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After new testing, we’ve made the Tripp Lite TLP825 an also-great pick for people who want an extra-long cord to reach faraway outlets, and we’ve moved the APC P12U2 to the Competition section.

Any power strip will work in a pinch to add a few extra outlets to a room, but it’s important to find one that won’t let harmful power surges fry your electronic devices or start a house fire. We’ve spent more than 150 hours researching and testing surge protectors, and we’re confident that the Tripp Lite Protect It 12-Outlet Surge Protector offers the best combination of protection and outlet quantity at a reasonable price. It absorbs common household surges—up to thousands of volts—before they reach your electronics, preventing damage and fires. And you don’t have to wonder whether it’s still doing its job, because once its protection has worn out, it safely cuts the power so you know it’s time to get a replacement.

In testing, this surge protector was one of the best at preventing extra voltage from reaching its outlets. It also safely stops all power once the protection wears out, and it has 12 AC outlets plus coaxial and phone ports.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $42.

If you want a surge protector for your home office or entertainment setup, the Tripp Lite Protect It 12-Outlet Surge Protector TLP1208TELTV is your best choice. It has a critical auto-shutoff feature, more than enough outlets to keep all your gadgets powered, and both coaxial and telephone connectors. It offers great protection against household surges that come from other equipment in your home or fluctuations from the power company. Plus, it has a generous 8-foot cord, and it feels sturdy and robust.

With six AC outlets and two 2.4-amp USB ports, the Power Air packs a lot of protection into a compact design.

For light-duty powering, such as under a nightstand or end table, the Accell Power Air is the way to go to protect gadgets such as phones, tablets, or alarm clocks from surges. It offers two USB ports and six AC outlets in a round package that’s smaller than a dinner plate. The USB ports put out a combined 2.4 amps, enough to charge one smartphone or tablet at a high speed or two devices at low speeds. The circular outlet layout makes the Power Air usable with a variety of plug sizes. Its 6-foot cord is 2 feet shorter than that of the Tripp Lite 12-outlet model but should still be plenty long for most people. The Power Air performed almost as well as our top pick against individual surges, though it might not hold up to as many surges over its lifetime given its lower joule rating (which describes roughly how much energy it can absorb before it dies—the company estimates it’ll withstand about 1,080 joules of use, whereas many larger models are built to handle more than 2,000 joules).

Tripp Lite’s three-outlet SK30USB has an auto-shutoff feature and offers almost as much surge protection as full-size models. Plus, it has two 2.1-amp USB ports.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $21.

The Tripp Lite Protect It 3-Outlet Surge Protector SK30USB offers the portability of our favorite small power strips for travel but with even more protection. It has an auto-shutoff mechanism, making it one of the few three-outlet options we’ve found that will disconnect the power when the surge protection wears out. In addition to the three AC outlets, it comes equipped with two USB ports that offer a combined 2.1 amps to charge a phone, a tablet, or a couple of low-power devices. It performs well compared with other small options we’ve tested, blocking almost as many volts as larger models. In contrast to many comparable models, its compact size, grounded (three-prong) plug, and optional screw in the center of the unit help keep it firmly attached to the wall outlet, which is important for preventing electrical fires or shocks. We’d choose the SK30USB for protecting a few small household appliances—say, an essential oil diffuser, a Nintendo Switch dock, and a coffee grinder—and a couple of smartphones, or even for tossing in a carry-on when we’re traveling.

Tripp Lite’s eight-outlet TLP825 has a 25-foot cord, which is three to four times the length of most surge protector cords. It has fewer outlets than our top pick and no extra ports, but it performed almost as well in our surge tests.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $38.

With a cord measuring 25 feet, the Tripp Lite Protect It 8-Outlet Surge Protector TLP825 has the longest cord of any of our picks, making it the ideal choice for a garage, a basement, or any room where wall outlets are few and far between. It performed about as well as Tripp Lite’s 12-outlet TLP1208TELTV (and better than Accell’s Power Air and Tripp Lite’s three-outlet SK30USB) in our surge tests. Since it’s unsafe to plug a surge protector into an extension cord or to daisy-chain multiple surge protectors together, you should get this model if the devices you want to protect are more than 8 feet away from an outlet. It has four fewer outlets than our top pick and no additional ports (coaxial, phone, or USB), but that’s a small sacrifice if you need the extra cord length.

