The best thermostat sockets, compared.
Top pick: Manillefu TC02 13 A thermostat plug Best value: Nerissa T01-UK thermostat socket – About £15.45 with 4.3 from 158 reviews, the best score per pound among plugs with at least 30 reviews and no fire or stuck-relay deduction. Updated October 2026.
A thermostat socket is a UK plug-in temperature controller. It sits in a BS 1363 wall socket. A heater, cooler, fan, or heat mat plugs into it, and a wired probe decides when the relay switches. You might use one for a greenhouse or shed heater, a reptile enclosure or incubator, or a temporary fridge control. It does not fire a gas boiler and it does not replace a radiator valve. Quality here is a 13 A load line, a probe that leaves the plug, and enough amazon.co.uk reviews to show the relay cuts out. Several bullets claim 16 A or 3,680 W. That label does not make a 16 A claim safe. Load, probe length, and day and night setpoints are set out in the [thermostat socket buying guide](/hub/thermostats/thermostat-socket/sub/thermostat-socket-buying-guide).
A thermostat socket is a UK plug-in temperature controller. It sits in a BS 1363 wall socket. A heater, cooler, fan, or heat mat plugs into it, and a wired probe decides when the relay switches.
42 products checked · 64 hrs invested · +21,400 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What are you switching?
The Manillefu TC02 states a UK 3-pin plug, 240 V AC, and a maximum of 13 A, at about £18.00. The listing shows 4.7 from 4 reviews, which is too small a count to treat as a settled score. A wired metal probe is in the box line, the length is not stated, and calibration runs from −9.9 °C to +9.9 °C on a backlit VA-LCD. Memory is listed, and the temperature range on the page is −20 °C to 100 °C. A review says the socket only suits appliances that come back on when mains power returns, so a heater that waits for a button press can stay off after a cut. Whether F01–F04 combines with temperature control is not established on the listing. Four reviews at 4.7 do not outrank a plug with 508 reviews at 4.4.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A single appliance that restarts when power returns, if you can accept a four-review sample.
Less suitable: A decision that needs a large review file, or a heater that stays off until you press its own button.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the listing state a UK plug?
Yes. The bullets say a UK 3-pin plug, 240 V AC, maximum 13 A.
Will every heater restart?
A review says the socket only suits appliances that come back on when mains power returns.
How many reviews are there?
The listing shows 4.7 from 4 reviews. That count is too small to treat as a settled score.
The KETOTEK KT3100 switches one heater or cooler from a 3 m probe, and the amazon.co.uk line is 4.4 from 508 reviews at about £19.99. The bullets put the load at 13 A and 230 V, which fits a normal BS 1363 socket, while the wattage attribute of 68,770 W on the same page is not a figure you can plan from. Heating is start below stop, and cooling is that pair reversed, so this one socket cannot run a heater and a cooler at the same time. The bullets say the F01–F04 timer cannot be used with temperature control, so a clock programme drops the probe out of the decision. Memory is listed, and the stated range is −40 °C to 120 °C with a claimed accuracy of ±1 °C. That span is a catalogue range, not evidence that the plug is a vivarium mat stat. It is the top pick here only when you want the single-outlet listing with the most reviews, and the heater itself still has to stay within 13 A.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A single heater or cooler when you want the most-reviewed plug in this set and a 3 m probe.
Less suitable: Day and night setpoints, two separate loads, or anyone treating the wattage attribute as real capacity.
Specifications
Common questions
Can heating and cooling both run?
The listing uses one socket. Heating is start below stop, and cooling is start above stop. It does not switch a heater and a cooler at the same time.
Does the timer work with the thermostat?
No. The bullets say the temperature function and the F01–F04 timer cannot be used at the same time.
How is it rated on amazon.co.uk?
The listing shows 4.4 out of 5 from 508 reviews, at about £19.99.
The KETOTEK KT3200PRO is a single 13 A plug with a day and night temperature mode, at about £22.99 and 4.4 from 65 amazon.co.uk reviews. M2 holds two periods with their own temperatures, M1 is temperature only, and M3 is a timer that does not keep the probe in charge. Reviewers liked a settable gap of about 1.5 °C and the day and night settings. Several of those reviews called the instructions and the timer buttons hard to follow. The probe is a 3 m NTC, and the box line includes a wall-mount bracket. The attribute table says Wi-Fi, while the bullets describe button modes and do not mention an app, so this is not a phone thermostat. There is no backlight on the colour line. You are paying about £3 more than the KT3100 for M2, and you still have one socket.
