Belkin Concealed Surge Protector
Despite all the wireless, Bluetooth and battery-operated electronics in my life, almost every room in our home still feels overrun with cords, AC adapters, wires, plugs, cables, and more cords. This surge protector with a simple hinged plastic cover has done aesthetic and functional wonders for the living room. Our media cabinet already obscures the electrical mess from the Tivo, Apple TV, receiver, PlayStation, et al. But our Roomba lives under a vintage breakfront that houses, among other devices, a delicate glass lamp. Not only does this plastic white box keep the cables and plugs hidden from view, but it's big and heavy enough Roomba doesn't mess with it -- no more inadvertent cord snags from said vacuum bot! Some users report that cramming an assortment of particularly-hefty or odd-shaped wall-warts and thicker wires is problematic. Fair enough. I couldn't get mine closed trying to plug in an Apple AirPort Express. Nevertheless, with 11 three-prong outlets -- as well as Ethernet and phone ports -- this protector can manage a lot of everyday e-stuff.
Available from Amazon
Favorite (15)
milsurp
I did this with a large ammo box. I had almost 12 items plugged in, and used the box to also hide the large corded warts (like a laptop transformer). Has a fun madbomber vibe to it!
ealmasy
This version:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000W3V3EM/
is actually the one pictured above. It omits the ethernet and coax ports (but still has telephone ports, which is all many people need) and is $12 cheaper.
Milan
In some situations, there might be heat issues with using something like this.
If you have plugs that get hot, think twice before putting several in a sealed plastic box.
Jonathan
This is also available in a smaller version with 7 outlets. I own two. They're very nice, for being so simple. I consider them worth the price for the finished look and functional compactness. It also makes it easier to corral all the cords into a cord-keeper casing.
Steven Leckart
@ealmasy, ah ha! Thanks for letting us know. We're adding this link/price.
Sam
My fav is still:
http://shop1.frys.com/product/4214124;jsessionid=pP8ZKnkoxIq2fOWHZTk7Ug**.node2?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG
It does not do anything about concealing messy cords, but IMHO it's the best solution for the transformer crowding problem. Cyberguys has a ton of power strip solutions, but I think the one from Fry's is better. To solve the messy cable problem I just use twist ties to bind up excess on each cord. It's really made a difference on my home LAN which was an ocean of dangling cables.
ChrisC
I've had this unit for several months now and although I didn't find that it made any particular difference in the neatness of the cabling in my entertainment center, I can vouch for the fact that it made the setup nearly kitten-proof. I say "nearly" because as long as the cables have to exit the unit, a kitten will find something to get into.
Tetsubo
I use one of these and I really like it.
Ken
The Apple Airport Express and other Apple bricks can be plugged into the outside 'convenience' outlet. Thanks for the props!
David Hicks
I'm sending mine back.
Half of my adapters don't fit (not even my Mac laptop adapter) because of their geometry, prong alignment and/or cord direction, or they're too tall or wide for the lid to close.