Home > Consumer Reviews > Belkin Mini Surge 3OUT Wall Mount 75K 918J with USB Charger

While some people have commented about the term "mini" being subjective, rest assured that this device is not really any larger than if you took a normal surge protector and cut it off at three outlets. There's a small bit of overhead for the two USB plugs but that's about it. This device has earned a spot in my bag and follows me all over the country on travel; it charges my phone and MP3 player at the same time just fine.

What people should be aware of is that just because their phone uses a USB interconnect, either regular size or mini, does not mean that they necessarily conform to USB specifications. I've seen some phones and MP3 players use USB connectors but come with a charger that puts out 1.5A or more, well outside of the 500mA USB specification. What's my point? This product does what it says - it charges up to two USB devices at the same time; individual results will depend on whether or not your device(s) comply to the USB specification or simply use the connection for convenience. :)

Yet even if your device comes with a high current charger, many devices allow for charging with a computer's USB port - meaning that they must be rated to only draw upwards of 500mA. If your device complies with that, chances are you're going to be 100% happy with this device - I know I am!

This is a great surge protector to take on the road with you as long as these two cons don't bother you...

CONS:

1. As other reviewers noted, the electrical prongs (plug) don't retract nor are they removable. This isn't a bother for me since I use a larger knapsack for my laptop, but I could see it bothering people that use slim bags since it does add an extra 1.5" in size (I'd be less concerned about it poking holes in your bag)

2. You aren't looking for an ultra-compact surge protector. This one is about 5" long by 1.5" high by 2" deep (3.5" deep if you include the prongs). Still small, but not sure its exactly "mini" as the product title states.

PROS:

1. You get three electrical outlets and 2 USB so you can plug in your laptop, non-USB device (older cell phone, small switch, etc) and still charge your USB devices (bluetooth headset, iPod, etc)

2. Great when traveling with peers - you can steal one plug at the airport and three people can plug in their laptops and still charge two cell phones. This alone is worth the extra size.

3. Excellent quality. It's built solid and the fact that the prongs can rotate so the device can sit in a vertical or horizontal position is a plus.

All-in-all, this is a great device for the frequent traveler and I bought a second one for my team to use, but if you're looking for ultra-compact device and/or only need one plug or one USB port I would look elsewhere.

As an occasional business traveler, packing a surge protector is one of my frequent annoyances. They fit fine in my luggage, but not in my laptop bag, and I still have to carry chargers for my cell phone, phone earpiece, and iPod.

The Belkin 3OUT is the nearly perfect solution to this problem. It's about half the length of a traditional surge protector, and fits nicely in my laptop bag. It also allows me to carry two standard USB cords and charge my smaller mobile equipment. And the rotating plug base makes it easy to plug in and not interfere with other items using an adjacent socket.

Other reviews have rightly noted that it's a little bulky. The width and length are fine; it's the depth of the unit that makes it unwieldy -- it's 2 inches thick, plus another 1¼ inch for the plug and its base. But that's a minimal annoyance to get the portability, surge protection, and USB features.

Highly recommended for anyone who travels with their electronics.

While this works great for the intended purpose, the person who designed it needs to have applied a little more brain into the design of this. When plugging into a typical 2 outlet wall unit, you either have to sacrifice the usage of USB ports or sacrifice the second outlet on the wall altogether. If only the USB ports were on the side or at the bottom of this unit, this may have been more useful.

Works as advertised. Easy to throw in a bag and have multiple outlets surge protected. Lightweight and the swivel feature helps in tight situations. The charger works well too with a USB cable.