The best light switch sockets, compared.
Top pick: BG double switched socket, brushed steel, NBS22G – Highest score, with the tie broken by review count: about £6.37, 4.7 from 8,291 reviews, score 94. A 13 A double switched socket in brushed steel. The capture does not state a back-box depth or BS 1363. It is the wrong plate on a lighting drop. Best value: Knightsbridge CU2000 1-gang 2-way switch – Lowest amazon.co.uk price in this set for a named 2-way plate with at least 1,000 reviews: about £3.00, 4.6 from 1,579 reviews, score 92. The stars stay in the 4.6 band, so it is not the top pick. Updated 22.10.2026.
Light switch sockets are fixed wall plates for a UK lighting circuit or a 13 A socket circuit. You buy one to replace a worn plate. The name covers a lighting switch and a switched socket, so the cable decides which plate is safe to fit. You recognise a suitable plate by mechanism, then by switch versus socket, then by plastic or metal. One position needs a one-way plate, or a two-way plate wired as one-way. Two positions, such as a stair, need two two-way plates. Three or more need an intermediate in the middle as well. A two-way plate does not do that job. The [light switch sockets buying guide](/hub/electrical-equipment/light-switch-sockets/sub/light-switch-sockets-buying-guide) follows that order before finish. Metal faceplates need an earth on the plate and a tail to a metal box. If the circuit has no earth, stay with plastic. Do not add the A figure and the AX figure under BS EN 60669-1. A plate listed IP00 belongs outside bathroom zones 1 and 2. Isolate and prove the circuit dead.
Light switch sockets are fixed wall plates for a UK lighting circuit or a 13 A socket circuit. You buy one to replace a worn plate.
42 products checked · 64 hrs invested · +22,100 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What cable are you fitting?
This BG 13 A double switched socket, brushed steel with grey inserts, carries the largest review file on the shelf: 4.7 from 8,291 amazon.co.uk ratings at about £6.37. Reviewers describe a secure plug fit, a firm switch click, and a straight swap for a broken socket. The steel is called smarter than a standard white socket, and several reviews mention a solid feel for the price. Fingerprints show on the metal more than on matt plastic. One reviewer called the material thin while still citing value. The raw capture does not state a back-box depth or a British Standard number, so those stay unstated. It is the top pick for a brushed-steel socket, and it is the wrong plate if the cable is a lighting switch drop.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are replacing a 13 A double socket and want brushed steel with the biggest review count on this shelf.
Less suitable: You need a light switch, a box depth printed in the capture, or a finish that hides fingerprints.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a light switch or a socket?
The title is a double switched power socket, 13 A, with grey inserts. It is not a lighting plate.
Does the capture name a British Standard or a back-box depth?
No. The bullets do not answer those points. Depth is printed as 0.1 cm, and BS 1363 is not in the file.
The BG Nexus NBS42 is a double 2-way brushed-steel lighting plate at about £6.18, and 2,879 amazon.co.uk reviews sit at 4.7. Reviewers like the finish against white plastic, a firm click, and a surface they say resists fingerprints. The listing asks for a minimum box depth of 16 mm, and screws and instructions are included. The title prints 20 A, 16AX while a bullet prints 10 A, 10AX, so you cannot quote one current without keeping both strings. At least one plate had a little play in the rocker. Terminals did not match the switch being replaced, and one buyer used the BG helpline rather than guessing the new layout. The attribute IP rating is IP00, so this is not a bathroom plate.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are replacing a double lighting plate in a dry room with a 16 mm box and an earth for a metal face.
Less suitable: You need one agreed current mark, or the existing cable is a 13 A socket.
Specifications
Common questions
What current is printed for this double switch?
The title says 20 A, 16AX. A bullet says 10 A, 10 AX inductive rated. Both strings are in the capture. Do not add them into one current.
What back box does the listing ask for?
The bullet states a minimum mounting box depth of 16 mm. Fixing screws and instructions are included.
Is a bathroom rating stated?
The IP rating on the attribute row is IP00. The file asks about bathrooms and does not answer. It is not stated as a bathroom plate.