Overkill unless you have high-end home theater, office, or media equipment, this unit knocked down surges better than any other model we tried, including surge eliminators costing twice as much.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $140.

Our top pick will protect most equipment in most cases. But the Furman Power Station 8 (PST-8) goes further, providing the best surge suppression of any model we tested—enough to give owners of high-end electronics peace of mind. It turned a 5,000-volt surge into just 40 volts, thanks in part to a shutdown circuit that turns off all power when a surge is detected. The PST-8 actually let less voltage through in our tests than high-end series mode surge eliminators that can cost hundreds more. But common equipment, such as a computer monitor, will be fine protected by one of our less expensive picks, so this model is best for people who insist on extra protection for particularly precious gear. Plus, it has a sturdy aluminum body and an 8-foot cord.

In testing, this surge protector was one of the best at preventing extra voltage from reaching its outlets. It also safely stops all power once the protection wears out, and it has 12 AC outlets plus coaxial and phone ports.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $42.

With six AC outlets and two 2.4-amp USB ports, the Power Air packs a lot of protection into a compact design.

Tripp Lite’s three-outlet SK30USB has an auto-shutoff feature and offers almost as much surge protection as full-size models. Plus, it has two 2.1-amp USB ports.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $21.

Tripp Lite’s eight-outlet TLP825 has a 25-foot cord, which is three to four times the length of most surge protector cords. It has fewer outlets than our top pick and no extra ports, but it performed almost as well in our surge tests.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $38.

Overkill unless you have high-end home theater, office, or media equipment, this unit knocked down surges better than any other model we tried, including surge eliminators costing twice as much.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $140.

I’ve been a science journalist for more than seven years, covering a wide variety of topics from particle physics to satellite remote sensing. Since joining Wirecutter in 2017, I’ve reported on portable power stations, solar chargers, USB-C cables, and more.

To separate fact from fiction about surge protectors, our team at Wirecutter reached out to experts in multiple fields while writing the original version of this guide. We talked to Mike Hyland, a 30-year veteran of the utility industry and senior vice president of the industry’s trade association (the American Public Power Association), to learn about power grids and utility-scale surge protection. We chatted over email with Jack Loppnow, an insurance pro who has been in the industry since the 1960s, and got advice on what part homeowners and renters policies play in protecting your technology investments. We also interviewed Joe Day, director of global business development at TerraCycle Regulated Waste, about how to recycle old surge protectors, power strips, and other common types of household electronic waste.

Additionally, we’ve asked Lee Johnson—an electrical engineer with more than 15 years of experience designing and testing electronics—to put our picks and new contenders to the test in six separate rounds of testing since 2016.

A surge protector does much more than supply extra outlets. It’s first and foremost a safety device—a relatively inexpensive way to protect expensive electronics. There’s little reason for anyone to leave their office, den, or home theater unprotected, or to hang on to old, worn-out surge protectors.

Yep, that’s right: Surge protectors don’t last forever. Most estimates put the average lifespan of a surge protector at three to five years. And if your home is subject to frequent brownouts or blackouts, you might want to replace your surge protectors as often as every two years. If you move as frequently as I do, every couple of years, a good rule of thumb is to just get rid of your old surge protectors as you’re packing up and replace them when you move into your new place. If you have a cheap, basic power strip (or the kind of multiport adapter that plugs right into a wall outlet), it most likely never had worthwhile surge protection capabilities to begin with. No judgment—my college roommates and I relied on a power strip that my parents had bought for their first house decades earlier. But you should replace these subpar options as soon as possible and be thankful that they didn’t catch fire or damage your electronics (PDF).

The surge protection components inside wear out a little more with each surge, and there’s virtually no way to know how much protection remains. Many cheap models continue to pass power to their outlets even after the protection is long gone. That’s why we suggest looking for a surge protector with an auto-shutoff feature, which stops the device from conveying power when the protection wears out.

Most estimates put the average lifespan of a surge protector at three to five years.

