Best Surge Protectors For A College Dorm For Under $30



Wondering what the top surge protectors are to protect your favorite electronics? Looking for something affordable and reliable.  Here at CollegeTechBits, we have the answers.

When picking out surge protectors, we recommend you look over your dorm’s rules on the matter. Sometimes due to fire risks, dorms will outright ban power strips. It’s worth mentioning that sometimes you can talk to the person responsible for these rules and discuss them if you believe they are outdated. Due to advancements in surge protector technology, they are far safer than they use to be and aren’t as much of a fire hazard as some may have you believe.

If you’re here just for our best overall surge protector then the Belkin 12 outlet surge protector is the way to go.  With a lifetime product warranty from Belkin and a $200,000 connected equipment warranty, you can worry less and study more.

We have also compiled a list of other surge protectors we like for various reasons.  If the Belkin doesn’t work for you then read below to learn more about our other favorite surge protectors.

Belkin Power Strip Surge Protector: Top Pick

power strip

Pros:

  • Life Time Warranty
  • 3940 Joule Rating
  • $200,000 Equipment Warranty
  • Affordable

Cons:

  • No USB Ports
  • Bulky

When looking for the best surge protector for a college student we focused on two things reliability and price. The Belkin 12 checks both of these boxes. Coming in around $25 the Belkin is very affordable, especially for a college student. The 12 outlets make it nice for small dorms with a limited amount of power outlets. The 3940-joule rating also gives you the assurance that your electronics are protected from a power surge. We also love that Belkin includes a $200,000 equipment warranty letting us know that if all else fails Belkin will replace your electronics that were damaged.

The Belkin 12 Outlet gets our approval and should provide your dorm the upgrade it needs.

Anker 6 Outlet: Fast Charge

Surge protector

Pros:

  • Fast Charing USBs
  • Small Form Factor
  • $100,000 Equipment Warranty
  • Accommodates Large Plugs

Cons:

  • Only 6 Outlets
  • 18-Month Warranty

The Anker 6 outlet is built for those looking for something a little bit smaller than the Belkin. We really like the fast charging capabilities of the 3 USB ports located at the bottom of the outlet built with Anker’s PowerIQ technology. This makes charging your phone a breeze giving you enough juice to last the day in only 30 minutes. The spacing between each outlet is also thought out letting you plug in bulkier power adapters that usually wouldn’t fit on other surge protectors.

If your looking for something smaller and provides fast charging USBs than the Anker 6 outlet is a perfect addition to your dorm room.

Poweradd Retractable Power Strip: Best Portable Surge Protector

extension cord

Pros:

  • Portable
  • 24-Month Warranty
  • Retractable Cord
  • Type C USB Port
  • 5 Outlets

Cons:

  • Only 900 Joule Rating

The POWERADD is a great portable surge protector. A 3ft retractable cord and a small form factor make this the perfect surge protector to take on the go. It’s great to take to campus giving you the flexibility of where to study. We really like seeing the Type C USB port that gives us more flexibility with what cords are compatible with this surge protector. The 900-joule rating should be enough to cover your day-to-day use but we always like to see it higher.

If your looking for a portable surge protector to get a large study group together then the POWERADD is perfect for you.

Addtam Outlet Extender: Best Wall Surge Protector

surge protector

Pros:

  • 1800 Joule Rating
  • 5 Outlets
  • USB Ports Including Type C
  • Fast Charging For USB Ports
  • Very Affordable

Cons:

  • Covers 2 Outlets
  • 18-Month Warranty

The Addtam is a great addition to a dorm room. Being a wall plug removes that obnoxious wire and provides a very clean look. The side outlet plugs are optimally placed giving you enough space to plug in bulky plugs. We really like the included 4 USB ports to with one of them being Type C. We would have like to see at least some type of warranty but the price is reasonable so we were able to look past that.

Overall the Addtam is perfect for minimalistic dorm room setups and will provide you all your charging needs.

What We Looked For

Finding optimal tech for college is very important but understanding why it is optimal is just as important. Here at CollegeTechBits, we understand that students are looking for something affordable that will last their college experience and we want to explain why our choices fill that criteria.

When we put together this list, we decided on a few requirements that all entries needed:

  • The surge protector we looked at was under $35
  • Each surge protector had a joule rating of 600 or higher
  • The surge protector contained USB ports or had an adequate number of outlets
  • The company had a warranty and/or equipment warranty
  • Portability of surge protector

These were all important factors in our list and helped us pick out the best surge protector so you don’t have to.

Final Thoughts

With smart phones, laptops, headphones, and even backpacks needing to be charged these days, the number of outlets in your dorm starts to seem like far too few. Surge protectors are an amazing solution to this problem. With the handful listed here and the hundreds of other inexpensive options, there’s plenty to choose from on a college budget. So hop amazon and grab one to supercharge your dorm room!

Bryce

I'm a college student just like you. I want to know what the best tech is so I can be successful at college.

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