TESSAN vs TAGZILO Power Strip Tower Review: Which One Wins?

If your desk or dorm has one wall outlet and a dozen things that need power, a vertical power strip tower is the fix. It stacks a surge protector and charging station straight up instead of sprawling a flat strip across the floor. Two of the most cross-shopped towers are the TESSAN Tower Power Strip and the TAGZILO Power Strip Tower, and on paper they look almost identical.

Both give you 12 AC outlets spread three to a side across four faces, built-in USB charging on top, and a flat angled plug that sits flush to the wall. Both are budget, US-only devices built for a home and office desk, a dorm, or a nightstand.

I ran both to see where they actually differ. This review centers on the TESSAN (model ZHC413, $29.99 as of November 2026, rated 4.6 across more than 1,300 Amazon ratings), then measures it against the TAGZILO category by category: switches, USB charging, surge protection, size, and value. The short version is that the TESSAN wins on control while the TAGZILO wins on protection and charging speed, so the right pick depends on which you value.

TESSAN vs TAGZILO at a Glance

Both are compact tower surge protector power strips that list 12 AC outlets and a flat angled plug, so the real differences live in the details. The TESSAN carries five USB ports (two USB-C at 15W, three USB-A at 12W), four per-side switches, a 6-foot cord, and a stated 1250-watt limit, but no published joule rating. It stands about 5 x 5 x 8 inches in grey or black.

The TAGZILO counters with three top USB ports (two USB-C at 20W Power Delivery, one USB-A), a single master switch, a 10-foot cord, and a published 1800-joule surge rating, in a shorter white or black body. Both run on 125 volts of alternating current with a Type B plug, both are US-only, and both sell for around $29.99 as of November 2026.

What the TESSAN Tower Does Better

Individual Per-Side Switches Give You Real Control

The feature that sets the TESSAN apart is its four independent switches, one for each side of the tower. Each switch cuts power to the three AC outlets on its own face, so you can turn off the lamps on one side and leave your monitor and chargers running on another.

In the head-to-head video, this is the one thing the TAGZILO cannot do, since it has only a single master switch. If you film with lights, run seasonal decorations, or just want to kill phantom draw overnight without unplugging anything, that per-side control is the real reason to pick the TESSAN. That same switch control suits a low-draw, always-on gadget like the Frameo 10.1 inch WiFi digital picture frame, which you can leave running on one face and cut with the rest of that side when you want the room dark.

Five USB Ports, Including Two USB-C, on One Tower

The TESSAN packs five USB ports into the top of the tower, where the TAGZILO gives you three. The split is two USB-C and three USB-A, so you can keep a phone, earbuds, a smartwatch, and a tablet on the tower itself and leave the AC outlets free for bigger adapters.

For a desk covered in small gadgets, those two extra ports matter. On this model the USB ports stay powered whenever the tower is plugged in, independent of the four side switches.

Twelve Widely Spaced Outlets Across Four Sides

Each of the four faces holds three widely spaced outlets, so a fat adapter or a plug-in timer gets its own side instead of covering its neighbor. On a flat strip one oversized wall-wart blocks the socket beside it; here I filled all 12 outlets without a single spacing conflict, and the wide gaps accommodate even a three-prong electrical connector with a bulky housing.

That layout is what turns a single wall outlet into a genuine charging station for a desk full of electronic devices. A monitor, a laptop charger, a desk lamp, and a router all found a home on the tower.

A Flat Plug and Flat Cord That Sit Flush to the Wall

Like the TAGZILO, the TESSAN ends its extension cord in a flat, low-profile plug. It sits nearly flush against the wall instead of jutting out, so you can push a desk or a bed right back against the baseboard without crushing the plug.

The cord itself is thin and flexible, which keeps cable management simpler than a thick, rigid power cable. This is the category where the two towers come closest to a tie.

