Sonoff NSPanel Pro Gen2: Matter Bridge + Dual Relays
Sonoff’s NSPanel Pro Gen2 fixes the two biggest complaints about the original: no built-in relay and limited Matter support. For $70-90, you now get a wall-mounted touchscreen, a Zigbee coordinator, dual relays, and a Matter bridge that exposes your entire eWeLink ecosystem to Apple Home. That’s a lot of panel for the price.
What’s New in Gen2
The first NSPanel Pro was a solid concept with frustrating gaps. It had a screen and Zigbee, but you needed external relays to actually control lights. The Gen2 addresses this head-on.
Dual-channel relay built in. This is the headline feature. The Gen2 has two independent relay channels, meaning it can directly switch two circuits (two light groups, a light + fan, etc.) without any external relay module. You wire it in behind your existing switch, and it replaces both the switch and the relay. One device, one install.
2GB RAM + 32GB storage. Up from 1GB/8GB on Gen1. The panel runs Android-based firmware, and the extra RAM makes the interface noticeably smoother. 32GB of storage means room for more scenes, automations, and device data without the sluggishness that plagued Gen1 when you added 30+ devices.
Matter Bridge capability. This is the strategic feature. The NSPanel Pro Gen2 can act as a Matter bridge, exposing all your Sonoff/eWeLink Zigbee devices to Apple Home, Google Home, and Alexa via Matter. Your $8 Sonoff SNZB-02 temperature sensor? It can now appear in Apple Home. Without buying an Apple-compatible hub.
The rest carries forward from Gen1: 4-inch touchscreen, Zigbee 3.0 coordinator, WiFi connectivity, and 86-type wall mount (EU/UK standard).
The Matter Bridge: Why This Changes Everything
Let’s talk about why the Matter bridge feature alone justifies the NSPanel Pro Gen2 for many smart home users.
If you’ve built a Sonoff/eWeLink Zigbee ecosystem (and many budget-conscious users have), you’ve been locked out of Apple Home. Apple doesn’t support eWeLink directly. Google Home has limited support. Your options were: buy a separate Matter bridge ($30-50), use Home Assistant as a bridge (requires a server), or accept the limitation.
The NSPanel Pro Gen2 solves this natively. It acts as both your Zigbee coordinator AND your Matter bridge. Devices paired to the panel get exposed through Matter automatically. No additional hardware. No server. No complex configuration.
Supported device types for Matter bridging include:
- Lights (on/off, dimming, color)
- Switches and relays
- Temperature and humidity sensors
- Door/window contact sensors
- Motion sensors
- Smart plugs
That covers 90% of what most Sonoff users have deployed. The panel essentially turns your budget Zigbee devices into Matter-compatible devices with a single $70-90 purchase.
Hardware Specs and Build
| Specification | NSPanel Pro Gen2 | NSPanel Pro Gen1 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 4” IPS touchscreen | 4” IPS touchscreen |
| RAM | 2GB | 1GB |
| Storage | 32GB | 8GB |
| Relay Channels | 2 (built-in) | None |
| Relay Rating | 10A per channel | N/A |
| Zigbee | 3.0 coordinator | 3.0 coordinator |
| WiFi | 2.4GHz + 5GHz | 2.4GHz |
| Matter Bridge | Yes | No (added later via firmware, limited) |
| Wall Mount | 86-type (EU/UK) | 86-type (EU/UK) |
| Price | $70-90 | $55-70 |
| Max Zigbee Devices | 128 | 64 |
The dual 5GHz WiFi support is a subtle but welcome addition. Gen1’s 2.4GHz-only limitation caused connection issues in WiFi-congested apartments. Gen2 handles crowded networks better.
The relay rating of 10A per channel handles standard lighting circuits (LED, CFL, incandescent up to 2,300W at 230V). For heavy loads like water heaters or large appliances, you’ll still want a dedicated high-amperage relay. But for lights and fans, 10A is plenty.
Installation and Setup
The NSPanel Pro Gen2 is designed for 86-type wall boxes (standard in Europe, UK, and much of Asia). If you’re in the US with rectangular gang boxes, you’ll need an adapter plate or surface-mount solution.
Wiring is straightforward if you have neutral wire access:
- Line (L) and Neutral (N) for panel power
- L1 out and L2 out for the two relay-controlled circuits
If you don’t have a neutral wire, stop here. The NSPanel Pro Gen2 requires neutral. No workaround.
Initial setup happens through the eWeLink app. You connect the panel to WiFi, pair your Zigbee devices, and configure the touchscreen layout. The screen is fully customizable: you choose which devices appear, how they’re grouped, and what scenes are accessible from the home screen.
Enabling Matter bridge mode is a toggle in the panel settings. Once enabled, you scan a Matter QR code from the panel’s screen using your Apple Home, Google Home, or other controller. Paired Zigbee devices appear in your Matter ecosystem within 30-60 seconds.
Home Assistant Compatibility
The NSPanel Pro Gen2 works with Home Assistant through two paths:
-
eWeLink integration: Home Assistant’s eWeLink/Sonoff integration discovers the panel and its paired devices. This is cloud-dependent (goes through eWeLink servers) but easy to set up.
-
Matter integration: If you enable the Matter bridge on the panel and connect it to Home Assistant’s Matter server, you get local control of the bridged Zigbee devices. No cloud. This is the preferred path for HA users who want reliability.