The BG NAB12 is a single 2-way antique-brass switch at about £5.79, marked 20 A, 16AX, with a bullet citing BS EN 60669-1. It scores 4.7 from 895 reviews. In this capture the Best Sellers Rank is 1 in Switches & Dimmers, inside a DIY rank of 282, which is an amazon.co.uk list position rather than a test. Reviewers like the click, a slimmer plate than old white plastic, and a flush sit. The metal runs more bronze than gold and darker than many people expected. A supplied faceplate screw was shorter than a standard screw one reviewer compared. One unit was described as faulty and reordered. The attribute IP rating is IP00.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are matching antique brass on a single 2-way lighting point and can accept a darker metal.
Less suitable: You need a 1-way-only plate, a double gang, or gold that matches the picture.
Specifications
Common questions
Will this control lights from two places?
The title is a 2-way single switch. The bullet gives stairs, top and bottom, as the example of a second switch in the circuit. You still need a second 2-way plate at the other position.
Is the moisture gasket a bathroom rating?
The bullet describes a gasket for metal edges and new plaster. The IP rating is IP00, so it is not stated as a bathroom-zone plate.
The antique-brass NAB22B is a 13 A double switched socket at about £6.37, with 4.7 from 668 reviews. Bullets state double-pole switching and a 25 mm back box, which is more depth information than the brushed-steel socket capture gives. Reviewers call the plug fit standard, the labels readable, and the wall fixing secure. The colour is the recurring limit: darker and more bronze than the gold of the photograph, and one buyer returned the plates for that reason. Another had not fitted them because a back box was still to buy. One comment treats them as the cheaper-looking option for sockets that stay out of view. The star line does not prove the brass will match a gold tap in daylight.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already like antique brass in the room and the socket box is at least 25 mm deep.
Less suitable: You want the photograph's bright gold, or you still need to buy a back box.
Specifications
Common questions
Is the switching double pole?
The bullet says double-pole switching. The plate is a 13 A double socket rated 250 V in the attribute table, with two outlets.
What back box does it fit?
The bullet says it fits a 25 mm back box. A gasket for the metal edges is also stated. That gasket is not an IP rating.
Why do some reviews mention the colour?
UK reviews say the metal looks darker, more bronze than gold, compared with the photograph. One reviewer sent the plates back for that reason.
Knightsbridge CU1000 is a white curved-edge 10 A, 1-gang, 1-way switch at about £3.99 and 230 V, with 4.6 from 2,984 reviews. The plate is about 7 mm, which reviewers call slim rather than bulky, and screw caps hide the fixings. It matched other white curved plates in a bungalow in one review, and the price is called fair for the build. It is 1-way only, so it cannot serve a stair that already has two positions. One buyer wanted two small screws and reused the old ones. The product image is shared with the 2-way CU2000, so the photograph does not prove which mechanism is in the box. A 15-year warranty line is on the listing. A review that describes a black core in COM is a wiring comment, not a fitting method.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You have one switch for one light and want a slim white curved plate.
Less suitable: A stair, a hall with two switches, or any circuit that already uses two positions.
Specifications
Common questions
Can this replace a two-way stair switch?
No. The title is 1 gang 1 way. The bullet says a 1-way switch is for one position, such as a bedroom or a single-entry room.
What comes with the plate?
The bullet says a gently contoured 7 mm plate with rounded edges and screw cap covers. A review wanted screws that were not in the pack.
The BG Nexus 800 series 812 is a white moulded 1-gang 2-way switch at about £4.49, marked 20 A, 16AX, with BS EN 60669-1 and a 30-year warranty line in the bullets, and 4.6 from 2,648 reviews. Reviewers like the action, the hidden screws, and a clean look against tired plates. One person used it as the white plate across a house and called the price strong for a basic moulded switch. One parcel arrived with no screws and no white screw blanks, so the old ones were reused. One reviewer said the item received was 1-way with sharp edges, unlike the 2-way round-edge images. White was not exactly white for another buyer. Those are order mismatches rather than a repeated electrical failure across the rest of the sample.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a white 2-way plate with a 20 A, 16AX mark and a large review count.
Less suitable: You only need the cheapest 10 A curved plate, or you need a metal finish.
