Fire-safety experts warn against daisy-chaining power strips
Safety guidance highlights the risks of plugging one power strip into another to add outlets for home office or gaming setups. Doing so doesn't add electrical capacity—it forces the first strip to carry the combined load of everything plugged into the second, which can exceed its amp rating and generate dangerous heat.
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This is a reminder that convenience fixes for cluttered power setups can create real fire hazards, since overheated wiring and melted casings can ignite nearby flammable materials common in home offices. The guidance suggests consumers should instead use surge protectors with sufficient outlets or have additional circuits installed rather than linking strips together.
- Daisy-chaining power strips doesn't increase available electrical capacity.
- Overloading the first strip can cause resistive heating, melting insulation and risking fires.
- Home offices with lots of flammable material are especially vulnerable to this hazard.
APC 12-Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip — Instead of daisy-chaining strips, get one power strip with enough outlets and built-in surge protection to handle your whole desk setup safely. This one offers plenty of spaced outlets for bulky adapters plus circuit protection, eliminating the need to ever chain strips together.A single, properly rated unit keeps your home office or gaming station organized and safer from overheating risks.
See APC 12-Outlet Surge Protector Power Strip on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: engadget.com — Thomas Godwin, 2026-11-02
Published there as: “Why it's important to never plug power strips into each other”
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