A Clear 1250W Power Limit and a Planted Base

The TESSAN is upfront about its ceiling: a stated limit of 1250 watts, with a red reset button on the base that pops out if you cross it. You always know the number you are working against, which is reassuring when a computer or a monitor is plugged in.

At roughly 5 x 5 x 8 inches on four rubber feet, the base also feels planted when you tug a tight plug. It stayed put through weeks of plugging and unplugging on my desk.

Where the TESSAN Falls Short of the TAGZILO

USB Charging Is Slow, With No Fast-Charge Port

Every USB port on the TESSAN tops out at standard speed. Each USB-C port delivers up to 15W (5V/3A) and each USB-A port up to 12W (5V/2.4A), which charges a phone, earbuds, or a watch fine but never fast.

The TAGZILO takes this category because its USB-C ports support 20W Power Delivery, so a newer phone that accepts fast charging tops up quicker on that one port than on anything the TESSAN offers. Neither tower charges a laptop over USB, so for real fast charging you still plug a dedicated USB-C adapter into an AC outlet.

No Published Joule Surge Rating to Compare

TESSAN calls this a surge protector but does not publish a joule rating for this model, so you cannot see how large a high voltage spike it is built to absorb. That gap is the single thing that bugged me most in testing, because the whole point of surge protection is knowing the headroom.

The TAGZILO publishes an 1800-joule rating, so you know what you are getting for the gear plugged into it. A stated number beats no number at all, even though the TESSAN is clear about its 1250-watt load limit.

A Shorter Cord and a Taller, Heavier Footprint

This TESSAN variant ships a 6-foot flat cord, where the TAGZILO gives you a full 10 feet of reach. If the only free outlet is across the room or behind a bed, that difference decides whether you need a second extension cord.

The TESSAN also stands about 8 inches tall and feels noticeably heavier, so it takes up more room on a nightstand and a few owners worry it could tip if knocked. The TAGZILO is shorter and tucks into a corner more easily.

Mixed Long-Term Reliability in Owner Reviews

The weak spot across user reviews is longevity, and it is an electrical reliability concern more than a cosmetic one. Amazon’s own customer summary for this TESSAN notes mixed reliability, with some buyers reporting USB ports that stop working after a few weeks or a unit that fails after about three months, alongside many who call it sturdy.

That is a reminder to buy within the return window and test every port early. Treat any budget strip, this one included, as a wear item rather than a lifetime purchase.

TESSAN vs TAGZILO: Category by Category

Both towers sit in the same budget range, so price is not the deciding factor. Here is how the TESSAN and the TAGZILO split the categories that actually change day to day. For the full single-product breakdowns, see my TESSAN Tower Power Strip review and my TAGZILO Power Strip Tower review.

Cord and Plug: Close, With the Edge to TAGZILO

Both finish in a flat, angled plug that sits flush to the wall, and both keep the lower half of the outlet usable. The TAGZILO’s plug is about twice as thick, but it only protrudes slightly and never got in the way.

The tiebreaker is reach. This TESSAN variant ships a 6-foot cord while the TAGZILO runs a full 10 feet, so the TAGZILO is the better pick when the nearest socket is far from the desk.

Switches and Control: TESSAN Wins

This is the TESSAN’s category. Four per-side switches let you power down one group of outlets, such as lamps, while a monitor and chargers keep running on another face.

The TAGZILO has a single master switch, so it is all-or-nothing: handy for cutting everything at once, but it cannot isolate a side. If switch control is why you want a tower, the TESSAN power strip is the clear choice.

USB Charging: TAGZILO Charges Faster

The TESSAN gives you more ports, five against three, but all of them charge at standard speed: 15W on USB-C and 12W on USB-A. The TAGZILO fields fewer ports yet includes 20W USB-C Power Delivery, so a fast-charge phone tops up quicker there.

