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Wired PIR vs smart outdoor motion sensor

Updated: 20.10.2026

A wired PIR vs smart outdoor motion sensor choice is about what is allowed to switch. A mains wall PIR closes a 230 V circuit and turns on the lamp you already have. A Philips Hue outdoor sensor or an Eve Motion only talks to lights on that system, and only after the hub is in the house. Prices are amazon.co.uk shelf prices on 19 October 2026, from our [motion sensor outdoor comparison](/hub/burglar-protection/motion-sensor-outdoor). If you have not named the job yet, the [outdoor PIR sensor buying guide](/hub/burglar-protection/motion-sensor-outdoor/sub/motion-sensor-outdoor-buying-guide) does that before this fork. Peter F. used the listings, not a lab test.

A wired PIR vs smart outdoor motion sensor choice is about what is allowed to switch. A mains wall PIR closes a 230 V circuit and turns on the lamp you already have.

Our top picks

Philips Hue Philips Hue outdoor sensor

Best overall

Philips Hue Philips Hue outdoor sensor
9.2/10about £43.99
View offer
SEBSON SEBSON IR_OUT_IA

Rank 2

SEBSON SEBSON IR_OUT_IA
9.2/10about £17.99
View offer
Maclean Maclean MCE468 B

Best value

Maclean Maclean MCE468 B
9.0/10about £10.96
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.What each sensor is allowed to switch
  2. 2.Weather and who installs it
  3. 3.The price after the hub
  4. 4.When to choose which

What each sensor is allowed to switch

A mains PIR in this set is a 3-wire switch. The Maclean MCE468 B at £10.96 and the SEBSON IR_OUT_IA at £17.99 are IP65 housings that operate an existing lamp. The IR_OUT_IA states 1,000 W for LED. They do not run a Hue scene. When the lamp is a normal floodlight, this is the tool that can feed it. The Hue outdoor sensor, £43.99 on Amazon and 4.6 from 2,174 reviews, automates Hue lights only. A Hue Bridge is required and sold separately. It will not switch a non-Hue floodlight. Signify's UK page rates detection at 0–10 m and sells the sensor at £54.99. Amazon says 12 m and £43.99. Keep both figures. Eve Motion at £44.95, 3.6 from 601 reviews, is a Matter sensor on Thread. It runs automations only when the controller is also a Thread border router. The listing states 120° and 9 m. It does not close a mains lighting circuit.

Weather and who installs it

The mains units for an open wall are IP65: the Maclean, the dual-head SEBSON, and the IR_OUT_IA. The anthracite SEBSON at £13.99 is IP44, so it stays under a porch. Fitting those four means a 230 V connection. The how to fit an outdoor PIR sensor page stops at that cover on purpose. Hue is IP54: dust and splash, not jets. Eve is IPX3: spray only. An open gable is the wrong wall for IPX3. Both are battery sensors on a screw if the hub is already working. Eve's page states about −18 °C to +55 °C. The Amazon spec block only prints 55 °C.
Philips Hue Philips Hue outdoor sensor

Testsieger

Philips Hue Philips Hue outdoor sensor
9.2/10about £43.99
View offer

The price after the hub

The mains band is about £11 to £18 before labour. The Maclean is £10.96 and the IR_OUT_IA is £17.99. An electrician can cost more than either. Hue at £43.99 still needs the Bridge and Hue lamps. Signify lists the sensor at £54.99. Eve at £44.95 still needs a Thread border router. The 3.6 from 601 reviews is about setup and dropouts, not a misprinted 9 m. Add the hub before you compare £12 with £44. A house with neither a Bridge nor Hue lamps makes £43.99 a deposit. The best outdoor motion sensor page names the pick once that sum is honest.

When to choose which

Choose a mains PIR when the lamp is already a normal outside light and you want it on at night without a hub. In this set the top pick for rain on the wall is the SEBSON IR_OUT_IA, and the best value is the Maclean. You give up scenes and any link to Hue. Choose the Hue sensor when the Bridge and the Hue lamps are already there, and IP54 matches the wall. You do not gain a switch for the old floodlight. Choose Eve only when a Thread border router is in the house and the spot is sheltered enough for IPX3. You can use both in one house: a mains PIR on the floodlight, and Hue or Eve on the smart lamps. Neither replaces a driveway chime.

Common questions

Can I use a Hue sensor on my existing non-Hue floodlight?
No. The Hue outdoor sensor automates Hue lights. It is not a 3-wire mains PIR, and the listing does not connect it to an ordinary floodlight. Use a mains wall PIR for that lamp. The Hue sensor still needs a Bridge even for the lamps it can control.
Do I need a Hue Bridge as well as the sensor?
Yes. Amazon's listing says a Hue Bridge or Hue Bridge Pro is required and sold separately. The sensor price, £43.99 on Amazon or £54.99 on Signify's shop, does not include it. If the Bridge is already in the house, you are only buying the sensor.
Is Eve waterproof enough for an open wall?
No. The listing and Eve's page rate it IPX3, which is spray protection, not an IP65 seal. An open gable is the wrong place. A sheltered wall is the condition for using it outdoors. IP54 on the Hue sensor is a step up from that, and still short of the IP65 mains units.
Why is Eve's star rating lower?
Amazon shows 3.6 from 601 reviews. The review notes point at setup and dropouts, including Echo installs that did not connect, while Apple Home is the path that tends to work. The listing still states 9 m and 120°. The stars are not a lab result on the lens.
What do I gain from a £12 mains PIR that Hue cannot do?
You gain a switch for the existing lamp, with no hub and, on the Maclean, an IP65 housing at £10.96. Hue cannot feed that floodlight. You lose scenes and any control inside the Hue app. The electrician, if you need one, is the cost Hue does not remove either.
Which is cheaper once the hub is included?
A mains PIR at £10.96 to £17.99 plus labour, if the circuit needs an electrician. A Hue sensor at £43.99 plus a Bridge and Hue lamps, unless you already own them. Eve at £44.95 plus a Thread border router if you do not already have one. The sensor price alone is the wrong comparison.
Can one house use both?
Yes. A mains PIR can switch the floodlight while a Hue or Eve sensor runs the smart lamps. They watch different lights. Buying Eve does not retire the 3-wire sensor, and a new mains PIR does not create a Hue scene.

Related pages

Wireless driveway alarm

Motion sensor outdoor

Best outdoor motion sensor for light, chime or Hue

Outdoor PIR sensor buying guide: job, wall and load

How to fit an outdoor PIR sensor so the path crosses

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, plus the amazon.co.uk listings for the eight ASINs. Shelf prices in the scoring note are 19 October 2026.

  1. Electrical Safety First — outdoor lighting (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK — Electrical safety: Approved Document P (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK — when building regulations approval is not needed (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  4. Philips Hue UK — outdoor sensor (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  5. Eve — Eve Motion (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  6. Eterna — PIR180 installation guide (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  7. KES Lighting — IP65 versus IP44 (retrieved 20 October 2026)
  8. Parabeam — outdoor beam FAQ (retrieved 20 October 2026)