We compare official pricing with community-trusted alternatives. Amazon affiliate tags per locale; indicative prices October 2026.
If in doubt, contact the manufacturer's official support, use the brand's warranty service (or hire a qualified electrician for any 230 V wiring).
Software setup, swapping a USB cable or an add-on sensor can be done at home. For defective or in-warranty hardware (hub, failed Shelly/Sonoff module, mCore board), use the manufacturer's official warranty service — do not bypass it.
Difficulty 🟢 Easy (1/5)
Time ⏱️ 5 min (lecture)
Cost 💶 0 €
Tools 🧰 Web browser
| Category | Official price | Verified compatible | Reliability note | Shops |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raspberry Pi 5 PSU (27 W) | Official 27 W USB-C (~£15) | Certified 5 V/5 A USB-C PD (~£9–12) | Skip 18 W phone chargers — undervoltage causes reboots. | |
| Zigbee USB coordinator | Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2 (~£55) | SONOFF ZBDongle-E (~£25) | Flash Ember or zStack firmware per stick model. | |
| DS18B20 / BME280 sensors | Adafruit / Pimoroni module (~£8–15) | Pack of 5 waterproof DS18B20 (~£12) | Use 4.7 kΩ pull-up on 1-Wire bus. | |
| Dupont / mBot RJ25 cables | Makeblock RJ25 pack (~£12) | Dupont M-M 20 cm (~£4) | Makeblock RJ25 pinout differs — don’t plug raw Arduino sensors without adapter. | |
| Shelly relays | Shelly 1 Mini Gen3 (~£15) | Sonoff MINIR4 Wi-Fi (~£9) — different stack | Shelly: local API and native HA. Link to the official Shelly store. | |
| mBot & Arduino batteries | Makeblock battery pack (~£8) | 4× Eneloop AA (~£12) | Classic mBot uses 4× AA; avoid cheap alkalines (voltage sag). |
Robotics: for mBlock / Arduino upload errors, see mBlock & mBot troubleshooting .
Official manufacturer support & warranty
- Shelly (Allterco Robotics)
- Sonoff (ITEAD)
- Homey (Athom)
- Aqara
- Makeblock (mBot / mBlock)
- Support portal
- Email: support@makeblock.com
- Phone: +86 755 2639 2228