SONOFF New Bridge Beta Testing – Share Your Experience to Get Selected and Receive the Free Sample

[Archarr]

Thank you all for your enthusiastic participation. The forum Beta testing recruitment has now closed. The first batch of beta testers has now been confirmed.

Regardless of whether you were selected this time, thank you again for your support!

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We will have more tests for new products and features in the future, and if there is a suitable opportunity, we will be happy to reach out to you again.

Regardless of whether you were selected this time, thank you again for your support!

Hello everyone, this is the SONOFF team.

This year, we’re preparing to launch a New Zigbee + Matter bridge ( aka “New Bridge”). Before the official release, we sincerely invite experienced community members to join our Beta testing program.

Selected participants will receive the device free of charge, and we look forward to improving the product together through your real-world testing and valuable feedback.

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What is the New Bridge?

The “New Bridge” is our upcoming Matter bridge designed to integrate Zigbee devices and other protocol devices into the Matter ecosystem — enabling broader cross-platform compatibility and smoother smart home experiences.

If you’re passionate about smart home ecosystems and love testing new hardware in real environments, this is for you.

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Who Has a Higher Chance of Being Selected?

To ensure high-quality feedback, users who meet at least 3 of the following conditions will have a significantly higher probability of being selected:

• A: Experienced SONOFF ZBBridge-P / ZBBridge-U user with 1+ year of usage
• B: Experienced Home Assistant user with 2+ years of usage
• C: Have 10+ Zigbee devices actively running at home
• D: Have a Matter environment set up and use Matter Bridge to integrate devices into the Apple/Alexa/Google Home/etc. ecosystem
• E: Have sufficient time in March for testing and sharing feedback

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How to Apply?

Please reply to this post before March 12, 2026, and share your current gateway usage experience.

*If you prefer not to share publicly, you may also send me a private message.

You may choose the topics below that you are most experienced with and share your insights or real-world experience:

• What is your current main gateway? Which platform do you primarily use?
• How do you usually control your Zigbee sub-devices? (App Control, Automation, Voice assistant, Matter integration, etc.)
• What are your current usage scenarios, and what are your specific experiences or insights?
• Based on the Zigbee bridge you are currently using, what do you believe a “full-score” or ideal bridge should deliver in terms of user experience? (For example: stability, local control capability, expandability, etc.)

If your reply is detailed and specific — especially if you include photos of your current setup — you will have a higher chance of being selected for the beta testing program.

Based on your reply, we will evaluate your current setup, usage environment, and overall suitability for the external testing program. We will review all replies and publish the list of selected participants in this thread, then contact you via private message.

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We truly appreciate the support of our experienced community members.
Your real-world feedback will directly help us shape the new product into a better and more reliable bridge.

Looking forward to your participation!

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[Jojkoba]

I am reporting. I have 38 devices at home and I have extensive experience with various installations. The only thing I don’t do is use Alexa and similar services. I have iHost in my house, but in the second house I control the devices via zbb-u at the gate.

[aristide.bronda]

Salve sono possessore di quasi 100 dispositivi Sonoff tra cui sia WiFi che zegbee

Uso con hub sia il bridge ULTRA e anche IHOST

Piattaforme collegate sia ALEXA che Apple Home

[barnab036]

I have 23 zb devices under a zbb-ultra and many wifi devices under ewelink for the main layer.

Using HA for the complete system with other brands and diy. Occasionaly using the Google Home system with my devices.

[debreczeni1996]

Hello. I have two SONOFF ZBBridge-P in different locations and around 30 ZigBee devices. I have my eWeLink connected to HA as add-on but I don’t use it because it’s just not working reliably. I have my ewelink account connected to my Google home and I use it with a few nest speakers, but I don’t have them connected over matter, just the could accounts.

My only and biggest issue with the P hub (Pro* :)) ) was that devices disconect all at once for no reason, and do not reconnect until a power cycle. A check could be implemented every few seconds, and If all the connected devices are Offline an automatic reset should happen. At some point like 2 years ago it was quite frequent, since than it only happened 2-3 times.

Overall with any Sonoff device I’m always concerned by the eWeLink platform not the hardware itself.

But at the same time I will continue with eWeLink because it’s easy.

[MiAutomations]

1-My main gateway is the Home Assistant with sonoff dongle max zigbee and with the Smlight also, but I’m using also the Sonoff NS Panel PRO, Sonoff Bridge Ultra, and the PRO, also the Ihost

2-Normally I use the Home Assistant and the voice assistant connected over matter to the devices to be able to control them and some other from the automations

3-I have several scenarios, normally based on the persons that are in home or out and some more linked to the specific weather and day time, like lights and some more voice mensagens

4-Yes based on the experience that I have booth dongles that I’m using are the most compatible devices in the market

Thank you for the opportunity to test the new device

[alyusuph]

For Home Assistant users, Matterbridge is already doing a stellar job to bridge zigbee devices to Matter. Why not focus on the new Ihost and ensure it comes with a very good Matter Bridge?

