Imagine arriving home, anticipating a leisurely treadmill run, avoiding the rain and cold outside. You put on your running shoes, step onto the treadmill, press the power button, and nothing happens.
A treadmill is one of the biggest investments you can make as a runner. It’s not a cheap investment, even if you’re buying an entry-level machine. Treadmill maintenance is essential, but there’s something you may not have thought of.
An electrical surge can wreck your treadmill beyond repair! If you’re buying a treadmill, you also need a great surge protector for it. Don’t skip this! It could be the difference between a machine that lasts years and a brand new treadmill being fried.
Here are our choices of both corded and wall outlet surge protectors.
Top 3 Best and Favorites
Best Corded
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Best Corded
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Belkin 12-Outlet Home/Office Surge Protector
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Check Price |
Best In-Wall
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Best In-Wall
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APC Essential SurgeArrest 6 Outlet Wall Mount With USB
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Check Price |
Best Value
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Best Value
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Tripp Lite SpikeCube Series 1-Outlet Personal Surge Protector
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Check Price |
Best Corded
Best Overall
1. Belkin 12-Outlet Home/Office Surge Protector
This is a comprehensive, 3940-joule, 12-outlet surge protector. It’s excellent for use in the office or at home, anywhere you have a lot of plugs in a small space.
Of those 12 outlets, six are regular outlets and six are BlockSpace outlets. These allow you the space to plug in large adaptors without covering other outlets, allowing for maximum usage of the surge protector. Each outlet has a sliding safety cover as an extra protection feature.
The 8-foot cable is long enough to give you flexibility in terms of where you want to place the strip. No need to leave it out in the open or in an awkward spot! It also has a right-angled plug that makes it easy to connect to a wall socket even in small spaces.
You can connect cable boxes or satellites, as well as telephone lines. Another nice feature is that the surge protector filters out radio frequency interference and electromagnetic interference. This helps to reduce noise from the line.
This protector gets a big thumbs-up for its indicator lights. A green light indicates that your plug is working as it should and your plugs are protected. A red light serves as a warning that the surge protector is not grounded properly and isn’t offering protection.
Other nice features include a detachable cord management clip to gather cables together for easy, convenient cable containment, housing that’s resistant to fire, rust, and impact, a lifetime product warranty, and a connected equipment warranty (up to $300,000).
PROS:
- 12-plug power strip
- Phone line protection
- 3940-joule surge protector
- Protected/Not Grounded indicators
CONS:
- The safety covers may fall off with repeated use
Top 2-Outlet Surge Protector
2. Tripp Lite Isobar 2-Outlet Surge Protector
There’s no need to go for a 12-outlet surge protector when you know you only need two outlets! This is our choice for the best 2-outlet product.
It has a lower joule rating, at 1410. An integrated 12-amp circuit-breaker adds an extra element of safety, shutting down the electricity connection to devices in the event of a problem. The metal housing of the protector is also resistant to fire.
It features a 6-foot cable, so you don’t need to be sitting right on top of the outlet. The right-angled plug also makes it easier to plug it into the wall no matter how awkward the angle may be!
It’s also easy to mount the surge protector to the wall, desk, or even the floor, using the convenient mounting slots on the back of the housing. An isolated filter bank helps to prevent interference between devices connected to the protector.
PROS:
- 1410-joule surge protection rating
- Fire-resistant metal housing
- Built-in circuit breaker
- Mounting slots
CONS:
- There may be a buzzing or line noise when both plugs are in use
Best With USB Chargers
3. APC Performance SurgeArrest 11 Outlets
In today’s digital world, USB ports are becoming a can’t-do-without feature. This 2880-joule surge protector has 2 USB chargers, and it comes in an 11-outlet or 8-outlet version.
The slim design and innovative outlet spacing make this a sleek and practical product. It’s easy to fit even in small spaces, and the 180-degree rotating cable and right-angled plug means you can plug it in anywhere fairly easily. The outlets are well-spaced to allow for larger adaptors without compromising other outlets.
Two 1.2-amp USB ports are available for charging devices. They use Smart Charging technology, which detects the type of device that’s plugged in and maximizes charging efficiency according to the device’s power.
Safety shutters keep the outlets covered when they’re not in use to protect them from dust and debris. A resettable circuit-breaker protects your surge protector, and an APC SurgeArrest Fail Safe mode prevents any more power from coming through if there is a surge. This prevents other appliances from being damaged if another surge happens.
Two other useful features include an Overload Indicator, which alerts you when the appliances you’ve connected are drawing more power than the protector can handle; and a Building Wiring Fault Indicator, which indicates when there may be a danger or compromised wiring in the wall circuit.
PROS:
- Built-in wiring fault indicator
- Fail safe mode
- 2 USB ports using Smart Charging technology
- 180-degree rotating cord
CONS:
- The USB ports may charge slower when both are in use
Top With Internet/Phone Protection
4. Tripp Lite Protect It! 12-Outlet Surge Protector
Chances are your treadmill won’t be the only thing you plug into a surge protector. Internet and phone lines are two of the things you’re going to want to be as safe as possible!
