When Valkor brought the Accell Powramid Surge protector to my table, my first response was “it’s about damn time”. I myself have tons of electronic devices and some of the External USB drives and Charging Cables tend to be space hogs. The Powramid power center and USB Charging station is a 6 sided surge protector giving you enough space to plug in all those oversized power cables and freeing you up with 2 USB charging ports. It’s very compact station for what it can do for you.
Accell currently have two Available Models (Black w/ Blue LED or White w/ Green LED) either with or without the USB ports. Both types of Powramid will protect up 1080J with “Power Stop Technology”, meaning when the surge protector reaches its max, all current is cut off. Both have a fireproof casing and a heavy duty power cord with the only the difference is the non USB has a 4’ power cable and the Dual USB has a 6' cable. The design is simple but effective; it has a reset button on top with a clear plastic cover, depending on which color your purchase that button will glow blue or green. On the side of the Powramid there is a green indicator that will let you know all is operational and you’re protected. One thing I like is on the bottom it has 4 rubber feet so it won’t slide around much when plugging things in. I also noticed two wall mount holes, which is a neat idea but not very practical for any of my applications...yet.
About a year ago I did my homework and chose a surge protector with 6 ports featuring two ports that are spaced apart for larger items. It’s great for squeezing it behind the sofa but it’s about 9” long and having 4 big plugs inserted, it takes up all the space. Now, I’ve swapped out the old one with the Powramid and I am content - I actually have the 4 items plugged in and I removed another extension cord that held 2 other items reducing the mess of wires that I tend to hide back there. What brought it all together, I bought two 10’ Micro-USB cable for my android so I can charge while I watch TV as well as my friends when they come over. So, I really don’t need to do anything else.
The Bang:
First up, I really like the look of the six sided pyramid design of the Powramid - it’s almost a no brainer to have it set up like this. I didn’t have any issues plugging my devices and the addition of the dual USB completes the whole space saving experience. Not having to share an outlet for my phones or other devices that could just as easily go into the Powramid makes charging at the sofa less complex. Outside of design and aesthetics of the product the warranty is the thing that sold me; Accell believes in their product and you can tell by the 5 year warranty and 100K on connected products with the addition of tech support. This tells me these guys are all about safety and I couldn’t be happier.
The Slack:
The size and the round design isn’t a problem but take in mind that if you’re going to put into a tight spot it might knock out a plug, plan for a little extra room when finding it a home and please observe fire code with outlets. No matter how good a product is, you still have to be careful. Also the clear cap on top should have a hinge or something that attaches it to it, as I can see it disappearing.
I believe Accell has brought out a great product with the Powramid that’s compact and has some versatility with the USB charging station. I would highly recommend this to a friend or any I know who’re in the market for a new surge protector. Currently I’m trying to figure out if I can wall mount it to save space. But then I also have to consider not only the weight of the surge protector but of the cables themselves. And out of TOV 5 stars, I give the Powramid a perfect score of 5.
