This TRMNL review finds a battery-powered e-ink dashboard that Snazzy Labs, the tech YouTube channel run by Quinn Nelson, called his favorite new gadget and that Reed Kleinman of Smart Home Solver uses to show his Home Assistant dashboard.
Snazzy Labs bought his unit himself and says the video was not sponsored. Here is how the TRMNL works, what reviewers liked, the limits to know, and the price as of October 21, 2026.
TRMNL review: price and key specs
Prices checked on Amazon Oct 21, 2026. I may earn a commission from links, at no cost to you.
| Display | Price (Oct 21, 2026) | Why it fits | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| TRMNL (OG) | $139 (TRMNL) | Original 7.5-inch model reviewers used | Official site |
| TRMNL X | $229 (TRMNL) | Larger 10.3-inch screen, same software | Official site |
| TRMNL (OG) | TRMNL X | |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 7.5-inch e-paper, 800 x 480, black and white | Larger 10.3-inch e-paper |
| Battery | About 3 months; larger battery option about 6 months (per Snazzy Labs) | Battery; see TRMNL for current figures |
| Home Assistant | Home Assistant screenshot add-on or webhooks | Same TRMNL software |
| Software | TRMNL cloud plugins or your own server | TRMNL cloud plugins or your own server |
| Subscription | None for TRMNL’s own plugins, per the company | None for TRMNL’s own plugins, per the company |
| Buy | Official site | Official site |
TRMNL review: the hardware
The TRMNL (OG) has a 7.5-inch, 800 x 480 e-paper display. Snazzy Labs says it looks sharper than the numbers suggest, reads well in direct sun and dim rooms, and only uses power when it refreshes. The panel is glossy, with an optional kit to make it matte. Inside is TRMNL’s own circuit board with an ESP32 chip for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, a button, an LED and USB-C, in a molded case that comes with a picture hook and a kickstand. He said it passed his household approval test, though he could do without the logo on the front.
Battery life
Snazzy Labs reported about three months per charge from the standard battery, and about six months with a larger battery option that cost $10 extra at the time. Smart Home Solver says his runs weeks or months between charges, so it can sit anywhere in the house.
How it works
At an interval you set, the TRMNL wakes, asks TRMNL’s server for a one-bit image, displays it and goes back to sleep, Snazzy Labs explains. It caches the previous image and checks whether a new one is identical before downloading, which avoids needless refreshes and saves battery. Everything else happens in a web portal.
Plugins, playlists and mashups
In the portal, playlists decide what shows and when. Snazzy Labs set time windows, such as calendar and weather in the morning, quotes in the afternoon and new movie releases in the evening. Mashups tile several plugins on one screen so you see more at once and refresh less. TRMNL builds its own plugins, such as Google Calendar, and says they will stay free; private plugins and community recipes add more. The back button can trigger a refresh on demand.
Home Assistant
Smart Home Solver built a custom Home Assistant dashboard with his weather station, door lock, battery levels and calendar. A TRMNL app in Home Assistant takes a snapshot, adjusts the styling for e-paper and sends it to the screen. He calls it a good option for anyone who has wanted an e-ink smart home dashboard.
Open source and your own server
TRMNL’s firmware is open source under GPL-3, Snazzy Labs reports. Creating your own plugins through TRMNL’s API required a one-time $20 fee when he reviewed it, which drew some criticism online. He points out that TRMNL also released a server you can run yourself, so you can skip TRMNL’s cloud and fees entirely. He built a shopping-list plugin from Apple Notes using Apple Shortcuts, a webhook and TRMNL’s Liquid templates in a few minutes.
Who the TRMNL is for
- Families who want a shared calendar, weather and to-do list on the wall without a glowing tablet.
- Home Assistant users who want a low-power status screen; Simon Says Home Assistant, a YouTube channel dedicated to Home Assistant tutorials, shows that setup in the video below.
- Developers who want to build their own plugins or host their own server.
- Not for anyone who needs color or fast-changing information such as camera feeds.
Snazzy Labs also contrasts it with family calendar displays built on tablet hardware that charge yearly subscriptions; the TRMNL is just a screen that does as much or as little as you set it up to do.
Things to know
- It is black and white; the Seeed reTerminal E1002 is a color alternative.
- Snazzy Labs advises buying for what the product does today, since a small company’s roadmap can change.
- Building custom plugins is easy for tinkerers but optional; official plugins cover calendars, weather and more.
Price
TRMNL sells the original model for $139 and the larger TRMNL X for $229 on its own store as of October 21, 2026. Snazzy Labs reviewed it at $120 and said it would not be an instant buy for everyone, but called it the first e-ink dashboard that feels like a finished product.
Video: Snazzy Labs: “This Open-Source E-Ink Screen Is My Favorite New Gadget”. Embedded with credit; the findings are the creator’s own.
Video: Simon Says Home Assistant: “Show Home Assistant Data on an eInk Display using TRMNL”. Embedded with credit; the findings are the creator’s own.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the verdict in this TRMNL review?
Snazzy Labs called it his favorite new gadget and the first e-ink dashboard that feels like a real product. Smart Home Solver recommends it for Home Assistant dashboards.
How long does the TRMNL battery last?
About three months on the standard battery and about six with the larger option, according to Snazzy Labs.
Does TRMNL work with Home Assistant?
Yes. A TRMNL app in Home Assistant snapshots a dashboard and sends it to the screen, as Smart Home Solver and Simon Says Home Assistant show.
Is TRMNL open source?
Its firmware is GPL-3, and you can run your own server, Snazzy Labs reports.
Sources
- Amazon product listings for the products linked above, checked October 21, 2026
- TRMNL store, shop.trmnl.com, checked October 21, 2026
- Snazzy Labs: “This Open-Source E-Ink Screen Is My Favorite New Gadget”
- Smart Home Solver: “15 Cool Smart Home Devices You’ll Actually Want in 2026!”
- Simon Says Home Assistant: “Show Home Assistant Data on an eInk Display using TRMNL”
Related: Best E-Ink Smart Home Dashboard | How to Build an E-Ink Home Assistant Dashboard | Home Assistant Green Review
Notes and disclosure
Note: Prices come from Amazon listings (or the maker’s own store where a product is not sold on Amazon) checked on October 21, 2026. Prices change often, so check the current listing. TRMNL devices are sold by TRMNL on its own store, not on Amazon, so their prices are the maker’s published prices. Screen, battery and refresh figures are the makers’ specs unless a reviewer is credited; Snazzy Labs reviewed an earlier TRMNL at an earlier price. Snazzy Labs said he bought his TRMNL with his own money and that the video was not sponsored; his description includes a TRMNL referral link. Smart Home Solver’s TRMNL segment appears in a roundup in which Roborock sponsored a separate portion. Test results and tips quoted above come from the YouTube creators credited in each section; they are their findings, not hands-on claims from me.
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