[jag.pinho]

Have over 23 zigbee devices, from presence sensors, humidity and temperature sensors,door / window sensors, mini relays, TRVs and plugs I use one Zigbee Pro bridge, one Zigbee bridge all working in conjuction with scenes or routines on my Alexa Dot 3rd generation and Alexa Dot 5th generation

[Tamer_Salah]

Hello SONOFF Team,

I would be happy to join the beta testing program.

I’ve been actively involved in the smart home ecosystem for several years and currently run a multi-platform setup including Google Home, Alexa, SmartThings, and Zemismart hubs, along with several SONOFF devices such as NSPanel Pro, ZBBridge-U, iHost, and CubeOS.

Main Platform / Gateway
My main automation platform is Home Assistant, which I have been using for more than 2 years. It acts as the central controller in my smart home, allowing me to integrate multiple ecosystems and test cross-platform compatibility.

Zigbee Environment
I currently run 57 Zigbee devices in my home network from different brands, 12 of them are SONOFF devices. This gives me a solid real-world environment to test mesh stability, device compatibility, and long-term reliability.

How I Control My Devices

I control my Zigbee devices using several methods:

• Home Assistant automations and dashboards

• Voice assistants (Google Assistant & Alexa)

• Mobile apps and smart home dashboards

• Cross-platform integrations and bridges

This setup allows me to evaluate device behavior across multiple ecosystems and controllers.

Testing Environment

My current smart home environment includes:

• SONOFF ZBBridge-U

• NSPanel Pro

• SONOFF iHost

• CubeOS

• Google Home hubs

• Amazon Alexa hub

• SmartThings hubs

• Zemismart hubs

Because of this environment, I can test multi-platform compatibility, Matter integrations, and real-world automation scenarios.

What I Expect from an Ideal Zigbee Bridge

From my experience, a “full-score” bridge should focus on:

• High stability with large Zigbee networks

• Strong local control without cloud dependency

• Fast response time

• Reliable Zigbee mesh management

• Solid Matter implementation for cross-platform ecosystems

• Good expandability and compatibility with different controllers

I also enjoy testing new hardware and providing detailed real-world feedback.

I’ve attached screenshots of my current devices and setup (including Home Assistant dashboards) to provide an overview of my environment.

Looking forward to contributing and helping improve the new bridge.

[4014a011]

Hi SONOFF Team,
I’d love to join the testing program! I’m a SONOFF user from Taiwan (NSPanel Pro, Zigbee Bridge Pro, ZBBridge-U, Home Assistant/Z2M).
I also create Chinese videos sharing SONOFF experiences: https://youtube.com/shorts/JThxnd_Okc0
Happy to test the device and provide feedback!

[demonizator]

Hello SONOFF Team,

I would love to participate in the New Bridge Beta Testing Program. I have been actively using SONOFF products and the eWeLink ecosystem for quite some time, and I am currently an active participant in the NSPanel Pro and TRVZB beta programs, where I regularly provide detailed feedback, feature requests, and evaluations to help improve the ecosystem. I have also been active around the NSPanel Pro integration and support within SonoffLAN, helping test functionality and share feedback.

My smart home setup is specifically designed around Local Control, Independence, and Family-Friendliness.

1. NSPanel Pro and ZBBridge-P – Primary Local Control: I maximize the use of NSPanel Pro and ZBBridge-P for all essential home functions using local scenes and device controls to build the foundation of the system. This ensures fast local execution, minimal cloud dependency, and a reliable, “Wife-Approved” interface for daily family use. Most everyday functions such as lighting control, quick scenes (away/night mode), and environmental adjustments are handled locally.

2. Home Assistant – Advanced Automation Layer: I use Home Assistant as a secondary automation layer for scenarios that require more complex logic or integrations. This enables multi-condition automations, presence-based logic, integrations with devices not supported by SONOFF/eWeLink, cross–platform automations.

3. Voice Assistants: I actively use Home Assistant Voice PE (with Nabu Casa) and Google Nest Minis for voice control, announcements, and automation notifications across the home.

I currently have 50+ active devices (Zigbee, Matter, eWeLink Remote, and Wi-Fi) and a “lab box” with 20+ additional devices ready for deployment to stress-test the New Bridge’s pairing capacity.

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I would be glad to share additional details, screenshots, or photos of my setup if helpful.

