NO – a word our little ones hear far too often as they begin to explore the world. "No, don't put that in your mouth." "No, be careful, that's dangerous." "No, not near the electrical socket."
While some things are relatively harmless, like simply emptying drawers, electrical outlets can quickly become a serious hazard. Although appealing to common sense is generally a good approach, children's curiosity often gets the better of them. It can become dangerous when children put metallic or wet objects, or their fingers, into the contact opening. In Germany, electrical outlets carry 230 V, a potentially lethal voltage, especially for small children. The consequences of an electrical accident depend on the intensity and duration of the current and can range from burns to ventricular fibrillation and cardiac arrhythmias, as well as respiratory arrest and unconsciousness.
As a general rule: prevention is always better than cure. A single moment of inattention is all it takes for a serious electrical accident to occur.
Fortunately, this danger can be prevented relatively easily. There are generally three solutions for securing electrical outlets. We tested these and selected our favorites below.
| Childproof electrical outlets | Screw-in, glue-in and twist-in socket safety locks | Socket covers that must be removed before plugging in a power plug. |
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Advantages:
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Advantages:
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Advantages:
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Disadvantages:
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Disadvantages:
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Disadvantages:
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Socket covers are useful for sockets that are generally not used frequently. This option is less practical for protecting all regularly used sockets, as there is no safety device when the power plug is unplugged, thus potentially creating another hazard.
If you're planning a move and renovations anyway when starting a family, our top choice is definitely childproof electrical outlets. Alternatively, and especially for rental apartments, we recommend adhesive outlet covers. Initially, we leaned towards screw-in rotary outlet covers for secure attachment, but not every outlet has the necessary screw point, for example, on power strips. Therefore, we opted for screw-in outlet covers with adhesive backing due to their ease of use and universal application.
We tested several socket protectors and covers from different manufacturers and in various designs. Generally, the functionality within the same category (socket protector or cover) is consistently similar. However, we noticed a significant difference with various adhesive socket protectors: depending on the manufacturer, the adhesive surface varies in size and uses different adhesives. Some have almost full-surface adhesive areas, while others have only small adhesive strips. And this actually makes a big difference.
- When using adhesive socket protectors, we strongly recommend large adhesive surfaces, as these provide a significantly better hold.
Ultimately, all three solutions – childproof sockets, screw-on or glue-on socket covers, and socket covers – have their advantages and disadvantages, which is why there is no one-size-fits-all solution for every household.
The only important thing is that we make our homes safe for our children.