What’s the Difference Between a Power Strip and a Surge Protector? Outlets. While you can get a power strip under $10, you’ll have to spend around $20 to get a decent multi-outlet surge protector. Surge protectors — which often double up as power strips — actually … But just because you use a power surge strip. Power Strip vs. Surge Protector: Comparison Chart. We analyzed the leading Power Strip Surge Protectors to help you find the best Power Strip Surge Protector to buy. A power strip just extends your outlet so you can plug more stuff into it. But that’s all a simple power strip does. A little battery charger might include a MOV of only 1 watt, whereas a surge strip will have a 20 watt MOV or several of them in parallel. Cables & Connectors. Power strips are cheap. Unlike regular strips, this strip is wider and has four regular and four transformer-spaced outlets that can accommodate oversized plugs, guaranteeing that you will be able to utilize all eight outlets. The title of this post may make it sound like there’s a competition between a surge protector and a power strip. I have lost the product info supplied with unit. Belkin 12-Outlet Power Strip Surge Protector (Image credit: TP-Link) 1. By submitting your email, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. A surge protector, however, functions like a power strip with multiple outlets while also protecting your electronics from sudden power loss due to voltage spikes. Shop now. Join 350,000 subscribers and get a daily digest of news, comics, trivia, reviews, and more. Only surge protections actually help protect your gadgets against power surges. If you use a surge protector for your home theatre system, for example, make sure it also offers protection for your cable line. They give you the time to save documents and power down your computer gracefully should you lose power. We've got you covered and only the best of the best have made it to our list. ... You should not believe anyone who tells you that stabilizer is good enough to protect your appliances from power surges. A surge protector will also protect your electronic devices from a power spike. If the surge protector is very old, there’s a chance that it no longer functions as a surge protector and needs to be replaced. Surge protector vs power strip: Pricing A GFCI protects from ground faults (such as an electrical short), whereas a surge protector protects against surges (such as a lightning strike or a power outage). Since 2011, Chris has written over 2,000 articles that have been read more than 500 million times---and that's just here at How-To Geek. Generally, you’ll want the more powerful surge protectors for your most valuable devices, or the devices that hold valuable data. Power Strip Surge Protector, Addtam 6 Outlets and 3 USB Ports 5Ft Long Extension Cord, Flat Plug Overload Surge Protection Outlet Strip, Wall Mount for Home, Office and More, ETL Listed. $20.99 $ 20. The company’s Surge Protector Power Strip with USB Ports lives up to the established reputation, providing an 11-outlet power strip with a surge protection rating of 2,880-joules. Surge protectors, on the other hand, (Image 2) have an electrical component that protects devices plugged into the power strip from an electrical surge. If you have devices that use the bulky transformer-type plugs, you may want a block outlet that swivels, so the transformer doesn’t block other outlets. If you need power strip or surge protector, chances are you’ll find one on this list to suit your needs. The protection light is staying on. While surge protectors often come in power strip shape, they don’t always. When shopping for a surge protector at a store, be sure to look for the words “surge protector” or at least “protection” or “suppression.” You’ll often see power strips and surge protectors near each other in the store, and they can look similar at a glance. A power strip may or may not have surge protection. And if you’re protecting multiple large components on a single surge protector, look for an even higher rating. To learn more, visit our home solutions page, where you’ll find information on our surge protectors and other home power protection products that bring Certainty to a Connected World. If you would like to know more about the battery options, here is the replacement battery selector that will provide guidance. I'd like to receive news and commercial info from Schneider Electric and its affiliates via electronic communication means such as email. You might want to consider replacing it based on the manufacturer recommendations to keep protecting your devices. Hope that helps. Join 350,000 subscribers and get a daily digest of news, geek trivia, and our feature articles. Can You Use Apple Fitness+ without an Apple Watch? Where you just want to add some extra outlets and give your gadgets some added protection, the AmazonBasics 8-Outlet Power Strip Surge Protector can get the job done for less than $20. Chris Hoffman is Editor in Chief of How-To Geek. Required fields are marked *. Belkin 12-Outlet Power Strip Surge Protector (Image credit: TP-Link) 1. The price of a surge protector is generally more than that of a power strip. They can damage or destroy electronic devices that are left unprotected. A surge protector, however, functions like a power strip with multiple outlets while also protecting your electronics from sudden power loss due to voltage spikes. Surge Protectors & Power Strips. I have a surge protector that is getting power. Surge protectors, on the other hand, (Image 2) have an electrical component that protects devices plugged into the power strip from an electrical surge. Eve's Energy Strip is hands-down, the best looking smart surge protector around, with its gorgeous aluminum frame and minimal design. But is that really enough protection for your home electronics and appliances? If you don’t see a “protected” light or anything related to protection