One caveat on the TAGZILO: its three top ports share a single 15W budget in multiport mode, so charging several devices at once slows each down. The TESSAN is the better fit for a lot of small gadgets at once, the TAGZILO for charging one phone quickly. A small USB gadget such as the HiDock P1 AI voice recorder tops up fine on either tower’s standard ports, since a recorder that lives on Bluetooth earphones draws little between calls.

Surge Protection and Power: TAGZILO Publishes, TESSAN Doesn’t

The TAGZILO states an 1800-joule surge rating, so you know the protection headroom before plugging in a computer. The TESSAN publishes only its 1250-watt load limit and a reset button, with no joule figure for this model, which leaves you guessing on surge headroom.

For both, keep high-voltage, high-draw appliances off the strip. Space heaters, hair dryers, and shop tools should go straight into the wall, not onto either tower.

Size and Build: TAGZILO Tucks Away, TESSAN Stays Planted

The TESSAN stands about 8 inches tall on a wide, heavy base, so it feels solid but takes up more nightstand space. The TAGZILO is shorter and disappears into the corner of a desk more easily.

Both have rubber feet and a sturdy ABS shell, and both come in more than one color: the TESSAN in grey or black, the TAGZILO in white or black. Build quality is a wash; this comes down to whether you want a shorter, space-saving profile or a planted one.

Value, Warranty, and the Overall Call

In a dorm or office setting, either strip surge protector is a tidy solution, so you are really choosing what you pay for. With the TESSAN you pay for control and ports: five USB ports, per-side switches, and a longer track record, backed by TESSAN’s standard 18-month warranty. With the TAGZILO you pay for protection and speed: a published joule rating, 20W USB-C, and a 2-year warranty, though it is the newer product.

In the video comparison, the overall nod goes to the TAGZILO for most people, because the published surge rating and faster charging fix the two things that hold the TESSAN back. The TESSAN stays the better buy for anyone who will genuinely use the per-side switches.

How Both Stack Up Against the Big Names

Neither tower is a protection benchmark. The Anker 351 Power Strip is the flat-strip pick that CNN Underscored and Tom’s Guide both name best for most, with 12 outlets, a 20W USB-C port, and a TUV-listed 2100-joule rating. The Belkin 12-Outlet surge protector pushes past 3,900 joules with a UL listing but drops USB entirely, and Wirecutter’s own top pick, the Eaton Tripp Lite Protect It, adds an auto-shutoff that cuts power once the protection is spent.

For a vertical layout with fast charging, the TROND rotating-plug tower pairs 12 outlets and four USB ports (two USB-C PD) with a 1700-joule rating and a retractable cord. Against that field, the TESSAN and TAGZILO compete on price, outlet spacing, and the tower footprint rather than on raw joules or a certified safety listing, which is worth weighing if you are protecting expensive electronics.

Final Verdict: Which Power Strip Tower Wins?

After running both, the TESSAN and the TAGZILO solve the same problem in different ways, and neither is a bad deal at around $29.99 (as of November 2026). The TESSAN turns one outlet into 12 widely spaced sockets plus five USB ports, and its per-side switches are a genuine feature rather than a gimmick.

Its shortfalls are the ones the TAGZILO fixes: slow USB with no fast-charge port, no published joule surge rating, a shorter 6-foot cord, and mixed long-term reliability in owner reviews. For most people on a typical desk, the TAGZILO’s 20W USB-C, stated 1800-joule protection, and 10-foot cord make it the easier recommendation.

I rate the TESSAN Tower Power Strip 4.2 out of 5. The outlet spacing, five USB ports, and per-side switch control earn high marks, while the missing surge rating, slow charging, and shorter cord hold it back.

Bottom line: Buy the TESSAN if you will actually use the per-side switches to cut power to one group of devices at a time, or if you want the extra USB ports. If you care more about charging speed and knowing your surge protection number, the TAGZILO is the better tower for most setups. Whichever you pick, keep heaters, hair dryers, and shop tools plugged straight into the wall.