"it must look like a squid" probably won't be your reply when asked what you require from your mains surge protector, but there's something very appealing about the appearance of the Philips (opens in new tab) SPR5520.
What's less appealing, however, is the influence the PowerSquid exerts over your system.
For £20, we'd be happy enough for it to simply extend one mains input into five – we're not expecting any gains in performance.
The SPR5520 inhibits hi-fi across the board, though, making it a not-entirely helpful purchase.
Philips SPR5520 review
Surge protection is always welcome, but not at the expense of performance – no matter how quirky a product's appearance is Tested at £20.00

What Hi-Fi? Verdict
Surge protection is always welcome, but not at the expense of performance
Pros
- +
Quirky, unusual looks
Cons
- -
Inhibits performance