I'm a big fan of YouTube videos that describe cheap products you can find at discount stores like AliExpress, Temu, and Wish. My favorite is Great Scott's AliExpress Hidden Gems range, which never ceases to amaze me. I think it's time for me to try my hand at some cheap home tech finds (or misses) from AliExpress.
My basic rules for this experiment:
- Products must cost less than $15.
- Devices must be cheaper than a mainstream equivalent.
- Weird devices are more likely to be on the list.
I'm happy to report that it was an authentic experience with a mix of good products and some really bad ones. Here's how my AliExpress order fared from best to worst.
Best: Tuya Zigbee Smart USB Adapter Switch
It is the smallest plug in my smart home.
USB chargers for lighting and small appliances take up way too much space in my smart plugs, so I've always wondered if I could get a USB smart plug. I got this Tuya Zigbee Smart USB Adapter Switch – including three USB-A ports – for a mere $5.02. Tuya devices like these are hidden gems for smart home enthusiasts, even if they're not always easy to use. I'm glad connecting to my SmartThings home automation system was easy.
It's not much more than an on/off switch, but I like the fact that I don't need a bulky USB multiport charger to power the few small USB devices on my bedside table. You can't control the ports independently – and the output power is too low for charging most devices, but for trickle charging portable speakers or headphones it's a good option. Plus, it can be plugged into virtually any USB power adapter, including empty ports on my computer.
The Smart USB Adapter Switch gets an A for value and functionality. Since it is a Zigbee device, it also poses a lower cybersecurity risk than any Wi-Fi device from AliExpress and Temu.
Better: USB powered ceiling fan
A practical little ceiling fan.
Ceiling fans have always been out of reach as I live in an outdated apartment without them. This means I have to rely on a fleet of air circulation devices in my bedroom and office. But what if renters could install a ceiling fan without having to ask the property manager to install one? Enter that tiny ceiling fan I got it for $14.
I like the design of this fan, especially the 12-foot USB cable, which is long enough to reach a ceiling hook without much effort. The fan is surprisingly quiet and has three power levels. Still, it's not particularly powerful, with the highest setting producing a slight breeze from a few meters away. The speed and timer controls are easy to learn, which is great since the entire manual is written in Chinese. You can get the gist of the guide by translating the text using Google Lens, but this is largely unnecessary.
I give this product a B+ for its usefulness, albeit in niche environments where regular ceiling fans aren't practical.
Good: Tuya Zigbee water sensor
The water sensor worked fine, but I'm not sure why it came with three reset pins.
Unlike the Tuya USB Smart Switch, the Tuya Zigbee Water Sensor did not connect properly to my SmartThings system on the first try. SmartThings classified it as a generic Zigbee device – it couldn't detect when the sensor detected water. This is a prime example of how Tuya's devices don't always work well with smart home hubs.
So I rolled up my sleeves and dug into the SmartThings Edge Driver Builder, a developer tool for assigning drivers to smart home devices. After selecting my Tuya leak sensor from the list of devices in my smart home, I selected the Zigbee water leak sensor driver and configured it as a water sensor. As if by magic, the sensor started working. It responds fairly quickly and I like that it uses traditional AAA batteries.
The extra hassle may be worth the $4.59 I paid for the Tuya Zigbee Water Sensor, but I can't give it more than a C+ for someone who wants out-of-the-box smart home compatibility with SmartThings. I can't judge whether it's great for other smart home platforms, but I suspect it's even better in Home Assistant.
Worse still: smart Wi-Fi clockwork
No hands on deck.
I recently started converting most of the analog clocks in my home to tickless movements, which are less distracting than the ticking of a second hand when you're trying to fall asleep at 2 a.m. Let's try a Smart Wi-Fi movement to automatically set the time like the digital clock on my Google Nest Hub. What followed was one of my most frustrating setup experiences in years.
When delivered, the watch I purchased had no second, minute or hour hands. I spent far too long trying to fit in some leftover hands from a previous DIY project, only to find that the clock didn't work.
The included instructions, which were on a sheet of printer paper, were not helpful. They don't say that you have to remove the gray “locator pin” from the back of the clock before it will work. This pin locks the gears in place at midday and is likely to keep the watch aligned during shipping and when setting the hands, which makes sense for a Wi-Fi watch that adjusts itself. It took me two hours to get it running.
Plain text passwords are visible to everyone.
I'm even more disappointed with the WiFi connection, which isn't even remotely secure. Anyone can open the watch's WiFi connection to view your network name and password. I'm so glad I used my phone's hotspot as a temporary network. I give this product, which costs $14.01, a grade A because it works as advertised, although it takes a while, and has a major Wi-Fi vulnerability. However, it is far from the worst product.
Worst: Smart Portable Clothes Dryer
It shouldn't be so floppy.
I got the Smart Portable Clothes Dryer from Beauty-Health Store for just $12.32. I won't waste your time: this is the most dangerous product from my AliExpress order. How do I know this? It literally melted about two hours after my first drying session. The plastic in this product is not heat resistant in any way. It didn't even completely dry a single shirt, so there's no reason to buy a cheap portable clothes dryer when laundromats can handle much larger loads of laundry for a fraction of the price.
When I went online to see if other customers were experiencing this issue, I noticed that the product page was no longer available. Now that my suspicions are confirmed, I won't even delve deeper into the features of this terrible product. Instead, I'll use it as an example to illustrate why purchasing generic electronics from AliExpress, Temu, Wish, and other low-cost retailers is risky. Certain categories of technology put your security and privacy at risk. As you can imagine, this device gets a grade of F for unsafe.
Now excuse me while I address the 90-day AliExpress return policy, which is a bright spot. Hopefully it performs better than the last two products.