Yes, if breadth of range and trading history matter to you: KES stocks roughly 9,000 lighting SKUs across seven major brands and has been trading for 41 years, against Dusk Lighting's tighter, contemporary-only edit of around 5,000 products built up since 2009. Both are solid, Trustpilot-rated UK retailers with near-identical returns terms. Which one actually offers you better value depends on what you are shopping for, not on which logo looks nicer.
We are not going to pretend Dusk Lighting is a bad option, because it is not. It is a well-run, Devon-based specialist that a lot of people are perfectly happy with. But we get asked 'why should I buy from KES instead' often enough that it is worth answering properly, with real figures rather than vague marketing lines. Here is the honest comparison, including where we think Dusk is the better fit.
What is Dusk Lighting?
Dusk Lighting is an online and showroom retailer based at Exeter Airport Business Park in Devon, trading since 2009, so around 17 years in the business. It positions itself around affordable, contemporary lighting, with a showroom stocking over 500 products described as a representative slice of a wider online range reportedly around 5,000 products. It carries Astro Lighting heavily (both KES and Dusk sell Astro, as it happens), plus brands including Alma Light and EGLO. If 'modern, clean, good value' is the brief, Dusk built its business around exactly that.
KES vs Dusk Lighting at a glance
| Factor | KES Lighting | Dusk Lighting |
|---|---|---|
| Trading since | Around 1985, 41 years | 2009, around 17 years |
| Approximate range | Roughly 9,000 SKUs | Reportedly around 5,000 products |
| Core brands | Endon, Elstead, Astro, Schuller, Hinkley, Diyas, Searchlight, and more | Astro Lighting, Alma Light, EGLO, and own-range modern pieces |
| Style focus | Traditional through to contemporary, all under one roof | Predominantly modern and contemporary |
| Showroom | Yes, Warwickshire | Yes, Exeter, Devon |
| Returns window | 30 days, change of mind | 30 days, change of mind |
| Return postage | Customer pays | Customer pays |
| Trustpilot (checked 14 Sep 2026) | 4.3 out of 5, over 2,100 reviews | 4.8 out of 5, around 1,400 reviews |
Range: a full lighting wardrobe versus a tight, modern edit
This is the real difference and it is worth being specific about it rather than just saying 'we have more stuff'. KES carries roughly 9,000 SKUs across seven core distributed brands spanning traditional crystal through to sharp architectural contemporary. Dusk's range is smaller and more focused, built around modern and contemporary design. Neither approach is wrong. A tightly curated range is genuinely easier to shop when you already know your taste, and there is a good argument that a smaller, better-edited catalogue beats a huge one nobody has time to filter.
Where we would push back a little: if you are furnishing more than one room, especially if your home mixes styles (a traditional hallway chandelier, a sleek kitchen island pendant, a soft bedroom scheme), a narrower contemporary-only range means you will likely end up shopping two or three sites anyway. That is the actual cost of a tight edit, and it is one worth knowing about before you start. Our indoor lighting range spans both ends of that spectrum, so it is one basket rather than three.
Trading history and expertise
Dusk has been going for around 17 years, which is a genuinely respectable run for an independent retailer and nothing to sniff at. KES has been trading since around 1985, which puts us at 41 years and counting, still run day to day by the same family. That is not a claim about who answers the phone better on any given Tuesday. It is a claim about depth: four decades of watching bulb standards change, watching whole categories of fitting go from must-have to landfill, and learning which manufacturers actually stand behind their warranties when something goes wrong. That kind of institutional memory is hard to build in under two decades, however good the team.
Returns and after-sales: closer than you would think
Here is one place we will not manufacture a difference that does not exist. Both retailers give you 30 days to change your mind, and both expect you to cover the return postage on an unwanted item, which is the standard model for this kind of bulky, boxed product across the UK lighting trade. Dusk's reviews mention responsive handling when something arrives faulty or mismatched, including replacements sorted quickly. That is exactly what good after-sales should look like, and we would rather say so than pretend otherwise. Our own returns process works the same way; the full detail is in our KES returns policy guide.
