The best wall boxes, compared.
Top pick: Evoges EDB1G35 dry lining box – Highest score in this set: about £8.99, 4.7 from 60 reviews, a 35 mm dry lining box with spring lugs, and UKCA stated on the listing. Score 94. The pack count is unsettled, and this is not a fire rating. Best value: Lyvia 25 mm metal wall box – Best value in this set at about £3.68, with 4.6 from 224 reviews, for a 25 mm galvanised flush box. Score 92. One review says the earth lug sheared, and the listing also prints 7 × 7 × 7 cm against the 25 mm bullets. Updated October 2026.
A wall box is the mounting box behind a socket, a switch or a similar plate. In a UK home that is a metal back box chased into masonry, a surface pattress screwed to the wall face, or a dry lining box that clips into plasterboard. You buy one when a plate will not sit flat, a damaged box needs replacing, or a new point is going onto brick or a stud wall. Match the box to the wall and to the accessory's minimum depth. As a rule of thumb, standard switches are about 16 mm, sockets and dimmers about 25 mm, and USB sockets about 35 mm. A 1-gang British plate uses BS 4662 centres with M3.5 lugs, not a European self-tapping box. A metal box needs a sound earth terminal. Plastic boxes often have none, and the circuit earth still ends on the accessory. Look for BS 4662 or BS 5733 on the listing or the moulding. The [wall box buying guide](/hub/electrical-equipment/wall-box/sub/wall-box-buying-guide) sets out mounting, depth and gang.
A wall box is the mounting box behind a socket, a switch or a similar plate.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you fixing into?
The Evoges EDB1G35 is a 35 mm dry lining box for plasterboard or a hollow wall, listed at £8.99, with 4.7 from 60 amazon.co.uk reviews, the highest star line here and the smallest sample. Reviews describe pushing the side tags in, inserting the box, then pushing the tags out, and one buyer used that method to put a socket back after a box had been pulled off the wall. The bullets state UKCA and a flame-retardant material, without naming the polymer, a British Standard number, or an earth terminal. The title says a pack of 5, the bullets also mention a 1 or 5 pack, and the technical details say number of items 1, so count the carton before you plan five holes. One review says the pack had no instructions and they worked the lugs out themselves. It is the top pick in this set for hollow plasterboard that will take a 35 mm lug box, and it is the wrong product for a brick chase, outdoor use, or a fire-separating wall.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A hollow plasterboard wall when you want a 35 mm 1-gang lug box and you will count how many boxes are actually in the carton.
Less suitable: Solid brick or block, a fire-separating wall, outdoor use, or a metal box that needs a stated earth terminal.
Specifications
Common questions
Can the Evoges box go outdoors?
The listing does not claim an IP rating. The bullets specify plasterboard or a hollow wall.
How does the dry lining box fix?
The bullets say spring-loaded retaining lugs and a tool-free fit. Reviews describe pushing the side tags in, inserting the box, then pushing the tags out.
Is it a pack of five?
The title says pack of 5, and the bullets also mention a 1 or 5 pack. Technical details say number of items 1, so the count is not consistent on the listing.
The Lyvia 1-gang flush box is listed at £3.68 as a 25 mm galvanised pattress, and across 224 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 4.6. Buyers describe it as a usual back box for a socket, a single-gang switch, or a dimmer, and one porch-switch replacement sat tight once the plate was on. The bullets state an earth fixing connection, which a metal box needs, though one UK review says that brass point was extremely thin and sheared on first use, leaving the terminal unusable. Technical details also print 7 × 7 × 7 cm, which conflicts with the 25 mm depth, so measure the box before you chase a hole from the cube. No faceplate is in the pack, and the listing does not state BS 4662, BS 5733, or UKCA. Several reviews say this Amazon price sits well above a trade-counter metal box, with Screwfix cited around 43p to 50p. It is the best value in this set for a chased 1-gang plate that accepts 25 mm, and it is the wrong box for plasterboard lugs or a plate that needs 35 mm.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A chased solid wall when you want one 25 mm metal box for a standard 1-gang plate and you will check the earth lug before you rely on it.
Less suitable: Plasterboard that needs spring lugs, a USB or flat plate that needs 35 mm, or any outdoor use the listing does not rate.
Specifications
Common questions
Which faceplates fit the Lyvia box?
The bullets say it is for 1-gang faceplates. A faceplate is not listed in the box.
Is the Lyvia back box weatherproof?
The listing asks the question and does not state an IP rating. Treat outdoor use as not stated.
Does it have an earth terminal?
The bullets state an earth fixing connection. One UK review says that brass point sheared on first use.
The LEENUE surface box is listed at £6.99 as an 86 mm square, 32 mm deep white ABS pattress, with 4.6 from 149 amazon.co.uk reviews. The bullets name UK brush plates and network plates, including Cat5 and Cat6, and reviewers describe the footprint as accurate for a single-gang Cat6 faceplate, with 32 mm enough to keep a keystone bend from pinching. The package line is one box and two screws. Wall plugs are not listed, and one review says they were missing, so you still need plugs for a masonry screw-fix. A faceplate is not included. The specification does not state an earth terminal, a British Standard number, or UKCA, and one UK review says the samples had none of those marks, with plastic they judged about 2 mm against the 3 mm boxes they usually fit. It is the surface option in this set when you cannot cut the wall for a data plate, and it is the wrong box for a flush chase or a plasterboard clip.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A Cat6 or brush plate that has to sit on the face of the wall because you cannot chase or cut.
Less suitable: A flush metal chase, a plasterboard lug fit, or a job that needs a stated earth terminal and a BS 4662 or BS 5733 mark on the listing.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the LEENUE box include a faceplate?
