Sometimes, I come across a product that is really good, but due to the lack of interactivity, it is also very hard to review in any interesting way. It is certainly the case with BESTEK 8 Way Surge Protected Tower. Instead of the typical review (which would end in a single sentence ‘you can plug a socket or USB and it works’ ), I thought I would share a story instead. A brilliant idea to fill in these 300+ words needed for the perfect SEO.
BESTEK 8 Way Surge Protected Tower
I had to upgrade my network, as I run out of Ethernet ports. Getting an unmanaged switch sounded great in theory, but when it came to practice, I had no spare sockets to power it on. All these media devices, Raspberry Pi’s and Fingboxes needed the power and I was entering the fire hazard territory connecting an extension lead to another via a power splitting cube. There were I and yet another power plug to find the space for.
I sat on the floor regretting my life choices, debating the first world problems and shopping for power strips. In the UK, this is a dreadfully boring and expensive experience. Discouraged by the prices in the local DIY store (I’m looking at you B&Q and the cheap plastic sold at the price of gold) I checked the Facebook, then my email. Alex, rep from BESTEK emailed me asking if I’m interested in taking a look at 8 gang +6 USB monster!
The timing couldn’t be any better.
Time to manage the cables
A few days later, the BESTEK 8 Way Surge Protected Tower has arrived and I sat down to figure out the cable mess. Please don’t laugh at me, I know I really need a proper TV stand – the one I have is a disgrace.
The BESTEK 8 Way Surge Protected Tower is heavy, as it’s made of really solid plastic, something I can’t say about every extension lead I own. The surge-protected tower is able to power up pretty much anything I can throw at it. That’s great because I have:
This is also where the 6 USB ports come to play. Raspberry Pi NodeRED and Fingbox will get their power directly from the USB ports. This will save me a lot of trouble with charges. The ports are rated 2.4A each with 40W/8A limit (whichever is lower).
I’m pleased to say that everything is powered up. A bit of clever management allowed me to take advantage of the fact that the BESTEK 8 Way Surge Protected Tower comes with 2 power buttons. One per level. I can power down my media devices completely without turning off the network equipment. The USB ports are charging regardless of the power switches states.
Conclusion
BESTEK 8 Way Surge Protected Tower is a lifesaver! It’s solid, without being too big or heavy. The only constructive criticism I have is very UK specific. I wish I could turn the sockets around to position it to my liking. It’s priced well, making it a very attractive choice in the UK market.
