This $35 Power Strip Could Change Your Life or, at Least, Your Desk

Aukey PA-S24 Power Strip Tower
(Image credit: Amazon)

Perhaps you don't think much about your power strip, but if you have a lot of devices, an old-fashioned horizontal set of sockets is a major hassle. Because they take up so much space, horizontal power strips almost always live on the floor. That means every time you want to plug or unplug something, you have to bend over or dive under your desk.  And, of course, there's probably a limited number of sockets on the strip as well.

With its compact vertical design, 12 sockets and 5 USB charging ports, the Aukey PA-S24 will change the way you organize your electric cables. This awesome power normally goes for $49, but for Amazon Prime day it's on sale for just $35

The black cylinder-shaped strip takes up just 6.8 x 4.6 inches of desk space, but if that's too much real estate,  you can also attach it to the underside of your desk and have it hang down.

Aukey PA-S24 12-outlet, 5-USB power strip: was $49, now $35 @ Amazon

Aukey PA-S24 12-outlet, 5-USB power strip: was $49, now $35 @ Amazon
This vertical power strip sits on top of your desk or attaches to the bottom of it to save you a ton of space. A mix of USB Type-A and Type-C ports lets you charge your phone or even power a Raspberry Pi without additional adapters. 

Because the Aukey PA-S24 is within reach, it's easy to plug and unplug devices from it. But with 12 sockets, you'll rarely have to unplug something from it to free up space. 

The PA-S24 has three USB Type-A ports and two USB-C ports, all for charging. The USB-C ports each provide up to 5V and 3A, which is enough to power a Raspberry Pi 4 B. That's right. You can run two Raspberry Pis off the PA-S24, without attaching a separate power adapter.

Power vampirism is a problem that affects us all. Perhaps you shut down your PC every night but leave the monitors in sleep mode, still sipping juice. The Aukey PA-S24 has an easy-to-tap power button on top that cuts all your devices off when you press it.

The Aukey PA-S24 isn't the only vertical power strip on the market, but it's by far, the most stylish I've seen and the only one I've seen with Type-C ports. Its smooth chassis has the classy, raven black we associate with a sleek luxury car or a ThinkPad laptop. The green and yellow ports add splashes of color, while the green circular power light is reminiscent of a high-end smart speaker. 

In a marketplace where you can get a cheap power strip for as little as $6, even the Aukey PA-S24's sale price of $35 may seem like a splurge, but having all those sockets and enough USB voltage to power two Pis at once (or charge several phones) in a compact package will change the way you organize your desk and devices. 

Avram Piltch
Avram Piltch is Tom's Hardware's editor-in-chief. When he's not playing with the latest gadgets at work or putting on VR helmets at trade shows, you'll find him rooting his phone, taking apart his PC or coding plugins. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram developed many real-world benchmarks, including our laptop battery test.
  • husker
    If you want to upgrade from a power strip, I'd suggest just getting an uninterruptable power supply. I have 2 and if the power goes out (not that unusual for it to blink off and on for a second) my cable box, router, modem, and PC all stay on and there is no disruptive waiting time for things to reboot or go through their start up routines.
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