Pros
Cons
Best for: One heater that should run cooler at night than during the day, set from the buttons.
Less suitable: Two separate loads, or a schedule you expect to change from a phone app.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it hold different day and night temperatures?
Yes. M2 is the day and night temperature mode. M1 is temperature only, and M3 is a timer only.
Is it a Wi-Fi plug?
The attribute table says Wi-Fi. The bullets describe button modes and do not mention an app.
What do reviews say about setup?
Reviewers liked a settable gap of about 1.5 °C and day/night settings. Several called the instructions and timer buttons hard to follow.
The Inkbird ITC-C216T switches one appliance at a stated maximum of 10 A and 2,300 W, which sits under a 13 A UK socket, and the shelf price is about £25.99. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.4 from 54 reviews. The probe is described as IP67, the length is not stated, and the listing adds a child lock, calibration, and a backlit LCD. Temperature mode and the timing function cannot run together. Reviews praise aquarium and greenhouse use. One UK review says the sensor read random values after 11 months, and the seller sent a replacement. That is one report in a set of 54, not a failure rate. You pay the same about £25.99 as the unreviewed KT3500 for a coherent 10 A ceiling and a shorter public record than the KT3100.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A single heater, cooler, or fan when you want an IP67 probe and a load line already under 13 A.
Less suitable: Day and night setpoints, or a job where you must know the probe length before you buy.
Specifications
Common questions
What load does the listing allow?
The bullets say a maximum of 10 A at 230 V, 2,300 W, which is under a 13 A socket.
Can the timer and the thermostat run together?
No. The listing says temperature mode and the timing function cannot be used at the same time.
What failed in the reviews?
One UK review says the sensor read random values after 11 months. The seller sent a replacement. Other reviews praise aquarium and greenhouse use.
The Nerissa T01-UK is about £15.45 with 4.3 from 158 amazon.co.uk reviews, the second-largest count in this set, and the probe is a 1.7 m NTC. The listing claims 16 A and 3,680 W, which is above a normal 13 A wall socket, so the heater still has to stay within the socket and the fuse. The bullets do not list calibration. One UK reviewer could not adjust the reading and offset the setpoint instead. The bullets say timing precision can reach 10 minutes, which is coarse if you wanted a short on-off gap. A Wi-Fi attribute is not backed by the button description, so do not buy it as an app plug. On score against price, among plugs with at least 30 reviews and without a fire or stuck-relay deduction, this is the best value row. That label does not make 16 A safe.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A single heater or cooler when you want more reviews than the £11.99 plug and a lower price than the KT3100.
Less suitable: A 3 m probe run, day and night setpoints, or any plan to draw 16 A from the wall.
Specifications
Common questions
How long is the probe?
The listing says 1.7 m, shorter than the 3 m probes on several other plugs in this set.
Can you calibrate it?
The bullets do not list calibration. One UK reviewer could not adjust the reading and offset the setpoint instead.
Is 16 A the socket limit?
The listing claims 16 A and 3,680 W. A normal UK wall socket is 13 A.
The HIADA plug separates a backlit display from the socket on a 2.79 m control wire, so you can read the screen without kneeling at the wall, at about £24.29. The title carries 13 A and 230 V. The amazon.co.uk line is 4.3 from 11 reviews. A UK review says the timers do not work with the thermostat, and in timer mode the heater follows the clock only. Probe length itself is not stated, only that control wire. One aquarium unit failed after a few months, and another arrived with a scratched display and was returned, while a fridge-freezer stopgap was praised in the same small set. Eleven reviews cannot show whether the separate panel is worth about £4 more than the KT3100. Memory is not stated, and the listing does allow °C or °F.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A socket behind a bench, when you need the screen at hand and you will not use timer mode as temperature control.
Less suitable: Day and night temperatures, or a choice you want backed by hundreds of reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
Can the display sit away from the plug?
Yes. The bullets describe a separate socket and display with a 2.79 m control wire.
Do the timers work with the thermostat?
A UK review says they do not. In timer mode the heater follows the clock only. The bullets do not spell that out.
What failed in reviews?
One aquarium unit failed after a few months. Another arrived with a scratched display and was returned. A fridge-freezer stopgap was praised.
