Aqara has released the Outdoor Plug H2 EU, a weather-resistant smart plug with energy monitoring for garden lights, pool pumps, patio heaters and other outdoor appliances. It works over either Matter over Thread or Zigbee, so you can pick the protocol that suits your setup. The plug is rated for 16A and 3680W and has an IP44 rating.
Thread or Zigbee on One Plug
In Thread mode, the plug connects as a Matter over Thread device with no Aqara hub. It works with Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings and Home Assistant, as long as you have a Matter controller and a Thread border router. To use it inside the Aqara Home app in Thread mode, you still need an Aqara hub with a border router, such as the Hub M3.
Zigbee mode needs an Aqara Zigbee hub, and it also works with older Aqara hubs. In this mode the plug isn’t a native Matter device, and it reaches other platforms through Matter bridging on the same Aqara hub. In return, Zigbee gives you features Thread mode doesn’t have yet, including a configurable maximum load and the status light settings. Aqara says LED configuration is coming to Thread in a future update. You can switch between the two protocols later if your setup changes.
Energy Monitoring and Safety
The plug tracks power use in real time and shows daily and monthly usage in charts in the Aqara app. Changes in power draw can also trigger automations, for example to run a pump or heater only when it’s needed. Charging protection switches the plug off after 30 minutes below 3W, which helps with devices that keep drawing power once they’re full, and idle consumption is 0.4W or less.
The plug cuts power if it overloads or reaches 80°C. A child lock disables the physical button, but you can still control the plug through the app, voice commands and automations. The button still works for network and factory resets.
Outdoor Use and Versions
IP44 protects against splashing water and solid objects larger than 1 mm, and the manual lists an operating range of -10°C to 40°C. It plugs into a Type E or F outlet, has a Type F socket, and measures 55 mm across and 100.8 mm tall.
It comes in a standard version, model SP-P06E, and an RGB version, model SP-P06D. The standard plug’s indicator light shows blue, red and purple, while the RGB version has a full RGB indicator light. The two are sold through different channels, so check which one a store is listing before you buy.
Availability
The standard Outdoor Plug H2 EU costs €32.99 on Amazon in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Spain, and €39.99 in Italy. Aqara’s product page also links to its EU store.
