A formal answer to you question.

BS EN 60432-1:200+A2:2012 is the standard for incandescent lamps.

2.2.1 Mandatory markings requires that lamps are marked with their rated voltage or voltage range [this raises obvious question's which aren't addressed in the standard but let's assume nominal within range], and the rated wattage.

But there's a national departure in the BS version "The rated voltage marking for lamps intended for use on United Kingdom supply voltages may be 240 volts or 240 V." so you need to check the datasheet.

This standard is for domestic and similar general lighting. Specialist lamps will have their own standards. But I think it's particularly interesting on bulb life - I have a reading lamp which needs an incadescent because LED's don't pull enough for the dimmer. As I can no longer buy bulbs at retail I've been getting them of a popular website named after a river in South America - and they don't last two seconds probably rated for 230V. I think I might try using a variac.

Amazon/ebay/Temu are remote selling into the UK and a lot of the products sold do not meet a BS or BS EN standard.  Some may say they are selling poor quality items.  If you are looking for lamps for the home Ikea are quite good quality and units last a fair while.  Another point to note is an incandescent is totally electrical where as an LED is electronic. 

Yeah I'd rather an LED but when you've got a lamp that's got an older dimmer then the electronics need current flow through it - because there's no neutral connection in the dimmer. So unless I do something radical I can only use incandescents - or halogens.

Even if I replaced the dimmer, dimmable LED's operating of mains are just embarrasingly poor - especially for a reading lamp. Maybe I'll wrap some dim to warm tape around a tube and install a driver. But that would probably look very heath robinson.

I can't be the only person with this problem - it's clearly widespread and has been for over a decade - but nobody can find a good solution.

I have used a low wattage transformer for 12-18V as an autotransformer to prolong the filament life in such case - primary on the mains, of course, and the secondary in anti-series (opposition) to the mains, to give mains in less the secondary  voltage.
Its smaller/ easier than the variac, and less heat than the resistor.

Though a resistor may be better in some ways as it actually limits inrush too.

M

Could try and speak to company like JCC and see what they have to offer.  Realistically you need to match the lamp and the dimmer to get the best effect. 

Could try and speak to company like JCC and see what they have to offer.  Realistically you need to match the lamp and the dimmer to get the best effect.