This E Ink climate sensor cuts the cloud and adds Matter

European smart home device manufacturer Shelly has a new version of its temperature and humidity sensor, plus an even smaller smart relay switch. Shelly’s H&T Gen3 adds an enhanced e-paper display and doubles the responsiveness and efficiency of the previous version thanks to 8MB on-device memory. It’s also Matter-upgradable, making interoperability easier, and Shelly says if you upgrade the device to the new smart home standard, it will keep all its features.

Shelly’s devices are smarter than your average smart devices. They work over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, but each device can also act as a Wi-Fi network extender or a Bluetooth gateway for more reliable local connections. There’s no hub required, and devices can work locally or connect to the cloud. The option of on-device support for micro-JavaScript for creating customized functions makes Shelly’s products popular with smart home tinkerers who use more advanced platforms like Home Assistant.

Debuting at CES 2024, the H&T Gen3’s new 8MB memory chip effectively doubles that of the Shelly Plus H&T. Shelly says the extra processing power prepares it “for upcoming features” and “provides smoother operation and quicker responses.” The Gen3 also incorporates a clock and now comes in a nice-looking matte black as well as white. It sports the same size and one year of battery life on four AA batteries as its predecessor and can also be wall-mounted or propped up on its included stand.

Uses for the Gen3 include controlling a heater connected to a Shelly smart plug, which can then link to the sensor to turn it off once the room is warm. Link it up to a bathroom fan using a Shelly in-wall mini relay (more on these below) and activate the fan at a specific humidity level. There’s a long list of creative uses for the H&T sensor — you could even monitor the temperature in a wine cellar or a cigar box.

The climate sensor can work standalone in a local Wi-Fi network and with Shelly’s app and web interface. It can also be linked up with cloud home automation platforms such as Google Home, Amazon Alexa, and Samsung SmartThings.

All of Shelly’s latest devices are upgradeable to Matter, giving users the option of working with the new smart home standard. But Matter isn’t enabled out of the box. “Thanks to its doubled memory, upgrading to Matter compatibility will be seamless, maintaining all current features while opening doors to new integrations and possibilities in your smart home,” stated the Shelly press release.

Shelly is also upgrading its popular in-wall mini relay series. Now 35 percent smaller than the Shelly Plus line, the Mini Gen3 series includes the Shelly 1 Mini Gen3, the Shelly 1PM Mini Gen3 that adds power measurement, and the Shelly PM Mini Gen3 with power metering capabilities.

The smaller size means it can fit into even tighter junction boxes to automate devices like lights, garage doors, and irrigation systems. In-wall relay switches fit behind existing wall switches and sockets for an invisible installation. While relay switches have steadily been getting smaller, Shelly’s is now one of the tiniest at just 1.34 x 1.11 x 0.63 inches.

The Shelly H&T Gen3 costs $31.90 and is coming soon, while the Mini Gen3 devices range from $11.90 to $13.50 and are available now.