Although surge protectors can’t do much to protect your property against direct lightning strikes—which are pretty rare, anyway—they can help with the much more common surges that originate inside your home or building. They can also protect against occasional surges from your utility company and are especially worth having in areas with unreliable power grids.

Homeowners can opt to install a surge protection device (SPD) for their entire home, which is marketed on the premise of eliminating the need for plug-in surge protectors. However, the estimated cost to have an electrician install an SPD range from $500 to $1,000, and your home’s electrical panel and utility service must be modern enough for it to be safely wired in. Also, whole-house surge protectors are typically rated for a much higher let-through voltage than our picks, clamping at 600 to 1,200 volts rather than 400 volts or less. So although such a unit should be able to prevent damage to kitchen appliances, table lamps, and other electronics that are less sensitive to surges, you’d probably still want to use a plug-in surge protector for high-end computers and AV equipment. Lee Johnson, our engineer, hasn’t personally tested any whole-house surge protectors, but he says they’re worth considering only if you live in an area that’s at high risk for routine surges or line downings.

If your home theater costs more than a compact car, it may be worth considering surge protectors with series mode capabilities. They’re superior to their more common, MOV (metal oxide varistor) counterparts in pretty much every way: We’ve tested several such models in the past and found that they let virtually no extra voltage through. Their non-sacrificial components are also designed to last indefinitely. The downside is that they can cost more than 10 times as much to replace as our top picks. Plus, our maximum-protection pick from Furman, which is a hybrid model that costs less than true series mode options, produced similar results in our testing.

Finally, if you want to protect equipment that could be damaged by a sudden loss of power, a hard disk drive that’s susceptible to data corruption, or critical gear that can’t ever go down (such as a CPAP machine to treat sleep apnea), you shouldn’t be looking at a surge protector at all. Instead, you need an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), most of which have built-in surge protection. (If that describes you, read our guide to our top UPS picks.)

We tested leading UPS models and found that the CyberPower CP900AVR is the best option to keep essential gear running for up to four hours during a blackout.

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).

We started our research by scanning the top results on Amazon, Google Shopping, and retailers like Home Depot and Walmart, as well as the websites of well-known brands such as Accell, Belkin, and Tripp Lite, to compile a list of models.

As we did for previous iterations of this guide, we considered the different ways that people use surge protectors. We knew we wanted something heavy-duty for use with home office gear, game consoles in a living room, home theaters, or other power-hungry entertainment setups. We also looked at smaller units designed for kitchen outlets or bedside tables, as well as series mode and hybrid models for people who want the highest level of surge defense.

We looked for models in each of those subcategories that had several specific traits, including the following:

Over the years, we’ve also identified certain features (marketing ploys, essentially) that you can safely ignore:

Filtering our candidates through these requirements left us with a short list of six models to test against our existing picks in 2021:

In the US, wall outlets nominally provide electricity at 120 volts, but most electronic devices can handle more, allowing them to operate on the 240-volt standard used internationally. In our rounds of testing, we subject each surge protector to a ridiculously powerful 5,000-volt surge and measure how much of the overflow voltage slips through. The resulting figures effectively tell us how many volts would be able to reach and potentially damage your devices at home. No household power surge exceeds 6,000 volts (PDF), and most don’t even come close, according to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The major exception would be direct lightning strikes, but considering that a single lightning bolt carries upwards of 1 billion volts, no surge protector will save your TV from one of those.

Lee Johnson, a veteran electrical engineer, set up our testing parameters for this guide, which we’ve repeated with the same equipment each year since 2016. We attach each model to an EM Test NX5 surge generator to produce surges from 200 volts to 5,000 volts in 100-volt increments along each of the three legs of the wiring—line-to-ground (L-G), line-to-neutral (L-N), and neutral-to-ground (N-G)—and record the resulting output that would be passed along to any devices plugged into the surge protector. We follow that up with five consecutive surges of 5,000 volts and average those results. We record the output—lower is better, because it means the surge protector is holding back more power from your devices—for all three legs of wiring.

In 2016 and 2017, Johnson dissected each surge protector to assess the components inside. He compared the thickness of the wiring, the size and arrangement of the protective MOVs, whether any filters or capacitors were incorporated into the designs, and the overall construction quality. For reputable brands selling surge protectors in the $15 to $50 range, the guts were so similar that the dissection yielded no useful information, so we haven’t torn down the models we’ve tested since.

