Plug-In Wall Lights: A Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Switches, Safety Marks and Battery Life

What you need before you start

This is a buyer’s checklist for plug-in wall lights and battery ones: what to look at on the label, the cable, the switch, the bulb, the safety marks and the batteries before you pay. Our other guides cover the three ways to power a wall light, making battery lights look hardwired and wall lights for rented flats. This one is about judging a product.

You need the product listing or box, a tape measure, a pen and, if you can, the spot where the light will go. Measure from the wall socket to the light position and note whether a switch will be within reach.

None of the choices below needs an electrician: plug-in and battery lights need no wiring. The last section says where that changes.

What plug-in and battery lights can and cannot do

They can give a soft pool of light on a wall with no wiring, move with you when you move home, and suit places with no ceiling light. They cannot do everything a fixed light does: a plug-in light needs a socket within reach and leaves a visible lead unless you hide it; a battery light gives less light and needs batteries changed or recharged; and neither belongs where water can reach it.

Treat them as ambient or accent lights. For brighter task lighting, such as a reading light, check the lumen figure on the listing, and see how many lumens and what colour temperature for each room.

Step 1: read the cable and plug

A plug-in light plugs into a normal socket, so the plug and lead matter.

• The plug. The Electrical Safety First shopper’s guide says a product should run at 230 V, 50 Hz and have a standard UK plug with a fuse, a charger with UK plug pins, or a conversion plug with a fuse, and that a travel adaptor does not meet this standard.^[1] In Britain, plugs supplied with domestic appliances are covered by the Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994, which control the supply of plugs and appliances.^[2]
• The fuse. A leaflet hosted by RoSPA says UK plugs are fitted with a 3 A or 13 A fuse, with appliances up to 700 W using 3 A.^[3] A small LED wall light uses far less than 700 W, so a low-rated fuse is normal. Do not swap the fuse for a bigger one.
• The lead length. Measure from socket to light and add a little slack. A lead that is too short tempts you to use an extension; one that is far too long leaves a loop to hide. A leaflet hosted by RoSPA says adaptors should never be plugged into adaptors and that extension leads should not carry more than 13 A or 3,000 W in total.^[3]
• The routing. Keep the lead where it cannot be trodden on, trapped in a door or run under a rug. A painted cable cover or a socket beneath the light hides it neatly.

Step 2: check the switch and the controls

A light you cannot switch off easily gets left on. Look for how it is controlled.

1. In-line switch on the lead. Simple and cheap, but you have to reach it. Check where it will sit once the light is on the wall.
2. Switch on the light. Convenient if the light is within reach, awkward above a bed.
3. Remote control. Useful for a high wall or a bedside. Battery lights often come with one; our battery plaster sconces come with a remote for brightness and colour, as the listing for each says.
4. A switched socket or a smart plug. A switched socket is the simplest; a smart plug adds timers and voice control. Check the plug is rated for the light’s power.

If a listing mentions dimming, check how. The Energy Saving Trust warns that not all LED bulbs work with a dimmer, and that a dimmer not designed for LEDs may not work properly.^[4] So a built-in remote dimmer is simpler than trying to dim a mains plug-in with a wall dimmer.

Step 3: check the bulb and light quality

Ask what is in the light and whether you can replace it.

• Lumens, not watts. The Energy Saving Trust says lumens measure brightness and watts power use, and gives about 470 lumens for a 40 W incandescent equivalent, 800 for 60 W and 1,520 for 100 W.^[4] A wall light for a soft glow may give far less than a lamp; check the figure on the listing.
• Colour. The Energy Saving Trust describes 2700–3000 K as warm white for most general household lighting and says a colour rendering index of 80 or more suits most household tasks.^[4] Buy one colour for the room.
• Replaceable lamp or sealed LED? A replaceable bulb lets you change brightness and colour later. A sealed LED has no bulb to buy but you must replace the whole light if it fails. Read the listing.
• Wattage limit. Our rule of thumb: never fit a bulb brighter than the maximum the fitting states, and use the bulb type it specifies.

Step 4: check the safety marks and the seller

Electrical lights sold in Great Britain carry a conformity mark. GOV.UK says the UK recognises CE marking for the Great Britain market, either alongside the UKCA mark or in its place, for a range of product regulations including electrical equipment safety.^[5] It says that recognition has no end date,^[6] and that until 31 December 2027 the UKCA mark may be put on a label or accompanying document, not the product itself.^[5] So a CE mark on a plug-in light is not a red flag by itself, and a UKCA mark on the box is fine.

What the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 add is a set of duties on makers and importers, including instructions and safety information, labelling, CE marking and identification of the business supplying the product.^[7] In practice you should find the maker or importer’s name and address, instructions, and the mark.

Marks are a minimum, not a guarantee. Electrical Safety First says not to rely on a CE or UKCA mark alone, because marks can be faked, and advises looking for a full postal address for the seller, being wary of unusually low prices and checking independent reviews.^[1] It also says private sellers in online auctions may refuse responsibility for quality, and that a credit card payment for an item of £100 or more may share liability with the card company if things go wrong.^[1]

Step 5: work out battery life

Battery lights need two numbers: how much power the light draws and how much charge the batteries hold. Manufacturers rarely quote the first, so this is a rough guide.

The Duracell data sheet for its MN1500 AA alkaline battery gives a nominal capacity of 2,700 mAh at a 75 Ω load to a 0.8 V cut-off, at 20°C, and says that service life falls as the current rises.^[8] Three AA cells in series keep that capacity but give 4.5 V. To estimate hours: divide the capacity by the current, and the current is the light’s power divided by 4.5 V.

