Guide to Power Strips and Surge Protectors What is the difference between a power strip and a surge protector? People confuse the two because they look exactly the same. I ca n’t tell you how many people went to the store to buy a surge protector, and when they got home, they found a power strip. The difference is that the power strip is just an extension cord with many sockets. That’s all. There is another element inside the surge protector, as far as electrical is concerned, it will “clamp” the surge. This means that it will make the wave disappear from the downstream computer, your flat-screen TV, stereo or other electronic products that you do not want to be damaged. vertical power strip surge protector with usb charger in Geos Is there a limit to what I can plug in or how many things? Yes. Just because the power strip has eight sockets does not mean that you can or should plug in eight things. It depends on what you want to insert: in some cases, such as an alarm ...