Laptop Mag Verdict

Durable well-engineered design meets power delivery and surge protection for up to 13 devices in the Monster Power Center Vertex XL. Still, it comes at a price that may make you think twice.

Pros

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Stylish ergonomic design
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Heavy-duty nylon braided power cords
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5000 joules of surge protection
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13 outlets/ports and a USB hub
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Flat plug

Cons

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A bit pricey

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Monster Power Center Vertex XL Specs

Price: $119

Outlets: 10

Ports: Two USB Type A, One USB-C

Surge Protection: 5,000 joules

Power Cord: 6-Feet Nylon braided with flat plug

Size: 15.5 x 3.5 x 1.5 weight 1.5 pounds

Monster is probably best known for its high-end home theater cables, but the company covers a range of laptop accessories, and the Monster Power Center Vertex XL surge protector is its latest release. Surge protectors tend to be bland things we toss under our desks or behind our entertainment systems and don’t think about unless they stop working.

Personally, before I received the sexy, brilliantly engineered Monster Vertex XL, I had a mess of multiple extension cords and one surge protector under my office desk that looked very much like the wall of plugs the father A Christmas Story tries to plug his leg lamp into.

Monster Power Center Vertex XL review — (Image credit: Future)

Thanks to ten AC plugs and a detachable USB hub that can magnetically attach to your desk, I’m enjoying a much more organized and safer power environment. Let's power up and have a look at the Monster Power Center Vertex XL.

Price and configuration

Monster offers two iterations: Vertex and Vertex XL. actually, four because they are available in white or black; I prefer the black model. Our review unit, the Vertex XL, costs $119 and comes with a detachable USB hub with the ability to power 13 different devices (i.e.,10 AC outlets and two USB Type-A ports, and one USB-C port) and 5,000 joules of surge protection.

The smaller sibling, the $99.99 Power Center Vertex, can power up to nine devices as it features six AC outlets, 3,000 joules of protection, and a detachable USB hub with three USB ports. The Vertex XL also includes a detachable magnetic USB hub with a six-feet threaded power cord that features a potent 32W of power; it includes two USB-A ports and a 20W USB-C power delivery port for quickly charging a smartphone or tablet, or very slowly charging a laptop.

So basically, for $20 more, you get the ability to power an additional four devices.

Design

The Monster Power Center Vertex XL’s ultra-modern industrial design is eye-catching with its angular curb appeal. It arrives with two indicator LED lights, a power on/off/reset switch, 10 AC ports, and an extra-long, six-feet heavy-duty nylon-braided cord. Many surge protectors offer only six AC outlets, having the extra four outlets is game-changing and allowed me to get rid of two extension cords that lacked surge protection for my devices. The main body of the Vertex XL has 10 AC outlets in two sets of five that are placed at a 180-degree angle from one another and decently spaced out.

The innovative detachable hub is an excellent solution for hard-to-reach outlets, and because it comes with a small magnetic plate with adhesive on one side that you can stick on your desk, it keeps the hub securely in place. I also have just put it on metal objects on my desk, and it clung securely to them.

If you’re not using the detachable hub, thanks to its ergonomic design, it can be wrapped neatly around the core of the surge protector so that it nests seamlessly in place. It provides easy access to a USB hub, which would normally be a separate purchase, so it’s a handy extra to have.

I was able to plug in and power my workstation laptop, three 27-inch 4K monitors, my audio mixer, a video camera control mixer, a VPN, backup hard drive, two wireless chargers, a ring light, and still had the three-port USB hub open and ready to charge any extra devices.

With 5,000 joules of protection, I can relax knowing that my devices are protected if there are any electrical surges. Monster offers a lifetime warranty with a $200,000 connected equipment guarantee, which also helps me feel a little more secure.

However, surge protectors do wear out over time and become less effective at protecting your devices. They should be replaced every five to seven years, or when the warranty expires, which is three to five years for most surge protectors. Please check with your surge protectors manufacturer to know when is the best time to upgrade or replace your surge protector.

Bottom Line

The Monster Power Center Vertex XL is a 5,000-joule protection beast. It offers 10 protected AC outlets and a detachable USB hub with a six-feet heavy-duty nylon-braided cord that looks good but is designed to be hidden under desks or behind your wall units because it has a small footprint and a flat plug, which creates space. The durably built power delivery surge protector may seem a bit pricey, but for all you get and the level of protection it offers, it’s worth the $119 price tag.

Mark has spent 20 years headlining comedy shows around the country and made appearances on ABC, MTV, Comedy Central, Howard Stern, Food Network, and Sirius XM Radio. He has written about every topic imaginable, from dating, family, politics, social issues, and tech. He wrote his first tech articles for the now-defunct Dads On Tech 10 years ago, and his passion for combining humor and tech has grown under the tutelage of the Laptop Mag team. His penchant for tearing things down and rebuilding them did not make Mark popular at home, however, when he got his hands on the legendary Commodore 64, his passion for all things tech deepened. These days, when he is not filming, editing footage, tinkering with cameras and laptops, or on stage, he can be found at his desk snacking, writing about everything tech, new jokes, or scripts he dreams of filming.