Best surge protectors for 2026

urge protectors — everyone needs them, but we tend not to put a lot of thought into them. Either we plug everything straight into the wall, or we buy the first thing we find on the shelf at the local retailer. Back in "the good old days" we would simply unplug everything at the first rumble of thunder, confident that our CRT TV would be fine.

But now, electronics are more sensitive to power fluctuations, regardless of the weather, so they need constant protection. The voltage in your home fluctuates, whether it's small surges from the power grid, or from brownouts. Surges are cumulative, meaning your electronics get small amounts of "wear and tear" which can lead to poor performance and eventually, failure.

Think about it: you've spent years building the perfect audiophile, videophile, and gaming system, but you used a cheap power strip, not a surge protector, to tie everything together. Over time, your components begin to die, one by one. Or worse, you get a catastrophic surge, and all you're left with is a smoking pile of useless electronics. In the worst-case scenario, your home catches on fire!

A look inside a cheap power strip (left), a good surge protector (middle), and a surge protector with advanced line conditioning (right). You don’t want to trust your delicate electronics to the power strip.

How do surge protectors work?

There are two basic types of surge protectors — sacrificial and non-sacrificial. Both styles have electronics that recognize when there is a spike in voltage, also known as transient voltage.

When a sacrificial unit receives transient voltage, it pushes the spike toward a metal oxide varistor (MOV). The MOV then heroically absorbs the transient voltage, preventing damage to your devices. MOVs can only take on so much damage before they are used up, or, sacrificed. Most surge protectors are sacrificial, meaning you'll need to replace them, eventually. Many units have lights that indicate when your equipment is no longer being protected. Most of the time, the surge protectors will still pass power through to the electronics at this stage, so be vigilant and check the protector periodically.

Non-sacrificial units prevent damage in two ways. First, they monitor and restrict the maximum amount of voltage that is able to pass through to your device. This is known as clamping voltage. If there is a surge that is too powerful to clamp, the protector will shut off distribution of power to all devices in milliseconds. Theoretically, these units should last indefinitely, so you'll end up paying more for the extra peace of mind.

What to look for in a surge protector

Now that you know why you need a surge protector, we'll tell you what features need to be considered.

Size, form factor, and number of outlets

If you're going to use a couple of lamps or fans, and possibly charge some personal devices, you may want something small with four to six outlets and a couple of USB charging ports. Make sure the USB ports are also protected from surges. Small spaces benefit from wall-mounted surge protectors, but for more equipment, you'll need something larger with more outlets. That's not practical for a wall-mounted protector. Besides, you may want more connections for coaxial cable and ethernet cable.

Noise filtration

One of the added benefits of a good surge protector is power conditioning. This is achieved by using filters to get rid of electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radio-frequency interference (RFI). A lot of EMI and RFI comes from other electronics and appliances in your home. The noise bleeds into your home wiring, interfering with the quality of audio and video. Also, the power coming into your house can bring noise with it. A power conditioner can clean up extra noise. The result is cleaner sound and a better TV picture.

Joule rating

The higher the joule rating, the more energy your surge protector can absorb before it is “sacrificed”. Consider all the small surges, and how many the protector can take before it fails. Also, if you want to protect your gear from larger surges, you'll want a higher joule rating. A lower joule rating is fine for a lamp, but you're going to cry if you depend on that for your new 75" OLED TV, and it gets a big surge.

Automatic Voltage Monitoring (AVM)

The voltage going into your electronics tends to fluctuate, which can stress the internal components of your electronics. In a surge protector with AVM, the voltage is monitored and regulated to a more constant flow of power, reducing the wear and tear on your equipment. Some surge protectors even have a disconnect feature that will shut off the power to your gear if the fluctuations are dangerous to your equipment.

Connected equipment warranty

Some surge protector warranties will pay to replace equipment that was damaged by a surge while properly connected to the power protection unit. Careful though, these warranties are typically full of fine print. Make sure you read through them and document your installation well. If this is a consideration for you, check how much that the warranty will pay out in case of equipment damage.

Our top surge protector picks

Now that we’ve covered what to look for in a surge protector, here are our top picks for different applications.

Best surge protector for music equipment — Furman SS-6

We have a lot of musicians here at Crutchfield, and many of them swear by Furman products. The Furman SS-6 is rugged. It's made of heavy-duty steel, so you don't have to worry about it getting crushed by an amp or guitar case. The generous 15-foot power cord ensures that you can stretch it to a far corner of the stage when electrical outlets are at a premium.

With six connections, you can plug in all your gear. The SS-6 features EMI/RFI noise attenuation to deliver clean power, and that translates to better audio. Plus, it features Extreme Voltage Shutoff. If high voltage is detected, the surge protector disconnects itself and your plugged-in equipment from the power source.

