Bestek 8 AC outlet, 6 USB power tower review

Trailing sockets, 4, 6, or 8 gang extensions whatever you call them, they’re darned handy. We have been testing out the Bestek 8 Way Surge Protected Tower Extension Lead.

OK, so it might not have the snappiest of names out there. Saying that, Bestek actually have it dubbed as the 1500J.

As its long name suggests, this is a compact 8 AC outlet tower-styled extension.

It also features a bank of 6 USB ports for charging your mobile devices.

You can also add to all of this that the AC outlets are all surge protected.

Yes, I am trying to make this multi-outlet power extension appear exciting. Is it working? Well, let’s get in to the review as it is actually quite decent.

Bestek 1500J 8 plug 6 USB tower extension design

I really like how compact this Bestek power strip is.

It is basically square measuring 4.8-inches both wide and deep. It stands just 5.7-inches tall.

This means that it is easily hidden behind things and also won’t get in the way of stuff either.

It is much lighter than I was expecting at just 2.1 pounds. That’s light enough to get packed with the rest of my band equipment.

The tower features a pair of AC outlets on each side positioned vertically.

There are two power buttons at the corner of the power strip. Pressing the top power button activates the AC Outlets on the top side, and pressing the bottom button activates the bottom AC Outlets on the bottom side.

Once you activate a portion of the AC Outlets there’s green LED light that turns on below the button.

You can turn on both portions of the AC Outlets, so don’t worry about being limited.

The great thing is that you can arrange the things that can be switched off on one row and those that require constant power on the other. That way there is no need to unplug those that need powering down individually.

At the bottom of the Surge Protector there is a Reset button, as well as lights for indicating that the power strip is Protected and Grounded. Nice touches.

The power cord is 6 feet long so it should be long enough to place on your desk or run from the wall to where you need it.

USB

There are 3 USB ports on opposite corners of the Power Strip. When you connect a device to a USB port its green activation light turns on at the top. There are no power buttons for the USB ports.

Above both columns of the USB ports, there’s a Photosensitive Sensor. This controls the USB light brightness for each of the ports.

So, if you’re in a well-lit room then the USB lights for each port will be brighter. Alternatively, if you have device charging with the USB ports in a dark room, each of the lights will be dim. A great idea, especially if you charge your devices when you’re sleeping – you don’t need bright LEDs keeping you awake, do you?

Bestek 1500J performance

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much in the way of build quality from the Bestek tower.

It’s great (and a relief) to find that it’s made of fireproof V0-grade PC and ABS material. This  gives you a decently solid build, as well as handing it that light weight.

In use

All of the components of this tower extension from Bestek feel top-notch.

The switches are sturdy and the connections taught. It really is handy having a bank of USB ports ready and waiting – especially if you have guests. This goes doubly if some of the guests are teens!

I really do like the way you can switch one bank of outlets on and off separately to the other. On the subject of the outlets, the spacing between them is perfect. As you can imagine, I have a range of plug types depending on the tech that they are attached to. Routers come with adapters mostly, the television has an oversized rubberised plug, my Echo Dot is basically a USB plug – oh! I could just plug it directly in to the tower! Genius.

Those USB ports dish out 5V/2.4A and have the max output of 8A. That should cover everything from mobile phones, to tablets, to powerbanks and the rest.

Bestek 1500J AC / USB tower review conclusion

Power strips, towers, extensions aren’t generally something to get excited about. I can’t honestly say that the Bestek 1500J made me sweaty with anticipation, but it really does the job.

Having control over each bank of four outlets is neat. The addition of having 6 USB ports is certainly handy. It also makes the 1500J ideal for the office.

Being surge protected is a definite bonus too – nobody wants to be on the wrong side of an electric surge.

Finally, it’s worth mentioning the small form-factor of the tower, too.

All of this adds up to a good buy if you’re in the market for a multi-outlet extension with the bonus of a 6 USB hub.

Bestek 1500J AC / USB tower price and availability

You can get one now for just £36 from Amazon.