In our research, we found the best surge protector to be the Belkin 12-Outlet Power Strip Surge Protector. Ideal for use in spaces where a large number of devices are being used, such as a home theatre, the Belkin provides 12-outlets. The Belkin Power Strip also adapts well to offices thanks to its bonus connections for coax cables and telephone lines. Want a bit more information or looking for something a bit different? If you need a theater system for your surge protector, then visit our best home theater systems guide.
To find the best surge protector that will protect your devices, we began by examining the critical factors, including each protector’s energy rating, connection types, design, and included warranty. Combined, these factors come together to create surge protectors for different kinds of scenarios. If you’re looking to protect your computer equipment against power surges, you will want to select a surge protector that offers a high energy rating, AC outlets, and maybe even a few USB ports for mobile devices. But, don’t worry, we’ve already done the research and have an excellent option for every scenario from simple home appliances to large entertainment systems. Continue reading to find the best surge protector for you.
Top 6 Best Surge Protectors
#1 Belkin 12-Outlet Power Strip Surge Protector
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Award: TOP PICK
WHY WE LIKE IT: Twelve AC outlets, along with coax cable and telephone line support, help to protect your entire home office or home theatre; while the 3,940-joule rating means your devices will remain well-protected.
- Protects 12 AC outlets
- Coax & telephone support
- Integrated cable organizer
- No built-in USB ports
Belkin’s 12-Outlet Power Strip Surge Protector makes an excellent choice for wherever you have electronic devices in your home or office. Featuring twelve AC outlets, the Belkin can comfortably handle an entire home entertainment system or computer setup. The included coax and telephone line connections make the Belkin an excellent choice to protect your modem or router from unexpected line surges. With a rating of 3,940-joules, the Belkin delivers impressive protection, allowing you to use your gadgets without worry.
Related: Check out our best RCA cables.
We also like that Belkin included a built-in cable organizer to ensure that the back of your entertainment center or underside of your desk doesn’t end up looking like a pile of spaghetti. We do applaud the included wall mounts and believe this Belkin to be the best wall mount surge protector. The one bit that we do wish Belkin had included was a few USB ports; with many devices using USB ports to charge, such as tablets and smartphones, it’s a common feature we would have expected here.
#2 APC Surge Protector Power Strip with USB Ports
Award: HONORABLE MENTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: APC delivers a reliable surge protector with built-in USB ports for fast charging of mobile devices, all backed by an outstanding Lifetime warranty and $250,000 connected equipment protection policy.
- Supports up to 11 devices
- Includes lifetime warranty
- Equipment protection policy
- Tight AC power outlets
APC is a company that needs little introduction when it comes to creating products that protect your gear from electrical issues. 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. Additionally, two USB ports deliver a fast and protected charging experience for your mobile devices. We also like the integrated flay laying power cord that can swivel up to 90-degrees to save space.
What truly impresses us with the APC surge protector is its included warranty. APC offers a lifetime warranty for its products as well as providing a $250,000 connected equipment protection policy — you know your electronics are in good hands now. The one thing we weren’t fans of are the tight outlet plugs; you can still plug everything in, but it may take a bit more force than you are used to exerting. On the positive side, your electronics won’t become unplugged accidentally, plus it is available on Amazon. If you’re looking to plug in new speakers, check out the best aux cable too.
#3 Bototek Power Strip & Surge Protector
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Award: BEST FOR SMARTPHONES
WHY WE LIKE IT: Have a ton of USB devices that need protecting? Bototek comes to the rescue with its Power Strip surge protector, able to charge and protect up to four USB devices at fast speeds, perfect for smartphones and tablets.
- Four USB charging ports
- Includes lifetime technical support
- Heat resistant design
- No USB QuickCharge ability
With many of our electronic devices featuring USB ports, you may be on the hunt for a surge protector that can offer you as many USB connectors as possible, and we’ve found the best surge protector with USB. The Bototek Power Strip with USB Ports & Surge Protection provides four USB charging ports for getting your smartphones and tablets juiced up without worry. The integrated smartIQ system even makes sure that your devices are receiving an optimum, high-speed charge. On top of its USB port abilities, the Bototek packs 10 AC outlets and sports a protection rating of up to 2,100 joules.