or suppression printed anywhere on the device, you’re holding a simple power strip and not a surge protector. Household Electricity A typical US household voltage is 120/240 V , 60 hz, single phase. Offers voice control, scheduling and decent surge protection. They can save you money by protecting data against corruption or loss, and reducing the need to repair or replace damaged electronics. The Power Strip. The more the surge protector absorbs the irregular power, the less it will last. They come in various models, offering an additional four, six or more outlets in a single strip. Units designed with user serviceable batteries will have a battery access door. TP-Link Kasa Smart Power Strip. As time goes on, you understand that they are not the same, even though they seem to act in the same direction. It's not all about the looks, though, as this strip includes three smart outlets that can be controlled individually through Apple's Home app via HomeKit, or via Siri.. Your Electronic Devices Are More Vulnerable Than You Thought... Record Heat Brings Power Problems: UPSs and Surge Protectors... Consumer Electronics Show to Feature Smart Home Technology... Power Strips vs. Surge Protectors: What You Need to Know to Stay Protected. Surge strips Typically, power strips are cheap, multi-outlet products that are merely an expansion of a wall outlet. Computer Cables. The fact is, you might want to consider a whole house surge protector. Summary of Power Strip vs Surge Protector. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below. The fact is, you might want to consider a whole house surge protector. With all the electronic devices we use in our homes and offices, we often don’t have enough electrical outlets to plug them all into. Not every device in your house needs to be plugged into a surge protector, just the expensive devices. Connecting a device to a power strip is just like connecting it to a wall outlet, at least in terms of safety. Both power strip and surge protector are plugs into the wall in order to add additional plugin outlets. Tripp Lite 8-Outlet Surge Protector. Power strip allows you to plug two or more gadgets at the same time. A: the difference between * a surge protector and * a surge suppressor is that * a surge suppressor is only reducing voltage of surge, e.g. Some surge protectors also have USB ports, so you can safely charge phones and tablets. When you’re looking at ratings, a surge protector rated at 1000-2000 Joules is typically good enough for smaller electronics—networking gear, smartphones, printers, and so on. TP-Link Kasa Smart Power Strip. Which of your surge protectors CUTS OFF power when the surge protector gets maxed out? All Rights Reserved. Back-UPS ES %00 Surge Protection. And if you’re looking for even more protection for your desktop or laptop computer, you might want to consider an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) instead. Power Strip Surge Protector, Addtam 6 Outlets and 3 USB Ports 5Ft Long Extension Cord, Flat Plug Overload Surge Protection Outlet Strip, Wall Mount for Home, Office and More, ETL Listed. A surge protector functions like a power strip; it gives the user the ability to plug in multiple electronic devices, but it also serves another very important function. Maximum Amperage. Your email address will not be published. If you have a bunch of power strips lying around and you’re not sure whether they’re surge protectors or not, you can tell with a quick examination. 15. For example, you might pay $20 for a surge protector, while a similar-looking power strip costs only $10. FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon. Of course, only whole-home surge protectors—not power strip surge protectors—will protect your appliances from large voltage spikes from nearby lightning strikes. A whole-house surge protector routes any voltage surge into the ground, safely away from the household electrical system. The best power strip for travel in North America is the inexpensive Accell Home or Away Surge Protector (aka Tripp Lite Protect It 3-Outlet Surge Protector… Agile: These handy protectors are an ideal way to protect small electronics from a power surge. We've got you covered and only the best of the best have made it to our list. 99 $22.99 $22.99. Power Station -Power and protect 3 electronics at once with the Philips 3 Outlet Power Strip Surge Protector Designer Cord -Power your devices with the stylish, tangle-resistant 8 Ft power cord Flat Plug -The space saving design of the flat plug is discreet, while also leaving you … Our surge protectors feature voltage sensing to detect & respond to your device's power needs while safety features ensure constant protection. Another handy feature is having master and control ports on the surge protector. It’s estimated that 25 million lightning strikes occur every year in the U.S., resulting in some 213,000 lightning-related insurance claims. https://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/tools/replacement-battery-selector, Normal operation of household appliances, such as when an air conditioner or refrigerator kicks on, Man-made issues, such as a car striking a utility pole, Weather-related events, including hurricanes and blizzards that damage power lines. Voltage Stabilizers and Surge Protectors are commonly used devices that help regulate and control voltage supply to the electric appliances. It protects your appliances by: The controlled on light comes on when I turn the power switch on but then there is a click and it goes off within 1-2 seconds. Power strips and surge protectors, also called surge suppressors, are different. Some surge protectors also have safety shutters to cover outlets that aren’t being used, to protect them from small children, for example. Privacy Policy I’ll try. Most power strip surge protectors provide the minimum level of protection for everyday household items. APC P11GTV SurgeArrest . How-To Geek is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology. See more categories. 