The Good: Appears to work, Comparatively inexpensive
The Bad: No reset/fuse button, LEDs are incredibly bright, Tight outlets
The Basics: Appearing to work so far, the Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector is about the best basic surge protector I can find these days!
Quite some time ago, I found a power strip that truly worked for me. I loved that power strip, mostly because when I worked for a computer repair company several years ago, I had the opportunity to learn about power strips. Most power strips are little more than extension cords, at least after the first power surge they experience. Unless a surge protector has a way to reset the fuse, they offer no protection after the first surge they protect against . . . at least that used to be how they were designed. So, I had a great power strip in the form of a Monster Cable AV600 (reviewed here!) . . . and a month ago, I accidentally dumped a soda onto it. Even with my stringent reviewing standards, I did not expect it to survive that (judging by the electric shocks I received while unplugging my laptop computer . . . it didn't!). So, I immediately went on a quest to replace the AV600 and found that I could not find anything quite like that locally. I did, however, manage to find a surge protector I was willing to spend money on. It was the Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector.
After a month of use and at least three power outages, the Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector truly seems to be working for my wife and I!
As the name suggests, the Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector is a six outlet surge protector, with all six outlets featuring a grounding socket and the safety-constructed slots for safety plugs. For those unfamiliar with most modern appliances, most three prong and especially two prong plugs come with the left prong slightly larger than the right prong so there becomes only one proper and safe way to plug devices in. This prevents electrocutions and destruction of electronic goods.
The six outlets are situated on the top of the eleven inch base of the surge protector. They are evenly spaced and I have had no difficulties with space issues as the only things I have plugged into this have been audio-visual equipment. We found that for standard laptop computer or other basic three-pronged plugs the Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector was able to accomodate all of the plugs, but trying to plug in more sophisticated equipment with larger AC power supplies robbed us of some of the slots. As well, I was very surprised by how tight some of the plug slots on the Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector actually were. I cannot recall having to force plugs into a power strip before, but some of the slots did not seem to want to accept some of our perfectly standard-sized plugs.
The cable for the Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector is eight feet long and ends in a three pronged plug that connects into the wall at an angle. I understand this is supposed to save space, but it still looks funny, unless your outlet is offset by a thirty degree angle. This function only truly makes sense when one is plugging the Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector into the same socket as something with a more intrusive cord. This allows the cable to drape to the side of the socket and other cords as opposed to sticking straight out. This is not a key selling point for me, but might come in handy for those who have crowded outlets or are plugging into places that are hard to reach.
The Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector plugs easily into the wall and is turned on with the flick of a switch. The lit toggle switch clearly indicates when the power is on and there are two LEDs between the power switch and the outlets that indicate that the unit is grounded and protected. Presumably, if either one of those LEDs go off, switching the Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector on and off will reset the unit. If one of the two LEDs does not come back on, it is time to replace the Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector. The Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector is rated for up to 1000 Joules.
The Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector appears to be working. The LEDs are shockingly bright when we have the room darkened (which can be problematic for those using this to ground AV equipment for a home theater). Beyond that, the Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector actually appears to work and it seems to work well. Until there is a surge that destroys my Defiant General Use 6 Outlet Surge Protector and the equipment plugged into it, I am willing to endorse this fairly simple surge protector!
For other power related devices, please check out my reviews of:
GE 34205 HDMI Cable
Canon UL-BP511 battery
Nikon L16 AA batteries
7.5/10
For other electronic device reviews, please visit my Electronics Reviews Index Page for an organized listing!
© 2017 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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