the.com/power strip
the unsung octopus turning one outlet into a democracy for your gadgets
means A flat housing fitted with several electrical sockets, plugged into a single wall outlet so multiple devices can draw power at once, often with a switch and surge protection.
from A plain compound from "power," the everyday word for electrical energy (from Old French "poeir," to be able), and "strip," the long narrow shape it takes — itself from a Germanic root tied to the idea of a thin band or stripe. The name simply describes the thing: a strip that hands out power. It's a 20th-century coinage that arrived with the spread of household electronics, when one outlet stopped being enough for a hungry desk of gadgets.
- hidden circuit
- Quality ones contain surge-absorbing components that sacrifice themselves silently
- daisy chain danger
- Plugging strips into strips can spark electrical fires
- joule rating
- Higher joules mean more surges survived before it dies
- phantom drain
- Switched strips kill standby power vampires entirely
belkin surge protector — best-selling brand with 6 outlets, dominates us consumer market
tripp lite isobar — professional-grade power strip used in recording studios and server rooms since 1989
amazon basics power strip — budget option with 6 outlets and usb ports, top seller on amazon since 2015