Review on Sonoff WiFi Smart Curtain Switch with Power Metering: TUV Certified, DualR3 Dual Relay DIY Curtain Control for Blinds, Roller Shutter. Two Way Smart Switch, Compatible with Alexa & Google Assistant. by Eric Montgomery

My first smart home device was a Sonoff Basic R1 which I bought 4 years ago. At first I used the manufacturer's EWeLink software, but found it ridiculous to have an internet addiction just to control a light switch physically installed in my home when the controller (like a smartphone) was only a few feet away from the device. . Another problem is that almost all device manufacturers want you to install their app on your smartphone, which connects to their own servers to manage the devices you install in order to block users from their ecosystem. If you use smart devices from several brands, your smartphone will be overloaded with applications with minimal functionality. To get around these issues, I flashed my first Sonoff Basic with Tasmota open source firmware and started using Home Assistant (HS) and never looked back (hint - ESPHome is decent open source firmware too; I use one or the other depending on specific needs. All HS controlled devices work with Alexa and Google Home and can also be accessed remotely. Of course, you need an internet connection for these functions). There are currently about 40 smart home devices installed in my house. All but two use Tasmota or ESPHome firmware. All of these are built into the HS and can be controlled via the HS smartphone app or the HS website. Sonoff Dual R3 replaces Sonoff Dual R2. They are similar in that both have 2 relays and a power control. But there are two main differences: 1) The form factors between them are very different. R2 is much larger and designed for external mounting. R3 can be installed outdoors but is small enough to be installed in an electrical box. 2) R3 has ESP32 processor which is newer and more powerful than ESP8266 in R2. The ESP32 also has additional features such as Bluetooth, which allows additional functionality to be implemented in the firmware. When I received this Sonoff Dual R3, I didn't even bother with EWeLink. I flashed it with Tasmota as soon as I got the device out of the box (Warning - flashing a smart home device might seem a bit complicated at first, but it's actually quite simple. It's old hat after you have made a pair For Sonoff Dual R3 DigiblurDIY has a YouTube video showing exactly how). The Tasmota firmware works fine on this device. And if the feature you need isn't implemented, submit a request and stay tuned. If you are a programmer, you can always fork the source code and make your own changes. This Sonoff device requires mains voltage to operate. Please make sure you are satisfied with it before purchasing. Among the dual relay wall mounted smart switches, Shelly 2.5 is the closest competitor to this Sonoff device. Shelly is smaller but only has an ESP8266 processor. Overall, Sonoff is one of my favorite smart home device manufacturers. They are reliable and designed with the needs of the DIY enthusiast in mind, and this one is no exception. Also, almost all Sonoff devices including this one are compatible and work well with Tasmota and/or ESPHome. If you don't want to flash, you can just use EWeLink. EWeLink has matured over the years. He's actually quite reliable and capable at the moment. EWeLink integrates well with HS, but you still need the internet to control your devices, which is a big disadvantage for me.