My Experience with the Addtam 5-Outlet Extender
We all have that one corner in the house—the "cables-gone-wild" zone. For me, it was behind my desk, where a tangled mess of power bricks and standard extension cords made it impossible to reach the wall outlet. I finally decided to try the Addtam 5-outlet extender, and after using it for a few weeks, I have some thoughts on whether you should pick one up here to fix your own power problems.
Design and Layout: Does It Actually Fit?
The first thing I noticed when I pulled this out of the box was how sturdy it felt. It’s not a flimsy plastic shell; it has a bit of weight to it, which made me feel better about plugging my expensive monitor into it. The layout is the big selling point here. Instead of having five outlets lined up in a row where everything fights for space, this design puts one on each side, one on top, and two on the front.
Does it work? Yes. I was able to plug in two bulky wall warts for my router and my desk lamp without them overlapping. That’s usually the dealbreaker for these types of products. If you want to see what others paid, you’ll find it’s priced competitively for the build quality you get.
The Good and The Bad
No product is perfect, and I’ve found a few things that might bother some users:
- Pros: The wide spacing is a lifesaver. It’s also very easy to install—it just snaps into your existing outlet. Plus, the surge protection gives me peace of mind for my electronics.
- Cons: It is a bit bulky. If you have a plug right behind a heavy piece of furniture, this will stick out about two inches, which might prevent you from pushing the desk or couch all the way back against the wall.
Real-World Performance
I’ve been running my laptop, a phone charger, a mechanical keyboard, and a desk light through this for three weeks now. I haven't experienced any flickering or connection drops. The build quality feels solid enough that I don't worry about it pulling away from the wall outlet, even with all five ports occupied. It feels like a reliable piece of kit.
One minor annoyance? The LED indicator light. It’s not blindingly bright, but if you are using this in a bedroom, you might notice it glowing at night. A small piece of electrical tape would fix that, but it's worth noting if you prefer a pitch-black sleeping environment.
Who Should Buy This?
If you live in an apartment or an older home where standard wall outlets are scarce, this is a no-brainer. It is perfect for home offices, kitchens with limited counter space, or behind an entertainment center. If you are tired of playing "Tetris" with your power bricks to see which ones fit, you should definitely grab it on Amazon and reclaim your space.
Who Should Skip It?
Skip this if you are looking for a long extension cord or a power strip with USB ports (this specific model is just outlets). If you need to charge your phone via USB-C or Lightning cables directly, you’ll still need your wall adapter. Also, if you have very loose, old wall sockets, the extra weight of this extender might cause it to sag slightly, which is more of an issue with your home's wiring than the product itself.
Overall, I’m happy with the purchase. It does exactly what it says on the box, keeps my cables organized, and hasn't given me a single reason to complain since the day I plugged it in.