The Lotvic plug is about £15.99 and 4.2 from 82 amazon.co.uk reviews, which is a usable count, and the bullets never state an amp or a watt rating. Voltage is given as 230 V. Temperature control and the F01–F04 functions run one at a time, and memory is listed. A review says the display has no backlight. One vivarium reading sat far from a second thermometer, and another reviewer says three probes failed in propagators, while a greenhouse user was pleased. The reviews are mixed rather than a single verdict. One bullet talks about heating and cooling together, and another says one mode chosen by start versus stop, so two live outputs are not established. Probe length is not on the page.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A single heater you can check with your own thermometer, where a missing amp line is acceptable.
Less suitable: A heat mat you will leave unattended, or a load you must match to a printed current.
Specifications
Common questions
What current can it switch?
The bullets do not state an amp or watt rating, so the load is not stated.
Can it heat and cool at the same time?
One bullet says it connects to heating and cooling together. Another says it runs one mode, chosen by start versus stop. Treat simultaneous outputs as not established.
What do reviews say about the probe?
One vivarium reading was far from a second thermometer. Another reviewer says three probes failed in propagators. A greenhouse user was pleased.
The Vaileal plug is the lowest price in this set at about £11.99, with 4.2 from 28 amazon.co.uk reviews and a claimed 2 m waterproof head. The same bullet writes both 10 A and 3,950 W, and those figures do not agree, because 10 A at about 230 V is nearer 2,300 W. One unit switched on and did not switch off, and it was returned. Another reviewer saw the reading jump against a nearby thermometer. The attribute table says Wi-Fi and the bullets do not, so there is no app to assume. No formal IP rating is given for the waterproof head. At this price you are buying the conflicting load line and a stuck-on report along with the plug, which is why it is not the best value row.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A watched trial on a small load, if you ignore the 3,950 W figure and stay with the unit for the first cycles.
Less suitable: An unattended heater, or any job where the relay has to be trusted to cut out.
Specifications
Common questions
What load should you trust?
The same bullet says 10 A and 3,950 W. Those figures conflict. 10 A at about 230 V is nearer 2,300 W.
Is the probe waterproof?
The listing calls it a 2 m waterproof head. It does not state a formal IP rating.
What went wrong in reviews?
One unit switched on and did not switch off and was returned. Another reviewer saw the reading jump versus a nearby thermometer.
The KETOTEK KT2000 is the single-outlet plug that sets the gap between switching on and off, listed from 0.1 °C to 30 °C, with calibration from −10.0 °C to +10.0 °C and high and low alarms. It is about £25.99 and 4.1 from 32 amazon.co.uk reviews. The title and bullets call the sensor waterproof, and a review used it in a damp garage and says it can go in a tank, but the listing gives neither an IP number nor a length. Amps and watts are absent from those bullets, so the load in this comparison is not stated. The display is a backlit LCD on a black body listed at 248 g. A gap of 0.1 °C is in the range and can make a relay chatter, so the wide span is not an instruction to use the narrowest setting. You are buying the differential and the alarms, and you still confirm the current on the live page before a large heater.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A tank, incubator, or damp garage where the on-off gap and an alarm matter more than a day and night schedule.
Less suitable: A multi-kilowatt heater until the live page states a current, or two separate outputs.
Specifications
Common questions
How do you set the gap between on and off?
The listing calls it hysteresis and gives 0.1 °C to 30 °C, with heating or cooling modes.
Is the sensor waterproof?
The title and bullets say a waterproof sensor. A review used it in a damp garage and says it can go in a tank. No IP number is given.
What current can it switch?
The bullets do not state amps or watts, so the load is not stated.
The KETOTEK KT3100BL is the backlit single-outlet plug at about £23.99, and the amazon.co.uk line is 3.8 from 13 reviews. The bullets claim 16 A and 3,680 W. A BS 1363 socket is still 13 A, so that higher pair is a listing claim, not a higher wall limit. The probe is a 3 m NTC, calibration is listed, and the backlight can stay on or run only at chosen times. One review says temperature control worked and the timer did not meet a daily schedule. One review says the plug caught fire on a 1,000 W greenhouse heater after three weeks, and another says the unit failed after three weeks. Those are customer reports in a sample of 13, not a measured rate, and they are why this row sits well below the plain KT3100. Memory is not stated on the listing.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A backlight you specifically need, if you keep the heater within 13 A and watch the first weeks.
Less suitable: An unattended greenhouse heater, or a choice you want backed by a large review file.
Specifications
Common questions
Is 16 A within a normal UK socket?
The bullets claim 16 A and 3,680 W. A BS 1363 socket is 13 A. The higher figure is a listing claim, not a higher socket limit.
