5 cheap gadgets that solved my oddly-placed outlet problems

My office has the honor of squeezing into a room that barely fits a full-size bed, which would have been fine had I considered the orientation of my desk before purchasing it. It sits in the middle of the room, a true island away from every wall, and yes, every outlet. I needed an outlet accessible at all times for my laptop, but I couldn’t reach the walls without running a mess of extension cords and surge protectors everywhere.

Anker’s Nano Power Strip was the perfect solution. It clamps onto my desktop anywhere I want, and it adds all the ports I need: USB-Cs, USB-As, and traditional outlets. It fits desks 0.6 inches to 1.8 inches thick, including edges angled under 45 degrees. Problem solved.

The picture speaks for itself. Yes, I had purchased an end table for my living room without really measuring as closely as I should have, and yes, I ended up needing it to push up flush with the wall to best fit the space. And yes, the plug to my lamp was going to try its hardest to gatekeep my wall from my table.

Enter this flat extension cord with a cover. I popped this over my outlet so I could push my furniture up against the wall, but I can still use that outlet thanks to the attached surge protector, which has 6 outlets and 3 USB ports, and a slim profile I can tuck behind my couch. I got the 5-foot option, but it’s also available in 8-foot or 10-foot configurations. 

This outlet extender ended up in my possession thanks to a problem posed by my Ring alarm system. The base for my home’s Ring alarm is located in the same closet as my wired doorbell and internet gear. Thankfully, the builders added an outlet at the top of the closet for these types of things. Unthankfully, the only way my Ring base fit on the shelf plugged in with everything else was if the plug was slightly offset, and I had another outlet available for other Ring gear.

I picked up this extender to provide more outlets and to also help offset the physical plug, which allowed the Ring base to fit in my closet. Peace at last. 

This outlet extender was to solve a simple problem: I wanted USB-A and USB-C plugs available in my guest bedroom without compromising my outlet, since this is the only one readily accessible next to the bed. I didn’t want cord clutter or surge protectors, so this plug-in does just the trick. It adds an extra traditional outlet with both port types, and I never have to worry about guests asking for charging blocks for their phone cords. 

I wish I had taken a photo of this extender before it ended up behind the sectional couch that I cannot move alone. Essentially, I needed it to extend an outlet closer to the opposite side of the sofa for a lamp, since there was no outlet closer. If I hadn’t done this, I would’ve put the outlet completely out of commission, and I would’ve had no way to plug in my floor lamp.

Many people use these extenders to lift outlets vertically, often above furniture like couches and dressers, and even in tricky spots like bathrooms and basements. I used it for the opposite purpose, but with a 180-degree rotation, you can do whatever your heart desires (and whatever your outlet needs).