Whether for business or pleasure a lot of us now travel with numerous devices that require an electrical outlet. Unfortunately, even a five star hotel can sometimes have power fluctuations, leaving us a bit nervous about data loss or worse permanent damage to our devices. To put your mind a little at ease we recommend picking up a surge protector such as the tiny Belkin we are reviewing here.
Mini Surge Protector with USB Charger
Hotel rooms and airport terminals never seem to have enough power outlets to charge all the devices today’s traveler brings along. Now you can add outlets and peace of mind on business trips and vacations with the Belkin Mini Surge Protector. This new design features three AC outlets and two powered USB outlets* – perfect for MP3 players and mobile phones.
Features
- 360-degree rotating plug with 4 locking positions
- Provides complete surge protection through all outlets
- Offers compact, lightweight, efficient design
- Features mini-USB cable to charge virtually any USB device—including BlackBerry® and Motorola® RAZR phones
- Comes with Lifetime Product and $75,000 Connected Equipment Warranties
First Impressions
The package includes the Belkin BZ103050vTVL Mini Surge Protector/Dual USB Charger, a User Guide, a mini-USB cable to charge virtually any USB device—i.e. cell phone and it comes with Lifetime Product and $75,000 Connected Equipment Warranties.
The unit itself is made out of hard smooth plastic in a two-tone white and grey color. The front of the surge protector has 3-AC outlets while the top of the unit is where the two USB charge ports are located. Naturally, Belkin built in an LED indicator status light to inform if the power source is grounded and protected from any surges or spikes.
It’s Cute
Needless to say, traditional power strips and surge protectors are pretty much boring and played out from a design perspective, but in recent years Belkin has been pushing the envelope with some interesting clamp-on models (the ones that hide all of the wall warts), and the more recent “Conserve” eco-friendly models.
However, this Belkin Mini Surge Protector (BZ103050-TVL) easily takes home the award for cutest looking surge protector.
360-degree rotation
The Mini Surge Protector is equipped with a 360-degree rotating plug with 4 locking positions, measures approximately 4.9” x 2.2” x 1.4″, its small enough to put into your laptop bag and take it with you anywhere and always.
The color of the unit blends very well with most wall colors, and unlike a big black bulky commercial surge protector (which are excellent for hiding inside closets) this Belkin 3 Mini can be on any wall without drawing any attention.
USB Ports
The device has not two but three power outlets and even comes with two additional USB ports, excellent for charging a cell phone or iPad.
Wrap-Up
We have tested this device both in our travels, and at home, and find it excellent just for everyday at home use – we really like it! On the con side, the spacing of the AC outlets could be redesigned to allow block-style AC plugs, as it is right now only three normal AC plugs fit. Also, although quite cute the device is looks smaller than it is, perhaps due to the rounded corners and color scheme. Lastly, be sure to check the specifications of any USB device to ensure compatibility before charging via the USB ports.
We highly recommend this product for its reliability, quality, convenience, size, price and especially for anyone with a laptop.
I bought one of these over a year ago, and returned it. It would not charge 2 iPhones at the same time. That was the whole reason I bought it. Have you tried charging two devices at the same time from the USB ports?
Hi Ryan, I don’t have two iPhones to test at the moment but following your comment I quickly tested an iPhone and iPad and both seem to charge at the same time. That is to say that the iPad does say “Not Charging” but that behavior is expected and it does charge when the display is off. http://www.homeserverland.com/2010/09/hands-on-apple-ipad-review/
In a couple of hours is should have company and it seems that everyone has an iPhone nowadays so I will double check with two iPhones when possible and report back.
OK, quick update, my Belkin Mini Surge Protector successfully charges two iPhone devices (3GS and 4) at the same time. Perhaps you had a faulty unit?
That’s good to know, maybe I will give one a try again. I have been looking for a dual USB travel charger again. I would now need it to be able to charge an iPad too. The iPad wasn’t out when I first tried the charger.
For $10.88 at Amazon.com, you can’t beat the price. Yeah, it’s not perfect since wide block style plugs reduce its effectiveness as the article states, but it is flexible in all other respects. Especially noteworthy is the ability to rotate the plug 360 degrees.
my enthusiasm for belkin products is somehwhat reduced after my last purchase of one of their products.
i purchased one of their simple surge protectors at home depot, and after a large scale power outage, when the power was restored the unit overloaded, burst into flames and nearly burned down my house. i have pictures of the supressor and furniture it ‘flame customized’ for interested parties.
if it wasn’t for the UPS unit under my home server which woke us up when the power came back on, i wouldn’t be here.
all things considered, i’ll wait until phillips makes one of these. =8-o