Power strips can be seen in almost every home and office. Simple charging devices can’t meet increasing charging requirements anymore with all sorts of electronics and appliances coming into life. Power strip make it more efficient to power up multi devices in an easier and safer way. Different brands of power strips are emerging in the market due to the increasing demands. It is easy to get trapped in merchant tricks. To help choose a good and suitable power strip, here are ten tips for you.
First: material
A good power strip should be made of materials which performance better in fire-resistance, insulativity, shock resistance, moisture resistance and so on. Materials directly determine not only the life of a device, but the safety of an electronic device. Materials which are fire-resistant, insulative, anti-shock and moisture resistant can guarantee a higher stability and longer color lasting. About switch panel, apart from those with advanced plastics, there are also panels that are coated with gold, stainless steel, metal, multiple options for people to choose.
Second: configuration
Commonly, a power strip whose surface is smooth, uniform in color and touches textured can be regarded as a good power strip. What’s more, pay attention to the brands marks outside the device. If there is any blur, spelling error, or unfairness, chances is it a counterfeit or an inferior.
Three: internal structure
In terms of a qualified product, its switch is usually an electric bridge made of pure silver contactor and silver copper composite materials, which can effectively prevent oxidation because of electric arc during switching on or off. High quality panels are commonly made of silver nickel copper composite materials. Silver material has good conductivity and silver-nickel alloy materials are powerful enough to restrict the electric arc so that it can guarantee over 80 thousand times of on and off, far exceeding the international standard 40 thousand times.
Four: hand feeling
When choosing a power strip, try its switch then. If it has a good resilience with moderate hardness and softness, and flexible switch turning, it is a good power strip worth to buy. With this kind of power strip, you don’t have to worry about fire accident caused by the switch stuck in the middle. Also, you can weigh it in hands. A device with high quality materials can’t be very light.
Five: craftsmanship
Power strip switch is touched frequently. In particular, for those with color panels, colors are easy to fade and grow aging after being used for a long time if with inferior materials. If you choose one that is made of uvioresistant materials and spray coated and grilled, you can be worry-free to use it.
Six: humanized design
At present, most power strips are designed with LED indicator lights. The lights can indicate the status of power strip whether it is turned on or turned off. The colors of indicator lights have changed from traditional single green fluorescence into multi colors. Nowadays, LED lights are more popular to ensure a longer life and lower consumption.
Seven: package and instruction manual
Leading brands are concentrated more on consumer experience, so they not only pay attention to product quality, but to product packages and instruction manuals, which is incomparable for other less known or inferior brands. Especially when buying an imported product, you need to check whether it comes with an instruction manual with standard language. Besides, brand name, technic specifications or other important precautions should be clear and exactly right.
Eight: grounded wire
Some power strips have no sockets for grounded wire, which is very dangerous.
Nine: rated power
Each power strip has its own rated power, so it is safe to charge appliances within the rated power. If you use a strip with low power to charge a high appliance, it is easy to cause overheating or even fire. So, choose a power strip with a suitable power according to what you used it for.
Ten: cord length
It is important to choose a charging cable with suitable length. If it is too short, it is not convenient to charge devices anywhere you want. If the cord is too long, there may easy to make clutter. Think where to put it and where you often use it, then you can choose a cord with suitable length.
Eleven: safety certification
A qualified switch product must measure up to national and international standards. Different countries have different standards to electronics. Some brands have also approved other countries’ certifications.
The above eleven factors are common things that you should know when choosing a power strip. You can take more into consideration according to your specific requirement. Choose a better power strip and charge a safe and happy life.
