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Twilight switch buying guide: voltage, load, then IP

Updated: October 2026

You are replacing the control on an outdoor light that already has a supply. The title does not say whether the part is about 230 V, 120 V only, or a module for after a transformer. This twilight switch buying guide keeps one order: voltage, the load for your lamp, the IP number, lux and any delay, then the shape of the body. Rows and prices stay on the [twilight switch comparison](/hub/electrical-equipment/twilight-switch). The Products Compared editorial team wrote this on 16 October 2026 from amazon.co.uk listings captured on 15 October 2026. It is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You are replacing the control on an outdoor light that already has a supply. The title does not say whether the part is about 230 V, 120 V only, or a module for after a transformer.

Our top picks

Electraline Electraline 92283 Outdoor Twilight Switch, IP44, Set of 2

Best overall

Electraline Electraline 92283 Outdoor Twilight Switch, IP44, Set of 2
8.1/10about £7.51
View offer
NINMORTH NINMORTH Twilight Switch IP54

Best value

NINMORTH NINMORTH Twilight Switch IP54
2.3/10about £12.63
View offer
Flylin Flylin Dusk to Dawn Sensor, 2-piece

Alternative

Flylin Flylin Dusk to Dawn Sensor, 2-piece
2.3/10about £14.49
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Match the voltage to the supply
  2. 2.Read the load for the lamp, not a bare 10 A
  3. 3.Take the IP number, not the word weatherproof
  4. 4.Check lux and any delay
  5. 5.Wall body, component, or low-voltage module

Match the voltage to the supply

UK mains are nominally 230 V AC. A hard-wired photocell has no BS 1363 plug. A range can suit only when the lines agree. One body states 80 V to 305 V AC with no clash. Flylin's bullets state 120–277 VAC and the table states 120 V. Segutage's title states 120–277 VAC and the voltage cell states 277 V. Keep both figures. Two listings state 120 VAC only. Do not put them on a UK outdoor point. A 12–48 V DC button and a 12–28 V DC module belong after a transformer. Where no voltage is printed, that check is n/a.

Read the load for the lamp, not a bare 10 A

Amps are not the wattage of the lamp. Trade pages still print a lower LED figure than the tungsten figure on the same device. Knightsbridge's pattern in these sources is about 300 W of LED against 1000 W incandescent. Danlers prints up to 500 W of LED against 1500 W resistive. Those units show what a complete label looks like. They are not rows here. Neither wattage on the Electraline file says LED. A file with no wattage is n/a, not permission to borrow the largest number from a different page. Why that split matters, and why a lamp flickers at dusk, is the twilight switch LED load page.
Electraline Electraline 92283 Outdoor Twilight Switch, IP44, Set of 2

Testsieger

Electraline Electraline 92283 Outdoor Twilight Switch, IP44, Set of 2
8.1/10about £7.51
View offer

Take the IP number, not the word weatherproof

IP44, the code on the Electraline table, is splashing from any direction, not immersion and not a jet on open terminals. If the listing only says weatherproof and never prints the digits, treat the rating as unpublished rather than inventing a code from the photograph. When the bullet and the table disagree, keep both. Flylin's bullet says IP65 and the protection cell says IP00. One saved Electraline review says no IP44 mark was seen on the body. None of these eleven files prints UKCA.

Check lux and any delay

Lux is the light level at which the photocell changes state. A single figure, such as on at 8 lux, gives the dark threshold and no return level. A gap between on and off limits hunting at dusk. One listing prints on at 10–20 lux and off at 30–60 lux. That gap is the pattern, and that listing is 120 V, so it is still the wrong supply for UK mains. Where no lux is printed, the threshold is unpublished. A delay only counts if the listing gives seconds. One four-pack states 5–10 seconds, and it is 120 V. Electraline's delay is n/a.

Wall body, component, or low-voltage module

The same title covers three objects. A wall photocell is a housing you fix where daylight can reach it. Electraline is that sort of part: a pair, wall mount, screw terminal. A component is a part you build in. Segutage is 35 × 15 × 21 mm, through-hole, with the table stating IP65 and 1 A. A low-voltage module, 12–48 V DC or 12–28 V DC, is for the circuit after a transformer. United Kingdom texts on the 12–48 V button disagree about which colour is which. Matching a stated job to a listing is the best twilight switch page. Where the eye must face is on how to install a twilight switch.

Common questions

What voltage must a twilight switch show for UK mains?
UK mains are nominally 230 V AC. Look for a printed figure around 220 V to 240 V, or a range that includes about 230 V and does not clash with another line in the same file. A listing that states only 120 V is the wrong supply. A 12 V or 12–48 V DC module is for the circuit after a transformer, not for the mains terminals.
Is a range such as 120–277 V or 80–305 V the same as a 230 V label?
It can cover a nominal 230 V supply only if you trust that range as printed. Here, 80–305 V AC is one range. Flylin's bullets say 120–277 V and the table says 120 V. Segutage's title says 120–277 V and the voltage cell says 277 V. A range with a contradiction is not the same thing as a single 240 V line.
Why is 10 A not the wattage of the lamp?
Amps are current. Trade labels print a lower LED wattage than the tungsten figure. A 10 A headline at about 230 V is not an LED lamp budget. If the listing prints 10 A and no wattage for your lamp type, the load check is incomplete. The LED page explains that split.
What does a lux figure do, and why is the off level often different?
The on lux is how dark it must be before the load switches on. A higher off lux waits for clearer daylight before switch-off. That gap reduces hunting when dusk sits near the threshold. A single lux number does not give you the gap. If lux is absent, the threshold is unpublished.
What is the delay for, if the listing prints one?
A delay ignores a short change, such as headlights or a cloud, so the lamp does not flicker. It is only useful when the listing prints seconds. A sentence that names a delay and gives no number cannot be compared. Where no delay is printed, rely on where you point the eye.

Related pages

Wireless switch

Twilight switch

Best twilight switch: who it suits and who should skip

How to install a twilight switch: eye, wires, Part P

Twilight switch LED load: read the LED wattage line

Twilight switch vs PIR: photocell, movement or timer

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 15 October 2026.

  1. IET — Part P FAQ, England and Wales (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK — Approved Document P (2013) (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. BSI — BS EN IEC 60669-2-1:2022+A11:2022 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. IEC 60669-2-1:2021 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. Professional Electrician — Knightsbridge outdoor power (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. Historic England — external lighting design and installation (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Electric Point — Danlers TWSW photocell switch (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk — Electraline 92283 listing (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  9. Universal Lighting — outdoor dusk-to-dawn photocell timer (retrieved 15 October 2026)