Reviewed by
Jarrett Dottin
Licensed Occupational Therapist dedicated to helping others live their best lives. Certified lymphedema therapist and amazon affiliate who has tested over 1,000 different products. http://About%20JD →
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this site are affiliate links, if you buy though them I may make a commission at no extra cost to you.
Quick Verdict
When power strips surge in popularity, it’s often because of specs like the ones I found on this flat-plug model: ten outlets, four USB ports, and a 2700-joule rating. That joule number is what pulled me in, because a lot of basic strips coast on a fraction of it while calling themselves surge protectors.
Buy if you:
- Run a home office or desk with more plugs than you have outlets
- Charge phones and laptops off USB-C and want it built in
- Have chunky wall adapters that hog neighboring sockets
- Want the flat plug to sit behind furniture flush to the wall
Skip if you:
- Need the outlets spread wide, only two of the ten have the extra 2-inch spacing
- Want individual on/off switches per outlet, this uses one master switch
- Only have two or three things to plug in, ten outlets is overkill
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Why Power Strips Surge Protection Ratings Matter
Joules are the reason electricians point at a strip like this one. A power strip’s surge protection is measured in joules, and this Addtam power strips surge protector carries a 2700-joule rating, which is a lot higher than the throwaway strips most people grab at the checkout line. The number tells you how much energy the strip can soak up from a spike before your electronics start taking the hit instead. If you’ve ever lost a router or a monitor to a storm or a flickering circuit, that rating is the part of the spec sheet that matters. You can check the current price on Amazon here.
What’s Packed Into This Addtam Power Strip
Ten AC outlets, four USB ports, and a flat plug on a 6-foot cord. That’s the headline. Two of those USB ports are USB-C, which is the part that keeps this strip relevant instead of dated, because most new phones, tablets, and laptops have moved to USB-C. The USB-C ports push up to 3A, and the two USB-A ports do up to 2.4A. The whole unit is rated for 1875W at 15A, and it works on a wide 120V to 240V range. The surge protection isn’t a single-component setup either, it stacks three levels: a TVS, an MOV, and a GDT working together instead of one lonely MOV like the cheap strips use.
Desk Setup: Ten outlets plus four USB ports eliminate daisy-chaining and cord clutter.
Ten outlets plus four USB ports means one strip swallows an entire messy setup. Think about a real desk: monitor, laptop brick, desk lamp, phone charger, speakers, a mechanical keyboard’s dongle, maybe a printer nearby. That’s six or seven things before you’ve even added your peripherals. Instead of daisy-chaining two strips or running two separate chargers for USB-C, everything lands in one place. The flat plug is the quietly smart part. It lets the strip sit flush against the wall so you can push a desk or entertainment center right up to it without the cord bending awkwardly behind furniture.
The wide-spaced outlets solve a problem everyone with big wall warts knows. Two of the AC outlets have 2 inches of space between them instead of the standard 1.5 or 1.8 inches, which is enough room for a fat power brick without it covering the socket next door. Home theaters and computer setups are exactly where those get eaten up fast.
Wide Spacing: Only 2 of 10 outlets have the extra 2-inch gap; chunky adapters need careful placement.
Only two of the ten outlets get the extra wide spacing. That’s the catch worth knowing before you buy. If you’ve got three or four oversized adapters, this strip handles two of them comfortably and then you’re back to the usual tetris with the remaining eight standard-spaced sockets. It’s a real design choice, not a flaw, but if your whole setup is chunky bricks you’ll still be playing musical outlets on part of it. Same story with switching: one master switch controls the whole strip, so you can’t kill power to a single outlet without unplugging it.
Get it now
Addtam Surge Protector Power Strip
Get the best price on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this site are affiliate links, if you buy though them I may make a commission at no extra cost to you.
Who Needs This: Home offices, gaming setups, entertainment centers. Skip if you’re powering two devices.
This is a strip for people who have too much to plug in and want it protected properly. Home offices, gaming setups, entertainment centers, dorm rooms. If your desk is a nest of chargers or your TV stand has a console, a soundbar, a streaming box, and a router all fighting for outlets, this consolidates it and adds real surge protection at the same time. The USB-C ports mean you can retire a couple of chargers entirely and just run cables straight from the strip. If you’re only powering a lamp and a phone, this is more strip than you need and a smaller unit makes more sense.
