If the number of outlets in your home is limited or if you want to manage multiple electrical devices from a single power outlet, power strips are what you're looking for. However, the selection of such lasts is large and it is easy to choose the wrong product. So that this does not happen to you, here is a small overview of what you should definitely pay attention to when buying power strips.
Chapter in this post:
- 1 The correct cable length
- 2 Pay attention to the load limit
- 3 examples of the power consumption of different devices
- 4 The bestsellers on Amazon
- 5 surge protection, right?
- 6 lightning protection? Don't buy cheap!
- 7 power saving switch helpful
- 8 Integrated child safety sockets for little hands
- 9 hands away from plug snakes
- 10 Frequently Asked Questions About Power Strips
- 11 manufacturers of power strips
- 12 Different models and features
The right cable length
Power strips have the advantage that they can extend or relocate the urgently needed power connection from the actual socket. This is particularly useful if you want to connect several devices that would not reach the socket directly with their power cables.
However, there are also models with different versions. A strip with its own three-foot power cord is intended to expand the range of available slots, but the devices still need to be aligned fairly close to the original outlet. This works in smaller rooms. But in a living room with more than 40 square meters, for example, it would make more sense if you have a power strip with more than two meters available so that you can shorten the distance between the end devices and the power source.
Pay attention to the load limit
The load limit indicates how much current a power strip can carry without causing problems. As a rule, the strips have a load limit of 3500 watts. This means that all devices connected to the bar together must not consume more than 3500 watts when all are switched on at the same time.
Cheaper lasts sometimes have even lower load limits, which can be problematic if you don't pay attention. Because the conduction of electricity from the socket to the end device generates heat in the socket strips. If the load gets too high, for example because the connected devices draw too much current, the power strip can literally overheat.
Then the plastic parts melt before a fire finally breaks out, which can cause considerable damage in your home. That's why it's important to always look at how high the load limit of a socket strip is and to distribute the end devices over the strips accordingly.
Examples of the power consumption of different devices
With some devices, you can't tell how much electricity they actually consume when in operation. Therefore, a small list with average values follows:
- PC: about 135 watts
- Gaming PC: approx. 500 watts
- TV: about 100 watts
- Music system with amplifier: depending on the size between 100 and 500 watts
- Charging smartphone: approx. 15 watts
- Hair dryer: between 1000 watts and 2000 watts
- Kettle: approx. 2000 watts
- Washing machine: between 1800 watts and 3000 watts
So you can see that devices such as a TV could be plugged into the same power strip without any problems with a TV and the smartphone charging station. But devices with high consumption such as a hair dryer, a kettle or the washing machine have no place on a power strip, but should rather have their own socket!
The bestsellers on Amazon
If you are looking for a good power strip, you will find the bestsellers on Amazon here. If you need more advice or are looking for a specific type of power strip, you will find it in the text below.
- 6-way socket outlet with 1,5m cable length H05VV-F 3G1,5 and increased protection against accidental contact
- Plug connector with illuminated safety switch for switching on and off (two-pole) and function control lamp
- Protects valuable devices against overvoltages with a maximum leakage current of up to 13.500 A (protection during thunderstorms,...
- 10-way socket outlet with 3m cable length H05VV-F 3G1,5 and increased protection against accidental contact
- Stable, simple connector strip made of highly break-proof special plastic
- With illuminated safety switch for switching on and off (two-pole)
- 3 Power Socket with 1,5 m cable length H05VV-F 3G1,5
- Multiple socket with increased contact protection: plastic plates seal the contacts of the socket
- With illuminated safety switch for switching on and off (two-pole)
- 6-way socket strip for saving electricity at the push of a button: illuminated, two-pole on/off switch, ideal for mobile...
- Six sockets arranged at a 45° angle: rotated socket positions, also ideal for angled plugs and...
- Multiple plug fully loadable up to 3.500 Watt: Quality and safety - GS tested
- Robust 3-way power strip: Compact housing made of impact-resistant plastic - ideal for use at home or in...
- 1,4m cable length: The cable is flexible and designed for medium mechanical stress. Cable type: H05VV-F...
- Sockets at a 45° angle: The sockets are arranged at a practical 45° angle to accommodate...
Surge protection, right?
Surge protection is a feature found on higher-end power strips. The protection prevents, for example, in the event of a lightning strike or similar sudden voltage spikes, the current chasing directly through the socket strip to your connected end devices and damaging them. Instead, the current is diverted differently, which in the worst case only causes the strip itself to fall victim to the overvoltage while your end devices remain safe.
It's always a good idea to look out for power strips with this built-in protection. Voltage peaks are not always completely obvious, so you don't always have the option of cutting off the electricity in the entire household before an overvoltage occurs. The overvoltage protection is a helpful feature for a little more security.
lightning protection? Don't buy cheap!
There are power strips with "surge protection" from discounters for very reasonable prices. However, an electrician friend who is called here and there for lightning damage gave us the tip to spend more money here, since the inexpensive socket strips have no effect in the event of lightning strikes and the devices are broken after all.
