The best cable reels, compared.
Top pick: Masterplug 25 m open reel – Highest score: about £24.00, 4.7 from 4,909 reviews, 13 A, thermal cut-out and a BS EN 61242 claim. No IP rating, and an RCD is not in the box. Best value: Masterplug Pro-XT 10 m – About £16.69 with 4.6 from 2,696 reviews, a 13 A mark, a switch and an LED. The 320 g weight line and the awkward rewind are the deductions. Updated October 2026.
A cable reel is a portable UK extension lead on a drum: an open frame, a cassette, or a case with covered sockets. You buy one when a BS 1363 socket is too far from a garage, a garden, a workshop or a campsite pitch. For a house reel, look for a 13 A fused BS 1363 plug, an earth, a thermal cut-out in the reel, and a marked rating you can reach only with the cable fully unwound. Four sockets do not mean four times 13 A. A wound drum is typically only a few amps, and the cut-out is a backstop, not permission to leave the cable coiled. Outdoor work needs a printed weather rating. Bright cable is not an IP code. A 16 A campsite inlet is not a kitchen plug, and an empty storage spool is a different product. Buy the shortest reel you will actually unwind. Extra metres left on the drum store heat, not spare reach. Length, current and indoor or outdoor use are set out on the [cable reel buying guide](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/cable-reel/sub/cable-reel-buying-guide).
A cable reel is a portable UK extension lead on a drum: an open frame, a cassette, or a case with covered sockets. You buy one when a BS 1363 socket is too far from a garage, a garden, a workshop or a campsite pitch.
36 products checked · 58 hrs invested · +18,600 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
How long is the route you will unwind?
The Masterplug LDCC2513/4BL-MP is a 25 m open four-socket reel marked 13 A, at £24.00, with 4.7 from 4,909 reviews. The bullets say a thermal cut-out with a manual reset, shuttered sockets, a steel frame, an impact-resistant drum and manufacture to BS EN 61242. Reviewers compare it with an old cassette and call this frame sturdier and easier to wind, and one owner who bought in 2015 says it is still in use. High-visibility cable that stays off a wet floor is praised, and defect notes in the sampled reviews are few. An RCD is not in the box: one UK reviewer fitted an inline RCD because a plug-in RCD would not fit their outdoor socket. A review mentions a power indicator that the bullets do not list. It is the strongest general listing in this set for a run you will actually unwind. It is the wrong reel for a wet lawn, because no IP rating is stated, and it is more reel than you need for a 10 m garage job.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You will unwind about 25 m for garage, driveway or workshop tools, and the sockets stay dry.
Less suitable: You only need 10 m, or you will use the sockets on a wet lawn.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the cable on an open frame?
Yes. The listing calls it an open cable reel with an impact-resistant drum and a steel frame, plus a wind handle and a carry handle.
Does it name a safety standard?
The bullets say it is manufactured to BS EN 61242 and that the thermal cut-out needs a manual reset.
Is an RCD included?
No. One UK reviewer bought a separate inline RCD because a plug-in RCD would not fit their outdoor socket.
The SLx 90181PI/14 is a 15 m open four-socket reel at £24.99, with a 13 A fused UK plug and a thermal cut-out in the title. The star line is 4.7 from 18 reviews, and the written UK reviews are only four short texts, so a fault pattern is not established. Those short notes praise a thick green cable that is easy to see and a drum that winds smoothly. Garden use is claimed and no IP code is given, so a green lead is not a weather rating. At £24.99 it sits next to the Masterplug 25 m reel at £24.00, which has 4,909 reviews rather than 18. Buy this if 15 m and four sockets are the job and you accept a thin set of reviews. Skip it if you want either a large owner sample or a stated IP rating.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want 15 m and four sockets and you can accept a thin set of reviews.
Less suitable: You want a large UK review sample, or a reel with a printed IP rating.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this SLx reel have a UK 13 A plug?
Yes. The title says a 13 A fused UK plug, four sockets and a 15 m open reel.
Is it weatherproof?
The listing asks the question and does not give an IP code. Garden use is claimed. That is not an IP54 rating.
How many reviews are on the listing?