For Home Assistant purists, there’s also the community approach: some users flash custom firmware or use the panel purely for its screen while running Zigbee through a dedicated coordinator (like the Sonoff ZBDongle-P). That’s outside Sonoff’s official support, but the community has documented it extensively.
If you’re building a smart home hub setup, the NSPanel Pro Gen2 complements (rather than replaces) Home Assistant. Think of it as the user-friendly wall interface for household members who won’t touch your HA dashboard.
The Touchscreen Experience
The 4-inch display runs at 480x480 resolution. It’s not going to win any pixel density awards, but for a wall panel you glance at from arm’s length, it’s perfectly adequate.
The interface is clean. You get a home screen with your most-used devices, swipe to access rooms, and tap to control individual devices. Scenes (like “Movie Mode” or “Goodnight”) can be triggered with a single tap. The panel supports up to 6 widgets on the home screen.
Response time is noticeably improved over Gen1 thanks to the 2GB RAM. Switching between screens is near-instant. Device state updates appear within 1-2 seconds of a change. Gen1 users will appreciate the difference immediately.
One limitation: the panel doesn’t support third-party apps or a web browser. It’s a dedicated smart home controller, not a general Android tablet. Some users want more flexibility here, but I’d argue the focused approach keeps the experience fast and reliable.
Who Should Buy This
The NSPanel Pro Gen2 hits a sweet spot for several audiences:
Sonoff/eWeLink users who want Apple Home. If you’ve got 20+ Sonoff Zigbee devices and an iPhone, this is the cheapest path to Apple Home integration. One panel, $70-90, done.
Budget smart home builders. The combination of touchscreen + Zigbee coordinator + dual relay + Matter bridge at under $100 is unmatched. You’d spend $150+ assembling equivalent functionality from separate components.
Home Assistant users who want a wall display. The panel gives household members a physical interface without needing to understand HA dashboards. Especially useful for kids, guests, or partners who just want to tap a button.
Renters. The 86-type mount means you can replace an existing switch, and swap the original back when you move. No permanent modification required.
The Gen2 earns a spot among the best Chinese smart home brands products for its value proposition alone. Sonoff continues to deliver impressive hardware at budget prices.
Limitations and Drawbacks
No product is perfect. Here’s what to know before buying:
- 86-type mount only. US gang box users need adapters. Sonoff hasn’t released a US-format version.
- Neutral wire required. No neutral = no install. Check your wall box before ordering.
- eWeLink dependency for setup. Initial configuration requires the eWeLink app and account. You can use Matter afterward without eWeLink for basic control, but setup requires it.
- No Thread support. The panel does Zigbee and WiFi, but not Thread. If you’re building a Thread-based Matter network, this panel coordinates Zigbee devices only.
- Limited relay amperage. 10A handles lighting, not heavy appliances.
Comparison to Alternatives
How does the NSPanel Pro Gen2 stack against other smart home panels and Matter bridges?
| Device | Price | Screen | Zigbee | Matter Bridge | Relay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonoff NSPanel Pro Gen2 | $70-90 | 4” touch | Yes (coordinator) | Yes | 2-channel |
| Sonoff NSPanel Pro Gen1 | $55-70 | 4” touch | Yes (coordinator) | Limited | None |
| Aqara Hub M3 | $70 | None | Yes | Yes | None |
| Apple HomePod Mini | $99 | None | No | No (controller) | None |
| Echo Show 5 | $89 | 5.5” | No (Zigbee via separate hub) | No | None |
The closest functional equivalent is the Aqara Hub M3, which offers Zigbee coordination and Matter bridging at $70. But it has no screen and no relay. The NSPanel Pro Gen2 gives you both for roughly the same price.
For the full picture of Matter 1.6 and what bridges can do, check our dedicated breakdown.
Final Verdict
The Sonoff NSPanel Pro Gen2 is the best budget smart home panel available today. The dual relay addition solves the biggest hardware gap from Gen1. Matter bridge support unlocks your Zigbee ecosystem for Apple Home and other controllers. And at $70-90, it costs less than most smart home hubs that do less.
Score: 8.5/10. The US mounting limitation and neutral wire requirement keep it from a perfect score, but for its target audience (EU/UK users with Sonoff ecosystems), it’s an easy recommendation.
FAQ
Does the NSPanel Pro Gen2 work without internet? Partially. Local Zigbee control through the touchscreen works offline. Matter-bridged devices continue to work locally if your Matter controller (Apple TV, HomePod) is on the same LAN. Cloud features (remote access, eWeLink app control from outside) require internet.
Can I use it as a Zigbee coordinator for Home Assistant? Not directly. The NSPanel Pro Gen2 uses its own Zigbee coordinator for eWeLink devices. You can expose those devices to Home Assistant via the Matter bridge or eWeLink integration, but you can’t use the panel’s Zigbee radio as a standalone coordinator for ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT.
How many devices can the Matter bridge expose? The Gen2 supports up to 128 Zigbee devices paired directly, and can expose them via Matter bridge. The practical limit for Matter bridging is around 64 devices before you may notice latency in device state updates.
Does it fit US electrical boxes? Not natively. The 86-type form factor (86mm x 86mm square) is EU/UK standard. US rectangular gang boxes require a third-party adapter plate or surface-mount solution. Sonoff sells a surface-mount bracket separately.
Can I control the dual relays from Apple Home? Yes. The built-in relays appear as switch entities and are exposed through the Matter bridge. You can turn them on/off from Apple Home, include them in automations, and control them via Siri. They behave like any other Matter-compatible switch.