Scare Hostel Predators With Deafening Door Alarm

by Michelle Schusterman Dec 2, 2010
This pretty little doorstop emits a painfully high siren if someone attempts to open your door.

I play with gadgets as soon as I get them out of the box, throwing the instructions aside and opting for the “I can figure this out, dagummit” approach. As you can imagine, this nearly always goes well. In the case of Ila’s WEDGE security alarm, I damn near busted an ear drum.

I stood in my kitchen, ears still ringing, my previously napping dog at my side with her fur standing on end. Setting the WEDGE down, I pulled the instructions out of the discarded packaging.

CAUTION: At very close range, the alarm may cause ear damage.

Good to know.

The WEDGE has an on-off switch on the bottom. Once it’s on, the slightest bit of pressure will set the 130 decibel siren off – for ten minutes, unless you flip the switch off again. It’s so sensitive that I accidentally set it off again just sliding it under the door.

That’s a good thing, of course – I would feel pretty safe in any room with this baby standing guard. The rubbery bottom of the WEDGE makes it tough to open the door, and with that shrieking siren going off, I’d bet many intruders wouldn’t bother trying. In the “off” position, the WEDGE makes a nice door stop.

The battery is replaceable and is said to last three years (unless you play with it a lot). And at 67 grams, this thing is super-light and won’t add any extra weight to your backpack. Order one for £14.50 at Traveller’s Essentials or $19.95 at The Handpicked Gift Store.

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