Customer Ratings & Reviews

Not even a year in and it's already beeping telling me that the battery needs to be replaced. It does this even when it's plugged in the whole time. So, if you're getting this, know that this is pretty much just a surge protector.

Most people buy battery backups for their computers, but many don't know that they're incredibly useful for protecting your home theater components! Not only do they protect against power surges, but the battery helps protect against brown-outs and the occasional quick power off/on cycle from the power company. This unit is perfectly suited for theater. Not only is an inexpensive no-frills solution, it's also a good size for a typical setup. There's no need to hide a huge battery, and it's pretty sleek looking (for a UPS!) and will fit in with most setups. Also, if you have "noisy" electricity or grounding issues that cause hum, this will help isolate you from the source. I have my TV and soundbar plugged into the UPS outlets and my Blu-Ray player in the surge only outlets. One thing to remember is that there's a yellow tab on the bottom that must be inserted into the neighboring slot before use. All UPSes come with a way of disconnecting the battery during storage. If you rush to plug everything in it's easy to miss this (although there is a big yellow sticker on the outlets to remind you) and then it'll appear to not work properly. If you're looking for something to give you just enough time to save what you're doing on your laptop or desktop when the power drops, this unit will be sufficient. For bigger applications, or if you need the UPS to "talk" to your machine through USB (no ports on this one!) you may want to look into a bigger UPS.

This 425A is the smaller sibling of another model I have had for a while. APC in my experience has always been the best UPS/Backup product. I don't think I've ever had to file for claim coverage from a power surge with any APC product. It was easier to set up than previous models in that you didn't have to wrestle with a heavy battery trying to push a cable connector onto a battery terminal. There is a little jumper or lockout you pull instead. I tested this little unit with a 15-watt CFL light with the unit on full charge. I wanted to see just how many hours it would last with a constant draw on it, and I was surprised. It went almost 2 hours before the low charge alarm came on, and 10 minutes later it shut off. It is designed to keep the powered items at a workstation or something similar up and running for at least a few minutes so that either software (it's free if you want to download it) or the user has time to save work and safely power down. These babies were hot items everywhere in Florida recently when Dorian was first set to smash us. You could probably recharge your phone quite a few times and use it to power up a laptop for a bit. It's nowhere as heavy or bulky as these things used to be, so they are even handier and even more portable.

I have to say, it's a bit weird in how to do up a review for something like this. I say that because it's for one of those if/when/just in case scenarios. So far in the time I've had the back-up it's not been tripped. I use it primarily for our modem/router. Given we've had a hot summer with little in the way of storms the last several weeks there's not been a instance where the unit's been used. It's got plenty of outlets on it so if you should find yourself without power you could certainly utilize it to charge a device should that need arise, but having more critical devices connected would be a better use. It's got a nice design to fit in smaller spaces and can be kept out of sight. It's plenty easy to setup. Take it out of the box, pull the battery tab, plug it in and connect what you want. The outlets are well marked, 4 for Battery/Surge protection and two just for surge protection, so if you want to connect up your PC or other expensive electronic devices you can do so without having to worry about the battery draining quickly. Should the time come when it does get used, I've got a good feeling it won't let me down. There's a reason APC has been around so long and I've always used their products. I don't think you'll be disappointed with this.

i am glad i have a back up to use now. i am using this for my desktop. well 2. with 2 gaming desktops and 2 monitors this lasted 3 min and 50 seconds. i say that is pretty good considering. enough time to save and shut down if needed. i wanted to put it to the test and that is what i did. i would give it 5 stars but a couple things. first, at least with my unit, you plug in a adaptor piece on bottom to the battery. mine seems to not sit flesh and so it has a slight uneven to it. its not much but still. another thing is that there is no indication as to battery life. it just flashes 2 times every couple seconds, and then rapidly flashes i would say when the battery has about a third power left or so. i say this because it would start to rapid flash about 2 min and 15 seconds. i would like to be able to look and see maybe every 10% increments or something on exactly where the battery level is at. another thing is that the 2 plugs that are not for battery back up are not too spaced out. there is plenty of space between the 4 plugs that are for battery back up. but not the 2 plugs. overall simple to use. plug the yellow piece on bottom to battery, plug into a wall, and then press and hold power button. like i said, i tested it on a more extreme side.

Small enough to place on your desktop (in the corner) and 4 backed up ports is great to keep a PC, monitor, and a couple more things on for more than long enough too shut down properly after a power outage. I tested this UPS with my wi-fi router and switch. When I disconnected the power, the router stayed and switch stayed on for almost 2 hours and there was no interruption in wi-fi throughout the house. Exactly the kind of performance I have come to expect from APC UPS products over the years (I have a number of other APC UPS's in my home). Very reliable and worry-free units.

