Pivot Power : The Power Strip Reinvented

Full disclosure: I make money on every Pivot Power sold. That said, I also truly believe in this product. Just read the review and see why.

At some point, people began using more and more gadgets and electronics, requiring more and more plugs. From cell phones to portable game systems, many of these plugs come in awkwardly shaped bricks that take up a lot of space in a wall outlet or power strip. That’s why Quirky produced Pivot Power, the brain child of designer and programmer, Jake Zien.

A Great Idea

In 2006, Jake came up with the idea for Pivot Power as a project for his pre-college program at the Rhode Island School of Design. One can only hope he received a high grade for the project. The problem is pretty simple to grasp: By time you’ve plugged in three or four brick style power adapters in any normal straight power strip, you’ve covered up the remaining, unused outlets. The solution, as Jake saw it, was to have a power strip that could bend at each socket to allow a little more room. Fast forward to about a year ago. The same concept is very well received by Quirky users, who then helped it become a product. I loved the idea so much that I became one of more than 855 people who helped bring it to life and then I bought two of them as soon as they went on pre-sale.

Put To The Test

Anyone wondering how much of a problem the “brick” power adapters can be should refer to my home office. I have these things all over the place from gadgets I review as well as my desktop speakers, cameras, wireless devices, cable modem, etc. Coming up with six bulky adapters to test the Pivot Power didn’t even require getting up from my chair.

The power adapters I used were all bricks of varying sizes and they all fit nicely in my Pivot Power. At one end, the power button is illuminated around its edge by a blue light to let me know that the power strip is turned on. The illumination was just the topping on a very elegant design. A push of the power button turns off the light and the whole power strip. The Pivot Power also has a little weight to it. This is important because the straight power strip at my office is constantly rolling onto its side. This weight, along with the ability to bend it into an S or U shape will keep the Pivot Power sitting flat as it should be.

The Pivot Power won me over from all angles. It looks good. It feels like it will last. The concept makes it rise above all other power strips I’ve used. I really couldn’t find a negative thing to say about it. Priced at $29.99 on Quirky’s web site, it’s definitely priced higher than most power strips. If you don’t have the problem this solves, $30 is a bit much for a power strip, but if you do, it’s worth every cent.