This is general safety information, not a substitute for a licensed electrician's advice if you have concerns about your home's specific wiring or circuit capacity. The mistakes below are common but avoidable with basic placement changes.
Plugging one power strip into another to get more outlets is one of the most common home office setups — and one most manufacturers explicitly warn against. It compounds load on a single wall circuit beyond what either strip alone was rated for, and most strips aren't designed or tested for that configuration. Use one strip per wall outlet, sized for your actual equipment.
Running cables or a power strip under a rug to hide them (a tempting fix relevant to our cable management guide) traps heat that would otherwise dissipate normally, and hides wear or damage that would be visible if left exposed. This is a genuine fire risk that isn't obvious until something goes wrong — keep strips and cable runs visible and out from under any fabric.
Not every power strip includes surge protection — some are simple outlet extenders. For any electronics investment (monitors, computers, monitor arm-mounted equipment), check specifically for a strip labeled as a surge protector, not just a multi-outlet strip, since the terms are often used loosely in casual conversation but aren't interchangeable on the product itself.
Mounting a power strip to the underside of a desk (relevant to our standing desk cable guide if your desk moves) keeps it elevated, ventilated, and out of the way of foot traffic or spills — a meaningfully safer placement than leaving it loose on the floor.
Generally not recommended — plugging one power strip into another compounds the risk of overloading a single wall outlet's circuit and most manufacturers explicitly warn against it. Use one strip per outlet, sized for your actual needs.
No — covering a power strip or cables with a rug traps heat and creates a fire risk that isn't obvious until something goes wrong. Cables and strips need to stay visible and ventilated, not hidden under fabric.
Check the strip's rated wattage/amperage against the combined draw of everything plugged in. A strip that feels warm to the touch during normal use is a sign to redistribute the load, not something to ignore.
What actually matters here: avoid daisy-chaining, never hide strips or cables under rugs, and check rated capacity against actual load — these three habits address the most common and most avoidable home office electrical risks.
To verify/update periodically: general safety guidance, not a substitute for professional electrical advice specific to your home's wiring.