This 2880-joule surge protector has 12 outlets, so there’s plenty of space for everything, including your treadmill. There’s an 8-foot cord with a convenient right-angled plug.
Dedicated phone lines and internet outlets (RJ11 and coaxial jacks) provide protection for your important equipment. An integrated circuit-breaker and safety covers over each outlet make it even safer.
A green “protected” light puts your mind at ease, and a red “grounded” light lets you know when your unit needs grounding.
A limited lifetime warranty covers your surge protector, and Tripp offers up to $150,000 in damages if appliances are damaged while correctly connected to the unit.
PROS:
- 2880-joule surge protection rating
- Sliding safety covers
- RJ11 and coaxial jacks
- Diagnostic LEDs
CONS:
- The plugs can be stiff at first, and it can be hard to plug appliances in
Best On-Wall
Best Overall
5. APC Essential SurgeArrest 6 Outlet Wall Mount With USB
If it suits you better to invest in a wall-mounted surge protector, this is the one we recommend. It has six outlets and two USB outlets, so you should have enough space for everything you need.
The appliances you connect will be protected both from power surges and lightning strikes. It also has noise-filtering properties that reduce EMI and RFI, better protecting your equipment. Building Wiring Fault Indicator is a handy LED that indicates if there are possible dangerous wiring issues inside the wall circuit.
SurgeArrest Fail Safe warns you if it’s been damaged by a surge or lightning strike. This is extremely helpful, as you know your electronics aren’t receiving total protection. If your unit is still under warranty, the company will replace it.
PROS:
- 1080-joule surge protection rating
- SurgeArrest Fail Safe
- Resettable circuit breaker
- Filters EMI/RFI line noise
CONS:
- Requires a single center screw to mount, which some wall outlets may not have
Top Single Outlet
6. Monoprice 68-207-7382R Power Surge Protector
This single outlet is perfect for plugs that you know will only need to accommodate one appliance, such as your treadmill. It has a surge protection rating of 900 joules, and it’s recommended for indoor use only.
An LED light indicates that the surge protector is functioning as it should. If the LED disappears, you know you need to test the unit.
This surge protector gets a thumbs-up from us for its alarm feature. It automatically shuts off when it detects a surge to prevent any more damage from happening. Then, it emits an alarm to alert you that the unit most likely needs to be replaced.
As an added bonus, Monoprice offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
PROS:
- 900-joule rating
- Auto shutoff
- Audible alarm
- Indicator LED
CONS:
- Too large to use on a double outlet plug (overlaps the second outlet)
Best Value
7. Tripp Lite SpikeCube Series 1-Outlet Personal Surge Protector
This is labeled as a “personal surge protector”, and the single outlet unit wins our best value spot on this list. It has a smaller rating than the others we’ve reviewed, at 660 joules, but it should do a good job for smaller appliances.
It’s quite a bit smaller than the other single-outlet protector we reviewed, but it may still get in the way of a second outlet.
It may be small, but it also features EMI/RFI noise filtering and two LED lights to indicate when the protection is working and when it needs to be grounded.
Like the other Tripp products, this one has a limited lifetime warranty, and lifetime covers up to $5,000 for equipment damaged while plugged into this device. Be aware that a claim needs to be filed and an assessment will be done as to whether the equipment was connected correctly, so this process may be long-winded and may even result in the coverage being voided.
PROS:
- 660-joule rating
- Two indicator LED lights
- Fire-resistant housing
- EMI/RFI noise filtering
CONS:
- This surge protector may get quite hot
FAQs
Wondering why you should invest in a surge protector for your treadmill? Here are some common questions that you may be asking before making the decision.
Why Should I Plug My Treadmill Into a Surge Protector?
Treadmills draw a lot of power. Because of that, they can be at risk of electrical surges, which can cause irreparable damage to the machine.
If your treadmill’s circuit board gets fried by an electrical current, your treadmill is pretty much useless. Sure, you can get it repaired, but it’s costly. Even once it’s repaired, the treadmill may never run quite the same, and is likely to be at a higher risk of being damaged the same way again.
It’s far cheaper to just buy a surge protector from the start. Don’t think it’ll never happen to you! Rather be safe and invest in a protective device.
Do I Need a Special Outlet for a Treadmill?
It’s a good idea to check your treadmill’s instruction manual. The manufacturer should give information on what kind of circuit they recommend.
Most of them recommend a dedicated circuit of 20 amps. That means your treadmill should be the only thing plugged into that particular circuit.
What is the Difference Between a Cord and Outlet Surge Protector?
Surge protectors generally come in two types: corded and outlet devices.
Corded surge protectors are more common. They have a cable attached to them, which gives you a bit more choice as to how and where you wish to position them. They’re also generally quite a bit bigger than the others.
The second type is a wall-mounted outlet protector. These fit directly over the plug outlet. They’re much more compact than the corded version, but they’re a bit smaller and don’t offer as many plug points.
What is the Joule Rating?
The joule rating of a surge protector is an indication of how much power the surge protector system can take before it overloads.
The higher the joule rating, the better the surge protector. You can usually find this info on user manuals or on the manufacturer’s website.