What is the Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2?
The ZBT-2 is the second-generation Connect adapter from Nabu Casa, the company behind Home Assistant, and it replaces the Connect ZBT-1 (originally sold as SkyConnect), which is now discontinued. Plug it into the machine running Home Assistant and it gives you a Zigbee coordinator or a Thread radio, depending on the firmware you choose.
Against the ZBT-1, Nabu Casa lists an upgraded Silicon Labs MG24 chip in place of the MG21, a much faster serial link, and a purpose-built antenna on a stand instead of a small internal one. The case opens without clips or glue and exposes the pins, which suits anyone who wants to reflash it. The extension cable question still applies: keep the stick away from USB 3.0 ports and drives, which sit in the same 2.4 GHz band.
Zigbee or Thread: can the ZBT-2 do both?
No. The ZBT-2 runs either Zigbee or Thread, not both at the same time. The hardware could in theory be shared, but Nabu Casa says its testing of "multiprotocol" (MultiPAN) on the ZBT-1 produced inconsistent behaviour and device stability problems, and it does not plan to implement it on the ZBT-2.
In practice, pick the protocol your devices need. Choose Zigbee if you run sensors, bulbs and plugs from Aqara, IKEA, Sonoff and similar brands; our best Zigbee hub guide covers the wider coordinator options. Choose Thread if your priority is battery-powered Matter devices; our Thread guide explains what is on sale in the UK. If you want both networks, buy two radios: a ZBT-2 for one and a second adapter, or a border router you already own, for the other. Thread on the ZBT-2 is run through Home Assistant, so it is not a standalone border router you can use without it.
How much is the ZBT-2 in the UK and where can you buy it?
The ZBT-2 costs £38 including VAT at The Pi Hut at the time of writing, against a recommended MSRP of $49 / €45. Prices move with stock and exchange rates, so check the live offer before buying. Compare it with the other coordinators in our best Zigbee stick for Home Assistant UK roundup, or see current offers on the Connect ZBT-2 finder page.
For context, that places it close to the ConBee III and well under the £61 SMLIGHT SLZB-06M, but about double the price of a Sonoff ZBDongle-E. You are paying for the official support, the newer radio and the antenna.
ZHA or Zigbee2MQTT: which should you run on the ZBT-2?
Start with ZHA if you want the shortest route. It is built into Home Assistant, and the ZBT-2 is designed around it: Home Assistant discovers the stick, walks you through a setup wizard and offers one-click firmware updates. Our ZHA setup guide covers pairing in detail.
Zigbee2MQTT works too. Nabu Casa says many people run the ZBT-2 with it and publishes migration documentation for moving to a new adapter. You will need the Mosquitto broker and the Zigbee2MQTT add-on, and you point it at the stick's serial port. Our Zigbee2MQTT guide walks through that, and ZHA vs Zigbee2MQTT helps you decide which suits your device list. Moving from an old stick is the part to plan: Home Assistant offers migration wizards for Zigbee and Thread, though some adapters (ConBee sticks, for example) need specific firmware first.
Does the ZBT-2 work with Home Assistant?
Yes, and it is the reference hardware for Home Assistant's own Zigbee and Thread work. In Zigbee mode it appears in the ZHA integration; in Thread mode it provides the radio for Home Assistant's Thread network, which is how battery-powered Matter-over-Thread devices connect. Integration entities include a permit-join switch, a firmware version sensor, the active channel and a connection status indicator. Treat the bundled USB cable as mandatory rather than optional.
How does the ZBT-2 compare with the ZBDongle-E and SLZB-06M?
Pick the Sonoff ZBDongle-E (about £19 on Amazon UK) if you want the cheapest proven Zigbee-only stick and are happy to forgo Thread. Pick the SMLIGHT SLZB-06M (£61 from Zigbee Smart UK) if your Home Assistant box lives in a cupboard and you would rather run a network cable to a central spot using Ethernet or PoE. Pick the Phoscon ConBee III (around £37) only if you rely on the deCONZ software. The ZBT-2 wins when you want official support and the option of Thread later. Our full Zigbee stick comparison has the detail.
Who should buy the Connect ZBT-2?
Buy it if you are starting a Home Assistant install, replacing a ZBT-1, or want official hardware that Nabu Casa will keep updating. It is also a good second radio if your Zigbee coordinator is already in place and you want to add Thread. Skip it if you only need the cheapest working Zigbee stick, or if your Home Assistant server sits somewhere with poor radio coverage and you would rather mount a PoE coordinator centrally.
Verdict
For most UK Home Assistant users, the ZBT-2 at £38 is the safest default coordinator: official, well supported and easy to set up. The one thing to remember is that it is Zigbee or Thread, never both, so buy a second radio if you want both networks.
