Buying guide for shopping guide for best plug covers
Anyone who has small children, or lives with them, knows that little hands like to explore everything within their grasp. Unfortunately, this can include dangerous things like wall outlets. They’re at the perfect height for small children to discover before you even notice. That’s why it’s essential to have a good set of plug covers in your household.
Children and very curious pets will never stop trying to learn, and that thirst for knowledge is often done by touching anything looks interesting or unfamiliar. Plug covers can protect them from the danger that lies within a standard wall socket.
It’s not enough to merely own a set of plug covers. Poorly designed or cheaply made plug covers can easily slip out or be pulled out of the socket. That defeats their purpose entirely! We’ve reviewed what we believe to be the five best plug covers available. We’ve also compiled the following detailed shopping guide to help you find the right plug covers for your household’s needs. Keep reading to learn more.
Key considerations
You’ll want to consider a few main factors when shopping for a new set of plug covers. Primarily, you need to consider both the look and the functionality of the cover’s design. Both of these factors will dictate which set of plug covers will work best.
Ease of removal
Every plug cover has a different level of difficulty when it comes to removal. Some are extremely easy for any adolescent or adult to remove with minimal effort. These still may be difficult for a toddler’s little hands to remove.
Others are more complicated and require multiple pressure points to remove. These are best for children who may have better dexterity than others, and may find it easier to remove the most basic plug covers. These are also good if you have a pet who chews on just about everything. Think about how strong and wily your child (or whomever you don’t want to make contact with the socket) is when picking the removal difficulty of your plug covers.
Insert or full housing
While most plug covers are small plastic plugs that fit inside a socket, others are full housings that surround the entire outlet. This are best for outlets that are in constant use. Obviously, an outlet that is being used can’t have a plug cover inserted. A full housing solves this problem by covering the entire outlet, including the chords that are plugged into said outlet. This makes it virtually impossible for a child to access the outlet at all.
Plugs vs. outlet replacement
If you either don’t feel confident that your child won’t be able to remove plug covers, or you aren’t fond of the look of the covers, you may choose to opt for a safety outlet replacement. These are wall outlets that have a sliding cover over the plug holes when they are not in use. These look nice, and they keep hands safely away from the socket without any extra effort on your part.
Caution
If you or your child gets an electric shock, assess the injury for burns or other signs of harm. If you are not sure about the status, you should go to an emergency room immediately.
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Features
Pressure points
While the most basic plug cover designs merely push into the socket, some make removal more difficult. If you get plug covers that incorporate pressure points, then you’ll have to apply pressure to multiple spots on the plug cover in order to remove it. This makes the plug cover more secure, and less likely to be removed — a great feature if safety is your primary reason to buy plug covers.
Ring-pull handle design
Some of the most effective plug covers on the market today use a ring-pull handle design. This means that in order to remove the plug cover, a small handle must be pulled up, and then rotated in order to release the plug cover. This makes removal by a child virtually impossible without the aid of an adult.
Removal key
If a ring-pull handle design makes removal by a child virtually impossible, then the removal key feature makes it completely impossible. Plug covers that use a removal key can only be taken out of the socket with the key itself. There is no way for a child to remove this plug cover unless their parent has given them the removal key. This might be the safest method of securing your plug covers.
Dual outlet cover design
Some plug covers utilize a dual outlet cover design. This design is one in which the single large plug cover goes over both the top and bottom outlet plugs. This is convenient for those who won’t have many items plugged into their wall outlets, and don’t worry about their child being able to pry the cover off. These are also handy if the main function of your plug covers is to hide the sockets.
These covers can generally only be removed with the aid of a flat screwdriver, small knife, or other thin tool or instrument. These are also less likely to get lost than the small standard individual plug covers, and they look neat, too.
Shock-proof technology
While most plug covers make an effort to simply cover the plug, plug covers that have shock-proof technology offer a convenient and safe alternative to covering the sockets. These plug covers are essentially additional outlets that go on top of your primary outlet. They are designed to accommodate power cords just the same as your primary outlet, but they have the ability to detect when a non-corded item is inserted, and they break the circuit of electricity.
This means that even if your child touches the outlet, he or she will not be shocked. If removing plug covers every time you need to plug something in seems like a nuisance, look for this type of plug cover.
Plug cover prices
Inexpensive: Between $4 and $15 you can buy the standard set of plug covers that we’ve all become familiar with. They often come in packs of 32, and they are of the simple push-in style of plug cover. They may be fairly easy to remove, so it’s worth spending a bit more for more secure covers if that is your main concern.
Mid-range: From $15 to $30 you will find a wider range of plug styles available to you. In this category you will find plugs with keys and pull-ring designs which offer a higher level of security.
Expensive: In the $30 to $40 range, the most high-tech options are available. This is where you’ll find shock-proof technology that is the perfect mix of safety and convenience. If you’re merely covering outlets, there is usually no need to buy covers with these features.
Tips
Always double-check your outlets after you’ve covered them all with plug covers. It’s easy to forget one if you don’t double-check.
Even if you’ve covered all of your outlets, be sure to watch any small children when they are around the outlets in case they are more clever than you expect in trying to remove the covers.
Never stick any metal object in or even near an electrical outlet. Doing so can cause serious injury and is also a fire hazard.
Don’t let small children watch you place or remove plug covers on your outlets. Doing so may teach them how they can be removed, which defeats the purpose of the covers in the first place.
Don’t limit your plug covers to only the lowest outlets on the wall. Children can easily climb onto counters.
FAQ
Q. Isn’t is OK to forego plug covers as long as I keep an eye on my child?
A. No. Accidents are just that — accidents that no one sees coming. The only way to guarantee your child’s safety in the presence of an electrical outlet is by the use of a good set of plug covers — a small price to pay for peace of mind.
Q. Do I need to turn off the circuit breaker to safely install plug covers?
A. No, because plug covers are made of plastic and rubber materials, so they do not conduct electricity. They are safe to insert into any electrical outlet, provided the socket is clean and dry.
Q. Can I have my child help me install the plug covers?
A. No. No child should have access to play near an open electrical socket under any circumstances. They should also not observe how to remove or install the covers, as this will teach them how to do so on their own.
Q. What should I do if my child removes the plug covers?
A. If they were properly installed and your child was still able to remove them, you will likely need to choose another style of plug cover that is more difficult for your child to remove. Do not draw their attention to what they did, or this will increase their interest in exploring outlets.
