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Innovative Outlet-Based USB Socket Add-On is a Crowdfunding Smash

By making the SnapPower Charger easy to install, the inventor has drawn massive interest

By Rain Noe - April 6, 2015

in Crowdfunding | Consumer Electronics

When someone's asking for 35 grand on Kickstarter but clocks half a million dollars less than a week after launching, they have our attention.

Electrician-turned-entrepreneur Jeremy Smith has clearly identified a need that people have—charging items via USB—and figured out how to make it both easy and convenient for them. His UL-certified SnapPower Charger takes the form of a simple outlet cover plate, with the addition of a hump on the bottom that houses a USB port. Having this third port is better than existing outlet-based solutions, which require you to cannibalize one of the sockets to provide USB. But here's the really clever bit: It installs without the need to re-wire anything.

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Smith has designed two conductive prongs inside the cover that, once installed, contact the juice-conducting screws on either side of the outlet. This draws just one amp of power, enough to charge your average cell phone, camera and the like.

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Thirstier devices like iPads and Galaxy S5s, which want 2.1 amps, will take longer to juice up. And another potential hiccup is that the SnapPower Charger is not compatible with GFCI outlets.

Smith also points out that the side-mounted USB port allows one to place furniture right up against it in space-tight apartments. However, doing that then obscures the two actual power outlets.

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These issues aside, backers have clearly voted with their dollars. Since launching roughly a week ago, the campaign has netted $556,996 at press time, and there are still 39 freaking days to go.

Here's the pitch video:

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PD design

9 years ago

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www.pdesigning.com
"It installs without the need to re-wire anything."-this is one of the highlights of this design.

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Tom McClaughry

9 years ago

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As an electrician he should know that best practice for most installations includes wrapping the outside of the outlet with electrical tape to prevent undue contact with those terminal screws. Not required by code but I haven't met a sparky yet that doesn't tape outlets/switches.
Interesting idea though. I give him props for thinking outside of the box.
Most people can install an outlet but many can't - as a rental property owner I would rather someone use this as opposed to attempt to install any outlets in my property themselves.

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Stephen Williams

9 years ago

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Also at Home Depot, $1.89 triple-tap.

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Lloyd Alter

9 years ago

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This is totally dumb, you can buy it at home depot now for 26 bucks and it does not take brains to install a duplex outlet.

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