Switched or unswitched trailing socket for a UK bar
Updated: 23 October 2026
You want a charger off without crawling under the bench, and you do not want a rocker you cannot trust. Choosing a switched or unswitched trailing socket is that one decision: isolation on the bar, or fewer parts and a lower price. Every body in our [extension lead without cable comparison](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/extension-lead-without-cable) is a 13 A Masterplug sold without plug and flex. Unswitched doubles are about £3.84 to £5.34. Switched four- and six-gang bars are about £11.99 to £12.49. Peter F. used amazon.co.uk listings and UK review themes. We did not measure a failure rate. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You want a charger off without crawling under the bench, and you do not want a rocker you cannot trust.
You want a charger off without crawling under the bench, and you do not want a rocker you cannot trust. Choosing a switched or unswitched trailing socket is that one decision: isolation on the bar, or fewer parts and a lower price. Every body in our extension lead without cable comparison is a 13 A Masterplug sold without plug and flex. Unswitched doubles are about £3.84 to £5.34. Switched four- and six-gang bars are about £11.99 to £12.49. Peter F. used amazon.co.uk listings and UK review themes. We did not measure a failure rate. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Switching | Outlets | Wall fixing | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Masterplug Masterplug ELS13W-01 | Unswitched | 1 | Not stated | 9.8 | about £4.38 | View offer |
| Best value |  Masterplug Masterplug TN-MP | Unswitched | 2, neon | Not stated | 9.6 | about £3.84 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Masterplug Masterplug SWG4-MP | Switch per outlet | 4, neon | Not stated | 8.8 | about £11.99 | View offer |
On this page
What switching buys you
A working switch lets you leave the plug in the wall and still cut one outlet, or the whole bar. That suits a television, a console or a charger left in standby. Electrical Safety First already describes switching off at the wall or unplugging. A rocker is a third place to do a similar job, and only on the outlets it actually opens. It does not replace the fuse, the earth or the right flex.
The benefit goes if the mechanism fails closed. UK reviews on the individual-switch bars describe outlets that stayed live with the rocker off. That is a review theme, not a failure rate. A neon only shows that the feed is live. It does not open a contact.
Individual, master and none
Individual switches are the SWG4-MP at about £11.99 and the SWG6-MP at about £12.18. Each outlet has its own rocker. Both name BS 1363-2 and a neon, and neither states wall fixing. The SWG6-MP is 4.0 from 145 reviews, the lowest star line here. Skip it if you only needed two sockets and a screw hole.
The SWFG4W-MP, about £12.49, has one master switch for four outlets, a neon and wall fixing. One flick drops the whole bar. That suits leaving, and it is the wrong tool if a router must stay on. Unswitched options run from the TN-MP at about £3.84, with no fixing holes, to the orange ELS134O-01 at about £8.27, with a neon and fixing. They stay live while the wall socket is on. Gang count is in the buying guide.
When unswitched wins
Unswitched is the better buy when the wall socket is already your off switch. A master switch would kill a bench router along with the lamp. Individual switches could spare it, if each rocker works. An unswitched double, killed at the wall when you leave, is the simpler setup.
Some TN-MP reviews wish the bar had switches. That is convenience, not a fault in an unswitched product. The neon means the feed is present. Pick unswitched for one tool. Pick individual switches only when appliances must be isolated separately. Pick the SWFG4W-MP when one control and fixing holes are the job. Those rows are on the best trailing socket without a cable page.
Fault signs
If an outlet stays live when the rocker is off, stop using the bar. Reviews of the SWG4-MP and SWG6-MP include that report. Unplug at the wall. Do not carry on with the other gangs. A crackle, warmth or a loose rocker is the same kind of fault. Leave the cover on.
If the wall socket is hot, or you cannot tell the lead from the bar, ask an electrician. A new flex will not close a contact that has failed shut. Core and fuse checks are on the how to wire a trailing socket page, for a body you are still willing to use.
Common questions
Do I need a switch on each socket?
Only when one appliance must be off and another left on. That is the SWG4-MP or SWG6-MP. The SWFG4W-MP cannot split the outlets, because its one rocker drops all four. If you already switch at the wall, the extra rockers are parts you may never use, and they help only while they actually open.
What does the master switch on the SWFG4W-MP do?
It makes all four outlets live or dead together. That suits a bench you want dark when you leave, and it is awkward if one device must stay on. The listing also states a neon and wall fixing. Shelf price here is about £12.49, before flex and a plug. It is not four separate switches.
Are unswitched sockets unsafe?
No, if the flex, plug and 13 A fuse are right and the total load stays within 13 A. You isolate at the wall or by unplugging, which Electrical Safety First already recommends. You only lose per-outlet switching. A wish for rockers on the TN-MP is about convenience, not a claim that the unswitched bar is live in some extra sense.
Why do reviews say the switches stay live?
Buyers of the SWG4-MP and SWG6-MP report outlets that remained live with the rocker off. There is no measured rate, so treat it as a known complaint. If yours does it, unplug at the wall and stop. A neon that glows when you expected dead power is a reason to isolate at the wall, not to keep toggling.
Is a neon the same as a switch?
No. A neon shows the feed is live and does not disconnect anything. The TN-MP and the orange ELS134O-01 have an indicator and no socket switches, so the lamp can be lit while every gang is live. A neon on a switched bar still does not prove the rocker has opened. Off means a working switch, or the plug out.
Should AV equipment use individual switches?
Yes, if you want the television off and a recorder left on without pulling plugs, and four gangs are enough for the SWG4-MP. A master switch is the wrong pattern when one box must stay up. Unswitched is enough if the wall socket already kills the group. None of these bars is surge protection in joules. A surge line that says 13 A repeats the current rating.
If a switch crackles, what should I do?
Unplug at the wall and stop using the bar. Crackling, heat, or a rocker that leaves the appliance running means off may not be off. Do not open the cover with the plug in. If the wall socket itself looks damaged, ask an electrician. Replacing the flex will not repair a switch that has failed closed.
Related pages
Sources
Sources taken from the research digest. Listings were scored on 20 October 2026. This page did not run a lab test.
- Electrical Safety First — Extension leads (retrieved 20.10.2026)
- Electrical Safety First — Plugs and fuses (retrieved 20.10.2026)
- BEAMA — Extension lead safety checklist (retrieved 20.10.2026)
- Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (retrieved 20.10.2026)
- Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 20.10.2026)
- Heathfield LED — Masterplug Permaplug ELS132B (retrieved 20.10.2026)
- amazon.co.uk — trailing socket listings (retrieved 20.10.2026)