Power Strips

Power Strips for Professional Event and Stage Technology: Reliable power distribution is the backbone of every show, stage and trade-fair build — and power strips are where it all begins. At LTT you find robust multi-outlet solutions built for the real demands of lighting rigs, sound systems and DJ setups, not just the living room. Whether you power a moving-head cluster, an amp rack or a full flight-case system, the right power strip keeps your gear running safely and your setup tidy. As your specialist...

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Power Strips

Power Strips for Professional Event and Stage Technology

Reliable power distribution is the backbone of every show, stage and trade-fair build — and power strips are where it all begins. At LTT you find robust multi-outlet solutions built for the real demands of lighting rigs, sound systems and DJ setups, not just the living room.

Whether you power a moving-head cluster, an amp rack or a full flight-case system, the right power strip keeps your gear running safely and your setup tidy. As your specialist for event technology, LTT combines 25 years of experience with a curated range of professional-grade equipment.

Explore our selection, find the optimal solution for your next production and put your show in the spotlight — with hardware that performs under touring conditions.

What Is a Power Strip? Fundamentals and Function

A power strip — also called a multi-outlet extension or socket strip — provides several electrical devices with a shared connection to the mains supply. It is plugged into a single wall socket, and thanks to an internal parallel circuit every outlet is powered simultaneously. In this way, a power strip acts as a distributor, in contrast to a simple extension cable that usually offers only one outlet.

How a power strip works

Inside the housing, all outlets share one live, neutral and protective earth conductor. The rated current of the mains socket (typically 16 A / 3600 W in Germany) and the cross-section of the supply lead determine how much load the strip can safely carry. Quality strips use conductors of at least 1.5 mm², which is why VDE-certified models with a smaller cross-section may no longer carry the VDE-GS mark.

Distinction from adjacent product types

A power strip differs clearly from a plain extension cable (single outlet) and from a fixed cable installation. In professional event technology, power strips also differ from PDUs (power distribution units) built into 19-inch racks and from heavy-duty distribution boxes with CEE connectors. For household use, plastic or aluminium strips with Schuko outlets dominate; for stage and touring, mechanically robust and 19-inch rack variants take over. Understanding these categories helps you pick the right tool for the job.

Types and Variants of Power Strips

Power strips come in a wide range of variants, so you can match the model exactly to your application. The most relevant types for event and stage work are:

Standard strips: 3-way up to 12-way outlet configurations, ideal for general gear connection.
Switched strips: a master switch cuts all outlets at once — perfect for fully disconnecting racks between shows.
Individually switched strips: each outlet has its own switch, letting you power devices separately without interrupting the rest.
Master-slave strips: a master device (e.g. a mixing console) automatically switches slave outlets on and off, reducing standby consumption.
Surge-protected strips: built-in surge protection guards sensitive electronics such as mixers, media servers and lighting controllers.
USB / USB-C strips: integrated USB-A and USB-C Power Delivery ports for charging tablets, laptops and phones on the go.
19-inch rack strips (PDUs): designed for mounting in server, amp and effects racks.
Wall-mounted, tower and cube designs: for permanent installation or dense charging setups.

Housings are made of plastic or aluminium; aluminium versions offer extra mechanical durability and heat dissipation, which is why they are popular in mobile and touring environments. Cable lengths typically range from 1.4 m to 5 m, letting you bridge the distance from the nearest feed point to your rig.

Comparison: Household Strip vs 19-Inch Rack PDU vs Outdoor Strip

Choosing between a standard strip, a 19-inch rack PDU and an outdoor-rated strip depends entirely on where and how you deploy your gear. The comparison below highlights the key differences for event applications.

Criterion	Standard strip	19-inch rack PDU	IP44 outdoor strip
Typical use	Desktop, backstage tables, small setups	Amp racks, effect racks, server cabinets	Open-air stages, mobile touring
Rated power	Up to 3600 W / 16 A	Up to 3600 W / 16 A	Up to 3600 W / 16 A
Housing	Plastic or aluminium	Steel / aluminium 19-inch chassis	Rubberised, sealed housing
Protection rating	IP20 (indoor only)	IP20 (rack interior)	IP44 (splash and dust)
Mounting	Free-standing, wall screws	Rack ears, tool-free rack fixing	Bracket, strain relief
Advantage	Flexible and affordable	Tidy, permanent power distribution	Weather and impact resistant

For a permanent amp or effects rack, a 19-inch PDU keeps cabling clean and serviceable. For outdoor productions and touring, an IP44 model with a robust housing and proper strain relief is the optimal solution. Standard strips remain useful backstage where flexibility matters most.

