The Essentials Studio Equipment
Anker Power Strip
Twelve outlets, spaced far enough apart to actually use all twelve, on a flat plug that disappears behind the desk. Unglamorous. Correct.
What it is
The Anker 351 power strip, model A9192. Twelve AC outlets, two USB-A ports and one USB-C, 2,100 joules of surge protection, a five-foot cord on a flat plug, TÃœV listed. The AC outlets are spaced widely enough to take a few wall-wart bricks without losing their neighbors. Two mounting screws are in the box, so it can go under the desk instead of on the floor. Anker ships it with an 18-month warranty and a connected-equipment guarantee.
Why it’s on this list
A working desk grows plugs the way a garden grows weeds. The hardware-store strip gives you six outlets, three of which are blocked the moment you plug in a laptop brick, and no surge rating worth the name. This one gives you twelve usable outlets, three charging ports, and real surge protection for roughly the price of a bad strip.
Buying once matters even at this end of the market. A strip that has enough outlets, spaced properly, mounted out of sight, means you stop daisy-chaining — and daisy-chained strips are how desks catch fire.
What to know before you buy
- The USB-C port is 20 watts, and only when the USB-A ports are idle. Use all three at once and they share about 15 watts. It charges a phone. It will not charge a laptop. Do not buy it as a substitute for a proper charger.
- Five feet is short. Measure from the outlet to where the strip actually has to sit before you order.
- It is not a UPS. The power cuts and everything on it dies. If you run a desktop, a NAS, or anything mid-render, buy an uninterruptible supply instead — or as well.
- Surge protectors are consumables. The joule rating is a budget that spends down with every hit it takes. After a serious strike, or after enough years, it is protecting nothing. Replace it.
- Not for high-draw appliances. Space heaters, window air conditioners, and shop tools do not belong on a power strip. This is desk-class gear on a standard household circuit.
- It is not a power conditioner. It will not clean dirty power or remove hum from an audio chain. If that is your problem, this is not your product.
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