Anker Nano Power Strip A9127: Compact Surge-Protected Charging Hub

The Anker Nano Power Strip (model A9127) is a compact 6-in-1 power strip that fits a lot of charging capability into a surprisingly small footprint. It has 3 standard AC outlets, 2 USB-A ports, and 1 USB-C port with 30W Power Delivery charging. The flat plug profile makes it practical for tight spaces behind furniture or beside nightstands where a bulky plug would stick out awkwardly. Pricing is around $20-22. With 12,400 reviews and a 4.6-star rating, it's one of Anker's most consistently recommended compact strips.

Worth being upfront about: the A9127 is not a smart power strip. No Wi-Fi, no app, no outlet scheduling. It's included here because smart home setups frequently use it as the power hub for clusters of smart devices, and understanding its specs matters when you're connecting a HomeBase hub, a smart display, and a few phone chargers to a single outlet behind a TV stand.

What Makes the Flat Plug Design Useful?

The A9127 uses a flat (low-profile) plug that sits flush against the wall rather than protruding at a right angle. The plug rotates 360 degrees for orientation flexibility, which matters when plugging into horizontal outlets under desks or into outlet strips mounted vertically on walls.

In practice, the flat plug design solves a specific problem: in tight spaces between furniture and walls, a standard plug sticks out far enough to prevent pushing furniture fully back. The A9127's plug adds only about 0.5 inches of depth. For a nightstand situation where every inch of clearance matters, that's the reason to choose this over a standard strip.

The 5-foot cord is the right length for most desktop and nightstand applications without creating excess slack. A 6-foot version isn't available in the current lineup, so if you need more reach, you'd need an extension cord, which Anker doesn't recommend for surge-protected strips handling high loads.

How Are the 3 AC Outlets Arranged?

The three AC outlets are spaced to accommodate larger adapters without blocking adjacent outlets. Each outlet accepts a standard polarized two-prong or three-prong (grounded) plug. The spacing between outlets is approximately 1.4 inches center-to-center.

In my testing, two standard-size smart home hubs side by side fit without issue. Large wall-wart style power bricks (the kind that come with older routers and some smart home hubs) may block an adjacent outlet depending on their exact dimensions. Measuring your specific adapters before buying is worth the 30 seconds.

The outlets are surge-protected at a combined rating of 1500 joules. Each outlet is always on. There's no individual outlet switching, no master switch that cuts all outlets simultaneously (the on/off switch controls only the surge protection circuit state), and no way to schedule outlet behavior.

USB-C 30W Power Delivery: What Does It Actually Charge?

The 30W USB-C PD port charges most smartphones at full rated speeds. Apple iPhones from iPhone 12 onward charge at their maximum rate (20-27W depending on model) from this port with an Apple-certified USB-C to Lightning or USB-C cable. Android phones supporting 18W, 25W, or 30W PD protocols charge at their rated speeds.

Devices that won't reach maximum charge speed from 30W:

• MacBook Pro (requires 61W or 96W)
• MacBook Air M1/M2 (charges adequately at 30W but slower than the included 30W or 45W adapters)
• iPad Pro (fully charges but slower than the 20W included adapter)
• Nintendo Switch in handheld mode (charges fine; dock mode requires more power)

For a nightstand charger where the goal is charging a phone overnight, 30W is more than sufficient. For a desk where you need to charge a laptop at working speed, the A9127's USB-C port won't keep pace with a demanding workflow on a 15-inch machine.

The two USB-A ports each deliver 5V/2.4A (12W), which is standard for USB-A fast charging. They support Apple Fast Charge (2.4A) and Adaptive Fast Charge for Samsung devices. The total USB output is shared across all three ports, so charging three devices simultaneously reduces the per-device output.

Smart Home Use Cases for a Non-Smart Strip

Why does a non-smart power strip belong in a smart home product review? Because the infrastructure powering smart devices matters for reliability and organization.

Common applications in smart home setups:

• Powering a cluster of always-on smart home hubs (SmartThings, HomeBase, Home Assistant server, router)
• Nightstand charging: phone, smart watch, earbuds, all from one outlet
• Home office desk: laptop (via USB-C), monitor, and smart display on one strip
• Behind TV stand: streaming stick, soundbar, smart speaker, and cable box
• Under desk: USB-C laptop charging plus two accessories

The surge protection is worth taking seriously for smart home hubs specifically. A voltage spike that damages your SmartThings hub, your Lutron bridge, or your security camera hub takes out your entire automation setup in one event. A 1500-joule surge-protected strip on your hub cluster is inexpensive insurance relative to the replacement cost of those devices.

We've found that consolidating all smart home hub power to a single surge-protected strip also makes it easier to power-cycle the entire hub cluster when troubleshooting connectivity issues. Rather than reaching behind multiple pieces of furniture, one switch or one cord pull resets everything.

Build Quality and Dimensions

Anker's build quality on the A9127 is consistent with its reputation in the charging accessories space. The plastic housing is firm and doesn't flex under load. The cord feels substantial rather than the lightweight cable common on budget strips.

Dimensions: approximately 9.8 x 1.9 x 1.2 inches for the strip body. It fits on a nightstand without overhanging and sits flat on a desk surface. The protection status LED on the front is visible from across a room without being distracting.

The 18-month warranty from Anker covers manufacturer defects. If a surge event destroys the strip, Anker's Connected Equipment Warranty covers up to $1,500 in connected equipment damage, provided the equipment damage is directly caused by a surge the strip failed to protect against. That's a reasonable backstop for hub clusters where connected equipment exceeds the strip's own cost.

Final Thoughts

The Anker Nano Power Strip A9127 earns its 4.6-star average and 12,400 reviews through consistent delivery on simple promises: compact size, flat plug, 30W USB-C, solid surge protection, and reliable build quality. It's not a smart device. What it is is a practical, durable power hub that fits tightly in modern living spaces and handles the physical infrastructure that smart home devices depend on.

At $20-22, it's an easy addition to any nightstand, desk, or hub cluster. The opinionated take here: if you're building a smart home and don't have surge protection on your hub cluster, you should fix that before the next electrical storm does it for you.