19-Inch Rack Strips and Power Distribution for AV Rigs

For professional event technology, 19-inch rack power distribution is a core discipline rather than an afterthought. Rack-mount strips (PDUs) install directly into your 19-inch amp, effect or control racks, keeping every feed and cable neatly organised and instantly serviceable on site.

Why PDUs matter for stage and event setups

Stage lighting, moving heads, amplifiers, media servers and DJ gear all draw significant current. A 19-inch PDU lets you distribute a single 16 A / 3600 W feed cleanly across multiple devices, often with a central switch and sometimes with sequenced switching to avoid inrush current spikes. This protects both your equipment and your on-site breakers.

Power distribution for lighting, sound and DJ rigs

Each discipline has its own demands: moving heads and LED fixtures create switching loads, amplifiers demand high peak current, and DJ setups need clean, uninterrupted power. Grouping devices logically across rack strips — for example separating dimmer and audio circuits — reduces interference and simplifies fault-finding. Combine your PDUs with quality cables and cases from LTT to build a fully integrated, tour-ready power system that delivers beeindruckende Ergebnisse show after show.

Surge Protection and Equipment Safety

Surge protection is one of the most valuable features a power strip can offer for sensitive event electronics. Voltage spikes — caused by nearby lightning, switching operations or an unstable venue supply — can damage or destroy mixers, media servers, lighting controllers, TVs, HiFi and PCs. A surge-protected power strip reduces these spikes so that your connected devices remain safe.

What surge protection can and cannot do

Surge protection is rated in joules: the higher the joule rating, the more energy the strip can absorb. It is strongly recommended for HiFi, TV, PC and any control electronics on stage. Importantly, surge protection does not protect against a direct lightning strike — for that, only professional building-level lightning protection is effective.

Practical advice for event use

At festivals and touring venues, mains quality varies widely. Placing surge-protected strips in front of consoles, media servers and computer-based control systems adds a cost-effective layer of protection. Combine surge protection with a switched design so you can fully isolate expensive gear from the mains when the show ends.

Load, Current and Safe Usage on Stage and at Events

Safe usage is non-negotiable when you distribute power for professional AV equipment. The core limits in Germany are straightforward: a fixed wall socket may supply a maximum of 3600 W (16 A), and a single power strip lead should not exceed roughly 2300 W (10 A) unless it is explicitly rated higher. Exceeding these limits creates a genuine fire hazard under DIN VDE 0100-420.

Do not daisy-chain power strips

Connecting multiple power strips in series (daisy-chaining) is not permitted under DIN VDE 0620-2-1, because it multiplies contact resistances in the protective earth conductor and increases the risk of overload and fire. On stage, always feed each strip from an adequately rated distribution point instead.

Load calculation for event gear

Add up the current draw of every connected device before you switch on. A fog machine can pull 1000–1500 W during heat-up, a moving head 200–800 W, and an amplifier its rated peak power. Combining several high-draw effect devices, fixtures and cabling on one strip quickly approaches the 16 A limit and trips the breaker. Calculate combined loads with headroom, distribute heavy consumers across separate circuits, and use strips with adequate conductor cross-section and increased contact protection (child safety shutters) for maximum safety.

Buying Guide: What to Look for When Choosing a Power Strip

This buying guide walks you through the technical buying criteria that matter most for event and stage applications, so you invest in the optimal solution rather than a household compromise.

Key technical criteria

Number of outlets: match to your gear count, and add spare capacity for future devices — 3, 6, 8 or more outlets are common.
Rated power and current: professional strips carry 3600 W / 16 A at 250 V~ 50 Hz; verify the rating matches your feed.
Conductor cross-section: at least 1.5 mm² for VDE-certified strips, essential for full-load stage use.
Cable length: 1.4 m to 5 m — choose enough length to reach the feed point without a second extension.
Housing material: aluminium housings offer superior durability and heat dissipation compared with plastic.
Protection rating: IP20 for indoor use, IP44 or higher for outdoor and touring.
Socket spacing: wider spacing (around 64 mm) accommodates bulky power adapters common on AV gear.
Safety features: increased contact protection (child safety shutters), switched outlets and surge protection.
Plug type and strain relief: angled plugs save space; robust strain relief prevents cable failure under mechanical stress.

Match the strip to the application

For a control desk, prioritise surge protection and individually switched outlets. For an amp rack, choose a 19-inch PDU. For open-air work, choose an IP44 aluminium strip with solid strain relief. Thinking through these criteria first saves you from tripping breakers or replacing failed hardware mid-tour.

USB and USB-C PD Charging Options

Many modern power strips integrate USB charging directly into the housing, so you can keep tablets, phones, wireless mics and laptops topped up right at the console or backstage table. These strips combine standard Schuko outlets with USB-A and USB-C ports for maximum flexibility.

