This Self-Timed Outlet Keeps My Flat Iron From Burning the House Down
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Editor’s note: This article first appeared on the Strategist in September 2018, and nearly two years later, it remains an example of a product that does what it’s supposed to do — exceptionally well. So we’re republishing it today as part ofIngenious Design Week.
I spent most of the early 2000s vaguely worried that I’d left the house with myflat ironon, and that I would return to the whole place having burned to the ground as a result. I did indeed leave the dumb thing on three times in those eight or so years, and my bathroom counter still has scorch marks. Yes, there are somefancy flat ironsout there with auto shut-off switches, but my belovedSalon Tech flat ironwas almost $200, so I wasn’t too keen to just replace it. I was just about to buythe beautiful Harry Josh flat ironwhen my dad (who is tighter with a dollar than any man you’ll ever meet) told me to buythis auto shut-off outletthat kicks power to the socket off after 30 minutes. I’ve never thought about my stupid hair straightener — orcurling iron— in the middle of a workday ever again.
You push a button to turn the power on, use your device as you ordinarily would, then walk away when you’re done. It’s like an egg timer for your electronic devices, and I appreciated the peace of mind so much that I bought a second one last winter to make sure the tinyspace heaterI use in the bathroom on chilly mornings doesn’t run all day long, then a third one for the lamp next to my bed that I’m always too sleepy to turn off at night. I don’t think I’ve ever been so satisfied with something that cost so little. (They’retwo for $20, too, if you want to save two dollars.)
Once, convinced I needed to upgrade to something a bit fancier-looking, I almost put money down on afancy brand-name versionof this humble device instead. But after spending two minutes skimming the Amazon reviews, the first half-dozen of which were all people posting photos of singed outlets that almost started fires in their homes, I thought better of it. My $10 outlet doesn’t do much, but it’s never allowed that.
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