AmazonBasics 6-Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip review: Very little protection

We included this AmazonBasics model in our testing, because we wanted to see how a baseline, mostly old-style power strip with surge protection would work. The answer is: not well and we don’t recommend it for electronics of any kind. Its clamping voltage is too high, protection too low, and durability too short.

It’s almost a side note that the location and spacing of the outlets isn’t ideal for electronics. There’s one extra long gap at the strip’s end opposite the power switch, but I was only able to position four typical plugs among its six outlets.

To be fair, Amazon markets it at the top of its product page as for “small appliances, phones, and lamps,” but in the full description, Amazon says it “creates an important layer of defense, protecting electronic devices like hard drives against system crashes, data loss, and damage.”

Glenn Fleishman

That’s not a good recommendation, however. It clamps voltage only at 800V, which could damage some devices if the surge goes on longer than a very brief period, and it has just 790 joules of protection. That high clamping amount might prolong its life, but you might have lost electronics by then. (Amazon offers a $20,000 warranty against forms of damage to the original owner.)

The AmazonBasics surge protector also keeps power flowing when protection is gone, so you need to keep an eye on its bright red Protected light.

Bottom Line

We don’t recommend this surge protector for electronics.