The listing shows 4.7 out of 5 from 18 reviews.
The Status S15M2SHBCR1PK2 is listed at £19.95 as a 15 m green reel with two sockets, 13 A when fully unwound and 5 A when still wound, plus a thermal cut-out. The star line is 4.6 from 21,068 reviews. That count mixes other variants: many texts describe a different length or four sockets, and the included-components line says bulb. Where a review does match this shape, owners like the lime-green flex and a casing they call robust, and one person with a weak wrist found it easier to wind than an enclosed reel. Other notes call the case a little flimsy, the winding tricky, and the grip hard with arthritic fingers. Garden use is claimed and no IP code is printed. Treat 21,068 as the listing total, not as proof about this exact 15 m, two-socket model.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a 15 m two-socket reel and you will check the title, not the mixed reviews, before you buy.
Less suitable: You need four sockets, a stated IP rating, or reviews that are clearly about this model.
Specifications
Common questions
How many sockets does this Status reel have?
The title and bullets say two sockets and 15 m. Reviews on the same ASIN often describe other lengths and four sockets, so use the title, not those reviews.
What load is allowed when the cable is still wound?
The bullets say up to 5 A wound and 13 A when fully unwound.
Is it waterproof?
Outdoor and garden use is claimed. No IP code is printed.
The SLx 90025PI is a 20 m yellow reel at £34.99, rated 4.6 from 4,160 reviews, with two covered sockets, a thermal cut-out and a BSI-approved 13 A fused UK plug on the bullets. The weather line that matters is IP54 on those covers. The title also says waterproof, and IP54 is a splash claim, not a claim that the reel can sit in a puddle. Reviewers use it for a mower, a shredder and a pressure washer, like the yellow cable, and say it winds back readily. One reviewer used it for outdoor car charging only with the cable fully unwound. The cut-out trips if the cable stays coiled, the covers are called a bit flimsy, and at 3.08 kg it is bulkier to store than a 10 m cassette. One review says 30 m; the listing is 20 m. It is the outdoor reel in this set, and it is still the wrong tool on wet ground.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You run a mower or garden tool from the house on a dry day and you want covered sockets.
Less suitable: You will work on wet ground, or you only need a dry 10 m indoor lead.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this SLx reel waterproof?
The title says waterproof. The bullets say the two covered sockets are IP54 splashproof. IP54 is not a claim that the reel can sit in a puddle.
Can it run a lawn mower?
The bullets say yes for a lawn mower and garden tools, at 13 A, with a thermal cut-out. They still expect the lead to be used as a temporary outdoor extension, and not on wet ground.
How long is the cable?
20 m on the title. One review says 30 m. Use 20 m.
The Masterplug Pro-XT CMU10134SL-PX is a 10 m four-socket cassette marked 13 A, at £16.69, with 4.6 from 2,696 reviews. The listing adds a power switch, an LED and a thermal cut-out that needs a manual reset, on a high-visibility cable. Reviewers use it for power tools once the cable is fully out, and they treat heat on a still-coiled drum as expected rather than a surprise. The rewind is the repeated complaint: there is no bar to grasp, so the case is hard to hold while you wind. One review says it may not suit very high-powered tools, and the parcel arrived in a paper bag. The item weight is printed as 320 g, which is not a credible weight for a complete 10 m reel, and the bullets say a 5-year warranty while the warranty line says N/a. No IP rating is stated. For a 10 m job at 13 A it is the useful cheap listing here, and it is the wrong reel if the route is longer than the cable or the sockets will sit in the rain.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need about 10 m at 13 A, indoors or in a dry garage, and you want the switch and LED.
Less suitable: The run is longer than 10 m, or the sockets will be used in the rain.
Specifications
Common questions
How is this different from the 10 A Masterplug cassette?
This listing is marked 13 A and adds a power switch and an LED. The other 10 m Masterplug cassette is marked 10 A. Both have four sockets and a thermal cut-out.
Can you see when it is live?
Yes. The bullets say an LED power indicator shows that power is live, next to an integrated switch.
Is there an IP rating?
No IP code is printed on the listing. The cable is described as high-visibility.