Specifications
Common questions
Is every delivered unit a 2-way round-edge plate?
The title, the included-components line and the bullets say a 2-way round-edge white switch. One UK review says the unit received was 1-way with sharp edges. Another says screws and white caps were missing.
What standard and warranty are printed?
The bullet says it adheres to BS EN 60669-1 and states a 30-year warranty against faulty materials and workmanship. The IP rating is IP00. The terms of that warranty are not in the capture.
The polished-chrome NPC12 is a single 2-way BG plate at about £5.95, marked 20 A, 16AX, with BS EN 60669-1 in a bullet and 4.6 from 2,155 reviews. Buyers who fitted several plates mention an easy fit, a positive action, and a chrome look that replaced white. Instructions are supplied, and some say it looks dearer than the price. Wall screws are not long enough in the common complaint. One reviewer said a plate sold as Nexus Metal was plastic, which is one construction dispute rather than a repeated failure cluster. The attribute IP rating is IP00, so condensation and bathroom zones stay off this plate. Chrome will show marks more readily than a matt finish once it is on a busy wall.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a chrome single 2-way in a dry room and you will check the screw length before you close the plate.
Less suitable: You need a double gang, or you want a plate with no construction doubt in the reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
Are the wall screws long enough?
A UK review says the screws that fix the plate to the wall were not long enough. The bullet says fixings are included, without a length.
Is the plate metal?
The title says Nexus Metal and the material attribute says metal. One UK review says the plate received was plastic. The capture does not resolve that.
The Knightsbridge CU2000 is a white curved-edge 10 A, 1-gang, 2-way switch at about £3.00 and 230 V, with 4.6 from 1,579 reviews. Reviewers call the size standard, the on-off positive, and the screw covers useful when they swap a worn plate. One buyer used it among landing switches and called the price extremely reasonable. EN 60669-1 appears on the attribute row. One click was described as loud. Another reviewer called the plastic ordinary and still said it was easy and fair value. It looks like a basic white switch, which is what you want if the room already uses that shape. The amazon.co.uk price is the shelf price here. A lower trade price on another site is a different shelf, not this listing.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You need a basic white 2-way plate and want the lowest price in this amazon.co.uk set.
Less suitable: You need 1-way only, a metal finish, or a moulded plate marked 20 A, 16AX.
Specifications
Common questions
How is this different from the CU1000?
CU2000 is the 2-way plate at about £3.00. CU1000 is the 1-way plate at about £3.99. Both are 10 A white curved-edge Knightsbridge switches. The capture uses the same image URL for both.
What do reviewers say about the click and the plastic?
One review calls the click loud. Another says the material quality is not great, while still calling it easy to fit and fair value. Screw covers are praised.
The NBS13 is the intermediate brushed-steel switch at about £5.99, marked 20 A, 16AX, for a third switch position, with a 16 mm minimum box and 4.6 from 632 reviews. Reviewers used the finish with matching BG sockets, liked the mechanical feel, and one first-time swap away from a dimmer worked for that person. The plate sits slightly smaller than some old plastic plates, which can leave the old paint edge showing. Supplied screws are too short, and brushed-steel replacements were hard to find. One original unit was faulty and was replaced. The title says intermediate while an attribute row says 2-way, so you follow the title and still notice the clash. It does not replace the two end switches on a normal stair.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already have two 2-way switches at the ends and you need a third position in brushed steel.
Less suitable: A normal top-and-bottom stair, or a bedroom with one switch.
Specifications
Common questions
When is an intermediate switch the right plate?
The bullet says to use it as the middle switch when more than two switches control one light, for example on a stair as well as a hall. A normal two-position stair uses two 2-way switches instead.
Why does an attribute say 2-way?
The circuit-type attribute says 2-way. The title and the use bullet say intermediate. The title is the mechanism to follow, and the conflict stays visible.
