Are nylon electrical wallplates an improvement or a downgrade?

[y_p_w]

I've noticed that a lot of newer switches and receptacles are made of some really shiny nylon that matches nylon wallplates for look and possibly color. However, they still have the traditional wallplates made of some phenolic (Bakelite) resin that's really hard. They claim that nylon is unbreakable, but I've seen them get scratched up easily by a slipped screwdriver and I've replaced at least one because it was warped. I'm not sure how long it took to get like this or whether it was warped out of the package.

These are Leviton Decora - allegedly both "ivory". The one on the left is salvaged (and there are replacement screws available) in pretty good condition considering it's almost 30 years old. There are a few stains, but they're hard to see unless one is looking inches away. But on the right is a "midway" nylon wallplate, which was covering up a bit of broken drywall past the cutout. It's really weird though. One corner sticks out and the center between the holes is clearly bulging out. There are also a few gouges and lots of visible scratches close up.

I've installed quite a few (Decora and traditional switch/receptacle) but I'm kind of torn on whether or not it's an improvement. They're really shiny compared to traditional wallplates and they flex a lot where sometimes it doesn't install flat. I've managed to crack an older style wallplate, but if I overtighten one of these it just sort of caves in.

 

[GMBoy]

I never stopped to think about wall plates but here I am looking at mine as I read your post!

 

[BHopkins]

I will only use the unbreakable nylon switch/outlet plates. The name says it all. For me, the key to how well they lay on the wall is by adjusting the tension. They may not lay perfectly flat on an imperfect wall, but I absolutely prefer the fit to the older covers.

My experience with the older Bakelite style switch plates has not been good. They aren't flexible enough to conform to the shape of the wall. And that leads to them cracking, from trying to get the right screw tension, so they will lie flat. For me, it's pretty frustrating to have a cover crack, only moments after taking it out of the wrapper. So I gave up on them a very long time ago.

 

[Carmudgeon]

The old ones are more rigid, don't deform trying to conform to a less-than-perfect box, but can crack if overcompensating, instead of fixing the underlying issue. Overall, they're stronger, but cross the line and they'll crack.

The new ones are more flexible, and have more margin in dealing with issues, but the tradeoff is a plate that can appear slightly deformed, and the shiny plastic looks cheaper.

I prefer the former, as the latter can have an effect not unlike seeing a body panel that is dimpled, or slightly dented enough to notice that it's not true to the original, intended shape.

 

[MyWifesBoyfriend]

The benefit of the nylon "unbreakable" plates is that they don't crack when over-torqued. I think screwless plates are the way to go now though