Designer power strips: what to look for
A power strip that stays in sight should look as if it belongs there. Five things decide it: the form and the finish, the cable, how it holds its place, the sockets it has, and the safety inside.
5finishes, the same across the range
1.8 mbraided cable on Cubical C1 and Squared S1
50 %recycled plastic in the enclosure
2026iF Design Award and Red Dot for Circular C2
Most power strips are made to be hidden
The ordinary power strip is a white or black bar, made to sit behind the sofa. That works until it cannot be hidden: in the middle of a meeting table, on a desk, beside a bed, on a floor with nothing to hide behind. Then it is an object in the room, and it should be designed like one.
Five things decide whether a power strip can stay in sight.
Form and finish
Look for a shape that reads as an object, not a part. Cubical C1 is a cube, 81.4 × 81.4 × 79.6 mm. Circular C2 is a low circle, 124 mm across and 56 mm high. Squared S1 is a square, 99 × 99 mm and 45 mm thick.
Then the finish. Every Cords® product comes in the same five, from the Cords® Color System: Jet Black, Mist White, Sand, Pale Pink and Electric Orange. A strip, a charger and a cable can match, or set each other off.
Circular C2 and Cylindric UX1 each won an iF Design Award and a Red Dot in 2026.
The cable
The cable is the part you see most. A braided cable is soft, lies flat and follows a table leg; a plain plastic one kinks and shines. Cubical C1 and Squared S1 have a braided 1.8 m cable. Circular C2's braided cable can be set to the length you need, up to 1.6 m, so no loop is left on the floor.
More in How to hide cords at the desk and behind the TV
A base that holds
A strip that slides across the floor every time a plug comes out is a strip you will end up hiding. Cubical C1 and Squared S1 have four neodymium magnets in the base. They hold to steel, or to the metal plate in the box, on a desk, under it or on the side of a cabinet. Circular C2 sits low and round on the floor.
The right sockets
Count the plugs first, then choose:
| Sockets | USB-C | Size | Cable | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cubical C1 | 3 Type F | 2, 65 W | 81.4 × 81.4 × 79.6 mm | 1.8 m, braided |
| Circular C2 | 4 Type F | None | ø 124 × 56 mm | Up to 1.6 m, braided |
| Squared S1 | 4 Type F | None | 99 × 99 × 45 mm | 1.8 m, braided |
| Extend E1 | 1 Type F | None | – | 2 m or 3 m, braided |
USB-C built in saves a charger plug: Cubical C1 charges a laptop at up to 65 W from the same cube. For more devices, Cylindric UX1 gives four USB-C ports and 165 W from one socket.
The safety you cannot see
Good design goes all the way in. Check for:
- Socket shutters, on Cubical C1, Circular C2 and Squared S1.
- A clear rating: 16 A, 3,680 W in total.
- Certification: CE, TÜV, RoHS and REACH.
- An enclosure of polycarbonate, half of it recycled plastic.
- Low standby use: under 150 mW for Cubical C1, and 0 W for Squared S1, which has no electronics.
And use one strip at a time, plugged into the wall. More in Can you plug an extension lead into another?
Questions
What makes a power strip a designer power strip?
A shape and a finish made to be seen, a cable that suits the room, and the same care inside: shutters, a clear rating and certification.
Are designer power strips safe?
The design is on the outside; check the inside like any strip. Cubical C1, Circular C2 and Squared S1 are rated 16 A, 3,680 W, certified CE and TÜV, with socket shutters.
Which Cords® power strip should I choose?
Circular C2 for the floor, its cable set to length. Cubical C1 for a desk where you also charge, with two USB-C ports. Squared S1 for four sockets, flat, under a desk or on a cabinet.
Which colors do they come in?
Five finishes across the range: Jet Black, Mist White, Sand, Pale Pink and Electric Orange.
Can I mount a power strip?
Cubical C1 and Squared S1 have magnetic bases. They hold to steel, or to the metal plate that comes in the box.
Why a braided cable?
It is soft, lies flat and drapes like fabric, so it looks like part of the room rather than a plastic lead.
Sources
Sizes, materials, ratings, shutters, standby use and certifications are from the specifications of Cubical C1, Circular C2, Squared S1, Extend E1 and Cylindric UX1. Awards: iF Design Award 2026 and Red Dot Winner 2026, Circular C2 and Cylindric UX1.