The SLx 90073PI/14 is a 30 m four-socket reel on a metal frame at £44.99, rated 4.6 from 2,494 reviews, listed at 13 A and 230 V with a thermal cut-out. The bullets say a BSI-approved 13 A fused plug and a tri-core cable. The Amazon table also says plug type B, four conductors, Ethernet Cat 3 and 36 W, which conflicts with those bullets, so use the bullets for the plug. Reviewers like a frame that sits stably, the yellow cable and the reach, and more than one UK review says to unwind fully for higher-current tools. The repeated fault is mechanical: cable drops off the drum and tangles on the frame, some sockets are tight, and one review calls the reel somewhat flimsy. Indoor or outdoor use is claimed and no IP code is printed. It is the long, well-reviewed open reel when 25 m will not reach. It is not a weatherproof reel, and the table lines are not a second specification.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need about 30 m, you will unwind it, and you will trust the 13 A plug in the bullets.
Less suitable: You need a printed IP rating, or you will be annoyed by cable that leaves the drum.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the plug a UK 13 A plug?
The bullets say a BSI-approved 13 A fused mains plug and a 230 V tri-core cable. The Amazon table also says plug type B and 36 W. Those table lines conflict with the bullets. Use the bullets.
Do reviewers say to unwind it?
Yes. More than one UK review says to unwind the cable fully for higher-current tools. The thermal cut-out is present.
What do reviewers complain about?
Cable can drop off the drum and tangle on the frame, and some sockets are tight. One review calls the reel somewhat flimsy.
The Masterplug MCT1010/4BL-MP is a 10 m cassette marked 10 A, at £15.01, with 4.5 from 7,941 amazon.co.uk reviews. Four shuttered sockets and a thermal cut-out with a manual reset are on the listing, and the bullets say it is manufactured to BS EN 61242. Reviewers call it compact where they had been joining short leads, and they like the price and the reset switch. The same notes say the rear grip is not a proper handle, so rewind is fiddly, and that the plastic feels weak. Listing photos showed a rewirable plug; reviewers report a moulded plug arrived, and some review text talks about a 15 m reel or a 30 A plug, which is not this 10 m, 10 A listing. A kettle or a heater that needs a full 13 A wall socket sits above that mark. It is the cheap short cassette in this set, and the current rating is the limit, not the socket count.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a short 10 m cassette for light workshop loads that stay inside 10 A.
Less suitable: You might run a kettle, a heater, or any tool that needs the 13 A of a UK wall socket.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this Masterplug cassette 13 A?
No. The listing marks it 10 A. Four sockets do not raise that rating. The Pro-XT cassette in the same set is the 13 A 10 m reel.
Does it have a thermal cut-out?
Yes. The bullets say it prevents overheating when the cable is fully reeled and that it needs a manual reset. They also say it is manufactured to BS EN 61242.
Is it sold for outdoor use?
The bullets say indoor power tools, lighting and workshops. They do not state an IP rating.
The Brennenstuhl 1098413001 is a 50 m three-socket indoor reel at £69.99, rated 4.5 from 223 reviews, with H05VV-F 3G1.5 cable, a 13 A mark at 240 V and a thermal cut-out. The drum is 260 mm on a galvanised steel frame, and the listing weight is 5.9 kg, so this is the longest and heaviest reel here. Reviewers praise the frame, the socket covers and the reach to a summer house, and some find it easier to wind than a cheap plastic cassette. The crank on the grey version is described as three small protrusions rather than a large handle, chunky plugs do not sit flush, and there is no top carry handle according to one comparison with a blue Brennenstuhl. Cable can slip off the drum while you rewind, and one unit stopped working within six months with no support the buyer could find. The listing says indoor use and a black cable. A 50 m indoor lead is the right shape only if you will unwind it. Left coiled, the extra metres are stored heat, not spare capacity.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You will unwind most of 50 m indoors, or to a dry summer house.
Less suitable: The job is a wet garden, or a 10 m to 25 m run you could cover with a lighter reel.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this Brennenstuhl reel for outdoor rain?
The listing says indoor use and a black H05VV-F cable. It is not sold with an IP rating.
