Shelly Plug US Gen4 Black (US, single plug) review: fit and tradeoffs

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Does it fit your priorities?

Which exact black Gen4 package does this profile cover?

Black / Single; one independently installed plug. Storefront variant 51150414020949; exact single EAN/SKU 3800238072100.

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Does 1,800 W mean it is a motor or compressor approval?

No. Shelly limits the published 1,800 W maximum to resistive loads. The checked exact-model sources do not publish a motor horsepower ceiling; compare the actual appliance instructions and plug guide.

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What does the local-control and timer evidence actually cover?

The Shelly/device route includes a local web interface after setup on the working home LAN, weekly schedules, energy metering and the product page’s integrated one-hour countdown shutoff. That does not establish identical timer, schedule or energy views inside Apple Home or other third-party apps, or operation after Wi-Fi/router failure.

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Assessment basis: this review covers Shelly USA’s black single-unit route for Plug US Gen4, model S4PL-00116US, with EAN 3800238072100. It is a source-based assessment, not a hands-on test. I have not installed, operated, measured or load-tested the plug, and the EAN is not an Amazon ASIN.

One control point, in the darker finish

The black single is the straightforward configuration when one grounded US outlet needs a single controllable load. The manufacturer’s product page identifies the black color and Single package separately from its black two- and four-plug variants. The single image shows one plug body; the selected storefront record establishes the package count. Black changes the finish, not the technical model: Shelly’s model-specific documentation identifies S4PL-00116US for the Plug US Gen4. That distinction matters when comparing this route with the white Gen4 or another generation. A shared base model does not make the retail configurations interchangeable: a shopper who needs two physical installations should select the black two-pack, and a four-pack is four separate plugs rather than a multi-outlet adapter. Confirm the color and quantity in the actual offer rather than relying on a reused family photograph.

Choose the radio and control path before buying

The default setup is Wi-Fi with Matter firmware; the printed guide describes changing to Zigbee firmware with five rapid button presses. Treat those as alternate operating modes, not as simultaneous Matter-and-Zigbee support. A Zigbee setup needs its own compatible coordinator. The manufacturer also lists Bluetooth LE, but the checked product-specific documentation does not make Bluetooth a substitute for the normal home-network setup. For Apple Home, Shelly lists a Matter route and the household needs a compatible Matter controller. That does not mean Apple Home exposes every feature from Shelly Smart Control. Shelly’s documentation separately lists Alexa Power Controller, Google On/Off and SmartThings Switch/Power Meter capabilities; those are limited integration descriptions, not proof that every automation, meter history or outage behavior transfers to those apps. The embedded web interface is a local-network path after setup, not remote access from outside the home.

The load figure is not blanket approval

Shelly publishes 120 V, 15 A and a maximum output of 1,800 W for resistive loads. The manufacturer’s model-specific source lists resistive, capacitive and inductive categories, but the US materials checked here do not give this plug a separate motor-horsepower rating. Do not use the 1,800 W figure as a compressor, motor-start or every-appliance rating. Check the appliance nameplate and instructions against the exact plug guide; if load class or startup demand is unclear, this assessment cannot establish suitability. The maximum applies to this one device. It is not a shared allowance that can be pooled with another plug, and measuring energy does not make an electrically unsuitable appliance safe. A multi-pack gives more devices, not more capacity per device.

Schedules, shutoff and energy data have specific limits

The manufacturer describes weekly schedules and local actions in the Shelly route, as well as power and energy metering. Its product-specific page also describes an integrated countdown feature that can switch a forgotten load off after one hour. That is evidence for a timer in the Shelly/device path; it does not establish the same timer controls inside Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home or SmartThings, or promise an arbitrary shutoff duration. Away Mode is not documented for this profile. The source material lists power and energy reporting but no meter-accuracy tolerance, so treat the values as device data rather than an independently verified utility meter. The local web interface and local automation are useful when a previously configured plug and controller remain on the working home LAN. They do not solve a failed router or Wi-Fi network, prove offline first-time commissioning, or allow remote control from away without an available connection. For the alternative Zigbee configuration, investigate the coordinator’s available scheduling and reporting separately; the Matter firmware’s behavior is not automatically transferred to that mode.

Measure the outlet and compare the three package sizes

The black product page gives body dimensions of 1.50 × 2.52 × 2.01 inches in H × W × D order. The printed guide reports 1.42 × 2.52 × 1.99 inches. Because the height and depth figures differ, the matching profile uses only their common 2.52-inch width. Measure the wall plate, the adjacent receptacle, the appliance plug and cord bend, and any shelf or furniture clearance yourself. A body dimension is not an installation-clearance guarantee. This one-pack is the least ambiguous way to assess one location. If the same Gen4 hardware is needed at two or four locations, compare the separate black package reviews and confirm the exact quantity. Before ordering, verify the S4PL-00116US family name, black finish, one-unit package, grounded outlet and seller’s return terms. The exact-name CPSC lookup for “Shelly Plug US Gen4 Black” returned an empty response on 2026-10-31; this narrow search is neither a safety certification nor a guarantee about future recalls. No price, stock, customer experience, laboratory result or ownership is claimed here.

Key specifications

Key details at a glance

Controlled outlets	One controlled outlet per plug
Reviewed package	Black / Single; one independently installed plug. Storefront variant 51150414020949; exact single EAN/SKU 3800238072100.
Maximum current	15 A
Maximum published watts at 120 V	1800 W
Motor limit	The checked US materials do not publish a horsepower limit. The 15 A / 1,800 W maximum output is explicitly for resistive loads only.
Body width	2.52 in
Network and protocol	The default firmware is the Wi-Fi/Matter route. Five rapid button presses switch the device to Zigbee firmware; Matter and Zigbee are alternative firmware modes, not simultaneous control modes. The checked materials describe 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE and a built-in local web interface.
Indoor use only	Yes
Outdoor rating	No
Schedules documented	Yes
Countdown timer / auto-off	Yes
Matter controller for third-party app	Yes

Use the exact model’s instructions for operating limits, supplied equipment and version differences.

Sources for this review

Sources for this assessment

Check the exact version against your own outlet

The finder checks documented ratings and features; it cannot approve your appliance, outlet wiring or physical clearance.

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