It does what its supposed to do with no issues. I plugged in the unit and allowed it to obtain a full charge. I then plugged in my desktop computer, router, and modem into the 4 provided battery back up outlets. I then unplugged the unit from the wall and left my computer running to see if there was a surge or brief lapse of power. None of that happened and I was able to continue using my computer for at least a couple of hours before the charge went out. Definitely worth the investment for your home business or just personal computer in case of power outages or and storm electrical surge.

I’m currently using this to backup a desktop computer. When the power goes our or flicker when using my laptop, I don’t have to worry about loosing a document file I maybe working on prior to it being saved. Had that happened to me once on the desktop computer. I don’t have to worry anymore. The power went out for a few minutes a few weeks ago, and the computer was still on and functioning. I’m a happy camper.

Most of the devices we use in the house are laptops or phones. So having WiFi in a power outage is a nice to have. I have connected the following to the UPS: my Linksys router, AT&T modem, security cam hub and our phone that is connected directly to the modem (VoIP). I figured I would see how consistent the power would be with this UPS, we generally do not have many power outages in our area. The plan was to test it out to see if it was working correct by randomly unplugging the UPS thru the day and see if our YouTube TV would lose WiFi connection or to see how many children I have when the internet goes down. Well, I did not have to wait to test it. The same day I had this UPS charged up...we had a series of brown outs due to heat and all the AC units running all day long in the area. Outside of the TV, mesh nodes and PCs powering off. WiFi stayed up. Phone worked with no interruption. And all cell phones, security cams and laptops stayed connected to the network. We really did not miss a beat, except on the gaming PCs. This worked as planned and perfectly handled the power outage. This is the perfect size to handle something like this and still be somewhat discrete if positioned correctly.

Most outages are shorter in nature and this device does a great job keeping my modem and router up and running when needed. In addition I can provide battery backup and protection to other devices as well. Great option for the price.

I firmly believe in having the modem and router plugged in to a UPS. If power goes down, you can still keep WiFi up for laptops, and other mobile devices. This fits that requirement perfectly! The more you have plugged into the battery backup side but it can keep things running for over 2 hours. Of course, the more you plug into the battery outlets and use, the shorter the run time. I only have the modem and router plugged into the battery side and there's still outlets available that are not on battery so that's great if you're reserving battery power for only certain devices. You must connect the battery prior to using but it's easy and instructions are included in several places so you can't miss it. I also like the compactness of the unit and the long power cord!

The APC BE425M Uninterruptable Power Supply does what it is designed to do. The specifications say it will power a 50 Watt appliance for 37 minutes at full charge. The instructions say to plug it in and let it charge for 24 hours before it is “ready” to handle a power outage. You can, of course, have whatever devices you want plugged in during the charging process. There are six outlets total, two that offer surge-protection only and four that offer that plus battery backup. I tested this on several small-wattage lamps, and I found the length of time the battery backup would supply the proper voltage to be pretty much what the specs say. For example, I plugged in a 10-Watt compact fluorescent lamp, and it was powered for 150 minutes before the battery finally gave out. If it can supply power to a 10 Watt device for 150 minutes and 50 a Watt device for 37 minutes, one might expect it to power a 100 Watt device for maybe 10 or 15 minutes, so if the 100 Watt device was something that could suffer damage if power were suddenly removed, this gives you time to properly switch off the device in the event of a power outage. This UPS is not suitable for a desktop computer, which typically have power supplies in the 400 to 800 Watt range. I tried this UPS with a desktop computer, and it would not power it. Rather, with the computer plugged into one of the battery-backup outlets, the device’s alarm sounded the moment the A/C power was cut off. The UPS would not even attempt to power something with that high a power draw. So this UPS is best for single, low-wattage devices, such a computer modem or router or DVR (so you don’t miss recording your favorite TV show, assuming the power outage hasn’t affected your TV provider, too). My home modem/router (single, combined unit) consumes about 30 Watts, so, in the event of a power outage, I could expect the router to remain powered for perhaps an hour. As a layperson, I do not have a way to test the surge-protection feature as I have no way to cause a power surge in my home’s electrical system, and I would really rather not try. So I will have to rely on the manufacturer’s assurance that surge protection is afforded the next time a thunderstorm in the area might cause a surge to happen. Overall, if a low-wattage (under 100 Watts, say) device in your home would benefit from not losing power in the event of a power outage in your area, the BE425M will do the job. The surge-protection feature is, of course, a benefit to any device plugged in. The unit is small (9.5" by 4" by about 5" tall) and unobtrusive, and it is light and easy to carry. Recommended.

