Thoughts on these low-profile flat plugs vs standard extension cords?

I ran into this exact issue when I tried to use that same UltraPro cord behind my nightstand. The 45-degree offset is supposed to keep the bottom outlet open, but if your house has the ground pin facing up—or if you’re using a horizontal power strip—it ends up obstructing everything anyway. It’s a classic case of a product designed for one specific orientation that fails in the real world where outlets aren't always installed perfectly.

I eventually gave up on the GE ones and went with a 6-inch "liberator" style extension from Iron Forge. It’s just a short pigtail with a flat plug that doesn't have that massive plastic housing. It stays low-profile enough for the furniture to sit close to the baseboard, but it doesn't hog the entire duplex. The braided jacket on the GE looks nice, but I've found it makes the cable much stiffer, which adds to the frustration when you're trying to loop it in tight spaces. For heavy dressers, you really just need the cord to exit at a 90-degree angle without the extra decorative casing getting in the way.

I acutally prefer the GE UltraPro precisely becuase it forces that 45-degree angle. People complain about it blocking the other socket, but for me, it’s about the mechanical safety behind the furniture. When you use those cheap, straight-on plugs and jam a heavy oak dresser against them, you’re eventually going to crimp the copper or crack the housing. I’ve seen enought scorched insulation to know that a slightly bulky, offset plug is a small price to pay for keeping the cable from kinking at a sharp angle.

The braided jacket also adds a level of stiffness that keeps the cord from getting pinched or tangled in radiator fins. If the orientation is an issue because of your ground pin placement, that’s usally a problem with the house wiring standards, not the cord design itself. I'd much rather lose one outlet in a duplex than have a fire hazard hidden behind six hundred pounds of furniture where I can't see the sparks untill it's too late. To me, the extra bulk is just better strain relief.

Look, if you're struggling with the GE 41348 housing, you’re looking at the wrong spec. Those bulky pucks are for aesthetics, not utility. If you want a real low-profile solution that doesn't hog the duplex, look at the Leviton 515PV or the Wiremold 14-gauge series. I’ve swapped out dozens of those braided consumer cords for the SlimLine flat-head units. They use a 90-degree exit instead of that awkward 45-degree offset, and the profile is barely 0.5 inches thick. It sits flush even if your baseboards are narrow. The braided GE stuff is just 16AWG dressed up to look fancy—it's too stiff for tight cable management behind a dresser anyway.

Oh wow, I'm so glad I found this thread before buying more of these! I just started messing with my home theater setup and those braided cords look so cool, but that offset plug sounds like a total headache. Does anyone know if the diffrent colors of the braiding acutally indicate anything about the wire quality, or is it just for show? I'm obsessed with the gray and white pattern but I don't want to sacrifice power if the solid black ones are better!

Ugh, I feel ya. Those braided GE cords look slick but they're stiff as a board. Honestly, I've had way better luck with those 'rotating' plug cords where the head actually spins 360 degrees. They aren't as 'designer' looking, but you can just twist the thing so it doesn't block the other socket or hit the baseboard. For me, the GE ones are just over-engineered. They're trying too hard to look 'premium' when they realy just need to stay out of the way.