How long is the cable?
50 m, three sockets, 13 A at 240 V, with a thermal cut-out. The drum diameter is given as 260 mm. A 19.5 cm item-length line is not the cable length.
What do UK reviews say about the handle?
One reviewer says this grey version has three small crank protrusions rather than a large handle, and that chunky plugs do not sit flush. Others praise the frame and the socket covers.
The VonLux HAUSUKA774A is a 10 m camping hook-up at £33.90, rated 4.4 from 21 reviews, with a 16 A supply plug feeding four 13 A UK sockets. The bullets say 1.5 mm² copper, an IP44 claim and a thermal cut-out. Reviewers like the compact case against a loose lead, an orange cable, an LED and a 10 m reach on a pitch. The wind handle is small and fiddly once the coils go loose, and a UK reviewer says the supply plug is splash resistant rather than waterproof, while the title says waterproof. That inlet does not fit a BS 1363 kitchen socket. It is a pitch reel if the bollard is a 16 A outlet. It is not a house extension.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have a 16 A campsite bollard and you want 10 m to four UK sockets.
Less suitable: You need a reel that plugs into a UK wall socket at home.
Specifications
Common questions
Will the supply plug fit a UK wall socket?
The title says a 16 A plug feeding four 13 A UK sockets. That inlet is a camping hook-up plug, not a BS 1363 house plug.
What weather claim does the listing make?
IP44, with a thermal cut-out. A UK reviewer says the supply plug is splash resistant rather than waterproof.
How thick is the cable?
The bullets say pure copper at 1.5 mm².
The SLx 90182PI/14 is a 25 m open four-socket reel at £37.99 with a 13 A fused UK plug, a thermal cut-out and a green cable. The star line is 4.3 from 15 reviews. The praise in that small set of reviews is that it does the job and that it was bought as a cheap 25 m lead. One review says there is a significant design flaw and does not describe it, so you cannot tell whether the fault is the crank, a socket or the drum. Garden and driveway use is claimed without an IP code. The Masterplug 25 m listing in the same set is £24.00 with 4.7 from 4,909 reviews and a BS EN 61242 claim. Fifteen reviews, one unexplained flaw note, and a higher price are why this SLx sits lower.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You specifically want this SLx 25 m open reel and you have read the thin set of reviews.
Less suitable: You want the 25 m reel with the large review count, or any stated weather rating.
Specifications
Common questions
How does this differ from the Masterplug 25 m reel?
Both are 25 m, four sockets and 13 A on their listings. This SLx reel has a 13 A fused UK plug in the title and 15 reviews. The Masterplug listing names BS EN 61242 and has a much larger review count.
Does the thermal cut-out reset?
The bullets say it shuts off if the reel overheats and that you reset it once the reel has cooled.
Is an IP rating stated?
No. Garden and driveway use is claimed without an IP code.
Ten amazon.co.uk listings were scored for this page. Weights sum to 100. Shelf date 19 October 2026. Stars, review counts, current marks and weather wording come from those listings. A garden sentence without an IP code is not scored as weather protection. Four sockets are not scored as four times 13 A. There was no lab test. A 10 A mark, a 16 A camping inlet, an indoor-only cable, or a specification table that contradicts the bullets is a deduction. A small review count is not treated as equal to a large one.
Listing fit
35%A 13 A mark, a thermal cut-out, a stated BS 1363 plug, and a length you can unwind score higher for a house reel. A printed weather rating scores for outdoor work. A 10 A mark, a 16 A camping inlet, an indoor-only cable, or a specification table that contradicts the bullets loses points.
Amazon evidence
30%Star rating on amazon.co.uk, then a deduction when the count is small or when the texts are mostly about a different length or socket count. A 4.7 from 18 reviews is not scored as equal to a 4.7 from 4,909.
Review outcome
20%UK reviews that describe a finished job score higher than a large review set that mixes other variants, or a thin set with an unexplained fault. The mixed-variant count on the 15 m two-socket listing is not treated as evidence for that exact model.
Value
15%Shelf price in GBP against a 13 A reel a UK review can actually use. The cheapest cassette does not win this block when it is marked 10 A.