The NAB42 is a double 2-way antique-brass switch at about £6.79, marked 20 A, 16AX, with BS EN 60669-1 and a 25-year warranty line in the bullets, and 4.6 from 483 reviews. Reviewers mention a solid click, a weight they liked, and a colour match to antique-brass taps in one kitchen. A handyman described the installation as simple and the cover as solid metal. One review found the colour paler than the picture, which is a different miss from the too-bronze note on the single brass switch, so you still check it in daylight. Buyers who were unsure of odd existing wiring handed the job to a handyman. Longevity is left as wait-and-see rather than a recorded failure. The IP rating is IP00, and this is the dearest plate in the set.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are matching antique brass on a double lighting plate and can check the colour in the room before you buy a run of them.
Less suitable: You need a 13 A socket, a single gang, or the cheapest white 2-way plate.
Specifications
Common questions
What does one plate control?
It is a double 2-way switch: two gangs on one plate. The bullet describes 2-way switching for a second position, such as stairs. Each gang still needs the right cable at the other end.
Does the colour match the photo?
One UK review says the colour is paler than the picture. Other reviews describe a solid click and a match to antique-brass taps.
The matt-black NFB12 is a single 2-way BG plate at about £5.77, marked 20 A, 16AX, with 4.6 from 463 reviews. A stair set was praised for fewer fingerprints than shiny metal, and one plate fitted by an electrician was still working after a few months. Buyers pair it with matching sockets for one room. The surface scratches easily. Faceplate screws are very short, and one buyer used longer screws and painted the heads. A crowded back box made one install slow, and that reviewer still blamed the short screws. A bullet says 25 years while an attribute row says 1 year, so the warranty is not a single figure in this file. There is no matt-black double in this comparison.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want a matt single 2-way, you will fit longer screws, and you can accept surface marks.
Less suitable: A high-traffic plate you cannot mark, or a double gang in the same black.
Specifications
Common questions
What finish problems show up in reviews?
Reviewers like the matt colour and low fingerprints. They also say it scratches, and that the faceplate screws are very short.
Which warranty figure is in the file?
The bullet says 25 years against faulty materials and workmanship. The product-warranty attribute says 1 year manufacturer. The terms are not included, so this page does not treat either figure as proved.
Across 2,675 amazon.co.uk reviews, this white plastic 10 A plate is the cheap indoor swap when a rocker hinge has already failed. At about £3.61, buyers call the fit straightforward and say they would order another. The title is 1 gang 2 way, and a bullet says it can be used as a 1-way or a 2-way switch. Supplied fixing screws are often too short, so the old screws go back in. Brass terminal screws are the repeated weak point: they drop if you undo them too far and can feel insecure on the cable. The click is described as acceptable for the price rather than the firmest in this set. An attribute row prints IP65 and another prints 2 × 2 × 2 mm, which the indoor reviews do not support, so outdoor use stays unestablished.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You are replacing a broken white indoor switch and can reuse longer screws from the old plate.
Less suitable: You want a named BS EN plate, a metal finish, or a switch you can treat as outdoor.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this a 1-way or a 2-way switch?
The title says 1 gang 2 way, and a bullet says it can be used as a 1-way or a 2-way switch. The stated current is 10 A.
Does the listing show it is suitable outdoors?
The file asks the question and does not answer it. An attribute row says IP65, and another says 2 x 2 x 2 mm. UK reviews describe an indoor replacement, so outdoor use is not established.
Twelve amazon.co.uk light-switch and switched-socket listings were scored from the shelf on 21 October 2026. This is not a lab test. Stars set the band, because every kept listing sits between 4.5 and 4.7. Review count breaks a tie. A conflicting attribute row is a deduction. A missing fact stays missing. The best-value badge is the lowest price among a named 2-way plate with at least 1,000 reviews. It is not the highest score.
Amazon evidence
50%Stars set the band. A 4.7 maps to 94, a 4.6 maps to 92, and a 4.5 maps to 90 when attribute rows also conflict with the title. Review count breaks a tie inside a band.
Listing clarity
25%A stated box depth, a named standard and one current mark support the band. Two current marks on one plate, or an IP row the reviews do not support, are a deduction. A missing fact stays missing.
Review pattern
15%Repeated screw, colour, fingerprint or scratch comments are recorded in the assessment. They do not invent a second score.
Value
10%Price is GBP on amazon.co.uk. The best-value badge is the lowest price among a named 2-way plate with at least 1,000 reviews. It is not the highest score.