99 $22.99 $22.99. https://www.apc.com/shop/us/en/tools/replacement-battery-selector. Whether to buy the $20 surge protector or the $10 2-pack power strip really depends where you’re using it. Most power strip surge protectors provide the minimum level of protection for everyday household items. While common power strips and surge protectors look similar, not all power strips are surge protectors. Power strips allow you to plug more than one device into a single wall outlet. Specifications. Connecting a device to a surge protector provides more protection than simply connecting it to a wall outlet. Offers voice control, scheduling and decent surge protection. “It’s one or the other!” We want to be clear right at the start that we encourage homeowners to have both. RELATED: Protect Your Gadgets: Why You Need a Surge Protector. If it’s a surge protector, then it will have it’s own circuitry to catch power spikes and cut off the electricity to the strip before it harms any equipment plugged into it. Belkin 12-Outlet Power Strip Surge Protector (Image credit: TP-Link) 1. How to Get Birthday Reminders From Google Assistant, How to Insert a Word File into a Different Word Document. And lightning can strike within 10 miles of any one of those storms. Keeping this in mind, let’s look at factors to consider when purchasing a power strip or a surge protector, the power strip’s more talented cousin. But if you don’t choose one that also offers surge protection, you could be putting your devices at risk. For most home offices, a power strip that has multiple outlets can accommodate all the devices. Find the Top Power Strip With Surge Protectors with the MSN Buying Guides >> Compare Products and Brands by Quality, Popularity and Pricing >> Updated 2021 Extension Cords. Many power strips are just glorified extension cords without any protection. If the buzz is a constant beeping with green LED flashing, in the most of the cases, that should be low battery warning. The majority of units do have user replaceable batteries, however there is a relatively small number of UPS units which do not. Summary of Power Strip vs Surge Protector. Many people see a power strip as surge power. I have a older APC Battery Back-up plus surge Protection. Power strips are generic and fulfill a very simple function. Editors' Choice. As long as you know to look for surge protection, the product packaging (or web product listing) makes it easy to avoid plain power strips and find a surge protector. For example, the Belkin surge protector we linked above boasts a 3,940-joule energy rating. Meanwhile, if you have any product request, feel free to reach out to us via 1-800-890-4272 for voice, Chat (https://www.apc.com/us/en/tools/chat/) or through our technical Forum(https://forums.apc.com/). Best surge protector: Reviews and buying advice Far better than ordinary power strips, these products will protect your expensive electronics from dangerous power spikes. A surge protector, on the other hand, is a power strip that also protects the devices plugged into it from short bursts of power – surges – that are higher in voltage than the devices can handle. This is particularly helpful with lightning strikes or surges from a power company issue. Chris has written for The New York Times, been interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations like Miami's NBC 6, and had his work covered by news outlets like the BBC. Doesn't mean you are protected unless your … Thanks for your question. If you see anything that refers to “protection” or “suppression” on it, the device you have in your hands is a surge protector. Watts. Buying a surge protector rather than a simple power strip is a small investment that can pay big dividends by protecting your electronic devices. I would recommend you changing the battery. Tripp Lite may not be a household name, but they’ve been making quality power devices for decades. Here is our list and detailed buying guide for you. But, surge protectors also have electronics built in that help prevent power surges from damaging connected devices. This tells you that the surge protector is functional and doesn’t need to be replaced. I opened the compartment but the plug /cord connected to the battery does appear to be removable. Power strip allows you to plug two or more gadgets at the same time. They come in various models, offering an additional four, six or more outlets in a single strip. Surge … But is that really enough protection for your home electronics and appliances? A surge protector, on the other hand, is a power strip that also protects the devices plugged into it from short bursts of power – surges – that are higher in voltage than the devices can handle. The power strips will be cheaper, but read the fine print: Anything that just says “power strip” isn’t a surge protector. The difference between a power strip and a surge protector is that a power strip adds extra outlet space while a surge protector defends against possible voltage spikes that could damage your electronics, appliances, or equipment. Your strip will be grounded regardless which slot you use. Surge protectors are a bit more expensive. That’s the purpose of the light on new surge protectors, of course. If you see a light that doesn’t turn on when the surge protector is connected to an outlet, the surge protector has worn down and it just functions as a power strip with no surge protection. https://blog.apc.com/2018/08/10/power-strips-surge-protectors They protect you in the event a device protected by a surge protector suffers damage from a power surge. Not the same, even offer warranties and equipment protection policies handy protectors are commonly used devices help. A typical US household voltage is 120/240 V, 60 hz, single phase on the surge protector surge! 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