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Presence sensor buying guide UK

Updated: 23 October 2026

The lamp drops while you are still in the chair, and the listing in front of you leads with a gigahertz figure and a star rating. This presence sensor buying guide UK is the order of decisions for the ten indoor sensors on the [presence detector comparison](/hub/electronic-surveillance/presence-detector), checked against amazon.co.uk on 21 October 2026. Start with the job, then the hub you can join tonight, then power and whether the room gets wet, and only then the line where the bullets and the specification table disagree. Prices and the ten-row matrix stay on that comparison. Peter F., editor for DIY & tools, did not lab-test these sensors. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The lamp drops while you are still in the chair, and the listing in front of you leads with a gigahertz figure and a star rating.

Our top picks

SONOFF SONOFF SNZB-06P24

Best overall

SONOFF SONOFF SNZB-06P24
8.1/10about £21.85
View offer
Meross Meross MS605

Alternative

Meross Meross MS605
6.9/10about £33.98
View offer
Meross Meross MS600

Best value

Meross Meross MS600
6.6/10about £29.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the job, not the gigahertz
  2. 2.Name the hub before you name the sensor
  3. 3.Power, cable, and splash
  4. 4.When the bullets and the table disagree

Start with the job, not the gigahertz

A presence sensor here is sold to stay occupied while you sit, read or sleep. A hallway PIR watches a change in heat and times out once you stop walking. If the room is only a walk-through, that timeout is the right behaviour. The presence sensor vs PIR page includes keeping the PIR. A desk or a sofa is the micro-movement job. Ofcom’s IR 2030 allows those short-range bands without a personal licence. A printed frequency does not prove the ASIN sits inside that exemption, and 24 GHz is not automatically better than 5.8 GHz.

Name the hub before you name the sensor

Matter on a box is not a promise that you need nothing else. Wi-Fi Matter still needs 2.4 GHz. Thread needs a border router you already own. Zigbee needs a coordinator that is not in the box. The SNZB-06P, the SNZB-06P24 and Smallterm each require a hub, and none includes it. The MS600 is Matter over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. A Thread router does not help it. The MS605 and Lafaer are Matter over Thread. If you cannot point at the controller on your shelf, leave that row. The best presence sensor page matches a row to that controller.
SONOFF SONOFF SNZB-06P24

Testsieger

SONOFF SONOFF SNZB-06P24
8.1/10about £21.85
View offer

Power, cable, and splash

USB is the honest story when the listing and the reviews agree. The SNZB-06P24 is USB-C, with a lead reviews put at about 2 m. The SNZB-06P table says one 9 V cell, and UK reviews say the unit is USB-C only. The MS600 includes an adapter and a 1.5 m cable and has no battery. The MS605 includes one CR123A and claims up to 36 months. The SNZB-06P says it is not for a bathroom. The MS605 claims IP67. Lafaer claims IPX3, which is splash. A plug-in sensor does not open the lighting circuit. In England and Wales, altering a bath or shower room installation still needs building control or a competent-person scheme. A 5 V USB sensor sits outside the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016. These files do not confirm a BS 1363 plug.

When the bullets and the table disagree

Read both lines, and do not average them. The Tuya table lists 5, 6 and 7 metres and the bullets say 0 to 9.5 metres. SwitchBot’s bullets say 8 metres moving and 5 metres still, and the table says 393 feet. The SNZB-06P power line, Lafaer’s cells and the SwitchBot pack count disagree in the same way. GDPR-compliant on a listing is seller copy, not an ICO finding. Live prices stay on the comparison.

Common questions

Do I need a hub for a presence sensor?
You need whatever controller that row names, and it is often not in the box. Zigbee rows need a coordinator. Thread rows need a border router you already own. The MS600 joins 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and does not use Thread. SwitchBot can run two automations with its own devices, and Apple Home needs a Matter hub sold separately. Miangerrn does not name the radio, so you cannot answer the hub question from that listing.
Is Matter enough on its own?
No. Matter over Wi-Fi still needs your 2.4 GHz network, which is the MS600. Matter over Thread still needs a border router such as a HomePod, a recent Apple TV, a named Echo, a Nest Hub or a SmartThings hub, which is the MS605 and the Lafaer. Buying the sensor does not create that router.
Should I buy 24 GHz rather than 5.8 GHz?
Only if the rest of the row matches the room. The 5.8 GHz SNZB-06P has 460 ratings and a clear not-waterproof line. The 24 GHz SNZB-06P24 adds zones and a higher star rating, and it still needs Zigbee and USB. SONOFF’s own page says 24 GHz is more accurate and also says sleep detection is not reliable. That is a manufacturer claim, not a test of these ASINs against each other.
Battery or USB?
USB if you can spare a socket and you want the sensor awake all the time. Battery if the room has no sensible cable run, and you accept that a busy room can empty a cell far sooner than a two-year or three-year claim. The MS605 is the battery row with an IP67 claim. SwitchBot is the battery row with the most reviews and the widest gap between the life claim and the UK reports.
Will a USB sensor fall under Part P?
A self-contained plug-in or battery appliance does not open the fixed wiring, so it is not the Part P job that a new ceiling rose would be. Part P, in England and Wales, still applies if you alter the lighting circuit, especially in a bath or shower room. Scotland and Northern Ireland are separate regimes. These files do not show the plug pins, so do not assume a BS 1363 plug from a USB bullet.

Related pages

How to set up a presence sensor

Presence detector

Best presence sensor UK for the hub you already have

Presence sensor false triggers: stuck on or stuck clear

Presence sensor vs PIR: a chair, or a walk-through hall

Sources

Public UK sources from the digest first, then the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Prices and stars were taken on 21 October 2026.

  1. ICO, Home CCTV systems (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK, Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  3. SI 2016/1101, Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  4. Ofcom IR 2030 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK, When you do not need building regulations approval (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  6. IET, Part P frequently asked questions (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  7. Texas Instruments SSZT759, mmWave and PIR on their board (retrieved 21 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk, smart presence sensor (retrieved 21 October 2026)