It’s a dark and stormy night. Rain clatters against the window panes. Thunder rumbles outside. You respond with a soft blanket and a good movie POW! Disaster, in the form of lightning strikes.
And finally, how much power do I need in a UPS surge protector? I'll be connecting my Mac Pro, two external drives, two 30' Cinema Displays, a Time Capsule, my speakers, and an SxS USB reader, all attached to my computer by USB or Firewire.
With a pop, all of your power goes out. Smoke issues from behind your entertainment center. Fire follows swiftly. As you flee your burning home, you think “If only I’d had a surge protector” Best Surge Protector While having extra outlets provided by power strips is excellent, there is nothing like the safety offered by a surge protector. Surge protectors, for those who don’t know, are devices that attempt to limit the voltage that comes through a power source. The best surge protectors are designed to protect against voltage spikes and electrical surges that can damage home electronics or sometimes cause fires. Surge protectors are easy, relatively inexpensive insurance for your home and devices.
It only seems logical that investing in one of these handy tools is a better idea than living unprotected and having to replace a TV, sound system, or (heaven forbid!) a new home. As is true with all industrial products, not all surge protectors are created equal. Fortunately, we’ve made a list to help you out.
Kensington is another first on this list, and they make a good first impression. The Kensington Guardian 6 Outlet Surge Protector is an excellent surge protector for home use.
This unit offers a 540 Joule surge protection rating, which (albeit low) has proved its usefulness to buyers again and again. Should the device experience issues, this company offers a limited lifetime product warranty. While we don’t believe this covers damages due to a surge, it seems to be for function issues with the device itself. That said, no one buys a product for its liability protection, so let’s look at some more positive features. The main selling point of the Kensington Guardian surge protector is its incredibly long power cord. The 6-Outlet model of the Kensington Guardian comes with the option of a 4 foot, or 12-foot power cord that will have no issues reaching any wall outlet in your home.
It is by far the longest cord featured on this list. Now, potential buyers should be aware that selecting a different number of outlets (options include 6, 7, or 8 outlets) will change the possibilities of the power cord length; so if you want the 12-foot cord, better go with the 6-Outlet model. This surge protector comes out to about $22.
Some customers objected to the outlet placement on the device, and others said it was difficult to mount on the wall. Those mild issues aside, this is an excellent device for ensuring the safety of your electronics. BELKIN BE112230-08 12-OUTLET SURGE PROTECTOR.
In the surge protector business, Belkin is a brand name that comes up a lot. Their BE112230-08 model is no exception to their high-quality production standards. This power strip is rated to have a clamping voltage of 3940 joules in its lifetime. That is a pretty high number as surge protectors go. There are different options for the number of outlets available in this model. We’re reviewing the 12-outlet version for this list. With the 12-outlet version, the cord length can be ordered at either 8-ft.
Or 10-ft. This model is recommended for protecting heavy-duty and professional equipment as well as conventional devices in the home. This surge protector is designed with six regular outlets, and six outlets for larger/oversized plugs. This allows you to plug in devices with larger plugs, without covering up any of your other outlets. The device has two indicator lights; one light indicates whether or not the device is grounded, and the other indicates whether or not the protection feature is still functioning. This way, if your device ever goes out, you’ll know it before it’s too late. It should be noted that many users have complained of a bad insurance policy from Belkin; should the device fail, their supposed insurance plan has far too many loopholes for customers actually to expect compensation. That said, far more users advocate the reliability of protection from this Amazon bestseller.
It’s 4.6 rating out of thousands of reviews secures it safely on our list. The Tripp Lite company is a new name to our list, but it is one that came recommended in numerous reviews for OTHER products that’s a pretty good sign. The Tripp Lite Transformer Protector offers seven surge-protected outlets for users’ devices.
Six of the outlets are normally positioned, while the last one on the end is designed to fit bulkier plugs. This model of surge protector brings to the table a 1080 Joule protection rating. Confirmed to work for devices like personal computers and other important electronics, this is a great product to have at home or in an office area. The Tripp Lite Transformer Protector costs only about $11 and seems to be a very good product for the price. With a 4.6 / 5 star rating on Amazon, it would seem that the vast majority of buyers were quite satisfied with their product. That said, some reviewers wanted to raise the following objections: The warranty (as always) proves mostly ineffective in cases of product failure, the design can be a bit cumbersome when trying to mount the surge protector on the wall, and the four-foot cord proved to be too short for some people’s’ liking.
Those objections aside, this product seems to be an excellent choice for anyone looking for an inexpensive way to protect their home or office equipment. POWERADD 5-OUTLET PROTECTOR.
