Sonoff ZBMINIL2 Review: Zigbee Mini Switch No Battery

The Sonoff ZBMINIL2 solves a real problem: most older European homes don't have a neutral wire at the switch box, which blocks installation of every standard smart switch. The ZBMINIL2 is mains-powered directly from the live wire, no battery, no neutral required, and it's small enough to disappear behind your existing switch plate.

At 39.5 x 32 x 18.4 mm and 22 g, it fits in standard 86mm EU gang boxes (Sonoff's spec sheet lists EU, 86 and 120 back boxes). It is still a current product in October 2026, listed on sonoff.tech and stocked by EU retailers, and Sonoff sells it alongside the newer ZBMINIR2, which needs a neutral wire and is a different animal (more on that below). This review covers the ZBMINIL2 across Zigbee2MQTT, ZHA, and eWeLink installations, the most common setups. That's the whole point of this device. It doesn't replace your switch. It sits behind it, turns your existing mechanical switch into a smart trigger, and adds Zigbee radio control on top.

Why Mains Power Beats Battery Here

Battery-powered smart switches are fine for sensors, remotes, and buttons. They're not fine for a relay that switches your lights 15 times a day. A coin cell in a heavily used switch runs down far sooner than anyone wants. Then you're standing in the dark replacing coin cells.

The ZBMINIL2 draws power from the mains line it controls. It's always on, always connected, never needs charging or battery replacement. For a device installed inside a wall box that you'll interact with hundreds of times per year, mains power is the right choice, full stop.

This is different from a battery-powered remote like the Philips Hue Smart Button, which you pick up, carry around, and replace batteries in. The ZBMINIL2 is infrastructure, not an accessory.

Zigbee 3.0 and Home Assistant Setup

The ZBMINIL2 uses Zigbee 3.0, which means it pairs with any compliant coordinator. In a walk-in wardrobe in my house, a Sonoff ZBMINI relay from the same family switches the light when a door contact opens, so I know how this product class behaves, but I haven't tested this exact model. In Zigbee2MQTT or ZHA it shows up as a simple on/off switch entity with no eWeLink account and no cloud, which is all you need, and the Sonoff Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus is a common coordinator for it.

The ZBMINIL2 pairs reliably with all major Zigbee coordinators:

• Sonoff ZBDongle-E or ZBDongle-P, sold as the Zigbee 3.0 USB Dongle Plus (recommended; both are on Sonoff's own ZHA and Zigbee2MQTT support list)
• ConBee III (Dresden Elektronik; the ConBee II it replaced is discontinued, though an existing one still works)
• SLZB-06 (Ethernet coordinator, no USB needed)

For those using the eWeLink ecosystem with the SONOFF iHost, NSPanel Pro or ZBBridge-U, it integrates there too. Sonoff's compatibility table also lists Amazon Echo models with a built-in Zigbee hub (Echo 4th gen, Echo Plus 2nd gen, Echo Show 2nd gen) and the SmartThings Hub V3 / Aeotec V3. And if you want Alexa or Google Home control without Home Assistant, you can pair it through eWeLink and link that to your voice assistant of choice.

An earlier version of this review said each unit strengthens your mesh. That was wrong, and it matters for mesh planning: the ZBMINIL2 is a Zigbee end device, not a router. Zigbee2MQTT's device page and Sonoff's own FAQ both say it cannot relay traffic for other devices. If you need routers in a wall box, that is what the ZBMINIR2 (launched autumn 2024) is for: it needs a neutral, is rated 10A, acts as a router for up to 64 child devices and adds a detach-relay mode. Different wiring, different job.

What the ZBMINIL2 doesn't do: dimming, power monitoring, multi-channel control, or detaching the wall switch from the relay. One relay, one channel, on or off. If you need dimmer control, you need a different device. Sonoff rates it at 6A: 1,380W resistive or 300W of LED load at 230V (720W and 150W at 120V). For basic switching of lights within that, the ZBMINIL2 does exactly what it says.

Installation: What to Check First

The no-neutral feature has one condition, your switch wiring must run live and load through the switch box, with neutral going directly to the light fitting. This is true of most European single-gang boxes. If your electrician put neutral at the switch box too, even better; the ZBMINIL2 works with or without it.

Pull the switch plate, count the wires. Two wires (plus ground): standard no-neutral installation. Three wires (plus ground): you have neutral available. Either way, the ZBMINIL2 handles it.

The actual connection is simple: live to L-in, load to L-out, connect S1 and S2 to your existing switch mechanism. The physical switch now acts as an external trigger, press it and the relay toggles. You can also toggle it from Home Assistant, Alexa, or Google Home without touching the wall switch at all.

ZBMINIL2 vs Aqara H1 EU No Neutral

The ZBMINIL2 is invisible, your switch looks identical after installation. The Aqara H1 replaces the switch plate entirely, which gives you a cleaner look if your existing plate is dated, but costs about three times as much (Domadoo lists the single-rocker WS-EUK01 at EUR 40; the ZBMINIL2 runs EUR 10.99 at Domadoo, EUR 13.23 at Voltus and EUR 16.20 at Datafox, with two-packs around EUR 21-32). Choose based on whether you want the aesthetics to change.

Who Should Buy the ZBMINIL2

If you have older EU wiring without neutral at the switch box and want reliable, cloud-free Zigbee switching for around EUR 11-16, this is one of the best options available. It won't win prizes for features. It switches your lights on and off reliably, pairs with Home Assistant and the SmartThings Hub V3, and never needs a battery replacement because it runs from your mains line.

That's what it does. That's enough.

One thing worth knowing before you buy: the ZBMINIL2 is a single-channel relay. One device controls one circuit. If you have a double-gang plate with two switches, you need two ZBMINIL2 units. At EUR 11-16 each, that's still cheaper than a single Aqara H1 EU. What they won't do is strengthen your mesh: every ZBMINIL2 is an end device, so three of them in a flat add three loads to your coordinator and zero routers. Sonoff's own advice is to add a routing device such as the ZBMicro, or any mains-powered Zigbee bulb or plug, if the far bedroom drops off. With that one router in place, two or three of these cover the hallway, living room, and bedroom without breaking the budget.