To further demonstrate the importance of using a surge protector, Johnson subjected a (very old) Dell LCD monitor to a 5,000-volt surge, both with and without protection. After taking the protected hit, the display powered on and displayed an image with no problem. In contrast, when he funneled 5,000 volts directly into the unprotected monitor, it promptly cried out in pain, never to turn on again.

In testing, this surge protector was one of the best at preventing extra voltage from reaching its outlets. It also safely stops all power once the protection wears out, and it has 12 AC outlets plus coaxial and phone ports.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $42.

We’ve tested dozens of surge protectors, and we are confident that the Tripp Lite Protect It 12-Outlet Surge Protector TLP1208TELTV is the best one to use with typical living room or office equipment. It provides all the safety features you need, plenty of outlets, stellar surge protection performance, and noticeably nicer build quality than we’ve seen on other units we’ve tested.

The Tripp Lite TLP1208TELTV has an auto-shutoff feature that powers down the unit permanently when it has worn out and is no longer able to block power surges. Unlike most surge protectors, which continue to power electronics even after the protection is gone, our pick is safe and trustworthy because you know that if it’s still providing power, it still has some protection left. In addition to its auto-shutoff function, the unit has two little LED indicators: one that tells you when surge protection is functioning and another that lets you know if you have a short circuit, a blown fuse, or a wiring problem that requires intervention from an electrician.

When we sent 5,000-volt surges of electricity through the Tripp Lite 12-outlet model, it suppressed as much as any surge protector we tested (with the exception of series mode or hybrid options like our upgrade pick). In our tests, it averaged a let-through voltage (the remaining amount of the surge that passes through to your devices) of 206.8 volts, well below UL’s 400-volt (PDF) rating.

Note that every surge protector we tested came in under 400 volts except for the cheap, generic model we picked up at a big-box store. That discount unit let through a whopping 517 volts on the main (L-N) leg and provided no protection whatsoever through the other two legs. Don’t buy generic surge protectors if you care about actual surge protection.

This Tripp Lite model’s 12 AC outlets should be more than sufficient for most people’s needs—that’s enough for a TV, a gaming console, a soundbar, and an excessive number of lamps. You can find surge protectors with more than 12 outlets (Tripp Lite, for example, makes one with 24 outlets), but they’re generally too big for around-the-house use, and they tend to lack peripheral ports like USB, telephone, and coaxial connectors.

The Tripp Lite TLP1208TELTV also has dual coaxial connectors, so you can hook up your cable box, plus three telephone ports. (Unlike Ethernet connections, telephone ports don’t support high-speed internet, so although you can use these ports to protect a landline telephone, you can’t use them to shield network gear from damage.) If you’re setting up a media center with equipment that requires a coaxial or telephone connection, these extra ports are nice to have. Just as with AC outlets, power runs through them, so they can be affected by lightning and other types of surges; for example, a spike in power through incorrectly grounded cable lines (which are not uncommon) can destroy an unprotected cable box. Unlike our nightstand and light-use picks, this Tripp Lite 12-outlet model doesn’t have any USB ports. But since this type of surge protector commonly sits out of reach (behind a couch, desk, or TV stand) and is designed for more heavy-duty usage, we don’t think USB ports are all that important.

The unit’s exterior matches its solid performance with a sturdy, utilitarian shell. Unlike with your run-of-the-mill power strips (or even the Hyper Tough surge protector we considered in a previous round of testing), its veneer seems built to stand up to most minor scratches and scuffs. It’s compact enough to slide under a bed or entertainment center, and a set of holes on the back gives you the option to mount it on a baseboard. Its thick, rubberized cord is 8 feet long, making it convenient to run underneath bookshelves and couches. And unlike our other picks (except the Tripp Lite TLP825), it has a 90-degree plug that’s ideal for tight spaces. Tripp Lite offers a limited lifetime warranty that protects against any defects or failures for the life of the product—but be warned that it’s not considered a defect for the surge protection to eventually wear out as designed.

