Have you ever looked around your house or workplace and concluded that you have too many electrical outlets? Of course not. These days we are all slaves to electrical gadgets and devices that need either a constant stream of current or frequent recharging.What’s worse, I too often find myself crawling around on the floor, scuffing my knees and bumping my head as I search for an open outlet on the wall or on a never-ending daisy chain to power strips.
The BQO desktop power strip offers a small measure of respite. Instead of nesting in a dusty corner of the floor, the BQO strip has a clamp mounted on its underside. The clamp allows the strip to be mounted on the rear or side of a desk. Suddenly it’s up where human beings can actually reach it without risking a concussion.
The sample strip that I received to review was made of heavy gauge plastic with a mounting bracket solid enough to keep it firmly in place, even if you have to tug a bit to remove a power plug. The business side of the strip has three AC outlets along with three fast-charging USB ports, two USB-A and one USB-C. I suppose that's enough outlets for most users, but I would have welcomed double the number of USB outlets.
BQO says its clamp will work on a desktop that’s up to 1.7 inches thick. That number may be a little too generous. My work desk is an old library table with a top that I measured at 1.5 inches and that turned out to be slightly too tick for the clamp to fit. So, my strip found its home attached to a bookshelf where I charge my laptop computer and a motley collection of tablets and mobile phones.
I was also concerned about the the power cord that feeds the strip. It protrudes from the bottom of the strip next to the clamp. That required me to bend the cord 90 degrees in order to create a snug fit. In their product information, the folks at BQO acknowledge that design issue and they say the squeeze won’t cause any distress for the power cable. The cord is thick and well shielded, so I’m not worried.
The clamp-equipped power strip offers some welcome relief for the cable overload that we all endure. And it’s designed to look sharp when it’s mounted on a modern desk. Just be sure that desk top isn’t too thick.
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Written by Ric Manning
Follow me on Twitter @ricmanning and read my technology columns at My Well Being.
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