What do the few reviews report?
One review says temperature control worked and the timer did not meet a daily schedule. One says it caught fire on a 1000 W greenhouse heater after three weeks. One says it failed after three weeks.
Can the backlight stay on?
Yes. The bullets say the backlight can stay on or run only at chosen times.
The KETOTEK KT99pro is the only dual-output unit in this set, with two 10 A relays and two waterproof NTC probes, at about £39.99, and the amazon.co.uk score is 3.3 from 24 reviews. The bullets write 220 V AC, while UK mains are nominally 230 V, and the listing does not show a separate 230 V test. A cooling delay of 0–5 minutes is listed, which is relevant to a fridge compressor and not to a heat mat. One reviewer said a heat mat stayed on above 37 °C with a 30 °C setting, another alleges a burn to a royal python, and a third praises dual control for two snakes. Those comments are why a 3.3 score is not a top pick, even though no other row here has two relays. High and low alarms with a buzzer are listed, and the unit weighs 620 g. Open it only when you need two loads, and keep a second thermometer on each one.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Two separate non-light heaters, if you prove each cut-out with your own thermometer.
Less suitable: A basking lamp, a single oil radiator, or an enclosure you will leave without a second meter.
Specifications
Common questions
Can it run two heaters?
The listing says two 10 A relay outputs and two NTC sensors, so two loads can be set separately.
Why is the voltage written as 220 V?
The bullets say 220 V AC. UK mains are nominally 230 V. The listing does not show a 230 V test.
What do reviews warn about?
One reviewer said a heat mat stayed on above 37 °C with a 30 °C setting. Another alleges a burn to a royal python. A third praises dual control for two snakes. The score is 3.3 from 24 reviews.
The KETOTEK KT3500 puts the control panel on a 2.9 m lead, with a 3 m NTC probe, a backlit LCD, and a 13 A claim at 230 V, priced at about £25.99. The listing has no customer-review line, so there is no star rating to compare and this score is equipment only. M2 combines a schedule with temperature, and M3 is a timer on its own. Settings are saved, though the bullets say the clock may need a reset if the power has been off for more than two weeks. Listed weight is 330 g, heavier than the plain KT3100. A hot plug, a drifted probe, or a relay that sticks would not show up until reviews exist. Buy it for the separate panel only if you can accept an unreviewed listing beside plugs that already have dozens or hundreds of reviews.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A socket that is awkward to reach, when the screen needs to sit nearer the bench or the plants.
Less suitable: Anyone who wants a settled amazon.co.uk rating before leaving a heater to switch itself.
Specifications
Common questions
Can the screen sit away from the socket?
Yes. The listing says the control panel separates on a 2.9 m cable, with a 3 m probe.
Does it keep the clock after a long power cut?
Settings are saved. The bullets say the clock may need resetting if power is out for more than two weeks.
Are there amazon.co.uk reviews on the listing?
No customer-review line is on the listing, so the rating is n/a.
Shelf prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures stored for these twelve listings. They are not a live reload on 17 October 2026. The number on each card is the stored 0–100 editorial score for this set, shown on a 1–10 scale. It is not a laboratory test and not a failure rate. The stored score uses amazon stars out of 35, review volume out of 25, the load line out of 15, and job spec out of 15, then deductions for a fire, stuck relay, or alleged burn, a failed or drifting probe, and a Wi-Fi attribute the bullets do not support. The weights below are those four checks scaled so they add to 100.
Amazon stars
39%The amazon.co.uk star line divided by 5, then applied to this share of the score. A listing with no review line scores nothing on stars. The KT3500 has no review line in this set.
Review volume
28%Nothing if there is no review line, then steps at 1–9, 10–29, 30–79, 80–199, and 200 or more. The KT3100 has 508 reviews. The Manillefu line is 4.7 from 4, which is too small to treat as settled.
Load against 13 A
17%Full marks when the listing states 13 A, or a consistent 10 A and about 2,300 W. Less when the bullets claim 16 A or 3,680 W, when amps are missing, or when one bullet writes both 10 A and 3,950 W. A BS 1363 socket stays 13 A.
Job spec
16%A stated probe or panel lead, a clear heating or cooling rule, memory, and the feature the row is for, such as day and night temperatures or a second output. Deductions sit outside these four checks: a fire, stuck relay, or alleged burn, a probe a reviewer says failed, and a Wi-Fi attribute the bullets do not describe.