Bototek has even made sure that its power strip stays safe in a potentially dangerous situation, making it flame retardant and heat resistant up to 1,382-degrees Fahrenheit. If that isn’t good enough, the company throws in a two-year warranty and lifetime technical support. With a unit so focused on USB charging, we would have loved to see Qualcomm’s QuickCharge technology here for even faster-charging speeds, but the 10-watt power delivery is still sufficient.
#4 HOLSEM 12 Outlets Surge Protector Power Strip
Award: BEST PROTECTION
WHY WE LIKE IT: HOLSEM goes the extra mile to protect your electronic devices with an outstanding power rating of up to 4000-joules. Add in the device’s overload protection and heavy-duty power cord and you’ve got top-tier protection.
- Outstanding 4,000-joules of protection
- Integrated overload protection
- Heavy-duty six-foot long power cord
- Not for high-demand appliances
If you’re looking for a protector that stands up to some of the worst surges, then the HOLSEM 12 Outlets Surge Protector Power Strip should be on your mind. Offering the best protection out of any surge protector in our guide, the HOLSEM is rated to protect up to 4000-joules, more than most people will ever need. The intelligent circuitry also protects against potential overloads, so it will trip automatically if too much electricity is being drawn. HOLSEM also includes a six-foot 14AWG heavy-duty power cord, so you need not worry about keeping your home or office safe.
The HOLSEM surge protector offers an excellent outlet selection of twelve sockets — six of them designed to support ample power plugs. The one bit we don’t love about the HOLSEM is its 15 Amp rating, which is unable to power high-demand appliances such as microwaves. On a unit this heavy-duty, we would have liked to see a bit more support for equally heavy-duty home appliances. Still, this surge protector would keep the best center channel speaker safe.
#5 ECHOGEAR Surge Protector with Rotating Outlets
Award: BEST CABLE MANAGEMENT
WHY WE LIKE IT: If you’re looking to keep your wires tidy, ECHOGEAR delivers a surge protector featuring 6 rotating AC outlets, allowing you to fit multiple thick power bricks, as well as integrated cable management hooks.
- Rotating outlets for large plugs
- Integrated cable management hooks
- Long 8-foot power cord
- Doesn’t fit all spaces
No one wants the back of their television set up or computer desk to look like a cabling nightmare, and thankfully, ECHOGEAR saves the day with its Surge Protector featuring rotating outlets. Featuring a total of eight outlets, two outlets are stationary and six outlets are rotating, you can fit charging plugs and bricks of nearly any size without issue. Once everything is plugged in, you can use the integrated cable management hooks to keep everything looking best. The ECHOGEAR also holds its ground, protecting your equipment from electrical surges with a joules rating of up to 2160 — great for expensive gear and appliances.
We also love the inclusion of a long 8-foot power cord, so you never feel as though you are tied to the wall. While the design does help to keep things neat and tidy, the protector won’t always sit perfectly flat on the floor, which can be a bit tricky in specific tight spaces; this is important to note if you are working with limited area. You may want to be careful of how you plug in your best HDMI cable when considering this device.
#6 APC BE600M1 UPS Battery Backup & Surge Protector
Award: BEST BATTERY BACKUP
WHY WE LIKE IT: This APC UPS Battery Backup & Surge Protector works not only to keep your devices safe but also up and running. In the event of a power outage, your computer can gracefully shutdown automatically.
- Battery backup for safe shutdowns
- Use devices during power outages
- Includes 3-year warranty
- Internal battery will need replacing
- Bulky design takes up space
Looking for a surge protector that can do a bit more for your electronics in the event of a power outage? Not only does the APC BE600M1 provide a bit of surge protection with its 490-joules rated circuitry, but it allows you to continue running off the integrated battery. The 600VA battery won’t keep you going forever, but it will give you enough time to power down your computer in a safe manner. Additionally, if you aren’t around, the APC can communicate with your Mac or PC to shut it down without any involvement on your part.
