Top pick
With three outlets, two USB ports, and a handy fold-up plug, the pocket-sized Tripp Lite Protect It 3-Outlet Surge Protector is the best and most portable power strip to pack for a trip.
It has lots of room for plugs. This power strip’s unusual design keeps all three outlets easily accessible, as they’re located on different faces—the front and either side. As a result, it can accommodate an impressive variety of plug shapes and sizes.
It’s small and light. At 4.5 inches long, 2.5 inches wide, and just under 1.5 inches deep, this power strip is one of the smallest of those we’ve tested.
It’s easy to fit into the pocket of a backpack or a carry-on suitcase, and the plug prongs fold away neatly when it’s not in use. You’ll barely notice the 5-ounce weight (which is about as heavy as a roll of pennies) in your bag.
It’s sturdily built. In our testing, this power strip stayed firmly in the wall outlet with minimal wobbling, even with three bulky plugs and adapters plugged into it.
Not only does its stability help keep your devices charging at full power, but it’s also safer; a plug pulled partly out of an outlet can damage your electronics or start a fire.
It has a pair of USB ports, letting you charge two devices without an adapter. This power strip worked as advertised in our USB speed tests: Our first iPad drew up to 2.1 amps from a single port, and plugging a second iPad into the other port halved the current flowing to each device.
This means that your phone or tablet might charge more slowly than it would with its own charger or one of our favorite multiport USB chargers, especially if both ports are occupied. That isn’t optimal, but it is par for the course for this type of device.
It’ll likely last for years. Over the past several years, three Wirecutter editors have taken the Tripp Lite Protect It 3-Outlet Surge Protector on dozens of trips. After extensive use, the foldable plug of one unit got stuck in the “out” position, but otherwise the power strip has been trouble-free.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- Because this power strip is rated for only 110-volt outlets, we don’t recommend using it internationally. Even if plugged into an international adapter, it is not a safe option, because most countries have 220-volt electrical grids.
- The manufacturer might call this device a surge protector, but we don’t—according to our tests, the included protection isn’t likely to save your gear. When we sent a 5,000-volt surge through this power strip, it let nearly 1,000 volts slip through to our attached devices. That’s far more than most electronics can handle without dropping dead. Also, its 540-joule rating is on the lower end, which means its surge protection is likely to wear off sooner than that of models with a higher rating, such as our pick with a cord or our home surge protector picks.
