Vent: My $80 smart plug almost started a fire in my kitchen

I bought a no-name smart plug from an online deal site to control a coffee maker. It worked fine for about two weeks. Then I smelled burning plastic and found the plug itself was hot to the touch and had started to melt the outlet. The app still said everything was okay. Has anyone else had a close call with cheap smart home stuff? What brands are actually safe?

3 comments

3 Comments

alice33624d ago

Yeah, that's terrifying. Stick to UL-listed brands like Kasa or Wyze, the cheap stuff isn't worth the risk.

ross.felix23d ago

Wait, has anyone actually had a cheap smart plug catch fire or is this mostly just fear? @alice336 I get the safety thing but some of those off-brand ones have been fine for years. Feels like we get told to avoid anything cheap just to buy the expensive stuff.

ryanh5618d ago

Terrifying" feels a bit strong, alice336, my no-name plugs have been fine for ages.