Belkin Mini Surge 3 Outlet Wall Mount with USB Charger
by Belkin Components
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List Price: Our Price: $13.91 You Save: $5.08 (27%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $11.98 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Belkin Mini Surge 3 Outlet Wall Mount with USB Charger
Customer Review: Useful product with the right idea, but some glaring design flaws
Summary: 2 Stars
I normally don't write product reviews, but I recently bought this surge protector for my desk, thinking that it would be good for giving me a few extra outlets at my work desk, as well as USB ports to charge my phone, iPod, and other USB devices, and it would be useful for travel, however, this unit has some pretty stupid design flaws which limit its appeal for me, and ultimately I am returning the product.
1. It emits a very high pitch humming sound, constantly. I am young and can hear high pitch sounds well (this ability degrades with age) and the constant, while relatively quiet, hum at such high pitch really drives me nuts. When I'm trying to fall asleep I can hear it, and if I am reading something at my desk I can also hear it buzzing away. This is true for many products, for example, Nikon lenses with the vibration reduction also emit a high pitch sound when the VR is active (as you're taking a shot). For something that is constantly on though, this is unacceptable.
2. The outlets are all side by side. This makes it so that if you have one large wall-wart (like the one for my desk speakers) it will block the other ports. A simple solution would be to turn all the outlets 90 degrees so that the large power adapters can hang off the bottom-most outlet. Belkin has seemingly overlooked the necessity of using power-adapters.
3. The unit does not sit flush with the wall. Around the prongs of the surge protector there is a plastic protrusion which causes the whole unit to jut out of the wall another 1/3". This has the effect that the unit doesn't touch the wall, thereby losing its support. With heavy cables or power adapters hanging off the unit, the plug pulls out somewhat to expose the prongs. Not very stable.
4. Bigger than expected. It's compact and robustly built, but it is really the size of a 12oz soda can. Not ideal for traveling or hanging off your wall, especially with the aforementioned stability issue.
I like the idea of this product, just a small surge protector with a couple of USB ports, but the execution is poor and it really has some pretty stupid design flaws that limit its usefulness.
Customer Review: Not Good Enough To Recommend
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this and use it for travel. Hotels often don't provide enough plugs. Especially in Europe, and then you will need a plug converter for each device...or just one if you use a power bar like this.
I used to travel with a cheap power strip which would give me six plugs, but I didn't need all six, and I didn't have surge since the surge adds weight and size. With a power strip in one's travel case, one can often plug it into the single desk outlet that hotels provide, and instantly have enough outlets for your laptop, phone, headset, media player, etc.
I got the Belkin to reduce the size, and add surge. In particular, I like the notion of the USB ports, since I can then carry small/light 12 inch USB charge cables for my gadgets instead of bigger AC adapters. Before, I would often leave my laptop on to get powered USB ports.
From my high expectations, these were the setbacks:
- The USB ports are under-powered. The specs say it will deliver .5A to each port, but I think it does less. In fact, I think it only delivers decent current to one of the ports at a time. When I plug in two WinMo phones, in the morning, one is always charged, the other always dead.
- It's big. Maybe not too big, but big. OK, it has surge, but because of the plug layout, and the power limitations mentioned above, it turns out to be a two-plug, one USB device...and it's too big for what it offers.
- Won't charge iPhone reliably, since iPhone wants 1A, and this offers .5A
- The outlets are too close together for inserting AC adpaters. They could have designed this better by placing an outlet one of the blank sides of the unit.
Cheers!
djk
Did you know?:
Soon, laptops will be shipping with USB ports that are powered-up even when the laptop is off. It is called "Sleep-And-Charge". It is in response to the growing number of devices that recharge from USB ports. Cool. At that point, I'll get rid of this Belkin. But bear in mind, it will still be mostly the 500mA standard power limit that doesn't satisfy iPhones.
Customer Review: I suppose 'Mini' is a subjective term...
Summary: 2 Stars
I ordered two of these devices to take traveling with me. I was primarily looking for a way to replace the need for multiple power adapters in my carry-on gadget bag and charge my devices via USB cables. The surge protection and additional outlets were secondary for my needs. With that said, this item may not have been the best choice for me, but from the pictures this 'Mini Surge Protector' appeared to be the answer to my problem.