Happy with the product. Helped organize my plug situation for my entertainment set-up and am now not stressed out when a big storm comes through as the expensive electronics that are plugged into the surge protector are protected. Additionally, the 8+ hour charge allows for all electronics plugged in to stay on even if we loose power

I’ve previously used APC backups at my office, however, this UPS is not built for commercial use or requirements. There’s no software for any type of configuration or a USB connection for monitoring and on-screen or network alarms. This is an inexpensive personal or home UPS backup, so it’s important to understand what it’s capabilities and intended uses are. The BE425M comparatively small capacity unit with a total allowable draw of 255W and 425 VA of power. It can keep a computer and monitor running for a few minutes, or it can power a modem and router for a reasonable amount of time. I tested it with my desktop and one monitor and was able to keep running for 16 minutes under light usage before the low battery alarm sounded. Powering a modem and router I would expect an hour or so of use. This is adequate for short power losses and gives you plenty of time to safely shut things down. Keep in mind that routers run continually, and computers and monitors are often in standby modes and not actually off when unused. If you expect a longer outage and want any power left when you need it, you’ll need to shut all connected items completely off and manage the usage yourself. The build quality seems good, but it’s not the heavy, bulletproof design of the commercial units. The battery is not intended to be user-replaceable. I expect that when the battery wears out, it’s time to get a new unit. There are six outlets. All are surge protected and four are on the backup system. Those four are spaced apart enough to allow most power bricks to plug in next to one another. In my test, the switch over was without glitches or any problem. It also will switch to battery (stable power) on low or high voltage events, so if you’re in an area prone to brownouts or spikes, it might be just the protection you need. If you’ve ever had a file or drive scrambled or a firmware update bricked by a power glitch, this will seem like incredibly cheap insurance.

I have multiple APC Battery Backup systems, so when the battery on my larger capacity unit wore out I decided to go with several smaller capacity units for a few different use cases. This unit is going to protect and offer backup power to my Wifi Router and cable modem. My security system and remote battery powered cameras rely on a steady network connection, this unit fit the bill in being able to provide power for my networking equipment. Every time I have a power interruption, my cable modem would have to power cycle back on and boot up, reconnecting to my internet provider. Now those small power interruptions no longer interrupt my internet connectivity. This unit provides just enough battery backup to keep small lower power equipment running. It has 4 widely spaced plugs which provide interrupted power for a few minutes, with two other outlets with just surge suppression capabilities. Given the small battery size you need to use this unit appropriately, do not expect to power equipment with higher wattage requirements with this system. However it performs within the bounds of its capacity. The unit comes in ship mode so the battery is in an inactive state. On the bottom of the unit there is a car fuse like tab that needs to be plugged into a fitting in the bottom of the unit to connect the battery to the power outputs. Fairly simple and much easier than older models where you had to slide off the battery door and connect two connectors. Very easy new design. Pros: - easy, reliable power - quick setup Cons: - small capacity - unit has a real plastic, manufactured odor. Let it air out, it goes away after a few days.

With a hurricane always on its way to Florida, it's good to have these battery backups. I have two of these I put one with my modem router and I put the other with my small devices so they can continue to charge. Definitely going to invest in more of this.

This was purchased to replace an (ancient) APC unit where the battery died. The new one plugged in and started up. Compared to the ancient one, "attaching" the battery is very simple, so that's a welcome improvement. I've not had a power incident yet, but I did a very quick power loss test (I unplugged it) and it kept everything running just fine.

seems to operate well. turned off the power and it maintained electronics immediately. It is heavy and I was surprised it has a lead acid battery. I will have to change it out with a lithium when it dies.

I was excited to have a functioning UPS for my home office. It kicked in like it should when I cut the power. I was running two 28" 4K computer monitors, a laptop and a docking station. Unfortunately, the charge lasted approximately 20 minutes. Upon reading the longevity graph on the website, this is on par for the load that I was putting on it. I would caution anyone trying to use this as a solution for multiple devices, especially large, energy consuming monitors. The good news is that it lasted long enough for me gracefully save open items and shut things down gracefully. Just know that it will not provide a lot of time for a full setup like what I am running. If you need something to maintain for a longer period of time, you will want to look for a larger system. It works as advertised though.