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Child proof socket covers buying guide for UK homes

Updated: 23 October 2026

You are standing in front of a UK double socket, and the amazon.co.uk results all say baby proof without saying whether the plastic goes into the holes. This child proof socket covers buying guide puts the decision in order: whether a cover does a job your socket does not already do, which mechanism matches that job, then fit and pack size. The [childproof socket covers comparison](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/childproof-socket-covers) holds the rows, prices, and review counts from 20 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. We did not run a lab test.

You are standing in front of a UK double socket, and the amazon.co.uk results all say baby proof without saying whether the plastic goes into the holes.

Our top picks

BABYGO BABYGO 12 adhesive discs

Best overall

BABYGO BABYGO 12 adhesive discs
8.4/10about £9.95
View offer
Norjews Norjews 20-pack inserts

Best value

Norjews Norjews 20-pack inserts
7.7/10about £5.99
View offer
SAFELON SAFELON double box

Alternative

SAFELON SAFELON double box
7.9/10about £9.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the shutter, not the pack
  2. 2.Four mechanisms, and what each gives up
  3. 3.Fit, faceplates, and pack size
  4. 4.Mistakes that waste the order

Start with the shutter, not the pack

A UK 13 A socket made to BS 1363-2 already has shutters over the live and neutral holes. The IET, in Wiring Matters, describes about 9.6 mm of pin travel before a live contact. The Child Accident Prevention Trust says that is why most homes do not need an extra cover. BEAMA advises against covers that can overcome the shutter, and RoSPA does not recommend plug-in covers. If the plate is cracked or a shutter stays open, ask a registered electrician. Otherwise name the job: unused holes, a plug that stays in, or a switch that gets knocked. The NHS alert is on UK socket safety.

Four mechanisms, and what each gives up

Plug-in inserts are most of the cheap packs: 10 at about £3.99 (4.4 from 4,153 reviews), 24 at about £5.98 (4.4 from 917), ZHIYE at about £5.99 (4.5 from 210), Norjews at about £5.99 (4.6 from 1,562), and HF-123 at about £3.95 with one 5.0 review. The pins open the shutters. EFA/2016/002 says 13 A inserts should not be used in health or social care premises or supplied for homes. Adults struggle to remove the piece a toddler could not pull. BABYGO’s 12 discs at about £9.95 (4.8 from 43 reviews) claim no pins. You twist the cover and the disc stays on. One baby pulled a disc off, and EN71-3 is a toy-plastic test. Wait 24 hours on a clean plate. SAFELON W6205/6206 and EUDEMON, both about £9.99, screw on over a plug and the switch (4.2 from 489, and 4.1 from 114). They fail on a deep plug or a back box with no metal yoke. The clip-on shell at about £7.99 (3.6 from 84) is brittle. The switch-guard four-pack at about £4.99 (4.4 from 311) covers the rocker only. Inserts against boxes are on plug-in socket covers vs box covers.
BABYGO BABYGO 12 adhesive discs

Testsieger

BABYGO BABYGO 12 adhesive discs
8.4/10about £9.95
View offer

Fit, faceplates, and pack size

Insert reviews describe standard white plates. Decorative and black-nickel plates turn up as misses, and a disc needs a flat, clean face. Thick plugs and transformer bricks will not sit under SAFELON or EUDEMON. A half-closed lid is not a lock. Ten inserts are about £3.95 to £3.99. Twenty to 24 are about £5.98 to £5.99, about 25p to 30p a cover. One box covers one plate. HF-123’s single 5.0, with no review text, is not a reason to prefer it over 4.4 from 4,153. Count sockets that match the job before you buy 24 inserts.

Mistakes that waste the order

Inserts do nothing for a plug that stays in. Switch guards do nothing for an empty hole. The flip two-pack at about £5.99 (3.2 from 22 reviews) has no latch, and the tape lets go within weeks in the reviews. Do not cover a socket that is damaged, warm, or missing its shutter, and do not read a BPA-free line or EN71-3 as an electrical approval. Scenario picks are on best child proof socket covers UK.

Common questions

What should I buy for unused sockets?
If you still want a physical blank after reading the shutter guidance, the bulk insert packs are what shoppers buy, and Norjews at about £5.99 for 20 is the best-reviewed of them here. They are also the type BEAMA and the NHS alert argue against, because the pins open the shutters. A no-pin disc avoids that fault and costs more per outlet.
What works when a plug stays in the wall?
A blanking insert cannot, because the holes are already full. A screw-on box such as the SAFELON double at about £9.99 is the type reviewers use around a fridge plug, provided the plug is slim enough for the lid. The BABYGO disc is the other route: it stays on the plate and you twist it to insert the plug. Check depth and adhesion before you buy a box for every room.
Will these covers fit metal faceplates?
Insert reviews in this set describe a reliable fit on ordinary white plates and misses on decorative plates. Metal and uneven plates are the ones to test first, not last. Adhesive discs need a flat, clean surface, and screw-on boxes depend on the back box behind the plate, not on the finish you can see.
Are switch guards the same as socket covers?
No. The four-pack at about £4.99 covers the rocker and leaves a slot so you can still switch with a pen. It does not block the pin holes, so it will not stop a child poking an empty socket. Use it where the hazard is an accidental off, such as a freezer, and use a different product if the hazard is the contact holes.
How many covers do I need?
Count the sockets that match the job, not every socket in the house. Ten inserts at about £3.99 suit a few unused outlets. Twenty to twenty-four at about £6 suit a whole flat of unused outlets if you have accepted the insert trade-off. One box covers one double plate. Twelve discs at about £9.95 cover twelve outlets you still intend to use.

Related pages

How to install socket covers UK

Childproof socket covers

Best child proof socket covers UK by household hazard

Plug-in socket covers vs box covers for UK sockets

Are socket covers safe UK for homes and childminders

Sources

Sources taken from the research digest. Listings were scored on 20 October 2026. This page did not run a lab test.

  1. IET Wiring Matters — socket-outlet protectors (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  2. BEAMA — position on socket-outlet covers (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  3. NHS/MHRA — EFA/2016/002 alert (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  4. Child Accident Prevention Trust — socket covers (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  5. Electrical Safety First — socket covers (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  6. Lincolnshire HSB48 — plastic socket covers (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  7. Fatally Flawed — socket cover FAQ (retrieved 20.10.2026)