Our primary concern regarding the Tripp Lite Protect It 12-Outlet Surge Protector is that it’s a little tight on space. It has four well-spaced outlets for large power bricks, but the single row of eight outlets quickly gets overcrowded, especially with bulky plugs. It would have been nice if some of the outlets had been located on a different face of the body, or if the unit had rotating outlets like Belkin’s 12-outlet PivotPlug does. It also lacks USB ports, which several of our other picks have, so you’ll need to use a separate wall charger to charge a phone and other USB-powered devices. But the unit’s good overall performance outweighs these minor drawbacks.

With six AC outlets and two 2.4-amp USB ports, the Power Air packs a lot of protection into a compact design.

We like the Accell Power Air for light-duty use around the house, even though its UFO-like looks might be off-putting for some. Like our top pick, the Power Air safely shuts down once it can no longer protect your electronics, so you’ll know when you need to replace it. The low-profile shape (about 7¼ inches in diameter and 2 inches high) is more practical than most for sliding it under nightstands or end tables where space is at a premium. And despite its smaller size, the Power Air was able to suppress the most common surges about as well as most larger models.

The Power Air’s auto-shutoff feature will permanently power down the unit when it has reached the end of its life and is no longer able to suppress surges. That’s the safest way to be sure that your surge protector is actually protecting your electronics. Even if you aren’t using this model to power pricey equipment, as you might do with one of our main picks, it’s nice to have the added peace of mind.

The unit has half as many AC outlets as our top pick, but six is sufficient for a light-duty surge protector. Plus, it has two USB ports with a combined 2.4 amps—upgraded from 2.1 amps in an older model, the Accell Powramid—so it gives you slightly faster charging speeds for most smartphones and tablets. Even if you plug in a reading light, a sunrise alarm clock, an essential oil diffuser, and a Qi wireless-charging dock—the makings of a well-equipped bedside table—you’ll still have a couple of outlets to spare.

In our testing, the Power Air let only an extra 268.8 volts through, on average, when we tested it against 5,000-volt surges. That puts it in the same class as our top picks, though their results were closer to 200 volts. However, it probably won’t last quite as long—it’s rated to absorb only 1,080 joules before it wears out, much less than the joule ratings of the Tripp Lite (2,880) and APC (4,320) models. Even though our other picks have lifetime warranties, the five-year warranty on the Power Air is appropriate considering that’s about as long as you should keep a surge protector anyway, since most protection circuits will wear out in three to five years.

The Power Air is sleek and compact, with a flattish shape that makes it easy to slide under an end table. Its 6-foot cord is thick, flexible, and durable, and its outlets are spaced generously around the top of the unit, giving you full access to all of them. Lastly, its blue and green LEDs (which let you know, respectively, if the unit is powered on and protective) are well marked and clearly visible on top.

Tripp Lite’s three-outlet SK30USB has an auto-shutoff feature and offers almost as much surge protection as full-size models. Plus, it has two 2.1-amp USB ports.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $21.

If you want something that offers solid protection in a small package—say, to power a few appliances and a couple of smartphones on your kitchen counter—get the Tripp Lite Protect It 3-Outlet Surge Protector SK30USB. In our full guide to small power strips for travel, we recommend models with as many as four AC outlets and up to two USB ports. But whereas most of those power strips offer only low-level protection against power surges, the SK30USB proved almost as protective as larger contenders in our testing.

In addition to three AC ports on its front-facing side, the SK30USB has two 2.1-amp USB ports. It also has an auto-shutoff feature, making it one of just a few small, portable surge protectors we’ve found with this capability.

In our testing, the SK30USB’s let-through voltage (291.8 volts) was well under its 330-volt UL rating and our target range of less than 400 volts. Although its expected lifespan is shorter than that of the rest of our picks—it’s rated for 540 joules, versus ratings in the thousands for our other picks—it comes with a lifetime warranty, which is impressive for such an inexpensive device.

As for look and feel, the SK30USB is made of glossy plastic and has a sleek, streamlined design. Even though it juts out about an inch from the wall when plugged in, it blends into the background fairly seamlessly. Rather than the tiny LED you get on most surge protectors, the unit has a clearly visible strip of plastic on top that lights up to indicate that its protection is working. (On the downside, this light might be annoying in a bedroom while you’re trying to sleep.)

