If you have a lot of expensive electronics and you are worried about them getting friend by an electrical surge, you might want to look into a surge protector. Today we are going to review one such surge protector for your electronics — the APC Smart Plug Surge Protector Power Strip.
APC Smart Plug Surge Protector Power Strip
The APC Smart Plug Surge Protector Power Strip is a very unique surge protector that has smart features. It will cost you a bit extra because it is smart, but that said, it’s a really cool way to protect your electronics.
Who is this product for?
The APC Smart Plug Surge Protector Power Strip is designed for people who want to plug in electronic devices without fear of electrical surges damaging them.
Moreover, this unit is designed for people who want to be able to control their electronic device (on/off), from afar, using nothing but a mobile phone. That said, be aware that you need the Alexa Voice assistant to make it work.
What’s included?
When you purchase the APC Smart Plug Surge Protector Power Strip, you get a power strip that comes with a total of 8 plugs and 2 USB ports. You also get Wi-Fi functionality so you can control the unit with your mobile device.
Now, the issue here is that to use this unit you need to have the Alexa Voice Assistant, and that is going to cost you.
Overview of features
The APC Smart Plug Surge Protector Power Strip is one of the more unique surge protectors out there. So, first off, this particular unit features 3 Wi-Fi smart plugs and 8 plugs in total. Moreover, of those 8 plugs, 3 of them feature surge protection.
Also, there are a total of 2 USB ports. Now, as you can see, only 3 of the 8 plugs feature surge protection, so you do need to choose carefully in terms of what you plug in where. Moreover, the USB ports do not appear to have surge protection.
Although not all of the outlets on the APC Smart Plug Surge Protector Power Strip feature surge protection, this unit comes with a major advantage; some of the outlets are considered smart.
This means that you can connect them to your Alexa voice assistant, and then connect it all together to your phone or tablet. Therefore, as long as your mobile device is connected to the Alexa assistant, you can control the outlets from your mobile device.
What’s cool is that you can turn these Wi-Fi plugs on and off no matter where you are, and at the same time, you can use the mobile app to schedule the plugs to turn off and on at specific times.
In terms of overall protection, the APC Smart Plug Surge Protector Power Strip offers up to nearly 2,200 joules’ worth of protection for your devices. This is generally considered to be more than enough for most purposes, although it could be better.
The APC Smart Plug Surge Protector Power Strip is backed by a lifetime warranty, and even better your devices will be protected by a $150,000 warranty in the event that this unit fails to do its job.
Tutorial
Using a surge protector like the APC Smart Plug Surge Protector Power Strip is not very hard, but it may be helpful to get some advice. Here we have a small tutorial video on how to use a surge protector like this, just so you know what you are doing.
Pros
- Decent surge protection
- Mobile control from afar
- Space saving
- $150,000 connected electronics warranty
- Can schedule appliances to turn on and off
- Has some surge protected USB ports
Cons
- Not all plugs are surge protected
- Requires Alexa
- Not the most affordable
Alternatives
Belkin 12-Outlet Pivot-Plug Power Strip Surge Protector
A big disadvantage with the APC Smart Plug Surge Protector Power Strip is that you need the Alexa voice assistant to make it work. This may be pointless for you. Therefore, if you want a more basic power strip surge protector, one that can handle a large power spike and features plugs that are all protected, the Belkin 12-Outlet Pivot-Plug Power Strip Surge Protector is something to look into.
Conclusion
The fact of the matter is that the APC Smart Plug Surge Protector Power Strip is a really cool type of surge protector. The fact that it can be controlled via your mobile device is pretty neat. However, keep in mind that not all the plugs on this model are surge protected, which is a downside. That said, this unit does get the job done if used the right way.