This new Z-Wave smart plug coming in 2025 has a crazy-long range of over a mile

(Image credit: Shelly)

Smart homes might get more connected next year with new Shelly smart devices that feature an absolutely massive claimed range. The 11 devices are part of Shelly's line of Wave devices that support the Z-Wave Long Range specification and are supposed to release sometime in the first half of 2025.

The Z-Wave specification is meant to extend the connectivity of smart home devices that are connected to your home Wi-Fi network without piggybacking off other devices like Amazon's Sidewalk IoT network. It also is supposed to forgo pulling down too much cellular data. The technology is found in many of the best smart home devices and smart home hubs.

Shelly Wave Plug US
Shelly Wave Door/Window
Shelly Wave Humidity and Temperatrue sensor
Shelly Wave Motion
Shelly Wave Dimmer
Shelly Wave Pro Dimmer 1 PM
Shelly Wave Pro Dimmer 2 PM
Shelly Wave 1
Shelly Wave 1 PM
Shelly Wave 2 PM
Shelly Wave Shutter

“With new devices featuring support for ZWLR, Shelly is helping break down smart home connectivity barriers, empowering homeowners, security installers, and commercial property owners and managers with unmatched range, scalability, and energy efficiency to redefine their automation experience,” said Leon Kralj, CTO of Shelly Group in a press release.

ZWLR has existed since 2020, with more products coming slowly coming online in 2020. The certification is supposed to remove the need for a mesh network with multiple repeaters. Instead, everything connects directly to a central node.

It has a line-of-sight wireless range of 1.5 miles (at full power). We have to imagine that is true in a wide-open plain, but in the city with obstructions it might be half of that. That's still a massive range for connectivity.

Presumably that extended range could let you turn lights on or open blinds before entering your house.

Shelly did not provide pricing for these Z-Wave products but it did note that these products are supposed to be compatible with older Z-Wave products and networks. However, a Z-Wave hub built on the Z-Wave 700 or 800 series platform is necessary to take advantage of the 1.5-mile range.

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Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him. He also handles all the Connections coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game since it released.