It has a three-prong plug, as well as a plastic rod that fits into the bottom hole of the second outlet, ensuring a snug connection. If you’re using the SK30USB at home, it also has a screw that you can insert directly into the wall (replacing the screw in the middle of your wall outlet plate) for an even sturdier fit, but we don’t recommend doing this if you’re planning to use the unit for travel. The AC and USB ports are pretty tightly spaced, but that’s to be expected on such a small unit.

Tripp Lite’s eight-outlet TLP825 has a 25-foot cord, which is three to four times the length of most surge protector cords. It has fewer outlets than our top pick and no extra ports, but it performed almost as well in our surge tests.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $38.

Many homes, especially older ones, don’t have a ton of outlets—and you should never plug a surge protector into an extension cord. If you have a wall outlet right behind your desk or entertainment center, you’ll be perfectly happy with our top pick’s 8-foot cord. But if your surge protector needs to wrap around a room, or even down a hallway, get the Tripp Lite Protect It 8-Outlet Surge Protector TLP825. It has fewer outlets and ports than the 12-outlet Tripp Lite TLP1208TELTV, but if you need the extra cord length, it’s your best bet.

In our surge testing, the Tripp Lite TLP825 blocked all but 216.4 of the 5,000 volts we pumped into it. That’s just 10 more volts than our top pick let through, which means most devices you plug into it will be well protected in the event of a common household surge.

Like our top pick, this model has an auto-shutoff mechanism, so it’ll stop working when its surge protection has worn off. That way, you can recycle it (or use it as an ugly doorstop, bookend, or ready-made sculpture) as soon as it has stopped serving its main purpose, rather than continuing to use it without knowing whether your devices are actually protected.

Despite being 25 feet long, the rubber-sheathed cord is just as flexible as that of any other surge protector we’ve tested. Like our top pick, this model has a plug that is flat and angles to the right, and the main body is encased in a sturdy, plastic shell. The unit and its cord are both a dusty white color rather than the typical black, which we think makes it blend more easily into most rooms’ decor—unless, of course, you prefer a darker color palette.

The TLP825 has four fewer outlets than the TLP1208TELTV and no coaxial or phone ports. But if you need the extra cord length and can live without those ports, that’s a fine trade-off.

Like the other Tripp Lite models we’ve tested, this one is backed by a lifetime warranty. We’ve had good experiences with Tripp Lite’s customer support in the past, and that can be helpful if you run into any issues with your unit.

Overkill unless you have high-end home theater, office, or media equipment, this unit knocked down surges better than any other model we tried, including surge eliminators costing twice as much.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $140.

Most people don’t need this degree of protection, but the Furman Power Station 8 (PST-8) offers the strongest surge protection of the dozens of models we’ve tested, besting even high-end series mode surge protectors that cost hundreds more. Even though our tests showed that common equipment like computer displays can survive surges when protected by our less-expensive picks, spending more for added protection may be worthwhile in some cases—say, if your home theater, recording studio, or office workstation budget is in the five figures. If you prefer to have complete peace of mind no matter your situation, there’s no more affordable way to get it than the PST-8.

In our testing, the PST-8 repeatedly allowed just 40 volts of a 5,000-volt surge to pass through to its eight outlets. Instead of relying on standard MOVs to absorb the entire surge, Furman adds extra protection: Once a surge goes over 137 volts, the entire unit shuts down to protect itself and any connected equipment (switching the unit on and off resets it). Any surge that gets through before the shutdown passes through a series of capacitors as well as a large inductor meant to filter the extra power. The large MOV, similar to those found in less-expensive units, sacrifices only part of itself as a last resort after the filtering stage. This is why you won’t find a joule rating listed for the PST-8, according to Furman—since other surge protectors rely solely on MOVs to absorb energy, it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison.

The Furman Power Station 8 (PST-8) offers the strongest surge protection of the dozens of models we’ve tested, besting even high-end series mode surge protectors that cost hundreds more.

The company also claims that the PST-8’s circuit design has led to a repair-replacement rate below 0.005% since it was introduced. In other words, for every 100,000 customers, only five have needed to repair or replace their units, and Furman says in all instances the damage was physical breakage (dents, cracks, or parts snapping off) rather than an internal failure. Given how effective the setup was at swallowing our test surges, we have every reason to believe that the PST-8 will provide more protection for longer than standard surge protectors in the under-$50 price range.

