Shelly 1PM Mini Gen4: The Tiny Smart Relay That Watches Power

The Shelly 1PM Mini Gen4 is a small in-wall smart relay for anyone who wants to make a light, fan, or other 8A load app-controlled and to see how much power it draws. This review covers what the 2-pack includes, how the relay fits into a smart home, and where it falls short. Buyers who need a compact relay with real power metering should read the specification breakdown and the trade-off before deciding.

Features and Specifications

Type: In-wall single-channel smart relay
Channels: 1
Current Rating: 8A
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Matter, Zigbee
Power Metering: Yes
Ecosystem Support: Alexa, SmartThings, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, Home Assistant
Pack Size: 2 pack
Form Factor: Mini

The name alone tells most of the story: a one-channel relay rated to 8A, small enough to tuck behind a wall switch or into a junction box. The "Mini" label matters here — the whole point of this class of device is fitting where a full-size relay will not.

Connectivity is the headline. Wi-Fi, Matter, and Zigbee in one unit means the relay can join a network in several different ways depending on what hub or platform the household already runs. The name lists Alexa, SmartThings, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and Home Assistant, so the relay is positioned to slot into almost any mainstream smart home rather than locking a buyer into one ecosystem.

Power metering is the second feature that separates this from a plain on/off relay. The relay does not just switch a load; it reports consumption, which is what makes it useful for tracking what a circuit actually costs to run.

What the Specs Mean for Buyers

Build and Form Factor

The mini form factor is the reason to choose this model over a standard Shelly relay. A compact body fits into tighter switch boxes and behind faceplates where a larger module would not close up cleanly. Buyers wiring an older home with shallow boxes should treat the small size as the main selling point.

The trade-off is that a compact relay packs its connections close together, so installation demands patience and a careful hand. This is not a device for someone who wants to splice wires in a hurry.

Power Handling

An 8A rating puts this relay in the lighting-and-small-load category. Lights, ceiling fans, extractor fans, and similar circuits are the natural fit. Buyers should check the load against that ceiling before buying, because the relay is not built for high-draw appliances.

This is where the honest limitation sits. An 8A relay will not switch a water heater, an EV charger, or a large kitchen appliance, and buyers who need that kind of control should look at a higher-rated model instead.

Power Metering

Power metering turns the relay into a monitoring tool as well as a switch. A buyer can see what a light circuit or a fan actually consumes over time and use that data to trim running costs or spot an appliance left on. For anyone building out energy awareness in a smart home, this is the feature that justifies the price over a basic relay.

The caveat is that metering is only as useful as the platform reading it. Buyers who want charts and history need a hub or app that surfaces the data well; the relay supplies the readings, not the dashboard.

Connectivity and Ecosystems

Wi-Fi, Matter, and Zigbee together give the relay unusual flexibility. A household on Apple Home can use Matter; one on Home Assistant can lean on Zigbee or Wi-Fi; one on Alexa or Google can use the matching integration. The 2-pack also means two circuits can be upgraded in one purchase, which suits a buyer automating a pair of lights or fans.

The caution here is setup complexity. A device that speaks three protocols asks the buyer to pick one path and configure it correctly, and mixed ecosystems can make that choice less obvious than it looks on the box.

Trade-off: The 8A ceiling and the compact, fiddly wiring keep this relay out of heavy-appliance duty, so buyers with high-draw loads need a different model.

Check the current price on Amazon

Who It Suits and Who It Does Not

This relay suits the buyer who wants to smarten a light or fan circuit and track its power use at the same time. It also suits anyone already invested in a hub-based smart home, because the multi-protocol support means it will probably fit whatever platform is already running.

It does not suit buyers who need to switch a high-current appliance, and it does not suit anyone uncomfortable working inside a switch box. A renter who cannot modify wiring should skip it entirely.

FAQ

1. What is the Shelly 1PM Mini Gen4 used for?
   It is an in-wall relay that makes a single 8A circuit app-controlled and reports how much power that circuit uses.

2. Does the Shelly 1PM Mini Gen4 measure power?
   Yes. Power metering is part of the model name and is the main feature that separates it from a plain on/off relay.

3. What current rating does the Shelly 1PM Mini Gen4 have?
   The relay is rated at 8A, which suits lighting and small loads rather than heavy appliances.

4. Which smart home platforms does it work with?
   The name lists Alexa, SmartThings, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and Home Assistant, and the relay supports Wi-Fi, Matter, and Zigbee.

5. Does it need a hub?
   Not necessarily. Wi-Fi and Matter let the relay connect without a dedicated hub, while Zigbee use depends on the household having a compatible coordinator.

6. How many relays come in the pack?
   The product is sold as a 2-pack, so two circuits can be upgraded from one purchase.

7. Can the Shelly 1PM Mini Gen4 control a ceiling fan?
   A fan within the 8A rating is a reasonable fit, though buyers should confirm the fan’s draw stays under that ceiling.

8. Is the Shelly 1PM Mini Gen4 hard to install?
   It fits behind a switch or in a junction box, but the compact body makes the wiring tight, so a qualified installer is the safer route for anyone unsure.

9. Can it control more than one circuit?
   No. It is a single-channel relay, so each unit handles one circuit, and the 2-pack covers two.

10. Does it work with Apple HomeKit?
    Yes. Apple HomeKit is listed among the supported ecosystems, and Matter support helps with that integration.

Bottom Line

The Shelly 1PM Mini Gen4 is the right pick for a buyer who wants a small, multi-protocol relay with genuine power metering for lights and small loads, and the 2-pack makes it easy to upgrade a pair of circuits at once. Buyers with heavy appliances or no appetite for in-wall wiring should look elsewhere.