APC UPS Battery Backup Surge Protector, BE425M

This is a well-built UPS that can perfectly take care of maintaining continuous power to your small devices during power fluctuations or outages. It the short span of time that I’ve had it, it has proven that it can keep my power-sensitive devices up and running with no interruption even when the electrical grid is unreliable. It can easily power small devices like routers, switches and modems for a short time. I haven’t had an outage that was long enough to exhaust the battery.

However, I have a couple of issues with it. The first one is that the unit is quite massive. It can’t easily be tucked away like a surge protector. It has to stand upright and it needs a shelf or dedicated floor space. My other issue is that changing the power sensitivity of the unit is quite difficult and the documentation does NOT cover the entire process. In order to use the feature, I had to rely on information that I found online. The documentation could be much more complete and explicit.

Despite those issues, I would still recommend this product.

I got this backup to replace an ancient APC battery backup I bought at Sams Club sometime around 2006 which I really love, but in the meantime both battery technology and the power consumed by modern computers has changed significantly. Simply put, you need to know exactly the wattage your PC actually pulls when under heavy use or this UPS will cause you a lot of headache. I got two of these, a larger one and a smaller one, neither of which were enough to handle the power draw of my PC setup. I have a 750W PSU for a GTX 1080/Ryzen 5 gaming PC, and under load in games it would fail–that is you’ll quickly hit the maximum power output of the UPS and your PC will not like that, causing crashes and instability, plus it beeps like crazy when it can’t provide enough power which my dogs are terrified of I’ve now learned.

The UPS I mentioned earlier apparently doesn’t have this “feature” as I’ve been using it with every gaming computer I’ve owned since 2006 and I never had a power delivery problem. My feeling is this one is a lot more technologically advanced/cheaply built (who knows?) so beware folks.

On the positive side, it’s nice looking, it is narrow which is great if you need to have this on the desktop or even if the space under your desk isn’t prime for a 30# box the size of a small fish tank. If you value your home electronics like I do, having one of these is crucial to not losing them to power spikes, lightning, under voltage, etc. Get one, but you’ll need a much more expensive unit if you’re using it for a modern gaming PC.

These are your generic, must have UPS for home use. The design hasn’t changed in decades and they work for years. Best investment to protect your electronics from electrical events.

I have several of these currently and have had over the years.

Overview:
If you are looking for a small and well-built battery backup solution, I would highly recommend you look at this device. APC is a brand with a reputation for quality and this product is no different. If you are a small business owner or a home user, this device is designed for your needs. It fits nicely up against the back wall underneath a desk or on top of the desk behind a monitor. It is powerful enough to allow you to safely shut down your computer in the event of a power outage. The battery backup also has an audible tone that lets you know the power is out. If you are an IT professional, you would also benefit from this item in your organization. You can use this device on end users’ computers and other devices to allow for prolonged life of your valuable IT assets. This device is cost effective enough for most IT budgets and its large mean time between failure means you won’t spend time and money replacing them in the near future.

My Experience:
I have used this product for a while now and I love the peace of mind that it brings me on a stormy night. One of my favorite features is its ability to hang on a wall with the mounting holes on the side of the unit. The mounting holes allow you to hang the unit on a wall or on a desk panel to keep things tidy. This device is made with a hard-durable plastic that works well in its intended environment. The cord on the unit is long enough to reach an outlet. The cord also has an offset plug on it to allow you to shove furniture up against it without issue. The device had enough outlets to let me plug in all my devices, including a large power brick that requires extra space to plug it in.
I have also put this device through its paces, I have one installed in a shed outdoors to protect and power some cameras. The location that I have mounted the device can vary in terms of heat and humidity. This unit has made it through many 100+ degree days with high humidity, and it has also made it through some cold days well below 30 degrees Fahrenheit. This device was not designed to be placed in the environment that I have placed it, but it has been doing well for the last year it has been there.

Recommendation:
I would highly recommend you take a look at this product if you need a cost-effective battery backup solution for your sensitive electronics. I gave this product five stars because it exceeded my expectations. You will find that it is durable yet cheap in comparison to other items. It has convenience features and is still simple to operate. I recommend buying this unit.