Brennenstuhl Mains extension leads with (ta-da!) both left-hand and right-hand cable exits

In the 1950s and 60s British homes had maybe one or two mains sockets per room because that’s all that was needed, perhaps for the TV or radio, vacuumer, standard lamp or electric heater. A simple 2- or 3-way (at most) adaptor was used when more power was wanted, and that’s pretty much all there was. Then 4-way trailing sockets (power strips) appeared in the 1980s as a sign of the way things were heading. The meteoric rise of mains-powered gadgets, infotainment, tablets, chargers and much more means that nowadays we all need multi-way mains extension leads to power them. Extensions carrying four, eight or even ten mains sockets are common here in the UK.  Some may offer USB charging ports too, or have built-in mains suppressors to help protect equipment from spikes and surges (usually a one-shot device).

Tower-style extensions are especially useful, because they have a small footprint and can provide eight or ten mains outlets. Most other multi-way ‘trailing’ extensions are just slabs of plastic that drag along the floor, though some can be wall-mounted.

One of life’s annoyances is that the mains lead (power cord) of many such trailing extensions often sprouts from the ‘wrong end’ of the plastic housing. Then the extension must be used ‘upside down’ or the mains lead has to be ‘doubled back’ to reach the wall outlet. First world problems!

I’ve had this pet peeve many times. Ideally I’d like an extension lead that was re-wireable from either end by the consumer, but there’s no such thing. Manufacturers are terrified that we would rewire them dangerously. After a long search, I finally found the answer to this problem: German brand Brennenstuhl manufactures a very good range of quality extensions and other handy electrical essentials for the home, and they make a range of mains extension leads that have (ta-da!) double-ended cable entries. In other words, the cable can be routed out the extension from either the left-hand or right-hand side. I think it’s a brilliant idea and well thought out, and some of their mains extensions also have a separate master on-off rocker switch with built-in neon.

Brennenstuhl 10-way (2x5) mains extensionI’m talking about the Brennenstuhl Primera-Line 10 socket double-switched adaptor which provides two banks of five UK (or continental Schuko) mains outlets, each bank controlled by its own 2-pole rocker switch. On each row, one socket has extra spacing to carry e.g. bulky mains adaptors. The cable exit can be routed out from either end, and keyhole slots underneath allow wall-hanging either way up.

Rear view showing left and right cable exits, plus cable storageThis is ideal for my particular application as one row of five can be left permanently on, while the other bank can be switched separately. It has a 2m cable and excess cord can be stored underneath (see photos).  The Euro-slot hanging tab is removable. The Brennenstuhl  Primera 10 socket extension Cat. No. 1153393120 is available in black or silver from Amazon at the time of writing (see below).

It’s a fairly sizeable lump of a power strip (39 x 10 x 5.5cm approx) and Brennenstuhl also makes a slimmer 8-way extension with the same two-way cable outlet system and single rocker switch (Cat. No. 1153393128),which measures 50.5 x 8 x 5.5cm approx. They even have 12-way power strips for power-hungry applications.

8-way extension with rocker switch, and left/ right cable extensionBrennenstuhl's Pop-up 3-way towerOther interesting products including a pop-up ‘tower’ 3-way type 1396203003. It’s partly aluminium and I use this in the kitchen to pop up and power some portable appliances, then the socket can be clicked down flush with the worktop when not needed. A 60mm Ø hole is needed (I made a 58mm Ø hole with a wood hole saw then filed out another millimetre round with a Dremel) through the worktop. Of course, space underneath is needed to accommodate the tower strip when it’s retracted back down below. There's also a foot-switch operated mains extension lead.

Industrial and commercial quality desk-mounting and pop-up type sockets are also made by Brennenstuhl, along with cable reels, remote control mains sockets and more besides. I’ve been very impressed with this range of electrical accessories which includes some types that answer common problems and would be hard to get elsewhere. Have a look at the Brennenstuhl website or check current availability on Amazon.

• Brennenstuhl UK website