When I received my package from Amazon I was shocked to see just how big the unit actually was. It weighed 6.6 ounces, and was way too big for my streamlined gadget bag (I travel with a Tamrac Velocity 8x bag 99% of the time). This is more 'checked' luggage friendly than 'carry-on'. Even in a laptop case you're going to need quite a bit of room to fit this unit in.
As for it's performance, it worked just as intended. I had no problems charging my USB gadgets, including my PSP contrary to the previous review on here. For the record, my PSP is the original model and I used a specific charge cable for it (USB to power adapter) as the old PSPs CANNOT charge via USB alone (unlike the new models).
Out of the two units I purchased I did have to return one of the them due to a misaligned USB port. It prevented me from getting a USB cable connected unless I held the cable in place. This may have been fixable, but since I was not happy with the unit I didn't bother trying.
A nice feature of this surge protector is the ability of it to rotate allowing you to align it either horizontally or vertically as not to block additional outlets on the wall.
Had it been smaller and lighter it would've been a perfect addition to any gadget bag, but if you are traveling with minimum available space you might be out of luck. The surge protector is much thicker than the photos let on (check out my user posted photos to see).
Customer Review: No Switch and the Prongs Don't Retract
Summary: 4 Stars
First of all, the Belkin Mini Surge Protector does not have a switch. You plug it in, and all the outlets and USB charging ports are on. You have to unplug it to turn it off.
I use it to charge the batteries for my Logitech G7 laser mouse. The batteries charge via a USB charging cradle, but I don't want to keep my computer on all the time just to charge the batteries. With this device, I can just plug the charging cradle to the wall and keep the batteries fully charged.
Other reviews have said that the Belkin Mini Surge Protector is too bulky for travel. I don't think you can slip it into a notebook computer bag, but it's still smaller than most surge protectors since it doesn't have a cord.
I'm more concerned that the outlet prongs don't retract or fold when not in use. The prongs look like they could poke through a bag. You can put a cap on the prongs, but then you just end up with an "L" shaped device. It would have been better if there was a way to fold the prongs so that they're flush with the surface and you end up with a brick with flat sides.
If you have a bulky AC adapter, adding a Power Strip Liberator Plus to the Belkin might let you plug in the AC adapter without blocking the other outlets. Or you could bring along a Socket Sense SS1650W-06 expanding surger protector, but you'll be adding more weight to your luggage.
The Belkin only has 2 USB charging ports, while the Lenmar ACUSB4 AC Travel Adapter has 4 ports. However, the Lenmar does not have outlets for regular electronics. If you only need to charge USB devices, the Lenmar might be a good alternative.
Overall, the Belkin Mini Surge Protector is a step in the right direction, but there's definite room for improvement.
Customer Review: USB not as universal as expected
Summary: 3 Stars
Decent unit, seems well made but definitely a few disappointments.
Amazon has 3 copies of this item listed as 3 separate products. The reviews are not consolidated.
The unit is significantly larger than expected. My fault for not observing the listed dimensions, but the pictures give the impression that the device is smaller than it really is.
The swivel plug is nice, but it sticks out from the socket farther than I'd like. Plugging something into the bottom plug can torque the device since the plug has an inch or so of space between it and the wall. So two hands are really needed when plugging items into the device.
The only reason I purchased this item was for the USB ports. I have two normal items plugged into the wall socket but wanted to recharge my PS3 controllers without having to waste electricity running the PS3 itself. Connect the controller to this charger via the USB cable that came with the PS3, no dice. Switched to the thinner, charge only USB cable that came with the charger. That did not work either. I did have my RAZR cell phone handy which uses mini USB for charging. Connected it to the charger with the PS3 USB cable. Did not work. Connected the phone with the charge only USB cable, and it did recharge the phone.
I'd guess that the PS3 is proprietary, but the controller will charge off my laptop. Also makes no sense why a full USB cable would not work. Just because the extra pinouts are wired for data shouldn't affect charging.
The USB spec is for 5V and up to 500 mA of power. I don't know the draw of the PS3 controller, but since it will charge off a PC I'm guessing that the problem is with this charger. Just be aware that USB is not fully compatible.