Whether you are the owner of a small business that is just starting or the CEO of a large corporation, technology is crucial to sustain your business and maintain your infrastructure. However, if you fail to use affordable technology like surge protectors, your devices risk becoming bricked due to electrical shorts, lightning strikes, municipal power failures, and other chaotic events. Thankfully, with an office power strip like the APC Surge Protector with Telephone, DSL, and Coaxial Protection, your electronic devices will be well defended.
While a surge protector is an affordable way to protect your electronic devices, not all devices need the same level of protection. Your office computers might require more sensitive protection than your wireless router, for example.
Not every office power strip comes equipped with the same ports for compatible devices, including the two or three-pronged U.S. standard electrical outlet, USB ports, DSL cables, and even coaxial cables. Furthermore, some office power strips lack the safeguards and programming capable of safely cutting power to multiple varying types of devices simultaneously without fail. As such, you should always check that any office power strip you plan on buying can support the types and number of devices that need protection before finalizing your purchase.
Many office power strips are surge protectors. If the individual circuit breaker becomes overloaded, the breaker trips and automatically shuts off power to the circuit to prevent any damage from conducting excessive amounts of electricity.
However, despite seeming to act similarly, fuses are designed to prevent major damage by literally burning out the connection whereas surge protectors are meant to help regulate smaller disturbances in the voltage without completely shutting off the connected device. While office power strips with surge protectors can offer protection against several thousand Joules of power, be aware that there is a limit to just how much energy they can defend against.
While traditional power strips can be great for plugging in lots of things at once, they won’t do much for saving your business’ vital computer data should there be a power surge. In this case, an Uninterruptible Power Supply might be a better option. Uninterruptible Power Supply, or UPS, refers to independently operating devices that serve as temporary backup power in the event of an emergency.
A UPS is great for ensuring that appliances remain operational and that your system doesn’t suffer any data loss. An office power strip with surge protection technology is best suited for keeping valuable electronics like personal computers, tablets, and chargers from power surges.
While each technology has its benefits and drawbacks, it is important to understand the difference between the two and the levels of protection they provide.
Given that you might have a wide range of devices that you would like to keep safe from any errant power surges, it only makes sense to purchase an office power strip to protect them all. However, not every office power strip will easily accommodate standard two- and three-prong U.S. standard plugs, let alone USB, DSL, and coaxial cables.
Furthermore, if you happen to own several power adapters with wide plugs, you might have a hard time fitting them all on a standard rectangular office power strip. To avoid discovering that you can only plug in a few things, it’s always worth investing in an office power strip that can fully meet all of your protection needs.
If you’re a business owner, you probably have a lot of things you need to plugin. It’s important to make sure that you have an office power strip that not only has the number of plug-in spots that you need. It can be frustrating to not have enough spots to plug all your office appliances in when you need them. To avoid this, make sure you know the number of things you will be plugging in before buying a power strip to ensure you have enough spots for all your devices.
For those who are unfamiliar with the above safety standards, they come from the Underwriters Laboratories Safety Standard for Surge Protective Devices (SPD) and represent the professional requirements that all devices like office power strips must adhere to be legally sold as Surge Protective Devices. If you end up purchasing an office power strip that lacks such certification, be aware that you are accepting any risks or damages that may occur from purchasing an unreliable product. Furthermore, you should also consider whether the office power strip manufacturer is willing to stand behind their product and provide both lifetime warranties as well as a robust equipment protection policy to make good on any damaged equipment.
Depending on your desired features as well as any budgetary considerations, a quality office power strip typically costs anywhere from $17-$44.
A. Office power strips generally have a life span of between three to five years, though their durability can be drastically reduced if your home or business is in an area that frequently experiences blackouts and brownouts.
A. Absolutely not. Plugging multiple power strips into the same outlet can result in power overload. Ideally, your office power strip should only be serviced by a single plug of any outlet and not crammed full of connected devices to prevent overloading your wall receptacle.
APC Surge Protector with Telephone, DSL, and Coaxial Protection
What you need to know: This reliable office power strip can protect a wide variety of electronic equipment.
What you’ll love: This unit offers 11 power surge protector outlets with sliding safety shutters in total, six outlets that are block spaced for more sizable adapters, coaxial and telephone protection against power surges along data lines, an 8-foot cord with 180-degree rotation, and a right-angle plug, and a lifetime warranty with a $100,000 equipment protection policy to help provide reassurance.
What you should consider: Users have reported issues with data dropping off when connecting their coaxial and Ethernet cables.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
TESSAN Mountable Flat Plug Power Strip with 3 USB Ports
What you need to know: This affordable and portable office power strip is great for doing business on the go.
What you’ll love: This unit offers four widely spaced outlets, three USB ports, and a 5-foot power cable. It can either be conveniently stored for travel or quickly mounted into place with minimal effort.
What you should consider: Users have reported issues with certain devices not effectively charging as well as tripping breakers frequently.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Tripp Lite TLP1208TELTV 12 Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip
What you need to know: This robust and reliable office power strip affords protection in several different applications.
What you’ll love: This unit offers premium surge protection with built-in TEL/DSL and gold coaxial jacks, an integrated circuit breaker to shut down connected equipment, and an impressive number of plugs. It also features a flat plug that allows it to more easily be placed behind furniture.
What you should consider: Users have reported issues with factory defects such as loose switches and faulty outlets.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Daniel Martin writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
