Best Surge Protector of 2024: APC Is Our Top Choice
Our Picks Best surge protector overall APC P11U2 View details $28 at Best Buy View details Best surge protector for gaming PC Tripp Lite TLP1208TELTV View details $48 at Amazon View details Best surge protector for TV/Home Theater Belkin Conserve Switch F7C01008q View details $38 at Amazon View details Best surge protector for extension cords Accell D080B-051B View details $40 at Dihuni View details Best small surge protector Belkin BP108000 View details $46 at Amazon View details Best on-wall surge protector Amazon S9P658O300A00 View details $15 at Amazon View details Another excellent compact option Anker PowerPort Strip PD 2 Mini View details $38 at eBay View details Table of Contents Surge protectors -- different than extension chords or power strips -- are an essential piece of hardware meant to extend the life of your tech and help protect you against electrical fires and system crashes. But choosing the right one can be a challenge.After rigorous testing on 16 of the top surge protectors available for under $100, weve carved out the list you need. Our favorite surge protectors have a high joule rating -- essentially how much energy it can absorb before failing. The higher the joule rating the more protection it provides. We also like plenty of outlets that are arranged so you can use all of them while also not being too big and hard to hide.What is the best surge protector overall?The standout performer against all of our requirements was the APC P11U2. Its impressive number of outlets -- 11 -- is noteworthy, and six of them have a generously wide design to provide spacing that can accommodate larger power adapters. It also comes with USB ports that allow you to directly charge your devices, a high joule rating (more on that below) and a conveniently long power cord. It even comes with a lifetime $250,000 equipment protection policy. For those seeking surge protection with specific features or smaller sizes, we have more recommendations below worth checking out.Best surge protectors of 2024Filter by Showing 7 of 7 Results Photo Gallery 1/1 $28 at Best Buy $28 at Amazon Pros Above average joules Cons Bulky Lack of features Type 5+ PortsVoltage 120 VoltsCord length 8 ftWarranty Lifetime & $250,000 on connected equipment $28 at Best Buy $28 at Amazon The APC P11U2 checks all the boxes for what I was looking for in a surge protector. It has six widely spaced plugs, plus five more that are closer together and two USB ports. It has 2,880 joules of protection, well above my test's average. Coincidentally, editor Ty Pendlebury has one in his testing lab. APC offers a lifetime $250,000 equipment protection policy.Overall build quality is quite solid, even though the protective covers for each outlet are superfluous and come off easily. The cord to connect the power strip to the wall is quite long at 8 feet, which is convenient. It's not flashy and doesn't have some of the features of some of my other picks, but for a basic, solid, surge protector, it's the one to get.It's worth noting that APC discontinued the P11U2 in the past few months, but it is still available at Best Buy. We will update this list once we find a suitable replacement.