Senior staff writer Chris Heinonen, who has tested hundreds of TVs for Wirecutter over the years, uses the PST-8 to protect the array of TV sets that crowd his living room at all times. “It’s flipped two or three times when we’ve had flickering lights or other weird power issues,” he told me. “I’m always glad I have it for the expensive things—and I should probably get another one.”

This improved protection comes at a cost, though, and not just in terms of price. With only eight AC outlets in total—plus two telephone ports and two coaxial connectors—the PST-8 could leave you short when you’re trying to power a lot of electronics. Its layout leaves something to be desired, too, with just two AC outlets properly spaced to accommodate large plugs. Lastly, its three-year warranty (no registration needed, but valid only if you buy from an authorized seller) is one of the shortest we’ve seen, which is disappointing since we expect its surge protection capabilities to last much longer than those of less-expensive models. (Furman says these units are often used by touring musicians and therefore subject to more wear and tear than household surge protectors, hence the comparatively short warranty.)

If you have pricier-than-average gear, though, these trade-offs make sense. Although the PST-8 isn’t quite as convenient, it will provide more protection than our other picks. And it’s sturdily built overall, with an aluminum body and a long, 8-foot cord.

If the Tripp Lite SK30USB is unavailable, get the APC Essential SurgeArrest PE3WU3. The two models are nearly identical, except the latter had a worse let-through voltage in our testing, allowing 350 volts compared with the former’s 291.8 volts—not great, but still well under our 400-volt cutoff.

Similarly, if you can’t get the SK30USB, or if you want more USB-A ports, consider the Tripp Lite Protect It Personal Charging Station with 3-Outlet Surge Protector SK34USBB. It had a slightly worse let-through voltage in our testing, and we don’t think its built-in phone holder is especially attractive or practical. But if you don’t mind those drawbacks, it has all the key features our picks offer (UL certification, an auto-shutoff mechanism, and a lifetime warranty) and four USB-A ports, which is more than we’ve found on any other small, portable model we’ve tested.

If you spot a price drop, you might consider the Tripp Lite Protect It 10-Outlet Surge Protector TLP1008TEL. It used to be our top pick in this guide, and although it has two fewer outlets than our current top pick, it’s still a solid option if our pick becomes unavailable or if this model goes on sale.

If you’d rather have two USB-A ports instead of our top pick’s coaxial and phone ports, and don’t mind sacrificing some surge protection, consider the APC Performance SurgeArrest P11U2 or APC Home Office SurgeArrest PH12U2W. The former has one fewer outlet than our top pick while the latter has a shorter cord, and in our surge tests they both let through more volts than our top pick (309.2 and 268.6, respectively, compared with 206.8), but they should still provide plenty of protection for most household devices if you can overlook those drawbacks.

If our top pick is unavailable, the APC Performance SurgeArrest P11VT3 is another good alternative. The two models are nearly identical, except the P11VT3 blocked fewer volts (all but 270.8, compared with 206.8) in our surge tests and has one fewer outlet.

Another good alternative to our top pick is the Belkin PivotPlug 12-Outlet Surge Protector BP112230-08. It’s similar to our pick in many ways: It has an auto-shutoff mechanism, an 8-foot cord, three phone ports, two coaxial connectors, and a lifetime warranty. It also performed a smidgen better than our top pick in testing, blocking all but 202 volts. However, the rotating outlets don’t offer a ton of benefit over widely spaced, stationary outlets (unless you have exceptionally wide or oddly shaped plugs), and they add a lot of bulk to the otherwise streamlined unit.

The Tripp Lite SpikeCube used to be our also-great pick for light use and travel. But unlike our current pick in that category, it doesn’t have an auto-shutoff feature, nor does it offer USB ports, and it has only one AC outlet. It’s rather homely, too.

The Belkin SurgePlus 3-Outlet Mini Surge Protector with Dual USB Ports BST300bg was by far the worst performer in our latest round of testing, letting through more than 800 of the 5,000 volts we threw at it. This model also typically costs more than most of the small, portable options we tried.