USB-C Power Delivery explained

USB-C Power Delivery (PD) enables fast charging, delivering 20 W and often considerably more to compatible devices — charging laptops, tablets and phones significantly faster than legacy USB-A ports. A single USB-C PD connector can serve a wide range of modern devices, reducing the number of separate chargers you need to carry.

Practical value on site

For event crews juggling several battery-powered devices — from intercom packs to control tablets — a strip with USB-C PD keeps everything charged from one tidy unit. When choosing a USB strip, check the total charging current and the per-port PD wattage so you know it can handle your device mix without slow-charging your most demanding gear.

Outdoor and Touring Use: IP Ratings and Durability

Event setups are often outdoors or highly mobile, so mechanical durability and weather resistance matter far more than for household use. This is exactly where a pro-grade power strip earns its place.

IP ratings for outdoor power

Standard indoor strips carry an IP20 rating — protected against fingers, but not against water. For open-air stages, festivals and damp environments, choose strips rated IP44 or higher, featuring rubberised housings, sealed sockets and hinged flap covers that keep splashing water and dust out. Never use an IP20 strip in the rain.

Durability for touring

On tour, a power strip is loaded, unloaded and rigged again dozens of times. Look for robust aluminium or reinforced housings, high-quality strain relief on the supply lead, and rugged switches that survive repeated handling. Angled plugs reduce stress on the cable entry. Combining these durable strips with proper cable management and truss mounting — using cable ties or dedicated brackets on the truss — keeps your rig safe, tidy and reliable throughout a demanding touring schedule.

Care and Maintenance of Power Strips

Regular care and maintenance keep your power strips safe and extend their service life, which is especially important for gear that travels from venue to venue.

Routine maintenance checks

Inspect the supply cable and plug for cuts, kinks or overheating discolouration before every event.
Check the strain relief is intact and the cable is not pulling directly on the internal terminals.
Verify switches and indicator lights operate cleanly and that outlets grip plugs firmly.
Confirm surge protection status indicators (where fitted) still show the strip is protecting.

Cleaning and storage

Always disconnect the strip from the mains before cleaning. Wipe the housing with a dry or slightly damp cloth — never let moisture enter the outlets, and never immerse a strip in water. Allow outdoor strips to dry fully before storage. Store strips coiled loosely to avoid cable stress and keep them in flight cases where possible to protect connectors during transport. Retire any strip showing cracked housing, damaged conductors or failed contact protection immediately — replacing a cheap strip is far cheaper than replacing damaged AV equipment.

Brands and Manufacturers for Event-Grade Power Strips

As your specialist for event technology, LTT curates power strips and power distribution from manufacturers that meet professional demands rather than pure household use. In this range you will find hochwertige Markenprodukte from established event and installation brands.

Brands relevant to event technology

Eurolite — a broad portfolio of stage and installation accessories, including power distribution suitable for lighting and effect setups.
Omnitronic — audio-focused equipment with rack and distribution accessories for sound systems.
Roadinger — rack and case hardware, a natural fit alongside 19-inch power distribution.
Accu Cable — professional cabling and power products for stage and touring use.
Showtec — stage lighting and rigging accessories that integrate with rack-based power setups.

Alongside these, LTT carries its own accessory ecosystem and a wide selection of cables, cases and rack components, so you can source a complete power distribution solution from a single, reliable partner. Choosing event-grade brands rather than generic household strips ensures the mechanical robustness, correct ratings and long-term reliability that professional productions require.

Accessories and Related Categories for Power Distribution

The right accessories turn a single power strip into a complete, tour-ready power distribution system. As your specialist for event technology, LTT stocks the matching components you need to route, mount and protect your power safely.

Useful accessories

Extension and supply cables in the correct cross-section to reach your feed point safely.
Cable ties, hook-and-loop straps and cable management for tidy, trip-free routing on stage.
Rack rails, blank panels and rack hardware to mount 19-inch PDUs cleanly in your racks.
Truss mounting brackets and clamps to fix strips and cabling neatly to your truss installation.
Flight cases to protect your power distribution and connectors during transport.

Related categories

Power strips work hand in hand with several closely related product worlds at LTT. Explore our cable range for the correct supply leads, our cases for safe transport, and our truss systems and rigging accessories for mounting your power distribution overhead. Combining these categories lets you build a coherent, professional infrastructure where power, cabling and structure all work together reliably.

LTT – Your Specialist for Event Technology

When it comes to power distribution for stage and event work, LTT is your reliable partner. With over 25 years of experience in event technology and our own manufacturing in Germany, we understand exactly what touring crews, venues and installers need from their gear.

