Posted on 7 Comments

#27: Visit to the Sonoff factory and ITEAD

UPDATE: I’ve been asked by several people how they can get in touch with factories so they can go on tours. Please DON’T DO THIS unless you are serious about doing business with that company. Factories are not amusement parks, and the staff who work in them are busy doing their jobs. If you want to manufacture a product and you seriously want to do business with a factory, then it’s easy to arrange a tour. But don’t do it just because you want to have a look! That wastes their time.

ITEAD, makers of the super-popular Sonoff home automation devices, very generously allowed me to visit their head office, their factory, and their warehouse so that I could see how the Sonoff is made.

Come with me on a quick trip to China to learn a little about the amazing city of Shenzhen, see its enormous electronics markets, and go inside the Sonoff factory to watch them progress from a bare PCB to a finished product.

ITEAD: www.itead.cc

7 thoughts on “#27: Visit to the Sonoff factory and ITEAD

  1. Hi Jon,
    I visited Shenzen on a day trip from Hong Kong back in 1978 when it was still a fishing village. it seemed such a small quiet place, today it is incredible how it has grown to such a huge city. I would love to go back again, the markets look amazing.
    David

    1. I’m jealous! I wish that I’d seen it back before the SEZ. Also, it must have been much more difficult to get there in 1978. Today I can just go into town, get a visa issued in a few days, and fly straight in. China was a very different place in 1978.

      1. Actually it was easy, the day was a conducted tour from downtown HongKong, and all we need was our passport. They took us by train to the border, we went through the usual border checks then on to a bus for the sight seeing. We had lunch at an old hotel, with traditional style everything, it was an enjoyable day. I rather imagine all that has gone now.

        1. Did you take any photos while you were there? It would be fascinating to see pictures from the early days.

  2. Hi Jon,

    Thanks so much for sharing your trip to the ITEAD factory with us. I love these products, so cheap with so many potential uses. You mentioned in the video that ITEAD were seeking C tick approval for use of their products in Australia. Do you have any update on this? As much as I love the products its a bit of an insurance risk if not certified.

    cheers

    Kev

    1. I have the same question, I have been looking into this products for a long time but I haven’t used them because they are not electrical certified to be used in Australia. Do you know if they are planning to do that soon?

  3. Same question… C-Tick for Australia

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