The cube-shaped Belkin SRA006p3tt5 is similar to the Anker, in that it's a small protector at the end of a long cord. Its most interesting design feature is a lipped top surface where you can lean your phone while it's charging. The wall-mounted Belkin BSV300ttCW has three outlets and two USBs, all on the front. The Accell is a little smaller, but this is a good runner-up. The plug swivels so you can orient it multiple ways. It has three outlets on the front and two USBs on the top. The Belkin BST300bg is a decent travel alternative to the Accell. It has six wide-spaced outlets, a claimed 3,940 joules of protection and a connected equipment warranty. The Belkin BE112230 shares the flat design of the switched Belkin F7C01008q, just without the switch. For something similar but smaller, check out the Belkin BSV300ttCW mentioned below. However, the APC has a connected device warranty ($50,000), while the Amazon doesn't. The Amazon S9P658O300A00 can fit more plugs for a somewhat-similar footprint. ![]() Depending on what you're plugging into it, they might bunch up or not fit against the wall. The APC P6WU2 is a chunky wall-mount design with six side-mounted outlets and two USBs on the front. Read More: 10 Shocking Facts About Power Strips Our top picks were the ones that had the best combination of features, specs, and felt the most practical in normal use. Others were larger or smaller than they seemed in pictures, which in some cases was a good thing or in the case of the travel surge protectors, not so much. Some had features that seemed useful, but weren't. Specs can tell you a lot, but very quickly I found some of these to be better than others. With all of this in mind, I compiled a list of nearly 50 surge protectors and then chose the top 16 to test out. Insurance like this is hard to collect on, as some companies will only replace connected gear "at their option." Having this sort of guarantee does give you some peace of mind, however, more than you have without it, and perhaps it will cover you in a way your homeowner's or renter's insurance doesn't. Are you likely to get your money back if your gear gets zapped? Hard to say. Nearly all of my picks have this kind of warranty, often in the range of hundreds of thousands of dollars. I also gave preference to products that come with a guarantee in case your gear gets destroyed by a power surge. It'd be great to have a minimum or recommended joule rating, but such a thing doesn't exist for these kinds of products. Secondly, a joule rating was required, and all my picks had joule ratings comparable to or higher than their competitors. So I physically checked each power strip to see if its outlets were sufficiently spaced to fit multiple warts. These bulky connectors usually take up two or more spaces on normal outlets and power strips. Firstly, one of the most important things was having enough outlets to fit the wall wart power adapters that come with most products. When I tested these surge protectors there were three things I looked for: well-spaced sockets, a high joule rating (preferably 1,000 or more), and whether it came with a "connected device" warranty. For more about how they work, check out these 10 shocking facts about power strips. ![]() ![]() Most manufacturers recommend replacing a surge protector every few years. These devices do wear down over time, and while there's no easy way to tell how much the protection is reduced, some strips do offer a dedicated "protected" LED. All surge protectors will have one, and it's essentially how much of a power surge it can protect against. One of the easiest ways to tell if the product you're considering is a basic strip or an actual surge protector is by checking if it has a joule rating. A surge protector adds in circuitry, which is designed to prevent damaging power spikes from making their way to your TV, soundbar or really anything that's plugged in. A power strip is essentially just a wired, multioutlet extension of a power outlet. Though the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a big difference between power strips and surge protectors. They can, as the name suggests, protect electronics from the power surges that can slowly wear down the delicate hardware inside all modern electronics. OK, maybe it's not that bad in your own house, but even beyond the convenience of extra plugs, the best surge protectors can actually prolong the life of your gear. So why do you need surge protection anyway? We've all got lots of electronics we want to plug in, with power strips upon power strips branching out like stubby snakes from every outlet.
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