Best empty cable reel: a socket drum or a tidy wheel
Updated: 23 October 2026
The busiest review counts in this amazon.co.uk set sit on storage reels with no sockets. The words best empty cable reel usually mean a drum you wire yourself. On 19 October 2026 the Products Compared editorial team split that into a top pick for sockets and a best value for storage only. Prices and stars come from our [empty cable reel comparison](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/cable-reel-empty). A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It is not a lab rank.
The busiest review counts in this amazon.co.uk set sit on storage reels with no sockets. The words best empty cable reel usually mean a drum you wire yourself.
The busiest review counts in this amazon.co.uk set sit on storage reels with no sockets. The words best empty cable reel usually mean a drum you wire yourself. On 19 October 2026 the Products Compared editorial team split that into a top pick for sockets and a best value for storage only. Prices and stars come from our empty cable reel comparison. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It is not a lab rank.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Type | Stated capacity | Sockets | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Amazon Basics Amazon Basics LRK02 | Storage reel | Up to 45 m | None | 9.2 | about £10.52 | View offer |
 Pro Elec Pro Elec PEL00901 | Socket drum | 50 m title | 4 | 9.2 | about £18.19 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  SLx SLx Tidy Reel 25m | Storage reel | 25 m | None | 9.0 | about £12.99 | View offer |
On this page
Top pick when you need sockets
The top pick for a socket drum is the Pro Elec PEL00901, about £18.19, 4.6 from 399 reviews. It is a blue 4-gang empty drum with a 50 m title. Reviewers fit a lead they already owned. Skip it if you need watts on the amazon bullets. A B&Q page for the same model states 13 A and a safety cut-out. Do not paste that onto the amazon bullets, and do not treat four sockets as 52 A. One UK review would not trust 50 m of their cable. The specification line says one cable is included, and the reviews say the box was empty.
The EnergyPro DL616B-BS, about £18.88, prints 10 A, 2,300 W unwound, and a BS EN 61242 claim. It is 4.4 from five reviews, and one handle came off in the first week. Use it when you want 20 m of 1.25 mm² or 30 m of 1.5 mm² on the listing. A loaded reel beats both if you do not already have flex, on the empty cable reel vs extension reel page.
Best value when you only store a lead
The best value storage reel is the Amazon Basics LRK02, about £10.52, 4.6 from 637 reviews. It is listed up to 45 m for leads, lights, hoses, and rope. There are no sockets and no thermal cut-out. Unplug the lead before you wind it. A UK review of 20 m of 12.5 mm hose doubts the reel will take much more. Skip it for a 25 m hook-up with a 16 A plug on each end.
Heavy hook-up leads belong with the SLx Tidy Reel, about £12.99, 4.5 from 275 reviews. One review says a 16 A camper cable only just fits. That pitch is the caravan cable tidy reel page.
Who should skip the largest review files
The Outdoor Revolution AC470 has 4.2 from 810 reviews at about £11.39. Reviews include a 25 m motorhome lead and owners who say a thick lead feels too big. One says the rims could crack if you drop it loaded. Do not plan a locker around the spec block’s 13 cm diameter.
The Xtremeauto reel, about £13.99 and 4.4 from 491, does not describe a 16 A plug and does not say it is weatherproof. It is not a better hook-up reel than the SLx on the evidence here. Amp limits for a drum you will wire are on the empty cable reel buying guide.
Who should skip the frame and the small spool
The Brennenstuhl Garant 1130710, about £16.52 and 4.1 from 559, is a framed storage drum. Skip it if you need sockets. This ASIN is not the metal socket reel on brennenstuhl.co.uk. Reviews say the side hole can be too small for a caravan plug. The Gatuida spool is about £12.52, 20 cm, with no reviews. Skip it for a 25 m lead.
Common questions
Which listing is the top pick if I need sockets?
The Pro Elec PEL00901, at about £18.19 and 4.6 from 399 reviews, because reviewers use it as an empty 4-gang drum for flex they already own. The amazon bullets do not print watts. Check the drum you receive for a cut-out, and do not assume 50 m of every cable will fit.
Which is the best value if I only need to store a lead?
The Amazon Basics organiser at about £10.52, 4.6 from 637 reviews. It has no sockets. The 45 m claim suits thinner cable better than a thick hose, which one review already doubted beyond about 20 m of 12.5 mm hose.
Why not the product with 810 reviews?
The Outdoor Revolution has 810 reviews and a 4.2 average, the lowest among the tidy wheels that have stars. Owners disagree about thick leads, and some call the rims thin. A larger count documents the complaints. It does not erase them.
Is EnergyPro a better drum because it prints BS EN 61242?
It is the clearer label: 10 A, 2,300 W unwound, and named flex lengths. It is not the better-evidenced drum. Five reviews, including a handle that came off, stay behind 399 reviews on the Pro Elec. Buy the EnergyPro for the printed 10 A limit, not for the star line.
Should I skip the Brennenstuhl reel for electrics?
Skip this ASIN if you need sockets. Model 1130710 on amazon.co.uk is an empty storage drum. The metal socket reel on the brand site is a different product. For a hose or a lead you can start through the hub, the frame is the reason to look at it, after you have tried the plug in the side hole.
Is the cheapest spool a false economy?
The Gatuida is not even the cheapest. It is about £12.52 with no reviews, against about £10.52 for a reel with 637 reviews. At 20 cm and 1 kg it is a short-cord spool. Spending that money on a 25 m hook-up is the false economy.
Related pages
Sources
Sources taken from the research digest. Listings were scored on 19 October 2026. This page did not run a lab test.
- Electrical Safety First — Cable reels (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Electrical Safety First — Overloading sockets (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- HSE — INDG247 Unwinding drums (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- BSI — BS EN 61242 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- UK national condition on reeled cable (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- BEAMA — Extension lead safety checklist (retrieved 19.10.2026)
- Camping and Caravanning Club — Electricity (retrieved 19.10.2026)