The APC Essential SurgeArrest PE4WRU3 and the Tripp Lite Protect It Surge Protector with 4 Rotatable Outlets SK40RUSBB are nearly identical: Both have four rotating outlets, which are ideal for large or oddly shaped plugs, and two USB-A ports. They also performed well, letting through only about 290 volts apiece in our testing. However, they’re too big and bulky to be practical for light use or travel, and we don’t think four outlets is enough for a bedside surge protector.

The Accell Powramid and Accell Powramid Air are older versions of the Accell Power Air. When we tested them in previous years, both performed worse than our current pick in terms of let-through voltage. Their extra height also makes them harder to slide under a nightstand.

We like the look and feel of the Anker PowerPort Strip PD 6, and the fact that it offers a fast-charging USB-C PD port in addition to two USB-A ports and six AC outlets. But it’s one of the most expensive and least protective options we’ve tested, and it’s not UL or ETL listed.

We tested the Belkin PivotPlug 6-Outlet Surge Protector BP106000 and the six-outlet Belkin SurgePlus USB Wall Mount in previous years, but we think wall-mounted surge protectors with more than four outlets are less safe than corded models. With the weight of six plugs and cords coming out of these models, they could more easily get pulled out of the wall (which can cause arcing and sparking).

We bought the cheapest surge protector we could find at a local Walmart (the Hyper Tough 6-Outlet Surge Protector PS682B_B) for a previous round of testing, and it failed spectacularly in pretty much every way.

The Tripp-Lite Protect It 6-Outlet Clamp-Mount Surge Protector TLP606DMUSB performed well, but it’s really useful only for a desk or workbench—it has a desk clamp but no wall mount, and it’s impractical to set on the ground. It also feels pretty lightweight and flimsy.

The Tripp-Lite Protect It 6-Outlet Surge Protector TLP66USBR has four USB ports, whereas the most that many other models have is two. But in testing, we found that it offered less-than-stellar surge protection. Plus, its extendable USB hub feature is hard to maneuver and not all that useful (it seems like a gimmick).

The 12-outlet APC Performance SurgeArrest P12U2 used to be a runner-up pick in this guide, and it actually blocked more volts (all but 205.2) than our top pick did in surge testing. However, it’s no longer a pick because it has a slightly inferior auto-shutoff feature that kicks in only when the main (L-N) leg wears out. This means that if either of its other two legs (L-G or N-G) breaks down first, it will continue to send power to your devices, and they could sustain damage in the event of a surge.

The Nekteck Power Strip with 12 AC Outlets NK-12A2UPD18W-6FT blocked all but 218 of the 5,000 volts we pumped into it, and it has just as many outlets (12) as our top pick. However, it lacks an auto-shutoff feature, so it’ll keep working long after its surge protection wears off—putting your devices at risk of damage from power surges.

Although the PowerAdd 12 in 1 Surge Protector has an impressive array of six high-amp USB-A ports in addition to its six AC outlets, we found that it didn’t slide as neatly under a nightstand or bed as more streamlined models like the Accell Power Air. It let through more volts than the Power Air did in our testing, too.

The Tripp Lite Protect It 12-Outlet Surge Protector TLP128TTUSBB failed to measure up to our top pick during testing, letting more than twice as many volts slip through.

We tested the Furman PST-2+6, P3 Kill-A-Watt PS-10, SurgeX SA-15, Tripp Lite Isobar HT10DBS, and ZeroSurge 2R15W in previous years, but they didn’t offer the same combination of surge protection, cord length, and number of outlets as the Furman PST-8.

We’ve been asked about Amazon Basics surge protectors, but we haven’t tested any because the models we’ve seen don’t have an auto-shutoff feature. This means that, once the protection wears off, your devices will be vulnerable to surges—which defeats the purpose of buying a surge protector in the first place.

Whether your surge protectors are old or new, here are a few basic guidelines that will help you ensure that they remain effective:

Sarah Witman has researched, tested, and reviewed all manner of products—from massage chairs and mousetraps to pencils and power banks—since joining Wirecutter in 2017. Before that, she worked as a science writer and fact checker for numerous publications, and she studied journalism at the University of Wisconsin. In her spare time, she eats as much cheese as her body will tolerate.

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