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One of our most popular items of 2024, AOL readers have purchased thousands of these $10 surge protectors — here's why
There's not an outlet in my home that isn't filled, at least some of the time, with a lamp, appliance or charger of some kind. In fact, I considered upgrading many of my outlets from two receptacles to four, plus a USB port, until I saw the price tag: $50 a pop. Ouch. How about a cheaper solution that thousands of AOL readers have found? That's the Qinliaf 5-Outlet Extender. Instead of two outlets, you get five, plus four USB ports. And you get it all for just $10.
This innovative design gives you five outlets — two on each side and one in the middle — along with three USB-A ports and one USB-C port.
This outlet extender is already marked down a few bucks, but the real benefit comes from how it gives you so much more usable outlet space than a standard wall outlet. It's also cheaper than most power strips, and it takes up less space. That makes it a worthwhile deal even at full price.
Not only does this gadget provide more space, but it has a surge-protection circuit to guard your devices from unexpected changes in power. The Qinliaf Extender also detects the kind of device plugged into it and provides the appropriate amount of power, preventing problems with over-voltage. Think about your most-used devices. What shape are their power cords? If they block more than a single outlet when you plug them in (looking at you, Google smart devices and Apple laptops), then you need an extender like this to make full use of the outlet.
With four built-in USB chargers (including a USB-C for newer gizmos) you never have to spend another minute finding a charger block. Just grab a cable, plug it in and you're good to go whether you're charging your phone, headphones or smartwatch. Best of all, there's no installation required, so you don't have to worry about cutting drywall to install something like these pricey four-outlet receptacles I was eyeing. The Qinlianf is so inexpensive and easy to use that I put my money where my mouth (err…keyboard?) is and bought four more before writing this.
"I've bought a number of outlet expanders over the years and the early ones were terrible. Big, bulky, ugly and only added an extra outlet spot or two," said one fan. The Qinliaf, they continued, "is much more advanced, attractive and powerful than any other I have tried. ... Admittedly, I have not used the USB-C outlet yet, but I have chargers and cords plugged into pretty much all of the other outlets including an Amazon Echo, chargers for a tablet, iPad, cell phone and portable speaker."
"Tested for a year ... works perfectly," said another buyer. "It is trim enough to work behind furniture. Also, when lightning struck our neighborhood, the surge protection saved my computer, modem and router." (Phew!)
One homeowner pointed out that "this was an easy way to upgrade the outlets in our home without having to replace the receptacle. Not only does it allow us to plug in our USB devices but it gives us more outlets for lamps, TV, media devices, etc. Very handy and seems to provide adequate USB power."
Don't sweat the next power outage. Built-in surge protection will help keep all your pricey tech safe.
If you have Amazon Prime, you'll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.
