Best plug sockets and light switches – any idea?

Doing up my house and have already fitted white MK sockets which seem nice quality – better than the standard LAP that screwfix sell.

A couple of rooms I want some brushed stainless or chrome sockets and switches but there seems to be a wide price range – the MK ones are quite pricey.

I don’t mind paying for quality but only to a point! Any ideas on decent makes and where to buy them? The LAP metal ones at Screwfix are £23 for 5 which seems too cheap really but some can be £15 -£20 each and more for a double socket.

EDIT – can’t use flat plate sockets as it’s an old house with dodgy walls!

Not sure this is the cheapest retailer but we used these on our renovation

https://www.sparksdirect.co.uk/metal-plate-finish/flat-plate/schneider-screwless

I’ve been getting stainless brushed double sockets/outlets for ~£5 each from amazon, about £12 for ones with USB outputs. Light switches, single/double are generally around the £5 mark.

BG Electric/Nexus metal are the same ones.

I’d stick with MK or Crabtree.

When I refurbed my gaff I went with Varilight fittings, switches are ok sockets are a bit meh.  In comparison the Schneider ones are much much better, but more expensive.  You get what you pay for, wish I’d gone for Schneider but budget at time didn’t allow.

Make sure you get USB connectors in them.

Schneider Electric are very nice but expensive

BG Nexus flatplate are really nice, good quality and much cheaper. They are available from Toolstation too which is handy.

Andy

Hamilton are decent for the metal stuff. I wouldn’t  go mental with usb sockets though, everything will be wireless charging soon enough

MK plastic stuff has always seemed a cut about anything else but their metal range is seriously expensive.

Schneider would be my next choice.  I used cheap metalclad in our last house and regretted it – buy cheap, buy twice.

With the new house took the view that most walls are white, and most sockets are hidden (and even if not, if they’re actually where you need them they will have ugly plugs in them) and went for MK white plastic everywhere except the worktop level sockets in the kitchen so only had to buy 3 or 4 MK S/S.

 I wouldn’t  go mental with usb sockets though, everything will be wireless charging soon enough

Again, I fitted a few but I’m not sure I would again, and certainly not cheap ones.

– there are lots of dodgy USB sockets about, even ones that supposedly have CE markings

– they’re mostly pretty low powered and phones and other devices are increasingly accepting higher charge rates

– most of them are permanently on so you’re ‘building in’ a load of constant background electrical load (which costs money/isnt very green)

We had 2 lap usb double sockets in the bedrooms start smouldering with no load in.

From that we no longer have constantly live usb sockets in our house.

Previous thread on the above

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/usb-plug-sockets-always-on/

With the new house took the view that most walls are white, and most sockets are hidden (and even if not, if they’re actually where you need them they will have ugly plugs in them) and went for MK white plastic everywhere except the worktop level sockets in the kitchen so only had to buy 3 or 4 MK S/S.

Same – the ones in the new kitchen are brushed metal to match the metal trim on the cabinets.

Everywhere else is standard white, but the curved edge ones, not the square looking ones. They aren’t any more expensive and look nicer imo.

Make sure you get USB connectors in them.

Nah, don’t. For the many reasons above, but mostly because the in-wall ones are a fire hazard.

Ah ha . ajaj has just pointed out they were knfCt mk.

It’s partner didn’t last much longwr

That old thread is closed but to continue it.

The MK ones *sound* like they have good safety features –

– will charge a single device at 2A,

– if something pulls over 2A enters a current limiting safety mode

– protected against overload or short on USB outlets

I’ve not seen similar spec claims for any others.  I reckon his device or cable were definitely the issue.  I was in the Apple Store the other day getting a new battery in my phone. Sat next to someone who was there with an apple laptop charger who’d had the cable burn off it’s outer insulation – middle of an unwound cable with no signs of damage otherwise.  Luckily she’d been using it at the time so noticed straight away.

” reckon his device or cable were definitely the issue”

t’s definantly unlikely.

Badly written.  Would be interesting to test the safety features on the MK. Regardless, I’d not fit any more.

Click deco or define are very good value, not as good as MK but better than Schneider and LAP. There’s even a screwless one.

after doing virtually the entire house in lap brushed ss i read thst often one of the sockets fails…..had it since on 2 or 3.

had mk plastic ones fail in the past, so didn’t think they they were worth the extra.

crabtree next time i think.