If there is a device that cannot be missing in my office or in my home in general, those are the rules. And I don’t have enough outlets for all my devices, nor are they in the best possible place, which is why I have to use this useful accessory in all the rooms of my house. Some power strips have been with me for many years, others were already in my rental apartments and finally, from time to time I have to buy a power strip.
Over the years I have varied my requirements: first I limited myself to looking for those with the maximum number of plugs possible, then I have also opted for different formats that range from a mere multiple connection to towers or those with an extension cable, but I have discovered something: The most important thing about the design of a power strip is when you test it.
What no one tells you about the design of a power strip
Because beyond the shots or their vertical or horizontal arrangement, there is a key issue that is the space, size and arrangement of sockets. Let me explain: there are ‘trap’ power strips with narrow plug sockets that, although they may be useful for some devices, if you try to connect a thick plug (with a ground connection), you will discover that they are not suitable for you. My joy is a well: yes, in theory all plugs are the same type, but in practice they are not valid.
Another issue: beyond the plug, it is integrated into a head that can be of the most varied sizesfrom the minimum essential to much thicker ones, which can mean that when you plug it in, you do not have space to connect other devices to the surrounding outlets.
An example: I have the power strip that you see below these lines at home and I find it very practical because, despite its simplicity, it allows three plugs to be used comfortably regardless of their thickness and the size of the piece. As you can see, there is a thin plug connected and another that, in addition to being thick, has a head of generous dimensions.
Of course, if the plug was tilted and you had to plug in three plugs with thick heads, you would have problems. Because of that there are a type of power strip that I love: the Powercube, just the one you see below these lines. In this case it is possible to plug in both thin and thick plugs, whether their head is large or small and be careful because each socket is on a different plane, I can use each and every one of the five sockets it offers.
The icing on the cake is that it is also moderately compact, so it hardly takes up any space, although you will need a clear environment to be able to connect the devices (or at least some slack). This is my favorite type of power strip for those devices I rarely unplug.
Cover | Santeri Viinamäki on Wikimedia Commons
In Xataka Home | Not all power strips are the same: what should be taken into account when buying one and featured models