His personal recommendation was to buy the Brennenstuhl lightning protection power strips. Unfortunately, these are quite expensive, but have repeatedly avoided major damage to electrical appliances for his customers. A customer was using both the cheap Noname and the expensive Brennenstuhl ones and while the devices on the cheap socket strip were all defective, those on the Brennenstuhl socket strip were still working.
- 6-way socket outlet with 1,5m cable length H05VV-F 3G1,5 and increased protection against accidental contact
- Plug connector with illuminated safety switch for switching on and off (two-pole) and function control lamp
- Protects valuable devices against overvoltages with a maximum leakage current of up to 13.500 A (protection during thunderstorms,...
- 3-way socket outlet with 1,5m cable length H05VV-F 3G1,5 and increased protection against accidental contact
- Plug connector with illuminated safety switch for switching on and off (two-pole) and function control lamp
- Protects valuable devices against overvoltages with a maximum leakage current of up to 13.500 A (protection during thunderstorms,...
- 8-way socket outlet with 2,5m cable length H05VV-F 3G1,5 and increased protection against accidental contact
- Multiple plug with practical mounting eyelets for wall mounting and rubber feet for secure standing
- Protects valuable devices against overvoltages with a maximum leakage current of up to 13.500 A (protection during thunderstorms,...
Power saving switch helpful
Many devices in your home draw electricity even when they are not turned on. TVs, music systems and other devices with a standby mode always supply themselves with a minimum power supply so that they are ready for use as soon as you press the start button. Even if the amounts of electricity seem small individually, over the course of a year you can accumulate a fair amount of electricity that you basically waste just to keep the red light on the TV when it's off.
In order to put a stop to such power guzzlers, many socket strips have their own switch options with which you can switch the power supply on and off. The simplest version is the toggle switch, which you only have to flip for the current to flow.
More modern socket strips can even be controlled by remote control, timer or with a corresponding app on the smartphone. For example, you can switch off the power supply in the evening when you go to bed and thus save a lot on electricity and money at the same time!
Integrated child safety sockets for small hands
If you have a household in which there are also small children, then a power strip should also have an appropriate child safety device. This is particularly important when the socket strips are openly accessible so that a small child could easily reach them.
There are different types of child safety devices. With some models, there are just two plates that cover an open connection and that simply have to be pushed to the side. On other models, however, the fuses must first be turned before they release the slot, and still other models have lockable child safety locks that can only be removed with the appropriate key.
Ultimately, the more complicated the protection, the better the chances that your kids won't figure out how to crack it themselves.
Stay away from plug snakes
Some people want to expand the slot on a power strip by adding another power strip to it. But that is dangerous. Because each bar that is connected to a previous bar also increases its current load. This increases the already mentioned risk of fire because the load limit of the power strip can be exceeded. Instead, get larger strips with a higher load limit or distribute your devices at home in such a way that a line of socket strips plugged into each other is superfluous.
Frequently asked questions about power strips
- How many devices can I connect to a power strip?
- What do you have to look out for with socket strips?
- What types of power strips are there?
- What does a power strip with surge protection do?
- Which devices are not allowed to be connected to multiple sockets?
- Can you save electricity with multiple sockets?
- Can you plug a multiple socket into an extension cord?
- What do socket strips with switches do?
- Why are multiple sockets not allowed to be connected one after the other?
- Should multiple sockets be switched off?
- Where must overvoltage protection be installed?
- Can I plug a 3000 watt device into an outlet?
- How many outlets in a circuit?
- Which devices draw power when switched off?
- How safe are power strips?
- How do you extinguish a burning socket?
- What to do if a socket flashes?
- Do multiple sockets have overvoltage protection?
- How does surge protection work in the power strip?
- Which power strip for the PC?
- How can I hide the power strip?
- Can I turn off the TV using the power strip?
- Can you plug socket strips in a row?
Manufacturer of power strips
- Brennenstuhl
- Bachmann
- Ikea
- Kopp
- Ehrmann
- Hama
- Services
- WMF
- Cutlery
- work zone
Various models and properties
- Master-slave power strip
- Power strip with surge protection
- Socket strip for wall mounting
- Socket strip can be switched individually
- Power strip for the kitchen
- Power strip with USB
- Power strip with switch
- Socket strip without cable (without supply line)
- Power strip with foot switch
- Smart power strip
- 2-way power strip (2)
- 3-way power strip (3)
- 4-way power strip (4)
- 5-way power strip (5)
- 6-way power strip (6)
- 8-way power strip (8)
- 10-way power strip (10)
- 12-way power strip (12)
- 19 inch power strip
- Socket strip for screwing
- Outdoor power strip
- Socket strip for flat plugs
- Power strip for the desk
- Outdoor power strip
- Power strip with remote control
- flat power strip
- Socket strip with 3m cable
- Socket strip with 5m cable
- Socket strip with 10m cable
- Wireless power strip
- Design power strip
- Corner power strip
- Built-in power strip
- Surface-mounted power strip
- APC power strip
- WiFi power strip
- UPS power strip
- Homekit power strip
- Power strip mount
- Power strip with timer
- Waterproof socket strip on the outside
- Power strip black
- Retractable power strip
- Socket strip for the kitchen worktop
- Socket strip with FI switch
- Socket strip with fuse
- Hifi power strip
The page contains affiliate links / images: Amazon.de
