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Pop-up socket or retractable cable reel: UK checks

Updated: 23 October 2026

You searched one phrase and amazon.co.uk handed you two different tools. A pop-up socket sits in a worktop and drops flush. A retractable cable reel hangs on a garage wall or a ceiling and pays out about 9 m or 10 m. This buying guide is the order of checks on the [retractable socket comparison](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/retractable-socket): the family, the UK plug, and the one number that has to match the job. Prices are those amazon.co.uk listings from 21 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You searched one phrase and amazon.co.uk handed you two different tools. A pop-up socket sits in a worktop and drops flush. A retractable cable reel hangs on a garage wall or a ceiling and pays out about 9 m or 10 m.

Our top picks

Sealey Sealey CRM101 reel

Best overall

Sealey Sealey CRM101 reel
7.7/10about £63.62
View offer
Brennenstuhl Brennenstuhl 9+2 m reel

Rank 2

Brennenstuhl Brennenstuhl 9+2 m reel
8.2/10about £57.62
View offer
TERIUX-S TERIUX-S pop-up

Best value

TERIUX-S TERIUX-S pop-up
7.3/10about £32.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two products share the name
  2. 2.The plug and the sockets
  3. 3.The measurement that has to match
  4. 4.What USB and waterproof claims do not change

Two products share the name

The family comes first, because a 100 mm tower will not tidy a garage floor and a drum will not disappear into an island. A pop-up here is a rectangular lid or a round tower. The reels are about 9 m plus a short tail, or a straight 10 m. The SKJJM listing is a telescopic plug-in extender, and it should not decide the purchase. If you are still unsure which room you are solving, the pop-up socket versus cable reel page puts the two jobs side by side.

The plug and the sockets

UK mains kit for a household socket is the BS 1363 system, with a BS 1362 fuse in the plug. Regulation 35 of the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 expects a correct UK plug on domestic equipment meant for that socket. Look for BS 1363 or Type G. A universal socket, or a Schuko-only contact, is a different system. The Normodic pop-up, at £54.49, prints No Plug. The TERIUX-S, at £32.99, says Type G and is the best value on shelf price among listings that still score 60 or above, but UK reviews say a plug can be tight. Test it before you cut. Extra sockets share that one fuse. The kitchen worktop pop-up page walks through an island.
Sealey Sealey CRM101 reel

Testsieger

Sealey Sealey CRM101 reel
7.7/10about £63.62
View offer

The measurement that has to match

Pop-up holes here are not interchangeable, and a short clamp can still fail a correct diameter. Reels are metres, then watts wound and unwound. Electrical Safety First says a wound reel is often only about 3 A to 4 A, because the plug fuse does not protect a coiled drum. BS EN 61242 is the standard behind that note. The CRM101 prints 1,000 W wound and 1,500 W unwound. The CRM10 prints 2,750 W unwound on amazon.co.uk, not the 3,200 W on Sealey's own page. The Brennenstuhl prints 13 A and H05VV-F 3G1.5, not another model's 1,000 W and 3,120 W.

What USB and waterproof claims do not change

A 15 W Qi pad and USB ports do not raise the 13 A fuse, and they do not appear on the garage reels. None of the eight listings prints an IP code. The Gxpjycfob bullets say water proof without a rating. The EnergyPro mentions sheltered spots and still prints no IP rating. The Brennenstuhl cable is H05VV-F, and the bullets do not claim outdoor use. Electrical Safety First's garden advice is a weather-resistant lead and an RCD. A pop-up with no IP code stays out of splash. If the listing cannot show a UK plug, a matching cut-out or length, and a protection you can name, leave it.

Common questions

Is a pop-up the same product as a retractable cable reel?
No. A pop-up socket drops into a worktop or a desk and closes flush. A retractable cable reel is a drum on a wall or a ceiling, with about 9 m or 10 m of lead in this comparison. They share a search phrase and a single plug fuse. They do not share a cut-out, a wound rating, or a place in the room. Buy the family that matches the job, then check the plug before you compare extras such as USB.
What hole size should I plan for?
Use the figure on the unit you are actually buying. In this set that is 100 mm for the Gxpjycfob tower, 120 mm for the Normodic tower, and 226 mm by 111 mm for the TERIUX-S lid. Those openings are not substitutes for one another. A rectangular lid needs a jigsaw or a router. A correct diameter can still fail if the clamp thread is short.
How do I know the plug is a real UK plug?
Look for BS 1363 or Type G on the listing, and check that a BS 1363 plug seats fully in the outlet before you cut. No Plug, as on the Normodic row, means the lead is not confirmed. A universal socket is not a BS 1363 socket. Reviews that say the plug will not go home are a reason to stop, even when the specification table says Type G. A Schuko pin pattern is a different system.
What watts can I use while the reel is still coiled?
Use the wound figure printed on that listing, not the unwound figure and not another model's label. The CRM101 and the CRM10 both print 1,000 W wound. The EnergyPro's 2,300 W is only for a fully unwound cable. The Brennenstuhl 9+2 m listing prints 13 A and does not print a wound wattage.
Do I need an electrician for a plug-in unit?
A plug-in pop-up with a 13 A lead does not, in England, create a new circuit, so it is not the notifiable job in Approved Document P. Stop if there is no plug, if you are adding a circuit or a consumer unit, or if the work is in a bath or shower zone. Scotland's building warrant and Northern Ireland's rules are separate.

Related pages

Best retractable socket

Retractable socket

How to fit a pop-up socket or retractable cable reel

Pop-up socket kitchen worktop: plug, splash, kettle

Pop-up socket vs cable reel: when you buy each one

Sources

Sources taken from the research digest. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in the stored listings. This page did not run a lab test.

  1. Electrical Safety First — extension leads, cable reels and block adaptors (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  2. Electrical Safety First — overloading sockets (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  3. Electrical Safety First — garden electrical safety (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  4. BSI — BS EN 61242 cable reels for household use (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  5. GOV.UK — Electrical safety: Approved Document P (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  6. Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  7. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 21.10.2026)
  8. Brennenstuhl UK — 16+2 m automatic reel (a different model) (retrieved 21.10.2026)