Details

• 6 AC outlets
• 540-joule protection
• 15' power cord
• RFI/EMI noise filtration
• Protection indicator light

Best surge protector with USB charging — Ethereal Helios AS-HP-5R

The Ethereal Helios AS-HP-5R has a wall-mounted, compact design which allows you to connect five plugs and charge two devices at a time. Two of the outlets are on the side, along with the USB ports. The other three outlets swivel from front to side. The AS-HP-5R is one of our most flexible, space-saving designs, combining the trend of wall-mounted surge protectors with the ability to plug in your components as close to the wall as possible.

This modest surge protector is good for 450-joule protection, which is enough for small lamps and battery chargers. The USB ports are also protected, giving you peace of mind when charging your phones or tablets.

Details

• 5 outlets
• 3 outlets rotate for easy accessibility
• 450-joule protection
• 2 USB charging ports with a total capacity of 2.1 amps for charging two phones simultaneously or one tablet
• space-saving design plugs directly into a standard AC outlet
• Protection and ground indicator lights

Best budget surge protector — Sanus SA-OWSP60

The Sanus SA-OWSP60 is a reasonably priced, wall-mounted surge protector. You get plenty of power protection, enough for a small kitchen appliance or a computer. Plus, each outlet can be rotated 90° to fit into tight spaces and to keep power cables from getting in the way of one another.

The SA-OWSP60 has EMI/RFI noise filtering in addition to surge protection. Feel free to connect a small stereo or streamer to reduce noise in your sound system. It's one of the easiest things you can do to improve your sound — and one of the least expensive with this value-minded surge protector!

Details

• 6 protected AC power outlets
• all outlets can pivot 90° for easy access and organization
• compact design plugs directly into a standard AC outlet
• 1080-joule protection
• built-in EMI/RFI noise filtering
• LED indicators show if connected devices are grounded and protected

Best surge protector for home theater — AudioQuest PowerQuest 3

AudioQuest is a great choice for home theaters. The AudioQuest PowerQuest 3 has plenty of outlets for all your home AV gear, like TVs, home theater receivers, Blu-ray players, and game consoles. The PQ3 comes with inputs and outputs for coaxial cable, telephone cable, and ethernet cable for further protection. Plus, you can charge up to four personal devices with the on-board, protected USB charging ports.

The PowerQuest 3 is also a line conditioner. It will filter dirty power and reduce line noise from EMI and RFI. Two of the outlets are 4K/8K video-optimized, ensuring the best picture for your movies and video games. Plus, the PowerQuest Extreme Voltage Shutdown feature continuously monitors incoming power and switches it off in case of an overvoltage situation.

Details

• eight protected AC power outlets, including two 4K/8K video-optimized linear filter outlets
• 4 USB charging ports (2 top, 2 side)
• PowerQuest Extreme Voltage Shutdown shuts off power when 140V or higher is detected, and auto-resets once incoming power is within a safe range
• non-sacrificial surge protection can withstand multiple 6000V/3000A input surges (the maximum that can survive a building's AC electrical panel)
• Level 2 EMI/RFI noise filtration circuitry reduces AC line noise
• maximum current rating: 15 amps
• 7-ft. high-quality AudioQuest power cord

Best audiophile surge protector — AudioQuest PowerQuest 505

If you're an audiophile looking to protect your gear, the AudioQuest PowerQuest 505 may be what you're looking for. It's got twelve protected outlets, four of which are high-current for your power-hungry components like amplifiers and powered subwoofers. It also has line conditioning to keep out any line noise that could detract from your listening and viewing pleasure.

The big feature of the PQ505 is the non-sacrificial surge protection. Considering most surge protectors wear out over time, this might be the last surge protector you'll ever need. But for peace of mind, you still get a five-year warranty on this device.

Details

• 12 protected AC power outlets, including 4 high-current outlets and 8 ultra-linear, noise-filtering outlets
• PowerQuest Extreme Voltage Shutdown shuts off power when 140V or higher is detected, and auto-resets once incoming power is within a safe range
• non-sacrificial surge protection can withstand multiple 6000V/3000A input surges (the maximum that can survive a building's AC electrical panel)
• PowerQuest Ultra Linear noise filtering (addresses differential-mode, common-mode, and ground noise)
• maximum current rating: 15 amps
• 6.5-ft. high-quality AudioQuest power cord and rack-mountable in a 2U space

Have questions?

Check out our power protection buying guide for more in-depth information on surge protectors.

If you need more personal advice, our Advisors know the gear inside and out. Contact us today.

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