The Lind cigarette lighter socket splitter is made especially for use with higher power usage devices. The plastic housing can withstand higher operating temperatures and has improved surface contact areas. The internal ceramic insulators hold up much better with the higher amperage draw of laptop computers.
We have taken a cautious stance with using splitters with current model laptops whose power requirements are now quite often exceed 60 Watts. Many of the over the counter splitters are inexpensively made for low power consumption devices. They use very thin gauge wiring and small surface areas for contact mating. Often times the net result is that when devices that draw a much higher amount of amperage through the splitter, these poor links create a resistance to the flow of current. The splitter body then becomes hot because the its internal wiring starts acting like a heater element to the point that in many cases the plastic encasing the splitter and or the cigarette lighter plug becomes soft and melts.