I never thought the wildest-looking, most rave-ready gadget on my desk would be... the power strip?

Yes, this is a post about power strips. Y'know, that necessary but usually Very Boring utility we all need to be able to plug in and use our Actual Nice Stuff. It usually comes in Boring White or Boring Black, with 3 or 4 Boring Main AC Outlets, a Boring Wall Cable and, if you're very very lucky, an on/off switch.

So when I got sent a box labelled the 'Genki Moonbase', I was very confused. First of all, definitely not a boring name, alright. Then I opened the box and got even more confused. It was a power strip, but not like any power strip (or power bank) I'd ever seen before. Because this one looked GORGEOUS.

And no, I don't mean gorgeous as in 'not impossibly dull for a change', but actually a power strip where every element has been designed with a sense of purpose and aesthetics in mind. Made to look a little like popular concept art of actual moonbases tends to look, each plug is on top of what looks like an individual module

And it was not just a power strip either. Taking a look at the end side of it, I noticed four USB-C outlets in addition to the three main plug outlets on top, each with differing power delivery capacity, ranging from 30W (for charging my phone, for example) to 140W (for keeping my gaming laptop juiced even on Power Mode). Usually I tuck my power strip away under or behind the desk. This one, however, might justify its own display case. Especially cos it's also got customisable RGB lighting! (Don't worry Ian Evenden, you can turn it off completely too.)

Now, for the practical specs: It's got 240W power capacity via its main AC outlets, the wall cable is 1.5m (5ft) long, just enough to reach the corner wall outlet while sitting on (one corner of) my desk, it's loaded with safety features such as surge protection, temperature control, overcurrent prevention and safety door shutters. It's equipped with GaN power tech and runs remarkably cool, even with most slots occupied. There's a choice of US, EU and UK plug types, and the AC outlets are thoughtfully spaced far enough apart to deal with bulky or weirdly shaped adapters.

It comes in two colour combos too; mine is called 'Moonlight' (dark grey with blue-green accents (such as the wall cable and the top screws) but there is also a 'Darkside' option available, which is white with orange-red accents (bit like a dark-side lightsaber from Star Wars, geddit).

Of course, it's not perfect. I tend to need more than three AC outlets for my desk setup at most times (tower PC, monitor, printer, speakers and other devices that may not have a USB-C connection option) so even though it covers up to 7 devices in total, you'll need to be sure it's the right combination of devices for you before spending three figures on a power strip.

Oh yes, the price is another... let's say... eye-catcher. In the US, it costs £119.99 (both on Amazon and at Genki's own site) at the time of writing this (about £108 in the UK), which is a lot for a power strip. It's not that exorbitant for a USB hub though, and as this does at least partly the job of one, you can justify that to yourself, your bank account and your partner that way. Possibly.

Also, unlike your Regular Everyday Boring Power Strip, the Moonbase weighs about as much as an actual moonbase. Okay, maybe not, but the 1020 grams this monster comes in at is more than many actual entire laptops. So pick a good, secure place for it because you don't want it to fall and break your toes as you're working.

However, seeing as the Genki Moonbase is possibly the prettiest thing on my desk right now, and it makes me feel like a 10-year-old boy in the best possible sense every time I look at it, it's all worth it.