You benefit from a 3-year LTT warranty, fast dispatch from our warehouse in Germany with express delivery available, and free shipping from €69. B2B customers and resellers profit from wholesale conditions, while our worldwide shipping and international dealer network mean your productions are supported wherever they take place.

Round out your setup by exploring our matching cables, professional cases and truss systems — everything you need to build a clean, safe and tour-ready power infrastructure. Find the optimal solution for your next production at LTT and put your show in the spotlight with hardware built for professional use.

FAQ – Questions & Answers

High-power devices should not be plugged into a standard power strip. Appliances such as heaters, kettles, portable air conditioners or several fog machines running together can each draw over 2000 W, quickly exceeding the strip's safe limit of roughly 2300 W (10 A) and creating a fire hazard. In event technology, high-draw items like large amplifiers, dimmer packs and effect devices should be fed from an adequately rated distribution point or 19-inch PDU rather than a light-duty strip. Always add up the combined current draw and leave headroom below the 16 A / 3600 W wall-socket limit.

The best power strips for event and stage use are robust, correctly rated models matched to the application. For amp and effect racks, a 19-inch rack PDU offers tidy, serviceable power distribution. For control desks, a surge-protected strip with individually switched outlets protects sensitive electronics. For open-air and touring, an IP44-rated aluminium strip with solid strain relief withstands weather and rough handling. At LTT you find event-grade power strips from professional brands with 3600 W / 16 A ratings, VDE certification and durable housings — the optimal solution for demanding productions rather than household compromises.

There are several types of power strips to suit different needs. Standard strips offer 3-way to 12-way outlets; switched strips cut all outlets with one master switch; individually switched strips control each outlet separately; and master-slave strips switch slave outlets automatically to save standby power. Further variants include surge-protected strips for sensitive electronics, USB and USB-C Power Delivery strips for charging mobile devices, and 19-inch rack strips (PDUs) for amp and server racks. Housings come in plastic or more durable aluminium, and designs range from wall-mounted to tower and cube formats, with cable lengths typically from 1.4 m to 5 m.

You should be cautious about switching off a TV or media console via a power strip because abruptly cutting power can interrupt firmware updates, standby maintenance routines or software processes, potentially causing data loss or slower start-up. In event technology, the same applies to media servers, lighting controllers and computer-based systems — cutting power mid-operation risks corrupting configurations. Where devices must remain in standby, use a strip with surge protection and individually switched outlets so you can isolate the truly power-hungry gear while leaving control electronics to shut down cleanly. Always follow the manufacturer's shutdown instructions before switching a strip off.

You should not daisy-chain multiple power strips. Connecting strips in series is not permitted under DIN VDE 0620-2-1, because each additional connection adds contact resistance to the protective earth conductor and multiplies the risk of overload, overheating and fire. It also makes it far easier to exceed the 16 A / 3600 W wall-socket limit without noticing. In professional event setups, always feed each power strip from an adequately rated distribution point or 19-inch PDU instead of chaining strips together. This keeps your power distribution safe, compliant and reliable throughout a show or tour.

The number of devices you can connect to a power strip is limited not by the outlet count but by the total power draw. A single strip fed from a standard wall socket must stay below 3600 W (16 A), and its own lead should generally not exceed around 2300 W (10 A) unless rated higher. So a strip may have eight outlets, but if you connect several high-draw event devices — such as fog machines, moving heads or amplifiers — you can reach the limit with just two or three. Always add up the combined current draw and leave headroom to avoid tripping the breaker.

Yes, power strips should be switched off when not in use, because many devices continue to draw standby or leakage current even when apparently off. A switched power strip lets you cut this consumption for all connected devices at once, saving energy and fully isolating gear from the mains. In event technology, switching off strips or racks between shows also protects equipment from voltage fluctuations and reduces fire risk. Note that a single-pole switch may not make the circuit fully voltage-free, so for genuine isolation of expensive AV gear, unplugging the supply lead remains the safest option.

Yes, a power strip can catch fire if it is misused or of poor quality. The main causes are overloading beyond the 16 A / 3600 W limit, daisy-chaining several strips, using strips with an insufficient conductor cross-section, or damaged cables and strain relief. Under DIN VDE 0100-420, improper use is recognised as a genuine fire hazard in electrical installations. To stay safe, use VDE-certified strips with at least 1.5 mm² conductors, calculate your combined load with headroom, avoid chaining strips, and inspect cables regularly. For high-draw event gear, use a properly rated 19-inch PDU or distribution point instead of a light-duty strip.

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Power Strips for Professional Event and Stage Technology