Start with the job, then the load against a 13 A socket, then whether the probe can leave the plug. A star rating does not tell you those three. The twelve listings below are amazon.co.uk pages, with the prices and review counts stored for this comparison, not a live reload on 17 October 2026. A Wi-Fi line in an attribute table is not an app, and a 16 A bullet is not a higher wall limit.
A thermostat socket is a plug-in temperature controller for a UK wall socket. It sits in a BS 1363 outlet. A heater, cooler, fan, or heat mat plugs into the socket on the unit, and a wired probe tells the relay when to switch. You use one for a greenhouse or shed heater, a reptile enclosure or incubator, or a temporary fridge or fan. You do not use one to fire a gas boiler or to replace a radiator valve.
On the KT3100 and the Inkbird ITC-C216T, the timer and the temperature function cannot run together. A clock programme then ignores the probe. Day and night on the KT3200PRO is M2, not the timer-only M3. A HIADA review says timer mode follows the clock only. Start below stop is heating. Start above stop is cooling. Reversing that pair swaps the job.
The Nerissa and the KT3100BL claim 16 A and 3,680 W. A BS 1363 socket is still 13 A. The KT3100 attribute of 68,770 W is not a planning figure. The Vaileal bullet writes 10 A and 3,950 W together, and those numbers do not agree. Use the lower of the heater rating, the stated amps, and 13 A.
The KT3200PRO, the Vaileal, and the Nerissa show Wi-Fi on an attribute line. The bullets describe buttons and do not mention an app. Do not buy them for Alexa or for a phone schedule. Probe on the heater, or beside the plug, measures the wrong air. A plug does not make an unattended radiant heater safe.
Decide the job before the brand. One switched appliance, day and night setpoints, or two independent outputs are different plugs. Only the KT99pro is dual 10 A here, at about £39.99, and its 3.3 from 24 reviews includes a heat mat a reviewer said stayed on. Use the lower of the heater rating, the stated amps, and 13 A. The Inkbird states 10 A and 2,300 W, which sits under a 13 A socket. The KT3100 bullets state 13 A at 230 V. Ignore 68,770 W on the same page. Probe length is the next check.
On the KT3100 and the Inkbird, the timer does not run with temperature control. Day and night is a separate feature. KT3200PRO M2 and KT3500 M2 hold two periods with their own temperatures. KT3200PRO M3 is a timer only. The KT3500 listing has no review line, so you cannot compare a star rating. The KT3100 is 4.4 from 508 at about £19.99. The Manillefu is 4.7 from 4 at about £18.00, which is too small a sample to treat as settled.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want the probe among the plants or in the room, not beside the plug, and a heater the maker allows to be switched from outside. The KETOTEK KT3100 is about £19.99, with 4.4 from 508 reviews and a 3 m probe. Keep the heater within 13 A. The timer cannot run with temperature control.
One heater should hold a day temperature and a lower night temperature, set from the buttons. The KETOTEK KT3200PRO does that on M2, at about £22.99, with 4.4 from 65 reviews and a 3 m probe. M3 is a timer only. It is still one socket, and the Wi-Fi attribute is not an app.
You want more reviews than the about £11.99 plug and a lower price than the KT3100. The Nerissa T01-UK is the best value at about £15.45, with 4.3 from 158 reviews and a 1.7 m probe. The 16 A bullet does not raise a 13 A socket limit.
The top pick is the KETOTEK KT3100, at about £19.99, for one heater or cooler when you want the single-outlet listing with the most reviews. It has 4.4 from 508 amazon.co.uk reviews, a 3 m probe, and bullets that state 13 A at 230 V. The wattage attribute of 68,770 W is not a figure you can plan from, and the timer cannot run with temperature control. The best value is the Nerissa T01-UK, at about £15.45, with 4.3 from 158 reviews. On score against price, among plugs with at least 30 reviews and without a fire or stuck-relay deduction, it leads this set. The listing claims 16 A, and a normal UK socket is still 13 A. The card score is the stored editorial figure, not a laboratory test.
Nerissa T01-UK thermostat socket
About £15.45 with 4.3 from 158 reviews, the best score per pound among plugs with at least 30 reviews and no fire or stuck-relay deduction.
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 for BS 1363 plug-in gear, fuses, and portable-heater fire advice. Listings are the amazon.co.uk captures for these twelve ASINs, not a live reload on 17 October 2026. Prices on amazon.co.uk move.
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 come from those listings. We did not run a laboratory test. The scores rank a listing inside this set only.