Poweradd bursts onto the scene with a cool new surge protector that will blow your mind, but not your electronics. The Poweradd 5-Outlet Protector comes with a 525 Joule protection rating, ensuring that your devices will be unharmed by smaller surges your home may experience. It also offers 2 USB charging ports, allowing you to charge phones, gaming devices, or other small devices that would normally require an adapter. One port can charge Apple products and tablets, while the other port can charge other smart-phones and devices. Plus, this surge protector comes with a six-foot power cord, which is very convenient.
Relatedpost The Poweradd 5-Outlet protector is about $18. While it is not the most expensive product on our list, it is a little bit pricey for only offering a 525 Joules rating. Furthermore, some users found that the USB ports did not seem to provide a lot of power, meaning longer than expected charging times for their devices. That said, Poweradd’s customer service seems to be very active in responding to complaints and criticisms that users have with their products. The company appears quite willing to fix any issues that they can, even offering some customers replacements for defective products. All in all, this is a solid product. Belkin is back, with their second product on this list.
The six outlet SurgeMaster is a great choice for someone looking for a small scale surge protector. As its title suggests, this device offers six outlets.
Offering a huge 1240 Joule protection rating (which is quite a lot for such a small surge protector), the Belkin SurgeMaster works to protect users’ household electronics. The manufacturer states that this surge protector can withstand power surges up to 72,000 Amps / 1,240 Joules.
The device has two LED indicator lights; one light indicates grounding, while the other light indicates that the surge protector is functioning properly. A unique feature of Belkin’s SurgeMaster is its “solid state protection.” It has ports which allow users to plug in a phone, fax, and/or modem lines, offering protection to these devices as well. This surge protector is only $10, making it one of the less expensive products on this list. Some important notes, however: As previously stated, the high-dollar warranty offered with this product should probably just be disregarded, as very few cases work out. Others found that the appearance, while nicely compact, was not particularly flattering to the wall outlets. That said, if you can stomach the minor cosmetic concern, this is an excellent product and well worth considering.
AMAZONBASICS 6-OUTLET SURGE PROTECTOR. Amazon knows their stuff, and they set out to prove it when they began marketing this product. Providing users with a 200 Joule protection rating, this surge protector is an excellent choice for smaller home electronics, such as lights, phones, and even small appliances.
The surge protector comes with a red indicator light that shines when your devices are being protected. After a surge, the light will go out, indicating that the device needs to be reset or replaced. With this feature, users can be sure they understand the level of security currently working for their electronics. With six individual outlets, this product allows for a lot of easy use for whole-house surge protection. But wait, there’s more!
This product comes in a pack of two; that means twelve individual outlets, and double the security for your personal devices. Buyers can choose to order their surge protectors in either black or white, a convenience not offered with most other surge protectors on this list. All of these great features are available for about $15, which is an incredible price considering all that is being offered. Previous buyers have expressed, however, that there is a slight buzzing noise which some of them found annoying; others wished the power cord was longer, and some thought that the closeness of the outlets made it hard to use larger plugs.
So if you can live with these more minor issues, you want to look into this product. HOLSEM 12 OUTLETS SURGE PROTECTOR POWER STRIP W/ 3 USB CHARGING PORTS. While this is the first and only time the Holsem brand appears on this list, they certainly make an appearance. Their 12 outlet surge protector is a phenomenal product with a lot of great features. First, it boasts a 4000 Joule protection rating, which is huge compared to other devices on this list!
It has 12 regular outlets, so you’ll never have to worry about not having enough outlets for your technology equipment. This great surge protector also comes with three USB charging stations; two of these are “smart USB ports,” which detect the design of your device and supply energy for the fastest possible charging speed.
But it gets better This surge protector features a 6 foot long, UL certified power cord, ensuring good length and reliability. The device comes with four keyhole mounting slots, for easy wall mounting. It is made of a flame retardant material, so even in the event of protection failure, the device itself will not be a fire hazard. Finally, it features an LED light setup, to ensure that users know when their devices are being protected.
Now, as impressive as this surge protector is, it does come with some drawbacks. This is probably the most expensive home surge protector on our list, ringing up at around $66 when the product is not on sale. Some reviewers also complained about the devices power switch sometimes being difficult to use.
Those things considered, this is still a very nice product, definitely worth consideration. APC 6-OUTLET WALL SURGE PROTECTOR. APC is our final new brand to add to our list, and they bring a pretty good product to the table. Their 6-Outlet Wall Surge Protector is a great choice for anyone looking to make an inexpensive investment in protecting their home electronics. Ringing up at only $9.25 on Amazon, this product is a great choice for someone on a budget.