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What I Think an Ideal Bridge Should Deliver:

Strong Local Control – A bridge should prioritize local device communication and automation to ensure independence from cloud services, improved privacy, and low latency. Reliable local control also ensures the smart home continues to function even during internet outages.

Stability and Reliability – The bridge should be a true “set-and-forget” device that can run reliably with larger networks (50+ devices) without connection drops, pairing issues, or routing instability.

Native Complex Logic – Support for more advanced local scenes and logic handling would reduce the need to rely on external platforms for many automations while still allowing integrations when needed.

Broad Device Compatibility – Broad support for different device types and reliable OTA firmware management would greatly improve long-term maintainability of the ecosystem.

Advanced Diagnostics – friendly features like MQTT, Matter bridging, local APIs, and real-time signal/LQI diagnostic tools to troubleshoot networks.

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Thank you for organizing this beta program and for continuously improving the SONOFF ecosystem. I would be very excited to help test the new bridge and continue contributing feedback from a real-world smart home environment.

Looking forward to participating!

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[ziq]

Hello, I can help.

A: 3+y

B: 5+y

C: running about 25 sonoff sensors and switches

D: yes, Google Home

E: can find it

[elenril]

Hello.

I’d like to apply to participate in the testing. I’ve been a Home Assistant and Ewelink user for over five years, and one of my first purchases was the SONOFF ZBBridge-P. This dongle is the true heart of my ecosystem. It supports nearly 50 Zigbee devices, and I’m constantly adding new ones. The ZBBridge-P itself has never failed me (unlike other devices from “established” brands). My Zigbee network is based on Zigbee2MQTT and is the center of my smart home. It integrates many devices from different manufacturers, all tied together by the reliable SONOFF ZBBridge-P.
I also have a Matter network, with several edge routers (including Aqara and Google Nest Hub 2). It includes about 10 devices. My Home Assistant setup is very extensive - I currently have 310 devices and 2673 entities.

The most important thing for me in this type of device is stability and reliability. I have no complaints about my current ZBBridge-P, and I believe the next one will be just as good in this regard. I’d currently like to focus on developing the Matter network, and I believe the new Sonoff dongle will be ideal for this purpose. Of course, the number of supported devices and the possibility of effective scalability are also important. As well the range, although I have many Zigbee devices connected to the power supply, extending my mesh network.

The Zigbee network supported by the Sonoff coordinator allows me to implement a wide range of scenarios – I use it to control both simple light switches and roller blind controllers, as well as many types of sensors (presence, motion, contact, light, etc.). I also have integrated thermostats. Sonoff offers a wealth of automation possibilities. One of the most interesting DIY solutions I’ve implemented is converting Sonoff door/window sensors into light switch sensors. I placed them under standard switches, running wires from the end of the contactron magnet to these physical switches (instead of connecting power cables). This way, I can receive the on/off state of the switch and control WLED lights.

I’m a software developer. In addition to standard automations, I also develop extensive scripts and dedicated integrations for Home Assistant.

Currently I’m waiting for the TRVZB to arrive, which will undoubtedly enhance my Zigbee network and enable many new smart home scenarios. I also have a lot of unused Zigbee devices that I can test with the new hub.

It is worth mentioning that I have been a tester of Aqara products for several years - I am no stranger to test scenarios and bug reporting software.

[peter.wullems]

I have 2 Eero Pro 6 tri band routers that have inbuilt Matter plus echo 2, echo 4, echo dot of which the latter 2 are eero ready

I have zbBridge-P bridge

In addition I have Sonoff ZB devices

7 x TRVZB thermostats

2 x ZBMicroUSB

6 x ZBSmartPlugs

3x ZB Motion sensors

ZB bellpush

My particular challenge is stone walls that are between 500mm to 600mm thick and which need zb router type powered devices to more efficiently get signal to where it is needed.

I do not yet have Home assistant as I use EyeLink app in conjunction with the Amazon Alexa app to control all.

I also have a John Guest/Salus IT600 controlled boiler system for my heating which uses Zigbee.

In the immediate future I will be buying some Zigbee relays that are powered and can act as routers to beef up my zigbee network messaging and make it more reliable.

cheers

Peter Wullems

[Derex]

Hello SONOFF team, Hello @Archarr ,

I’d really like to join the beta test for the new Zigbee + Matter bridge.

My main platform is Home Assistant, and I use Zigbee devices every day for sensors, plugs, switches, and lighting. What interests me most about this new bridge is the Matter side of it, especially how well it can bring Zigbee devices into a mixed smart home environment in a stable and practical way. The selection criteria in the post clearly favor users with Home Assistant experience, 10+ active Zigbee devices, an existing Matter setup, and enough time in March for testing, so it helps to state those points directly if they apply to you.