Against a Basic $10 Power Strip
The difference comes down to protection and ports. A basic power strip usually spreads outlets and stops there, often with a low joule rating or a single MOV doing the surge work. This Addtam uses a three-level circuit (TVS, MOV, GDT) rated at 2700 joules, which absorbs and reacts faster than that single-component approach. It’s ETL certified with UL-certified components, and the shell is flame-retardant PC plastic. Where a plain strip wins is simplicity and price, so if you truly don’t care about surge protection and just need more sockets, you can spend less. But calling something a “surge protector” and actually protecting against a serious spike are two different things, and the joule number is where that line gets drawn.
A Couple Things to Do Before You Trust It
Plug your most important electronics into the outlets first, not the extras. Surge protection covers everything on the strip, but you want your computer, TV, or console on it for sure rather than clinging to a wall socket with no protection. Use the two wide-spaced outlets for your biggest adapters so you don’t cover neighboring sockets. And don’t push a strip like this past its 1875W/15A limit by stacking high-draw appliances like space heaters, that’s what the overload protection is there to stop, but it’s better not to lean on it. Route the 6-foot cord where it won’t get yanked, and the flat plug will let you tuck the whole thing behind furniture cleanly.
Pros
- 2700-joule rating with a three-level surge circuit, well above basic strips
- 10 AC outlets and 4 USB ports (2 of them USB-C) on one unit
- Flat plug sits flush to the wall for tight spaces
- Two wide-spaced outlets fit oversized adapters without blocking neighbors
- ETL certified with a flame-retardant PC shell and overload protection
Cons
- Only 2 of the 10 outlets get the extra 2-inch spacing
- Single master switch, no per-outlet control
- Ten outlets is more than a light setup needs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 2700 joules enough surge protection for a computer or TV?
Yes, 2700 joules comfortably covers home electronics like computers, TVs, and home-theater gear. It’s well above the low ratings on basic strips, and the three-level TVS/MOV/GDT circuit reacts faster than a single-MOV design. For everyday desk and living-room use it’s plenty.
Do the USB-C ports charge a laptop?
The USB-C ports deliver up to 3A, which handles phones, tablets, and low-draw laptops fine. Power-hungry laptops that need high-wattage USB-C PD may charge slowly or trickle, so for those keep using the AC outlet with the laptop’s own brick. For most devices the 3A output is quick enough.
Can I plug this into a 240V outlet overseas?
The strip is rated for a wide 120V to 240V range, so the internals accept 240V circuits. You’d still need the correct wall plug adapter for the country’s socket shape since the plug itself is a standard US flat plug. Check your destination’s plug type before relying on it abroad.
Will it get hot with everything plugged in?
It shouldn’t, as long as you stay under the 1875W/15A limit. The overload protection switch caps the working current so the strip doesn’t overheat during normal use. Avoid stacking high-draw appliances like heaters or hair dryers on it and you’re fine.
Does it need an app or account to work?
No, it’s a plain wired power strip with no app, account, or firmware involved. You plug it in and it works. All the surge protection and charging is handled by the hardware itself.
Is the flat plug really flush against the wall?
Yes, the flat plug design lets the cord exit parallel to the wall instead of jutting straight out. That means you can push furniture right up against the outlet without bending or crimping the plug. It’s the detail that makes it work behind desks and entertainment centers.
Can I mount it to a wall or under a desk?
Many strips this shape have keyhole slots on the back for wall or desk mounting, though mounting hardware isn’t always included. Check the underside when it arrives. Even without mounting, the flat profile and 6-foot cord make it easy to tuck out of sight.
How does the surge protection compare to cheaper strips?
It uses a three-level circuit (TVS, MOV, and GDT) rated at 2700 joules, versus the single MOV and lower joule counts on most budget strips. That combination reacts faster and absorbs more energy before your electronics are at risk. If surge protection is why you’re buying, this is a meaningful step up from a plain multi-outlet strip.
Get it now
Addtam Surge Protector Power Strip
Get the best price on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this site are affiliate links, if you buy though them I may make a commission at no extra cost to you.
About the reviewer
Jarrett Dottin
Licensed Occupational Therapist dedicated to helping others live their best lives. Certified lymphedema therapist and amazon affiliate who has tested over 1,000 different products.
