and the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) is $8 cheaper than the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) ($29.99 vs $37.95). On Load Headroom, the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads (9.5 vs 6.0/10) — how much of the nameplate 15A you can actually use continuously, and what the plug is rated to do with motors, compressors and heaters — the spec buyers most often get caught by. On Energy Monitoring, the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads (9.5 vs 7.5/10) — whether power is genuinely measured, what quantities are reported, and where you can see them. On Ecosystem Support, the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) leads (6.5 vs 5.0/10) — matter, HomeKit, Alexa, Google, SmartThings and Home Assistant coverage. Overall, the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores 8.1/10 across our 8 scoring categories versus 7.1/10 for the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM). Below, we break down the full spec sheet, category-by-category scores, and exactly who should buy which one.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Spec | Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) | Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $29.99 | $37.95 |
| Release Year | 2018 | 2017 |
| Max Load | 15A / 1,875W at 100-125V | 15A / 1,800W at 120V, single device only — the manual forbids plugging a power strip into it |
| Motor / Inductive Rating | Not published by Aqara | 1 HP — six times the Kasa EP25's 1/6 HP and the highest here |
| Energy Monitoring | Yes, measured — daily and monthly kWh in the Aqara Home app | Yes, measured — W, A, V and kWh with per-parameter reporting intervals (defaults 30s power, 300s energy/voltage/current) |
| Radio & Protocol | Zigbee 3.0 only; no Wi-Fi radio, no Matter radio | Z-Wave 800 series with Z-Wave Long Range, S2 security and SmartStart |
| Hub Required | Yes — an Aqara Zigbee hub is mandatory and is not included. Amazon's own listing title reads 'REQUIRES AQARA HUB' | Yes — a Z-Wave gateway (Hubitat, Home Assistant with a Z-Wave stick, SmartThings, Ring) is required and is not included |
| Works Without Internet | Yes — Zigbee automations execute on the hub and survive an internet outage | Yes — Z-Wave is local by design; behaviour depends on your hub, not a vendor cloud |
| Switched Outlets | 1 | 1 |
| Pack Size | 1 | 1 |
| Price per Switched Outlet ($) | 29.99✓ | 37.95 |
| Dimensions | 67 x 47 x 35 mm (2.64 x 1.85 x 1.38 in), 86 g | 20 in including the cord x 2.6 x 1.1 in, 10 oz |
| Blocks Second Outlet | Squat but wide at 47 mm — tighter than a Kasa mini on a horizontal duplex | No — it hangs off a cord rather than sitting in the receptacle |
| Weather Rating | Indoor only, 14°F to 104°F | Indoor only, 32-104°F |
| Warranty | 12 months | 12 months |
| Colors | White | White |
Category Scores
Load Headroom
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 6.0 — a 3.5-point margin on how much of the nameplate 15A you can actually use continuously, and what the plug is rated to do with motors, compressors and heaters — the spec buyers most often get caught by. If that is what you are buying for, the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Energy Monitoring
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 7.5 — a 2.0-point margin on whether power is genuinely measured, what quantities are reported, and where you can see them. If that is what you are buying for, the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Ecosystem Support
The Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) leads clearly here, 6.5 against 5.0 — a 1.5-point margin on matter, HomeKit, Alexa, Google, SmartThings and Home Assistant coverage. If that is what you are buying for, the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Local Control
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads clearly here, 9.5 against 8.5 — a 1.0-point margin on whether switching and schedules survive an internet outage, or depend on a vendor cloud. If that is what you are buying for, the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Size & Fit
The Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) and Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) are level here, at 7.0/10 each. whether it blocks the second outlet on a duplex receptacle, and how it mounts is not what separates these two — look to the categories where the scores diverge.
Build & Safety
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads clearly here, 9.0 against 8.0 — a 1.0-point margin on certification, flame-retardant housing, overload protection, recall history and warranty. If that is what you are buying for, the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) does not close the gap elsewhere.
App & Automation
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads clearly here, 8.5 against 8.0 — a 0.5-point margin on scheduling, away modes, sunrise/sunset triggers and how good the controlling app is. If that is what you are buying for, the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Value
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) leads clearly here, 7.0 against 5.5 — a 1.5-point margin on what a switched, metered outlet actually costs once the pack size and any required hub are counted. If that is what you are buying for, the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) does not close the gap elsewhere.
Best For
Choose the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) if…
- • Ecosystem Support matters most to you — the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) scores 6.5/10 here (matter, HomeKit, Alexa, Google, SmartThings and Home Assistant coverage).