Most of my Zigbee devices are used through automations, but I also use app control, dashboards, and voice assistants depending on the situation. Because of that, I care a lot about things like pairing reliability, response time, stability over time, and how well devices stay in sync when exposed to other ecosystems.

My main usage scenarios are:

• lighting automations based on motion, time, and presence

• smart plugs for scheduled routines and daily control

• sensors used as automation triggers and monitoring points

• integrating devices into other ecosystems for easier control around the house

• testing how well Zigbee devices behave when bridged into Matter

For me, an ideal bridge should deliver:

• very good stability over time, without random disconnects

• fast and reliable response for both commands and status updates

• strong local control, with as little cloud dependency as possible

• solid Matter integration across platforms like Home Assistant, Apple Home, Google Home, and Alexa

• the possibility to pair with 3rd-party Zigbee devices, not just one brand, because many of us run mixed-device environments at home

• easy setup and maintenance, including smooth recovery after restart or connection loss

• good scalability, so it can still perform well as more devices are added

I also have enough time in March 2026 to actively test and provide proper feedback. If selected, I can share real-world feedback about:

• first setup and onboarding

• pairing and re-pairing behavior

• stability over longer use

• compatibility with different Zigbee devices

• Matter bridging behavior across platforms

• issues, edge cases, and suggestions for improvement

I’m especially interested in testing this bridge in a real mixed environment, not just with one ecosystem, because that’s where a Matter bridge really has to prove itself.

Thanks for the opportunity. I’d be happy to help test the new bridge and provide detailed real-world feedback to help improve it before release.

[michelangelo.cimino]

Hi,

I’ve already done some testing with Sonoff in the past, specifically the SNZB-04PR2 sensor. I currently use NSPANEL PRO 12o (two devices) and ZBBRIDGE-Ultra. Between both hubs, I manage over 40 devices. I use thermostatic valves, temperature sensors, devices for controlling roller shutters, managing garden irrigation, and monitoring the photovoltaic system. I currently use Sonoff as my main platform (I manage about 80 devices in total) connected to Smartthings, and this platform is connected to Alexa. As for the features a ZigBee hub should have, I think the ability to connect via a LAN port is really important for stability, and signal strength is definitely another key aspect. I’d love to be part of the group that will test this new hub.

Thank you.

[staracegiuseppe]

The smart home is based on the Home Assistant platform and represents an advanced home automation ecosystem composed of **210 integrated physical devices** and **1,863 software entities**, managed through **90 active automations**.

The architecture uses a **multiprotocol infrastructure** that integrates Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Thread/Matter to ensure interoperability and network resilience. The system includes **20 active Zigbee nodes** managed through a coordinated network with dedicated bridges, as well as **one Thread router** managed via the OpenThread Border Router integration for devices compatible with the Matter standard.

The ecosystem is heterogeneous and includes devices from several manufacturers, including Sonoff, Xiaomi, Aqara, Metz, and Bose.

The home automation network relies on distributed gateways and routers based on **Sonoff MG24 modules**, supported by Wi-Fi LAN nodes and dedicated Zigbee bridges. This architecture enables decentralized device management and extends wireless coverage throughout the home.

The system controls a wide range of domestic subsystems, including:

* multi-room smart lighting

* environmental and presence sensors

* smart plugs and energy monitoring

* multimedia and home theater devices

* security systems and remote control functions

The user interface is implemented through **custom dashboards on a tablet**, featuring an interactive floor plan of the home. This layout allows direct device control through contextual icons and dynamic pop-ups, displaying in real time the status of lights, sensors, media players, and energy consumption.

The **90 automations** orchestrate complex scenarios such as:

* automatic lighting management based on presence detection

* home cinema scenarios with synchronized control of lighting, projector, and audio

* energy monitoring with automatic load shutdown

* global home scenarios for full house power-on and shutdown

The combination of **210 devices, 1,863 entities, and 90 automations** represents a highly integrated home automation infrastructure designed to demonstrate the capabilities of a fully customized smart home built on open-source technologies.

[Jojkoba]

We’ll close it tactfully, we’re all qualified for beta testing and we each bring a unique perspective to new products. And Sonoff has always valued our insights because we’re all suitable candidates.

[tothb001]

Hello! My current main hub is Aeotec Smart Home Hub. I have a lot of Sonoff window/door sensors, temperature sensors, ZBMiniR2, NSPanel Pro, Ledvance Light Bulbs. Most of the devices are Zigbee, but there is Matter among them. I am testing Home Assistant on Armbian and Google Home is also in the testing phase. My main goal is to operate completely cloud-free and have different devices work harmoniously.