E14 and E27 are two sizes of Edison screw bulb cap, and they do not swap. E14 is the small one, nominally 14mm across, and is sold in the UK as SES. E27 is nominally 27mm across and is sold as ES. Match the cap first, then check the bulb's shape, size, brightness and dimming, because the cap tells you none of those.
The cap is how the bulb connects to the fitting. It does not tell you how much light the bulb gives, or whether the glass will go back on over it. Getting the cap right is the easy half. The shape is where a good fitting gets spoiled, so that is where most of this guide goes.
What do SES, ES, SBC and BC mean?
They are the British names printed on the box, and mixing them up is the easy way to buy the wrong bulb. The letter tells you the connection, E for Edison screw and B for bayonet, and the number is the nominal diameter of the cap in millimetres (Edison screw, bayonet cap).
| Name on the box | Common UK meaning | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| E14 or SES | Small Edison screw | 14mm nominal screw cap |
| E27 or ES | Edison screw | 27mm nominal screw cap |
| B15 or SBC | Small bayonet cap | Push and twist |
| B22 or BC | Bayonet cap | Push and twist |
So the first question is not which screw size. It is screw or bayonet at all. A screw cap has a thread; a bayonet cap has two small pins on its sides and goes in with a push and a twist. No amount of measuring will make one go into the other.
How to tell which one your light takes
Read the label first. Look on the old bulb's cap, or on the fitting near the holder, for E14 or SES, E27 or ES, B22 or BC. Our product pages list the cap in the details, and the maker's instructions give the cap and the maximum wattage.
If you need to measure, switch off, let the bulb cool, take it out and measure the cap of the removed bulb. Never put a ruler, a tape or a tool into a holder. Our advice is to take the old bulb with you, or a clear photograph of its cap and the label, when you order. A bulb in your hand cannot be misremembered.
Is E14 or E27 bigger, and where does each one turn up?
E27 is the bigger cap, nearly twice the width of E14. There is a loose pattern in where each one turns up, and it is only a pattern. E14 tends to sit where the bulb is part of the look: chandelier arms, wall lights, small lamps and glass pendants. E27 tends to sit where one bulb does the work: many pendants, table and floor lamps. Plenty of fittings break it, so treat it as a reason to check the label, never as the answer.
Does E14 mean candle and E27 mean a large round bulb?
No. Both caps come in several bulb shapes. An E14 golf ball and an E14 candle have the same cap and different bodies, and a large E27 bulb can still be too wide for an E27 fitting's shade. These are the E14 shapes we sell, with the dimensions from our own listings.
| Shape | One example's dimensions | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| E14 golf ball | 45mm diameter, 73mm high (our 4W warm white golf ball) | Width and clearance inside a shallow or enclosed shade |
| E14 candle | 35mm diameter, 100mm high (our 4W warm white candle) | Height, the visible tip and shade clearance |
| Bent-tip candle | 35mm diameter, 118mm high (our 4W bent-tip candle) | The extra height at the tip |
| Tubular | 45mm diameter, 110mm high (our 4W tubular) | Length, diameter and the required cap |
Those figures belong to those bulbs, not to every golf ball or candle on the market, so read the dimensions of the bulb you are actually buying.
Here is our rule of thumb, and the reasoning behind it. Where glass or a shade sits close around the bulb, as on many semi-flush fittings and glass-rod pendants, start with a golf ball. Where the bulb stands bare on an arm or in an open holder, start with a candle. The reason is height: our E14 candle stands 100mm tall and our golf ball 73mm, so the candle needs 27mm more room inside the glass, and a tip that pokes out below a shade shows the whole bulb. It is a starting point, not a law. The check is the fitting's own listing and instructions, and on our product pages the lamp our lighting team has matched to that fitting.
The Golf Ball E14 LED Bulb 4Watt Warm White Dimmable (£5.95, checked 19 October 2026) and the Candle E14 LED Bulb 4Watt Warm White Dimmable (£8.69, checked 19 October 2026) are both 4W, 470 lumens and dimmable according to their listings. Choose between them on what the fitting allows and the look you want, not on the assumption that the dearer bulb will fit or perform better. One customer who bought the golf balls with a Marietta pendant summed them up as 'a warm but bright light'.
Which bulb does the Marietta take?
The Marietta is a useful worked example because the range uses one cap and more than one shape. None of these fittings comes with lamps, so the price on the page is not yet the price of a lit light.
The Endon Marietta 5 Light Pendant in antique brass with clear glass (£142.69, checked 19 October 2026) takes five E14 lamps, up to 7W LED each, and its listing names the cap as E14 golf. The lamp selector on its product page recommends five golf balls. Bought separately they come to £29.75; with the fitting the selector shows £26.80 for five, applying a 10% lamp saving. That makes £169.49 for the pendant with its recommended bulbs. Check the offer and the basket total when you order.
The Marietta 3 Light Semi Flush in antique brass (£124.95, checked 19 October 2026) takes three E14 lamps, 7W LED maximum, inside a 400mm ring of glass rods that projects 395mm from the ceiling. Its selector also recommends golf balls: three at £16.08 with the fitting, against £17.85 separately, so about £141.03 lit.
Do not copy that answer to every Marietta. The Endon Marietta 1 Light Wall Light in antique brass (£38.50, checked 19 October 2026) takes one E14 lamp, 6W LED maximum, its listing names an E14 candle, and its selector pairs it with the warm white candle at £7.83 with the fitting. Same range, same cap, different shape. Check the clearance behind the rods before you choose a bulb on looks alone. Our guide to the Marietta range covers the rest of the family.
