Install This Gadget to Never Leave Your Curling Iron On Again

This story is part of Home Tips, CNET’s collection of practical advice for getting the most out of your home, inside and out.

You know the feeling: You’re already in the car heading out, when you’re suddenly gripped with fear that you forgot to turn off your curling iron or hair straightener, and have to turn around to go check. 

If you’re worried that one of these days you’ll burn the house down with your hair appliances, there’s a simple fix. All you need to do is install a smart plug. 

Smart plugs are exactly what they sound like. You plug it into a wall socket and then anything you plug into the smart plug can be remotely controlled by an app on your phone. 

So, instead of sitting at work worried that you’re going to get a call from the fire department, you can just go to the app and turn off everything that’s plugged into the smart plug. It’s a quick and easy approach that takes zero technical skills.

Many smart plugs can also be controlled by your smart home assistant, like Google Home and Amazon Alexa. So another benefit is you can easily heat up your hair tool while you’re getting ready with just a command, as long as it’s plugged into your smart plug.

Read more: Here’s our Smart Switch Buying Guide to help you choose the right smart plug for your home.