10 Best Power Strips of 2026, Surge-Protected, USB-C and Smart Extension Leads Ranked

Six sockets, 650 joules of surge protection and a 2m cord: the Belkin covers what most people need from a surge protector. My own desk feeds two monitors, a PC, a lamp and a phone charger from one wall socket, which is exactly this job. Belkin adds a connected equipment warranty for surge damage, and three editorial roundups include it. The limitation is that it's sockets only, with no USB, and no switch appears in the listing, so chargers need their own plugs. The linked version is white. If four sockets will do, the Masterplug is the cheaper route.

If you just want a cheap, sensible surge-protected extension lead, the Masterplug SRG4210N does the basics properly. You get four shuttered sockets, a 2m cable, surge protection rated at 370 joules, and LEDs that show both power and surge status. It can be wall-mounted, the listing says it's certified to BS1363-2, and Masterplug offers a 3-year connected equipment warranty against surge damage. Three editorial roundups list it. It's unswitched, though, so the only way to kill standby power is at the wall, and four sockets fill up fast next to the Belkin's six.

Smart features earn their place on a power strip when each socket does a different job. The Tapo P304M is a Matter strip on 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, so it works with Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home and SmartThings, with per-outlet energy monitoring, schedules and an away mode that switches lamps to look like someone's home. Tapo counts four outlets, with USB-A and USB-C charging alongside, plus surge protection and a 13A, 3250W limit. One roundup covered it. The listing doesn't give a cable length, which is an odd gap, so measure your run before buying.

Eight sockets angled at 80 degrees is the Premium-Line's real advantage: bulky plug adaptors sit side by side instead of fighting for space. It's on a 3m cable with two illuminated 2-pole switches, child protection, a break-proof plastic housing and a hanging facility for wall mounting, and the cable wraps around the rail for storage. One editorial roundup named it. There's no surge protection listed, so I'd keep it for lamps and chargers rather than a TV. The title doesn't state UK sockets either, so check the socket type in the photos. The linked version is black.

Pack this one for travel, not for the TV. The Hulker Cube is an 83 x 83 x 87 mm block with four outlets facing different directions and three USB-A ports, on a 1.5m cable with a fused UK plug rated at 13A and 3250W. Hulker sells it as a non-surge lead for cruise travel, and it has overload, short-circuit, over-voltage and over-current protection plus safety doors. One roundup included it. That cable is short for floor sockets, and without surge protection I wouldn't run a TV or PC from it. It would live in my travel bag, not under my desk.

Tower leads make sense on a crowded desk, and Anker's 12-in-1 puts eight AC outlets and four USB ports on a 2m cable. It's rated at 13A and 2990W, with 300J surge protection, overload protection and one switch for the lot. The 20W USB-C port handles phone top-ups, but only when USB-C1 is used on its own, so plug in a second device and the speed drops. None of the roundups I read covered it. Compared with the Sameriver tower, you get faster USB-C and a shorter cable. Anker lists an 18-month warranty.

Laptop charging is why you'd pick the Ugreen. Its USB-C1 port supports PD 3.0 and PPS at up to 65W, enough for many compatible laptops, alongside six AC sockets, a second USB-C and two USB-A. The sockets are angled at 15° with 42mm spacing so bulky adapters don't block each other, there's a master switch, and the low-profile body can be wall-mounted. It's the one I'd want under my standing desk, where a laptop brick currently hogs two sockets. The 1.5m cable is short, though, and surge protection isn't mentioned in the title or features.

Individual control is the Meross MSP843's selling point. Each of its four AC outlets switches separately, while the three USB ports switch as one group. It works with HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi, and schedules (including sunrise and sunset) keep running if the internet drops. Charging is 65W in total via GaN across two USB-C and one USB-A. The AC outlets support 13A and 3250W, with overload, overcurrent and overvoltage protection, but surge protection isn't listed and no roundup covered it. Next to the Tapo P304M, you swap energy data for faster USB charging.

Need to reach a socket on the far side of the room? The PRO ELEC lead's 5m cable is the longest on this list. It's a 6-gang surge-protected extension lead rated at 13A, compliant with BS1363/A per the listing, with a neon power indicator and a mountable design. No editorial coverage turned up. There's no switch or USB listed, and it's not water resistant, so keep it indoors. Uncoil the whole cable before you load it up, too. This link is the black finish.

Three metres of cable is the Sameriver's edge over the Anker tower. It fits eight AC sockets and a quartet of USB ports into a compact tower, with surge protection, an overload protector, safety doors, a switch and a 3250W, 13A maximum. The USB ports share 3.4A, up to 17W, which is slow for anything bigger than a phone; a tablet and two phones overnight would crawl. One roundup named it. The listing also suggests garden use, but I'd keep any of these leads indoors and dry.