Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)

Uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) protect computers, servers, network equipment and sensitive devices from power cuts, dips and surges, giving you time to save your work or shut down safely. This category includes desktop, tower and rack-mount UPS units as well as voltage stabilisers.

Start from the load: add up the consumption of the devices you want to protect and choose a model with suitable VA and watt ratings, plus a margin. Then consider the technology (line-interactive for office use, double conversion for the most critical loads), the number and type of outlets, the tower or rack format and management interfaces such as USB, RS-232 or SNMP. Available brands include APC, Eaton, Vertiv, Legrand and Tecnoware.