Start with the mechanism, then switch versus socket, then earth, the printed current mark, the box, and finish last. The notes below follow that order for the twelve amazon.co.uk listings checked on 21 October 2026. None of the scores is a lab test.
A light switch socket on a UK shelf is a fixed wall plate: a lighting switch or a 13 A switched socket. You separate plates by mechanism, then by switch versus socket, then by plastic or metal, finish, and any back-box depth the listing states. Stars on the twelve amazon.co.uk captures from 21 October 2026 sit between 4.5 and 4.7, so they barely separate the rows. Shelf prices in that capture run from about £3.00 to about £6.79. New fixed wiring follows BS 7671:2018+A4:2026.
One position can use a 1-way plate, or a 2-way plate wired as 1-way. Two positions need two 2-way plates. The Knightsbridge CU1000 is 1-way only, so it cannot serve a stair that already has two switches.
The BG NBS13 is the middle plate when more than two switches control one light. A normal top-and-bottom stair uses two 2-way plates. An attribute row on the NBS13 says 2-way. The title says intermediate. Follow the title.
Antique-brass reviews often call the metal darker than the photograph. Do not treat the white 10 A plate as outdoor: an attribute row says IP65, and the title plus the indoor reviews do not support that. Wi-Fi and touch strings in attribute rows are not in the titles.
Count the positions before you compare finishes. One position needs a one-way plate or a two-way plate wired as one-way. Two positions need two two-way plates. Three or more need two two-way plates and an intermediate between them. In this set the CU1000 is the only 1-way plate, and the NBS13 is the only intermediate. Then decide switch or socket. Ten rows are lighting plates. The NBS22G and the NAB22B are 13 A double switched sockets, both about £6.37.
Metal faces need a protective conductor on the plate and a tail to a metal box. No earth on an older lighting circuit means stay with plastic, or have a protective conductor installed. Read the current as printed. The A figure and the AX figure are different loads under BS EN 60669-1. The NBS42 title says 20 A, 16AX and a bullet says 10 A, 10AX. Use a stated box depth when the listing gives one: 16 mm on the NBS42 and the NBS13, 25 mm on the NAB22B.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are swapping one white plate where a single switch already works. The Knightsbridge CU2000 is a 10 A 1-gang 2-way plate at about £3.00, with 4.6 from 1,579 reviews. Screw covers hide the fixings. One reviewer called the click loud and the plastic ordinary.
Two positions need two 2-way plates. The BG 812 is a white moulded 1-gang 2-way at about £4.49, marked 20 A, 16AX, with 4.6 from 2,648 reviews. The brushed-steel NBS13 is only the middle plate when a third position already exists. Do not put a 1-way plate on that stair.
You are replacing a 13 A double socket and want brushed steel. The BG NBS22G is about £6.37, with 4.7 from 8,291 reviews. It is a socket, not a lighting plate. If the cable is a single light, use a switch such as the antique-brass NAB12 instead.
In this set of 12 amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick is the BG NBS22G 13 A double switched socket at about £6.37, with 4.7 from 8,291 reviews and a score of 94. It has the largest sample in the tied 4.7 band. It is a socket, not a light switch. The best value is the Knightsbridge CU2000 at about £3.00, with 4.6 from 1,579 reviews and a score of 92, the lowest price here for a named 2-way plate with at least 1,000 reviews. Neither score is a lab test. A socket does not replace a lighting plate, and work in a bath or shower zone, or a new circuit, is work for a competent person.
BG double switched socket, brushed steel, NBS22G
Highest score, with the tie broken by review count: about £6.37, 4.7 from 8,291 reviews, score 94. A 13 A double switched socket in brushed steel. The capture does not state a back-box depth or BS 1363. It is the wrong plate on a lighting drop.
Knightsbridge CU2000 1-gang 2-way switch
Lowest amazon.co.uk price in this set for a named 2-way plate with at least 1,000 reviews: about £3.00, 4.6 from 1,579 reviews, score 92. The stars stay in the 4.6 band, so it is not the top pick.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources are listed below. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures checked on 21 October 2026.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are from the UK listings checked on 21 October 2026. We did not lab-test these light switch sockets.
