Guide · How pop up sockets work · UK
How Do Pop Up Sockets Work? Manual, Spring and Motorised
A pop up socket hides in a round hole in your worktop and rises when you need it. Here’s how each type lifts, how it’s fitted and how it gets power.
By Seb Aroney, founder of Modern Power Solutions · Updated November 2026
Quick answers
Three ways they rise
Manual, gas strut and motorised
Every pop up socket is a column of sockets that slides up and down inside the worktop. What differs is how it lifts.
Manual models lock at the top once raised, and the V1 lifts 208 mm out of the worktop.
A gas strut is pressurised when it’s pushed down. Pressing the lid releases it, and pushing it back down firmly sets it again for next time. The V16 rises 212 mm.
Motorised models ignore an accidental touch. The V3C only moves after a 3-second hold and the V3L needs a double-tap, so a phone on the lid won’t set them off. The V3C stops if something blocks it.
Wireless charging isn’t tied to the type. The gas-strut V16 has a wireless charging lid, and so do the motorised V3C and V3L. The V1 has USB-A and two USB-C ports instead.
Installation
How a pop up socket sits in the worktop
Lid and flange: closed, only these show on the worktop, and the flange covers the edge of the hole.
Worktop: each model has a maximum thickness: 95 mm for the V1, 80 mm for the V3L, 50 mm for the V16.
Locking ring: screws up the body from underneath and clamps the unit to the worktop.
Body: hangs in the cupboard and slides up and down, so keep the space below it clear.
Lead: plugs into a standard socket in the cupboard, so no wiring is needed.
Raised: the column of sockets comes up above the worktop: 196 mm on the V3C, 212 mm on the V16.
Clear space below: measured from the top of the worktop. Check it before you cut: 340 mm for the V1, 580 mm for the V3L.
Fitting one, step by step
Check the space. Measure the worktop thickness and the clear space below, and make sure there’s a socket within reach of the lead.
Cut the hole. Use the cut-out template in the manual and a hole saw of the right size. Stone, quartz and porcelain need a diamond core bit with water cooling.
Take off the locking ring. Unscrew it from the body and set it aside.
Drop the unit in. Feed the body down through the hole until the flange sits flat on the worktop.
Tighten the ring from below. Screw it back up the body and tighten it by hand against the underside.
Plug in and test. Plug it into the socket below, raise it, check the sockets and USB ports, then lower it.
Watch a pop up socket being fitted to a kitchen worktop on YouTube.
Before you cut
Hole size and space below, by model
Figures are from each model’s manual. Clear space is measured from the top of the worktop; leave extra room for the lead and plug.
Power
Plug-in or hardwired
Some pop up sockets are wired straight into the circuit instead. All of ours plug in, so with a socket already below the worktop, no electrician is needed.
Shop
Our pop up sockets, by type
V1 manualTwo UK sockets, USB-A and two USB-C, up to 67 W. In black, silver or white.
V16 with lightTwo UK sockets, 65W USB-C, a wireless charging lid and a dimmable light.
V3C motorisedTwo UK sockets, USB-A, USB-C and a wireless charging lid.
V3L slim motorisedTwo UK sockets and three USB ports in a slim body, with a wireless charging lid.Not sure which one fits?
Answer three questions in our island finder, or browse every pop up socket we sell in your country.
Questions
Pop Up Sockets: FAQs
How do pop up sockets work?
A pop up socket is a column of sockets that sits in a round hole in the worktop, with only its lid showing. You raise it by hand (manual), by pressing the lid so a gas strut lifts it, or with a motor. Plug in, then push or tap it back down.
Are pull-up, push-up and pop up sockets the same thing?
Broadly, yes: they’re all names for sockets that hide in the worktop and come up when you need them. ‘Pull-up’ usually means a manual model you lift by hand, like the V1.
Do pop up sockets need an electrician?
Not if there’s already a socket under the worktop: ours plug in with a fitted UK plug. Adding a new socket is fixed wiring and must be done by a qualified electrician.
What size hole does a pop up socket need?
It depends on the model: 65 mm for the V3L, 90 mm for the V1, 95 mm for the V3C, 102 mm for the V16 and 120 mm for the V14B. The V1, V3C, V3L and V16 manuals include a printable cut-out template.
How much space do they need under the worktop?
From 180 mm (V14B) to 580 mm (V3L): 340 mm for the V1, 350 mm for the V16 and 422 mm for the V3C, measured from the top of the worktop.
Are motorised pop up sockets better?
They’re the most convenient: a touch raises and lowers them, and the V3C and V3L add wireless charging. Manual models cost less and are the simplest.
Can pop up sockets be used in offices and meeting rooms?
Yes, on indoor desks, meeting tables and counters. The V3C is made for kitchens, offices and meeting spaces, and the V14B has four sockets plus two network (RJ45) pass-throughs. Fitting them on a project? See our trade pricing.
Can I put a pop up socket in a kitchen island?
Yes. Our kitchen island guide has a finder and a fit checker for the UK models.
