What is the difference between a power strip and a surge protector?

When it comes to protection of our electronic devices we should take good care of what we have so that it lasts us a long time. Two of the essential tools we need to know about are the surge protector and power strip. These are very important to keep the overall quality and safety of your electronics.

Most of us have a house that runs on many electric devices that need to be plugged in to power outlets. Unfortunately, a large majority of houses have inadequate amounts of those supplied. This can easily be remedied with a power strip or surge protector.

What is a power strip?

A power strip is an electronic accessory that you can plug into any of your wall outlets. This accessory allows you to plug multiple devices in at the same time. A power strip used to be just a random thing you may have around your house, but with the growing number of electronics per household, it has become more of a necessity. All in all, this is the only function of the power strip. It is essentially an extension cord for multiple devices. When it comes to safety, plugging something into a power strip is just like plugging it into a wall outlet.

What is a surge protector?

A surge protector is quite similar in appearance with a power strip, you can plug multiple electronic devices into it, but it also serves another very important function. Your surge protector will protect your electronic devices from a power spike.

A power spike is a temporary high increase in power that lasts for a fraction of a second. These power spikes can be caused by lightning strikes, power outages, tripped circuit breakers, short circuits, and more. Having a surge protector for expensive electronics like your TV, computer, etc is a great idea so these devices are protected. When it comes to simple electronics like a coffee maker or toaster, a surge protector is not a necessity.

A surge protector is going to cost a little more than a power strip, generally you can find a simple power strip for under $10 where as a surge protector will run you around $10-20 (or more depending on what you are looking at).

Both power strips and surge protectors are essential to your home for your electronic devices. They can expand the lifespan of your appliances and give you peace of mind for your more expensive items. Take some time to do some research and take inventory of the items in your home that may need to be moved to a surge protector and get more life our of your items!