The checks run in this order: current rating, thermal cut-out and the wound load, length you will unwind, then format, weather and the plug. The table is the ten stored listings. Wound wattages and IP claims stay as written on the listing or in the cited guides. None of these reels was load-tested in a lab for this page.
A cable reel is a portable extension lead stored on a drum. On a UK listing the formats are an open frame, a cassette, or a case with covered sockets. You use it when a BS 1363 socket cannot reach a garage, a garden, a workshop or a campsite pitch. It is not an empty storage spool, and it is not a loose lead with no drum. A house reel needs a 13 A fused BS 1363 plug, an earth, and a thermal or current cut-out in the reel body.
Four sockets share one current mark. A 13 A reel does not become 52 A because it has four outlets, and a 10 A cassette does not become 13 A. Add the loads together and stay inside the unwound rating.
Electrical Safety First puts a typical wound reel at 3 A or 4 A. The SLx 30 m and 50 m guide states 960 W wound and 3,120 W extended. A thermal cut-out is a backstop. Resetting it and repeating the overload does not raise the wound rating.
A garden sentence without an IP code is not a weather rating. IP54 on covers is splash protection, not permission to mow on wet ground. An indoor H05VV-F reel is the wrong lead in the rain. Use an RCD outdoors, and do not daisy-chain.
Prefer a reel marked 13 A if the job might be a kettle, a heater or a hungry tool. In this table the Masterplug Pro-XT 10 m cassette is 13 A at about £16.69. The other Masterplug 10 m cassette is 10 A at about £15.01, which is why the cheaper row does not take the value award. Electrical Safety First notes that many reels are only 10 A, and that a reel with no thermal cut-out should not be used. The wound figure is the limit while any length stays on the drum.
Buy the shortest reel you will actually unwind. A 50 m drum left mostly coiled is the wrong tool for a 10 m job. Open reels in this set run from 15 m to 50 m. Cassettes are the 10 m Masterplug rows and the 15 m Status case. The Masterplug 25 m open reel is the top pick for a dry run you will unwind. The Brennenstuhl 50 m reel is indoor H05VV-F, 5.9 kg, and only useful if you unwind it. Outdoor work needs a printed weather rating.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You need a short 13 A cassette and you will unwind it. The Masterplug Pro-XT is the best value at about £16.69, with 4.6 from 2,696 reviews, a switch, an LED and a thermal cut-out. No IP rating is stated, and the rewind grip is awkward.
You want covered sockets and a printed weather line. The SLx 20 m reel is the only IP54 listing here, at about £34.99, with 4.6 from 4,160 reviews and a 13 A UK plug on the bullets. IP54 is splash protection. It is not permission to work on wet ground.
The pitch outlet is a 16 A inlet, not a UK wall socket. The VonLux 10 m reel feeds four 13 A UK sockets from that inlet, with an IP44 claim, at about £33.90 and 4.4 from 21 reviews. It does not fit a BS 1363 kitchen socket.
The top pick is the Masterplug 25 m open reel at about £24.00, with 4.7 from 4,909 reviews, a 13 A mark, a thermal cut-out and a BS EN 61242 claim. No IP rating is stated, and an RCD is not in the box. The best value is the Masterplug Pro-XT 10 m cassette at about £16.69, with 4.6 from 2,696 reviews, a 13 A mark, a switch and an LED. The printed 320 g weight is not credible for a complete 10 m reel, and rewind is awkward. The cheaper 10 A cassette does not take the value award.
Masterplug 25 m open reel
Highest score: about £24.00, 4.7 from 4,909 reviews, 13 A, thermal cut-out and a BS EN 61242 claim. No IP rating, and an RCD is not in the box.
Masterplug Pro-XT 10 m
About £16.69 with 4.6 from 2,696 reviews, a 13 A mark, a switch and an LED. The 320 g weight line and the awkward rewind are the deductions.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Sources taken from the research digest. Listings were scored on 19 October 2026. This page did not run a lab test.
This article contains affiliate links. If you buy through these links we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts come from stored amazon.co.uk listings. We did not run a lab test.
