I've been using them since the first 110 was introduced. I haven't had any failures. YMMV. Like Jim said, use a UPS for best results... I have a ridiculous s___load of electronic gear, all UPS-protected, or at least, protected by a APC surge protector, and the only time I've ever had an incident was when I overloaded a branch circuit in my house, causing a "brownout"-like voltage drop. The UPS self-destructed, as it should, and a power-strip smoked, as it should, and none of the attached equipment was damaged. I used to actually sell UPS equipment to data centers and network installations, so I'm kind of a fanatic about it. Note that there are a lot of sub-par surge protector power strips out there, and that any surge protector that is subjected to repeated surges may eventually break down (doing its job). APC and Trip Lite are probably the two most robust and reliable surge protector brands.