That “new” USB port is everywhere now — on every phone and tablet and computer — so it’s about time USB-C arrived on your power board, too.
There’s no escaping is: USB-C is here to stay, as a port standard properly becomes just that. With the iPhone supporting Type C USB last year and everything else pretty much already there (except for Apple’s keyboard, mouse, and trackpad accessories), there’s a good chance that you own something that needs the ovular port to get power to it.
It is everywhere. USB-C can be found on phones and tablets and laptops and cameras and headphones and speakers and TV remotes and so on and so on. It’s the standard we always wanted, and you probably already have a few USB-C chargers laying around the house now from all the gadgets that support it.
But not everything comes with one of those chargers. Take phones, which more often than not are leaving USB plug packs out of boxes, while tablets are also beginning to skip out on needing to include them.
One reason why might be that we all have some already, but another is it adds to an accessory a manufacturer might be able to sell you again. It happens.
There might be a way around this, however, and it comes with an added bonus, as the power board adopts Type C USB en masse.
Belkin’s newly released Surge Protection line-up is an example of that, including two USB-C power delivery ports, offering up to 30W of power, which is enough for light laptops like a MacBook Air, as well as tablets, iPads, and phones.
It’s not quite as strong as say the 68W USB GaN chargers Belkin offers, but the power boards include as few as one port you could use for a laptop charger and as many as eight, providing some level of flexibility.
“When looking at devices in the market and USB-C output requirements, 30W provides optimal charging for a number of devices and is currently the largest demand in terms of consumers needs,” said a spokesperson for Belkin.
“We want to ensure we continue to provide an affordable solution for consumers whilst still giving them a solution that covers their charging needs.”
While the main point of these new power boards is clearly to supply power, another aspect is to prevent electrical surges from damaging hardware, something Belkin protects against in its boards and includes a Connected Equipment Warranty (CEW) up to $70,000 depending on the model being used. In the single outlet surge protector, it’s up to 1800 joules of surge protection and up to $30,000 CEW, while the eight outlet model supports up to 900 joules and up to $70K CEW.
“Surges occur every day in the home,” a spokesperson for Belkin confirmed to Pickr. “Whilst we may not see them your surge protector is mitigating these currents when they occur in order to protect your connected devices.”
Belkin’s range of USB-C Surge Protectors is heading to stores shortly, found at Bunnings, JB HiFi, Officeworks, and The Good Guys, priced from $34.95 for the one outlet surge protector, $79.95 for the four outlet, $89.95 for the six outlet, and $99.95 for the eight outlet surge protector power board.