Which 2700K candle, if you want a stated colour temperature?
Two of our E14 candles are listed at a fixed 2700K. The Candle E14 LED Bulb 4Watt 2700K (£5.41, checked 19 October 2026) gives 470 lumens and is not dimmable, so it is for a fitting on a plain switch. The Astro E14 Candle LED 4W 2700K Dimmable (£13.80, checked 19 October 2026) gives 450 lumens, is dimmable, and has frosted white glass rather than a visible filament.
The price difference is visible; better quality or reliability is not something price alone tells you. The real differences are dimming and the glass. Our view: where you look straight at a bare bulb on a candle arm, the frosted Astro gives a softer point of light; where the bulb sits behind clear glass that is meant to catch the light, a clear filament candle suits it. If there is a dimmer on the circuit, buy a dimmable bulb.
Is E27 brighter than E14?
Compare lumens, not cap size. The cap is the connection; the lumen figure on the box is the light output. E27 ranges include many higher-output bulbs, but that does not make every E27 brighter than every E14.
Our own range shows it plainly. The E14 golf ball above gives 470 lumens from 4W. The Candle E27 LED Bulb 4.2Watt Filament 2700K (£7.46, checked 19 October 2026) gives 470 lumens from 4.2W, and the Golf Ball E27 LED Bulb 4Watt Warm White 2700K (£8.95, checked 19 October 2026) is listed at 470 lumens too. Same light, two different caps. Check the bulb's size against your fitting either way.
Colour is not brightness either. One customer chose amber candle lamps for an Endon Ridgeton pendant expecting a warm glow, found them 'actually very bright', and added a dimmer. The warmth is in the colour temperature; the brightness is in the lumens. Our warm white versus cool white guide explains the first, and our guide to lumens for a living room the second.
What about dimming and wattage limits?
Use a dimmable bulb only with a compatible dimmer and fitting, and check the dimmer's minimum load, the number of bulbs and any maker's restrictions. 'LED' does not automatically mean dimmable, and a dimmable bulb does not make a sensor light suitable for a dimmer. Our guide to dimming LED lights goes through compatibility.
Stay within the fitting's stated actual wattage per bulb and any total limit. The old-style 'equivalent watts' on a box are a brightness comparison, not the power figure to use against that limit. Follow any separate LED limit and any restriction for enclosed fittings too.
Can you use an E14 to E27 adapter?
Adapters exist, but they change the physical assembly and add length, so the bulb can end up further out of the shade than the maker designed for. Do not assume one is approved for your light. Our recommendation is to buy the cap and bulb type the maker specifies, and we would not fit an adapter to make the wrong bulb work. If the right bulb is hard to identify, ask us before adapting the holder.
What should you check before ordering several bulbs?
- Cap: E14 (SES), E27 (ES) or a bayonet, from the label or the listing.
- Shape and size: the shape the maker allows, and the bulb's height and width against the space inside the glass.
- Wattage: the actual watts, within the fitting's limit per bulb.
- Brightness and colour: lumens for output, Kelvin for warmth. They are separate numbers.
- Dimming: a dimmable bulb if there is a dimmer, and a dimmer that suits LED.
- Quantity and total: multiply by the number of holders, then compare any combined offer shown with the fitting.
Our guide to bulbs for a new fitting covers the wider buying decision, including what the bulbs add to the bill. When the specification is clear, browse E14 bulbs, E27 bulbs or the full bulb range.
The short version
- E14 (SES) is the small Edison screw, nominally 14mm. E27 (ES) is nominally 27mm. They do not fit each other's holders.
- Check screw or bayonet first: a thread means E, two side pins mean B (B22 or B15).
- The cap does not set the shape. Our rule of thumb: golf balls where glass sits close around the bulb, candles on bare arms. The listing decides.
- Brightness is lumens, not cap size. Our E14 golf ball and E27 candle both give 470 lumens.
- Stay inside the fitting's actual wattage limit, and use dimmable bulbs only with a compatible dimmer.
- We would not use an adapter to make the wrong bulb fit. Buy the cap the maker specifies.
Frequently asked questions
Are SES and E14 the same?
In normal UK bulb naming, yes. SES means small Edison screw and refers to E14. ES commonly refers to E27. Still check the cap code and the bulb's other specifications, such as shape, size and wattage.
Can I use an E27 bulb in an E14 socket?
Not directly. The caps are different sizes and an E27 bulb will not thread into an E14 holder. Adapters exist but add length and may not be approved for your light, so we recommend buying the cap the maker specifies.
Are E14 bulbs always screw in?
Yes. The E stands for Edison screw, so every E14 bulb has a threaded cap. If your holder has two slots for side pins, it takes a bayonet bulb, B15 (SBC) or B22 (BC), not an E14.
Does an E14 candle fit any E14 light?
The cap may fit while the bulb body does not. Check height, width, shade clearance and the maker's permitted bulb shape and wattage before you order.
Does a golf ball bulb give less light than a candle?
Not necessarily. Compare the particular bulbs' lumens. Our 4W E14 golf ball and 4W E14 candle are both listed at 470 lumens. Shape, cap, colour temperature and light output are separate specifications.
Are E14 bulbs being phased out?
The cap is not. What has been phased out in the UK is inefficient lamp technology: the government ended the sale of most halogen bulbs for general household use from 1 September 2021. E14 LED bulbs are widely available, in golf ball, candle and tubular shapes among others.
