Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to install socket covers UK on a BS 1363 plate

Updated: 23 October 2026

You have a packet of covers and a UK double socket, and the leaflet is missing or drawn for a different plug. This is how to install socket covers UK of the kinds in our [childproof socket covers comparison](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/childproof-socket-covers): push-in blanks, stick-on discs, and screw-on boxes. A BS 1363 socket already shutters the holes, and a pin-in cover opens them on purpose. If the plate is cracked, warm, or loose, call a registered electrician. Prices are from 20 October 2026. We have not fitted every unit in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a packet of covers and a UK double socket, and the leaflet is missing or drawn for a different plug.

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.Check the socket before you fit anything
  2. 2.Push-in inserts: seating and taking them out
  3. 3.Adhesive discs and flip covers
  4. 4.Screw-on boxes, and when to stop

Check the socket before you fit anything

Turn the switch off if there is one, and unplug anything in the way. On a healthy shutter the live and neutral openings should not gape; they open when the earth pin leads. The IET describes about 9.6 mm of pin travel before live contact. Scorch marks or a shutter that stays open mean a new socket, not a cover. A push-in insert only belongs in an empty outlet, and BEAMA’s position is that it can defeat the shutter. EFA/2016/002 says not to supply 13 A inserts for homes. A disc or a box is the path if a plug will go back in. Wipe the plate before adhesive. Guidance is on the safety page. The buying order is on the buying guide.

Push-in inserts: seating and taking them out

Seat an insert by pushing three pins into an empty outlet until it sits flush. That is the about £3.99 10-pack, the about £5.98 24-pack, ZHIYE, Norjews, and HF-123 at about £3.95. ZHIYE’s reviewers say you press firmly. Norjews reviews describe a smooth fit on standard plates. If it rocks, take it out. Do not trim pins. A half-entered piece can hold a shutter open. Pull it with a real UK 13 A plug, not a knife. If the plug will not shift it, stop. Do not push a spare in rotated. Fatally Flawed’s notes on inverted covers are about shutters held in the wrong state. If a child has already pulled one out, that grip has failed. Test one decorative plate before you commit a 24-pack.
BABYGO BABYGO 12 adhesive discs

Testsieger

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

Adhesive discs and flip covers

Align BABYGO’s disc with a plug so the pad lands on the plate, not over the holes. Leave the 3M bond for about 24 hours, then twist the spring cover to plug in. Practise that twist once. One review says a baby pulled a cover off, so tug the disc after the cure. If it peels, that plate will not hold a pad. Pull slowly if you remove it. One buyer needed a metal strip. The flip two-pack at about £5.99 has no latch, and reviews say the tape can fail within weeks. The clip-on double at about £7.99 draws brittle clips and a lid that is hard to open. If you have to cut it to fit, stop.

Screw-on boxes, and when to stop

EUDEMON and SAFELON boxes fix behind the faceplate. Isolate the circuit and confirm the outlet is dead before the plate comes off. If you cannot prove it is dead, stop and call a registered electrician. EUDEMON’s instructions show non-UK plug drawings, and some screws were the wrong diameter. No metal yoke, no reliable box. Offer the plug up before you close the lid. Thick plugs do not fit. SAFELON has the larger file, 4.2 from 489 against 4.1 from 114, and the same depth limit. Switch guards stick over the rocker: press for about 20 seconds and check a pen still reaches the slot. One guard felt short. Stop if a cover cracks, holds a shutter open, or a child has already defeated it. Dispose of inserts where EFA/2016/002 applies. Covers do not add RCD protection. Pins versus a shell are on plug-in covers versus box covers.

Common questions

How long should a BABYGO pad cure?
The listing recommends about 24 hours before you treat the bond as ready. Align it with a plug so the pad sits on the faceplate, on a clean, dry surface. Twisting the spring cover to plug in comes after that wait. If it peels when you tug it, do not keep using that plate for an adhesive disc.
Can I fit a socket box without turning the power off?
No. SAFELON and EUDEMON screw in behind the faceplate, so the plate has to come off a dead socket. Isolate at the breaker and confirm the outlet is dead. If you cannot do that check, ask a registered electrician to fit the box or to replace the socket. The adhesive products do not need the plate off; the screw-on boxes do.
What if the box lid will not close?
The plug is too deep for that shell. Reviews say this about old thick plugs and about supplies with a large body. Forcing the lid bends the hinge and leaves a gap. Use a slimmer plug, or do not use a box on that outlet. A disc that twists out of the way is the other approach when you still need to plug in.
The clip cover snapped. Should I glue it?
No. Reviewers of the about £7.99 double clip describe loops that break and clips that feel brittle. Glue on a cracked child-safety clip is not a repair. Stop using it. A modified cover that you have cut to fit is also finished: the fit you cut is not the fit that was reviewed.
When should I call an electrician instead?
Call one for a cracked, loose, hot, or scorched plate, for a shutter that stays open, for any screw-on box if you cannot safely isolate the circuit, and for RCD questions. Also call one if you want the socket itself replaced with a shuttered outlet rather than covered. An accessory is not a repair.

Related pages

Best childproof socket covers

Childproof socket covers

Child proof socket covers buying guide for UK homes

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)