Any power strip adds extra outlets to a room, but a surge protector does a different job: it stops harmful power surges from reaching your gear. These picks come from published testing by Wirecutter, PCMag, Tom’s Guide and CNN Underscored.
We are summarising other reviewers’ testing, not repeating our own. Prices below should be re-checked before buying.
Top pick: Eaton Tripp Lite Protect It 12-Outlet Surge Protector TLP1208SAT
Wirecutter names the Tripp Lite Protect It 12-Outlet as its best surge protector, citing the best combination of protection and outlet quantity at a reasonable price. It absorbs thousands of volts so they do not reach your equipment, and it tells you when its protection has been compromised, which is the feature that makes a surge protector worth having rather than a plain strip.
Best value: Anker 351 Power Strip
CNN Underscored and Tom’s Guide both name the Anker 351 as their top pick for most people, balancing plentiful outlets with 2100 joules of surge protection at a low price. Tom’s Guide specifically highlights the outlet count and the 2100-joule rating as the reason it wins on value.
Best hardwired option: Eve Energy Outlet
For anyone who wants a permanent installation rather than a strip, PCMag names the Eve Energy Outlet as its best hardwired smart wall outlet. This is a different product category from the others here, so it is worth separating the two use cases: a strip you can move, or an outlet you wire in.
What to check before you buy
- Joule rating. This is the amount of surge energy the protector can absorb before it stops protecting. Higher is better, and it is the number that actually distinguishes a surge protector from a power strip.
- Protection indicator. Surge protectors wear out. A unit that tells you its protection is still active is worth more than one that silently stops working.
- Outlet count and spacing. Large power bricks can block adjacent outlets. Check the physical spacing against the plugs you actually use.
- USB ports. Useful for charging phones and tablets without a wall adapter, but they do not change the surge protection.
If you are buying other power accessories at the same time, our late October 2026 power bank roundup covers portable charging.
What we did not do
We did not test any of these surge protectors ourselves, and we did not verify current prices. All picks and assessments come from the published roundups cited below, and prices will have changed since those guides were updated.
Sources
- Wirecutter — The 4 Best Surge Protectors of 2026
- PCMag — The Best Smart Plugs and Power Strips for 2026
- Tom’s Guide — The best surge protectors in 2026
- Honest Fred — Best Power Banks for Laptops and Phones