What the reviews actually show
Both retailers sit in solid, respectable Trustpilot territory rather than either extreme. KES is running at 4.3 out of 5 from over 2,100 reviews, Dusk at 4.8 out of 5 from around 1,400. Trustpilot scores move week to week and these are correct as of 14 September 2026, not fixed numbers. On the headline number Dusk is ahead, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. KES has the larger and older review base, which is worth weighing alongside the score, but it is not the same thing as a higher one. We go into how to read lighting retailer reviews properly, including ours, in are KES Lighting reviews legit.
So, which should you actually choose?
Our honest read, and we would say this to a friend, not just to a customer: choose Dusk if you want a tight, affordable, modern-only edit and you are happy shopping a smaller catalogue, particularly if you are in the South West and can visit the Exeter showroom in person. It is a well-run business doing one thing well.
Choose KES if you want breadth across styles and price points in one place, want to buy from a business with four decades of trade knowledge behind the advice you get, or want to see traditional and contemporary pieces side by side rather than committing to one aesthetic before you have compared. If your project spans more than one room or more than one style, that breadth is where the actual value shows up, not on the invoice for a single fitting.
The short version
- KES: roughly 9,000 SKUs across seven brands, 41 years trading, Warwickshire showroom. Dusk: a tighter, contemporary-led edit of around 5,000 products, trading since 2009, Exeter showroom.
- Both offer a 30-day change-of-mind return with the customer covering postage. No meaningful difference there.
- Trustpilot: KES 4.3 out of 5 from over 2,100 reviews, Dusk 4.8 out of 5 from around 1,400 (checked 14 Sep 2026).
- Dusk suits a tight, modern-only brief, especially if you can visit the Exeter showroom. KES suits multi-room or multi-style projects, and buyers who want decades of trade knowledge behind the recommendation.
If breadth is what you are after, start with the full KES indoor lighting range, or go straight to wall lights or table lamps if you know what you are shopping for. We also cover the garden and porch side of things in outdoor lighting.
Frequently asked questions
Is KES Lighting or Dusk Lighting better value?
It depends what you are shopping for. KES offers roughly 9,000 SKUs across seven brands spanning traditional to contemporary styles, built on 41 years of trading, which tends to offer better value if you are furnishing more than one room or style. Dusk Lighting offers a tighter, more affordable, contemporary-only edit of around 5,000 products, which can offer better value if you already know exactly the modern look you want.
Who is KES Lighting?
KES Lighting & Home is a family-run UK lighting retailer based in Warwickshire, trading since around 1985, which makes it 41 years in business. It stocks roughly 9,000 SKUs across seven core distributed brands, including Endon, Elstead, Astro, Schuller, Hinkley, Diyas and Searchlight, spanning traditional through to contemporary styles, with both an online store and a Warwickshire showroom.
How long has Dusk Lighting been trading?
Dusk Lighting was incorporated in June 2009, so it has been trading for around 17 years from its base in Exeter, Devon. KES has been trading for around 41 years by comparison.
Does Dusk Lighting offer free returns?
No. Dusk Lighting gives customers 30 days to return an unwanted item, but the customer covers the return postage, the same model KES uses. Neither retailer offers free change-of-mind returns.
What is the difference between KES Lighting and Dusk Lighting's range?
KES stocks roughly 9,000 SKUs across seven core brands (Endon, Elstead, Astro, Schuller, Hinkley, Diyas and Searchlight), spanning traditional through to contemporary. Dusk Lighting's range is smaller, reportedly around 5,000 products, and is focused mainly on modern and contemporary design, including Astro Lighting, Alma Light and EGLO.
Does KES Lighting have a modern, contemporary range too?
Yes. Although KES carries traditional and period-style lighting as well, its roughly 9,000-SKU range includes a substantial run of contemporary and architectural pieces, including Astro Lighting, the same brand Dusk Lighting is built around, alongside Schuller, Hinkley, Diyas and Searchlight. The difference is that at KES those modern pieces sit alongside traditional ones in the same catalogue, rather than being the whole offer.
Are KES Lighting reviews better than Dusk Lighting's?
Both retailers sit in solid Trustpilot territory. As of 14 September 2026, KES is rated 4.3 out of 5 from over 2,100 reviews, and Dusk Lighting 4.8 out of 5 from around 1,400. Dusk's score is higher, KES's review base is larger and older, and both figures move over time, so read a spread of recent reviews rather than the headline alone.
Words by Anne McKenna, KES Lighting & Home. Last updated 14 September 2026.