No. The package line is one back box and two screws.
Will it take a UK Cat6 faceplate?
The listing says 86 mm x 86 mm and names Cat5 and Cat6 ethernet faceplates, plus brush, TV and phone plates.
Is an earth terminal included?
The specification does not state an earth terminal. One UK review says the samples had none.
Three amazon.co.uk wall-box listings were scored from the shelf on 21 October 2026. This is not a lab test. A printed depth, earth terminal, UKCA line or British Standard name is a listing claim. The top pick and the best value follow the display awards. A high star line cannot turn a surface pattress into a flush metal box, or a dry lining box into a fire-rated insert.
Wall and mounting
30%Flush metal chased into masonry, dry lining lugs in plasterboard of a thickness the box allows, or a surface pattress if you cannot cut the wall. A key safe, a cable tidy or an outdoor junction box is a different product.
Depth
25%Depth against the accessory. As a rule of thumb, standard switches are about 16 mm, sockets and dimmers 25 mm, USB sockets 35 mm and some shaver switches 47 mm. Flat plates need more. A conflicting dimension line lowers this part.
Earth and marks
20%A metal box needs a sound earth terminal. Plastic boxes often have none, and the circuit earth still ends on the accessory. BS 4662 or BS 5733, and UKCA only where the listing states it. Stars are not a standard.
Amazon evidence
15%The amazon.co.uk star line and review count, read against review notes that describe the job. A sheared earth lug, missing plugs, or a pack count that disagrees with itself lowers this part. A small sample does not outrank a stated limit.
Pack and value
10%Shelf price against the mounting the listing actually supports. Screws, wall plugs and whether a faceplate is included. A title that says five boxes while the item count says one does not count as five.
Start with the wall, then the depth the plate needs, then the earth and any standard the listing actually names. Price and pack size come after those three. The notes below follow that order for these three amazon.co.uk listings, checked on 21 October 2026. None of the scores is a lab test.
A wall box is the box a socket, switch or similar plate screws to. In UK electrical work that is a flush metal back box, a surface pattress, or a dry lining box for plasterboard. People buy one when a plate will not sit flat, a damaged box has to be replaced, or a new point is going on brick or a stud wall. This page compares three 1-gang listings on amazon.co.uk, checked on 21 October 2026. Shelf prices will move.
A standard socket may sit in 25 mm. A USB socket or a flat plate often needs 35 mm, and some shaver switches need about 47 mm. Those figures are a rule of thumb. Check the plate maker. The 25 mm metal listing in this set also prints a 7 cm cube, which is not the depth to chase.
A wall box search also returns key safes, cable tidies, control cabinets and outdoor junction boxes. Those are not the box behind a British socket plate. A European box with thread-forming screws is the wrong pattern under a BS 1363 socket.
Amazon stars do not prove BS 4662. A flame-retardant line is not a fire rating. Tool-free lugs are not a wiring certificate. Knocking out every cable entry, and leaving a bare earth unsleeved, are fitting mistakes. If you cannot identify the cable, stop.
Decide the wall before the price. Flush galvanised metal is for a chase in brick or block. Dry lining lugs are for hollow plasterboard, and maker sheets for that type often cite roughly 6.35–15 mm board. A surface pattress is the exit when you cannot cut, including concrete and some lease rules. Then match depth to the accessory. The rule of thumb is about 16 mm for a standard switch, 25 mm for a socket or dimmer, 35 mm for a USB socket and 47 mm for some shaver switches.
A metal box needs an earth terminal you can tighten. The Lyvia bullets state an earth fixing connection, and one UK review says that brass point sheared on first use. Plastic boxes often have no earth terminal. The LEENUE specification does not state one, and the Evoges listing does not state one either. The circuit earth still has to terminate on the accessory. Sleeve bare earths. BS 4662 or BS 5733 on the listing or the moulding is the mark to look for.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You are swapping a damaged single box outside a bathroom and the wall can be chased. The Lyvia 25 mm galvanised flush box is about £3.68, with 4.6 from 224 reviews. Check the earth lug, and do not treat the 7 cm line as the depth.
You are fitting a 1-gang plate on hollow plasterboard and the wall is not a fire compartment. The Evoges EDB1G35 is about £8.99, 35 mm, with spring lugs and 4.7 from 60 reviews. Count the carton before you plan five holes.
You cannot cut the wall, because of concrete or a lease, and a data plate can live on the surface. The LEENUE 32 mm white ABS box is about £6.99, with 4.6 from 149 reviews. Wall plugs are not in the pack, and no earth terminal is stated.
In this set of three amazon.co.uk listings, the top pick is the Evoges EDB1G35 dry lining box at about £8.99, with 4.7 from 60 reviews and a score of 94. It is a 35 mm 1-gang plasterboard box with spring lugs, and the listing states UKCA. The best value is the Lyvia 25 mm galvanised flush box at about £3.68, with 4.6 from 224 reviews and a score of 92. The LEENUE 32 mm surface box, about £6.99 with 4.6 from 149 reviews, is the listing when you cannot cut the wall. None of these scores is a lab test. The Evoges pack count is unsettled, and one Lyvia review says the earth lug sheared.
Evoges EDB1G35 dry lining box
Highest score in this set: about £8.99, 4.7 from 60 reviews, a 35 mm dry lining box with spring lugs, and UKCA stated on the listing. Score 94. The pack count is unsettled, and this is not a fire rating.
Lyvia 25 mm metal wall box
Best value in this set at about £3.68, with 4.6 from 224 reviews, for a 25 mm galvanised flush box. Score 92. One review says the earth lug sheared, and the listing also prints 7 × 7 × 7 cm against the 25 mm bullets.
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 wall boxes.
