I live in an itty-bitty, creaky old house, so there are never enough wall outlets. The builders of the 1980s could never predict that someday a work-from-home nerd with a desk that looks like something out of NASA Mission Control would live here. So anything that can boost my plug-in power is welcome. For example, this mini surge protector with extra USB power, under ten bucks today at Amazon.
This isn’t the kind of thing that can power my main desk on its own, but it’s great for adding some extra power in a small space, like behind my TV. In addition to six standard AC outlets, you get two USB-A ports and a USB-C port, though at 2.1 amps total across the three they won’t be powering any big laptops.
Note that this isn’t just a cheap outlet extender, it’s rated for 1800 joules of protection. That should be enough to protect your laptop and a bunch of mobile gear from anything up to a direct lightning strike on your house. It also has extra-wide spacing on the outlets, great for oddly-shaped plugs and “wall warts.”
Normally $15.99, the gadget is on sale for a generous 38 percent off in a “limited time deal,” bringing the sticker price down to just $9.99. You can click the check mark coupon on Amazon for an additional 5 percent off, bringing the final checkout price to $9.49. Grab a couple of them if you want…just don’t use Amazon’s 2-pack on the actual listing, which turns out to be more expensive.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer
Michael is a former graphic designer who's been building and tweaking desktop computers for longer than he cares to admit. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order.