For gamers looking for the ultimate solution, we believe this APC unit to be the best surge protector for gaming, as it prevents computer hardware from immediately crashing during a power outage. The 3-year warranty is a nice inclusion, as well as APC’s excellent $75,000 connected equipment policy. What is essential to know is that the unit does take up quite a bit of space and the internal battery will generally need replacing after 3-5 years, so make sure you are ready to maintain this excellent unit if you purchase it.
Note: Other surge protectors that didn’t make our list but are worth mentioning are the Tripp Lite RS-1215 12 Outlet Rackmount (6outlets front and 6 outlets rear), and the APC Performance SurgeArrest (11 outlets), both available on Amazon
The Tripp Lite offers a 15-amp circuit breaker, 6 outlets rear and 6 outlets front, a lifetime warranty, and a lighted power switch that confirm its on/off status. The Tripp Lite also features a 15ft. cord, with an under-counter, wall-mount, and rackmount, and other creative installation options. This Tripp Lite model is ideal for back office, network cabinet, and network closet applications.
The APC SurgeArrest has 2 USB charging ports (5V, 2.4A in total), 120V professional-grade electrical surge protection for computers and other connected devices/electronics, and this SurgeArrest also features an 8 ft. cord with a 180-degree rotating cord retainer. There’s also the APC Home Office SurgeArrest model with 8 Outlets. The 8 outlet model, also available on Amazon, comes with a Phone (Splitter) and Coax Protection.
APC Home Office SurgeArrest 8 Outlet with Phone (Splitter) and Coax Protection, 120V
How We Decided
When selecting the best surge protector, we began diving into research, focusing on the factors that affect a surge protector’s performance the most, including the energy rating, included connection types, design, cord length, and included warranty. Once established, we removed any products from our recommendations that failed to meet our standards; this ensures that all of the products in our guide provide excellent performance and are an excellent fit for any home or office that needs power protection.
When it comes to energy ratings for standard surge protectors, we only selected options that provided at least 2,000-joules of rated protection; this makes them suitable for protecting your most valued electronics. For our selected battery backup & surge protector, we sought out a solution that would offer 490-joules, enough protection for smaller power fluctuations. This distinction was made so that we could find a backup battery option that performed well and still fit within a reasonable budget.
For connection types, we ensured that all protectors supported a minimum of seven devices connected via a standard AC outlet. As a bonus, many of our selections also include USB charging support to make protecting your favorite devices easier. The design of each unit was examined to ensure each could properly fit both large and small outlets, while no warranty offering less than two-years was accepted.
Another great choice that just missed our list was the Tripp Lite Power Strip with Surge Protection (Outlets 12). The 15-amp resettable circuit breaker prevents dangerous circuit overload while the outlets are widely spaced allowing plenty of room for most AC adapters and transformers.
Best Surge Protectors Buyer’s Guide
Features
- Energy Rating: The energy rating displayed on a surge protector notes how much of a power surge your option could handle, thus protecting your electronics. The energy rating is given on the joules scale, with the most reliable protectors offering an energy rating of 1,000 to 2,000-joules. When shopping with surge protection as your priority, keep these numbers in mind, so you purchase something heavy-duty enough for your electronics.
- Connection Types: Of course, you will want to make sure that your surge protector includes enough AC outlets to plug-in all of your devices. Other considerations you may want to add are whether the protector offers USB ports for safe mobile device charging and coax or telephone line connectors for additional protection.
- Design: The design of a surge protector is more important than you might first think. You will want to select a protector that has enough space for thicker power bricks, such as the one included with your laptop or tablet. Additionally, additionals such as cable hooks can be excellent for keeping everything tidy.
- Warranty: A two-year warranty is standard for surge protectors, and sometimes for products like boat speakers or wireless speakers, but look at options that also go above and beyond. Some manufacturers, such as APC, also include equipment protection policies if your equipment still becomes damaged while attached to the company’s equipment.