- • You want to spend less — it's $8 cheaper.
- • Your main use case is indoor-mini.
Choose the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) if…
- • Load Headroom matters most to you — the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores 9.5/10 here (how much of the nameplate 15A you can actually use continuously, and what the plug is rated to do with motors, compressors and heaters — the spec buyers most often get caught by).
- • Energy Monitoring matters most to you — the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores 9.5/10 here (whether power is genuinely measured, what quantities are reported, and where you can see them).
- • Value matters most to you — the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores 7.0/10 here (what a switched, metered outlet actually costs once the pack size and any required hub are counted).
- • Local Control matters most to you — the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores 9.5/10 here (whether switching and schedules survive an internet outage, or depend on a vendor cloud).
- • Your main use case is heavy-appliance.
Pros & Cons
Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM)
Pros
- +Zigbee keeps it off your Wi-Fi entirely, and it acts as a mesh repeater for Aqara sensors
- +Automations execute on the hub, so they keep running through an internet outage
- +Full 1,875W rating with hardware overload and overheat cut-off
- +Genuinely useful if you already run Aqara sensors — the plug becomes the range extender
Cons
- −The hub is mandatory and not in the box; the real entry price is the plug plus an Aqara hub
- −$29.99 for one plug makes it the second-most expensive per-outlet option here
- −Aqara publishes no motor or HP rating
- −A 2018 design; Aqara's newer Matter-era hardware has moved on and this SKU has not
- −47 mm wide body is awkward on a horizontal duplex receptacle
Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)
Pros
- +The only plug here designed for inductive loads — 1 HP against 1/6 HP on a Kasa mini
- +Hardware overload protection cuts the relay at 16.5A sustained, independent of any hub
- +Four measured quantities (W, A, V, kWh) with tunable reporting thresholds — the richest metering in this table
- +Fully local Z-Wave with S2 security; no vendor cloud is in the path at all
- +Cord-mounted design frees both receptacles
Cons
- −Sources conflict on what it is for: retailers market it for 110V AC units and sump pumps, while the 800LR manual's safety list prohibits electric heaters, 220V boilers, 220V pumps/compressors and electrical dryers
- −Needs a Z-Wave hub — the most expensive prerequisite in this comparison
- −Amazon's single long-running ZEN15 listing has carried both the 500-series and the 800LR revision; buy from a Zooz dealer if you specifically need Long Range
- −One device only — the manual explicitly forbids connecting a power strip
- −$37.95 for a single outlet, with a 1-year warranty
Shop by Need
FAQs
Is the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) or Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) better overall?+
Based on our 8-category scoring, the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) comes out ahead overall. See the full breakdown in the scores section above — the right pick still depends on which categories matter most for your use case.
Which is better for Load Headroom, the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) or the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)?+
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores higher on Load Headroom (9.5/10 vs 6.0/10) — how much of the nameplate 15A you can actually use continuously, and what the plug is rated to do with motors, compressors and heaters — the spec buyers most often get caught by.
Which is better for Energy Monitoring, the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) or the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)?+
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores higher on Energy Monitoring (9.5/10 vs 7.5/10) — whether power is genuinely measured, what quantities are reported, and where you can see them.
Which is better for Ecosystem Support, the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) or the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)?+
The Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) scores higher on Ecosystem Support (6.5/10 vs 5.0/10) — matter, HomeKit, Alexa, Google, SmartThings and Home Assistant coverage.
Which is better for Value, the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) or the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)?+
The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) scores higher on Value (7.0/10 vs 5.5/10) — what a switched, metered outlet actually costs once the pack size and any required hub are counted.
Is the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) worth the price difference over the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)?+
The Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) is the cheaper option at $29.99 versus $37.95. Whether the pricier model is "worth it" depends on how much you value its lead in Load Headroom.
Which is better suited to my use case?+
The Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) is the better fit if you mainly care about indoor-mini. The Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) is the better fit for heavy-appliance.
What's the warranty on the Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) vs the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision)?+
The Aqara Smart Plug (US, ZNCZ12LM) ships with a 12-month warranty; the Zooz ZEN15 Power Switch (800LR revision) ships with a 12-month warranty. Always confirm current terms on the manufacturer's site before buying.
Should I wait for the next model instead of buying either of these?+
If either model is more than two years old, a successor may be close — check the "Latest Model" link on each product page. Otherwise, both are current, well-supported options and there's no strong reason to wait.
Premium Option
Tapo Smart Wi-Fi Power Strip P316M — $49.99
Specifications and prices for both products last verified . Scores are calculated from published specifications — see how we compare products.