Illustration, using invented power figures and ignoring losses: a 0.3 W light draws about 67 mA, giving at most about 40 hours; a 0.5 W light draws about 111 mA, about 24 hours; a 1 W light draws about 222 mA, about 12 hours. The real figure will be lower at higher drains, because the data sheet says life falls as current rises.^[8] A rechargeable pack changes the sums, so check its stated capacity.

The animation below shows the idea: the brighter the setting, the faster the battery empties.

Battery safety: keep button cells away from children

If a remote or a light uses a small coin or button cell, treat it as a hazard for young children. The Office for Product Safety and Standards runs a campaign on the dangers to children of swallowing small objects, with a particular focus on magnets and button batteries.^[9] Choose lights and remotes with a securely closed battery compartment, store spare cells out of reach, and read the maker’s warning. If you think a child has swallowed a button battery, seek emergency medical help at once.

For a nursery, see nursery wall lights.

Where plug-in and battery lights should not go

Do not put a plug-in light where water can reach it. Bathroom lighting is governed by zones: Ideal Home sets out that zone 0, inside a bath or shower, needs IPX7 and low voltage only, that lights in zone 1 should be at least IP55 and that lights in zone 2, within 60 cm of a sink, bath or shower, should be IP44 or above.^[10] A decorative plug-in light with no stated IP rating does not belong in those zones; see bathroom lighting zones and IP ratings explained. Keep leads and lamps away from hobs in a kitchen too: kitchen lighting ideas says more.

When you need an electrician

Plugging in or batteries needs none. Call a qualified electrician when you want to change the supply: a new socket by the light, hiding the lead inside the wall, or turning a plug-in into a hardwired light. Approved Document P lists as notifiable work the installation of a new circuit, the replacement of a consumer unit and alterations to circuits in special locations such as bathrooms, and says other electrical work must still meet BS 7671.^[11] Ask the electrician what applies. Do not chase a cable into plaster yourself.

Worked example: choosing a bedside light

These figures are invented for the example. The socket is 1.1 m from the light position, the bedroom already has a ceiling light, and the owner wants a soft evening glow with a remote.

1. Cable. Needs at least 1.1 m plus slack, so about 1.5 m, with a fused UK plug.^[1]
2. Switch. A remote, since the wall is above the headboard.
3. Bulb. A warm 2700 K light of a few hundred lumens, with a colour rendering index of 80 or more.^[4]
4. Marks. UKCA or CE mark, instructions, and a named maker or importer.^[5][7]
5. If battery. A 0.5 W draw on 3 × AA gives roughly 24 hours at best,^[8] so nightly use for a few hours would need a change every few weeks; a mains plug-in is the better choice if it is on every night.

Common mistakes

• Buying on looks alone. Read the lumens, marks and lead length.^[1]
• Fitting a bigger fuse. Use the fuse the product states.^[3]
• Daisy-chaining adaptors. Never.^[3]
• Trusting a mark blindly. Check the seller too.^[1]
• Using a travel adaptor. It does not meet the UK plug standard.^[1]
• Expecting battery life you have not calculated. Do the sum.^[8]
• Leaving spare button cells around. Keep them away from children.^[9]

Quick-reference table

A summary of the sources.

Glossary

Terms used in this guide.

What to do next

Work through the checklist with the product open in front of you. Then choose the power route in plug-in, battery or hardwired wall lights, set the height with wall light height and spacing and see what bulb for a plaster wall light for the bulb itself.

Keep reading

• Plug-in, battery or hardwired wall lights
• Battery wall lights that look hardwired
• Wall lights for rented flats
• What bulb for a plaster wall light
• Wall light height and spacing
• Nursery wall lights

Shop the look

Pebble Wall LightBedside Wall LightLuna Japandi Wall LightRetro Wall Light

Frequently asked questions

Do plug-in wall lights need an electrician?

No. A plug-in light runs from an ordinary socket and needs no wiring. You would need a qualified electrician to add a socket, hide the lead inside the wall or hardwire the light.

What should I check on a plug-in wall light?

The lead length and routing, a fused UK plug, how it switches, the lumens and bulb colour, a UKCA or CE mark with a named maker or importer, and the seller. Never use a travel adaptor in place of a UK plug.

Is a CE mark acceptable in the UK?

GOV.UK says the UK recognises CE marking for Great Britain, either alongside UKCA or in its place, for a range of product regulations including electrical equipment. Do not rely on a mark alone; check the seller too.

How long do batteries last in a battery wall light?

It depends on the light’s power draw. Divide the battery capacity by the current: three AA alkaline cells hold about 2,700 mAh, so a 0.5 W light at 4.5 V draws about 111 mA and lasts about 24 hours at best.

Can I dim a plug-in wall light?

Only if it is made to dim. Not all LED bulbs work with a dimmer, according to the Energy Saving Trust. A built-in remote dimmer is simpler than a wall dimmer.

Are battery wall lights safe around children?

Choose a light with a securely closed battery compartment and keep spare cells out of reach. The Office for Product Safety and Standards warns of the dangers to children of swallowing button batteries.

Can I use a plug-in wall light in a bathroom?

Not unless it is rated for the zone. Bathroom zones set minimum IP ratings, with IP44 or above within 60 cm of a sink, bath or shower. A decorative light with no IP rating should stay out.

What fuse should a wall light plug have?

The one the product states, usually 3 A for a small LED light. A leaflet hosted by RoSPA says appliances up to 700 W use a 3 A fuse. Never fit a larger fuse than the product states.