Despite its low price, this surge suppressor still offers high-quality service. With a 1080 Joule Protection rating, you can feel confident that your devices will be kept safe in the event of a power surge. But keep reading, it gets better. This APC surge protector is very compact. Its compact design makes it visually and physically unobtrusive, while still being fully functional as a 6-outlet surge protector. Now, there are other options for the design of this surge protector, with some models offering USB, Phone, and/or timer options.
That said, each of these models is more expensive than the AC only model we’re currently considering. APC offers outstanding customer service, responding to all Amazon product reviews where problems with the product had occurred. Note that some users objected to the orientation of the outlets, so keep that in mind when considering this product. Other than that, this seems to be an excellent product and is worth a look. Amazon is back on the scene with this awesome little surge protector. A perfect tool to be used at home or on the road, the AmazonBasics 3-Outlet Surge protector is a compact device sure to leave customers satisfied.
Offering a 900 Joule protection rating, this surge protector will defend your electronics reliably. This fine product also features two USB charging ports, allowing you to charge your mobile devices. Between that feature and its compact 3.3 x 3.3 x 1.8-inch body size, this is a portable surge protector, perfect for anyone staying in a hotel or travel trailer. But, as always, the fun doesn’t stop here.
Because of its size and build, the AmazonBasics 3-Outlet surge protector does not cover the other outlet coming out of the wall; so if you wanted, you could get another surge protector and maximize the utility of the one wall socket. This surge protector is only priced at $9.99, so it is a very cost-effective method of protecting your electronic devices. It should be noted that, even though it is small, this is a pretty heavy surge protector, and some users found that it sometimes tended to pull from the wall due to its weight. But with that in consideration, this is still a great product and is worth checking out. BELKIN 3-OUTLET SURGEPLUS PROTECTOR. Belkin is back, with their third item to appear on our list.
The Belkin 3-Outlet SurgePlus Protector is a great little product, giving a lot of bang for the buyer’s buck. This item is particularly good for travel scenarios. It is tiny, at only 7.2 inches long, and weighing only 2 pounds. This surge protector has three outlets, and 2 USB charging ports. What more do you need when staying overnight in a hotel? The plugin rests on a 360-degree swivel, allowing you to plug the surge protector in at whatever angle you need. Now, this convenient little product comes with a 918 Joule Protection rating, which is great for a device this small.
The Belkin SurgePlus prices in at about $17.5, which is pretty good for all of the perks this surge protector offers. It even comes with a little light to tell you that its surge suppression system is working. That said, this nifty device isn’t without its flaws.
It still has that same old warranty that no one can use (seriously, why would anyone want a guarantee they can’t use?), and it offers lower-level surge protection than many other Belkin products. But those things aside, this is a fantastic little surge protector that would prove extremely helpful at home or on the go.
Click to expand.There is a difference between a 'surge protector' and an 'uninterruptible power supply (UPS)'. It's like comparing a bicycle and a motorcycle. Both get you places, but one is far more complicated and offers other features. A surge protector is basically an inline fuse that fails at a specified level, to protect the electronics that connect to it.
Fuses work very well. If all you care about is not having equipment fried by lightning striking your home, a $6 surge protector will do that. A UPS has a surge protector, but also a sizable internal battery. The sizable battery is if in the event the power goes out, powered equipment stays powered. They cost much more because they are much more complicated than a simple fuse. This is not about just protecting against a direct lightning strike against your home, it's about protecting against data loss by not having the computer lose power unexpectedly. For a UPS, something like this is just fine and dandy for iMacs: For my loaded 27' iMac with a 27' Cinema Display attached, I expect to get 12 minutes of runtime while fully loading the system (i.e.
Playing Crysis 2), and closer to 20 under normal conditions, which is more than enough time to shut the system down (the recommendation is usually 5 minutes). For just a surge protector, a $6 one will work just fine. There is a difference between a 'surge protector' and an 'uninterruptible power supply (UPS)'. It's like comparing a bicycle and a motorcycle. Both get you places, but one is far more complicated and offers other features. A surge protector is basically an inline fuse that fails at a specified level, to protect the electronics that connect to it.
Fuses work very well. If all you care about is not having equipment fried by lightning striking your home, a $6 surge protector will do that. A UPS has a surge protector, but also a sizable internal battery. The sizable battery is if in the event the power goes out, powered equipment stays powered. They cost much more because they are much more complicated than a simple fuse.
This is not about just protecting against a direct lightning strike against your home, it's about protecting against data loss by not having the computer lose power unexpectedly.