The 7 Best Protective Devices (2023 reviews)

We consider a protective device to be a worthy investment in the long run. We are here to help you choose the right one for your purposes from all the best available products in market today.

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Our Top Picks:

Best Overall: Buy: Intermatic Protective Device READ REVIEW

Best With Surge Protection: Buy: square D By Schneider Electric Protective Device READ REVIEW

Best For outdoor installations: Buy: square D Protective Device READ REVIEW

Best Eaton Type: Buy: Eaton Protective Device READ REVIEW

Best Type: Buy: Mars Protective Device READ REVIEW

Best For DC: Buy: TYENAZA Protective Device READ REVIEW

Best premium: Buy: Hyuduo Protective Device READ REVIEW

Best Overall: Intermatic Protective Device

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Best part: intermatic protective device costs reasonable and it is available to ship in 24 hours. The easy-to-install AG3000 Surge Protective Device (SPD) is the perfect add-on for HVAC equipment. It is rated as a Type 1 device which means you can use it as a primary whole house protector. The LED is quite bright and glows like a beacon at night. The 10 gauge wiring is stranded aluminum so remember to solder the ends if you can, when connecting to the furnace.

The Compressor defender is for systems that need low voltage protection as well as line voltage protection. It has to be wired in to the electrical connections for the hvac. The instructions are good and the product is easy to install.

• Easy to install, slim line look
• Good way to protect your a/c compressor
• A solid package with solid performance
• Just makes sure to turn off the power first

Best With Surge Protection: square D By Schneider Electric Protective Device

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Best part: square d by schneider electric protective device costs comparatively low and it is available to ship in 24 hours. This whole house supresion is a fantastic idea for home device and sensitive electronics protection. It protects your whole house from voltage surges with this unit that clips right into your service panel, as long as you have a square d homeline panel. It features homeline circuit breakers, ground fault circuit breakers and arc fault interrupters. It has a plug on design and requires two pole positions. It provides surge suppression from severe transient activity.

This item is for the non-plug-on-neutral type. It will both fit any square d box, however the hom250 is a more robust unit rated at 50000 amps and it requires no wiring. It provides a lot of peace of mind.

• Easy to install just uses 2 spaces in the circuit breaker box
• Easy to install if you're handy and careful
• Great peace of mind during storms

Best For outdoor installations: square D Protective Device

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The square d protective device should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. It provides whole home surge protection. It protects every load in the house without getting separate surge suppressor at each outlet. It is a safety factor to prevent someone sticking a piece of metal inside the panel through the hole and creating a potential short. This is meant to attach to each side and center tap of a 220V service. It does help to also have individual surge protectors on the more sensitive equipment, which is solely on this "whole house" surge protector. It fits with the flush mount kit for whole home surge protection device. It is pretty simple to install if you are comfortable with doing some minor electrical work.

• Easy to install even if you don't have a knockout on an exterior panel
• Fast and easy install, fast and easy delibery
• Easy to install whole house protection
• Excellent surge rating to protect appliances in the home from one another

Best Eaton Type: Eaton Protective Device

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We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate device. The eaton protective device is exactly that - it's a simple device that hits all the right notes. Like any whole house option, it is part of a layered defense. This is a BR surge breaker for a BR panel. It's as light as a feather and feels very cheaply made. The unit takes up two slots, same as the breaker for a 240 volt circuit like a stove or dryer. It provides a lighted indicator to show its doing its job.

It has a green light if good, and either red light or no light at all after it is used up. It is used for “whole panel” protection, so simple to install.

• Great product, easy install, added protection
• Simple to install and provides a lighted indicator to show its doing its job
• Easy to install and it worked
• Easy 1 wire install of you have the space on your panel

Best Type: Mars Protective Device

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The mars protective device should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. It's made to fit on an electrical junction box. It uses one side knockout (3/4") on your box. It protects the entire panel and also can not fit on in-wall panels. It has no voltage regulating function for which you need a voltage regulator. This is used for a heat pump installation.

This surge protector can not be reset once it opens under a surge, it will need to be replaced. It is easy to install. The device is UV resistant and outdoor rated and everywhere you find the installation instructions they describe just such an installation.

• Lot of satisfied buyers
• Good investment for long term

Best For DC: TYENAZA Protective Device

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This house surge protective device is only suitable for DC 420V 40ka. It has the characteristic of stable performance, and easy to install. The shell of the voltage surge arrester device is made of pc flame retardant material, which is safer to use, with good quality and fine performance, deserving your choice. The voltage surge arrester device is made of precise electronic components, with longer service life and more stable performance, helping to finish your work more effectively.

• Protect electric system and on-loading electrical apparatus from thunder and instantaneous over-voltage
• One of the new comers and featured product

Best premium: Hyuduo Protective Device

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Next on the list, we've got yet another device that manages to win our hearts. It's the hyuduo protective device and it's widely considered as long-term solution. It is mainly used for the protection of over-voltage, under-voltage or over-current in the distribution line of residential household box or the protection of single-phase power equipment. The zero line N of the protector is directly connected, and there is no disconnect function. When the line voltage returns to normal, the protector can automatically and normally.

It has over voltage protection, under voltage protection and other functions. It is suitable for single-phase AC voltage 230v, 50/60hz, rated working current 63a and below users or loads. The main feature is that the line has overvoltage or undervoltage, overcurrent condition, the product can cut off the power supply instantaneously, protect the electrical equipment from damage or damage.

• Low power consumption and long mechanical life
• One of the new comers and featured product