The brass finish of the Mistana Forrest Swing Arm Lamp arrived with visible scratches and marks across its arm, almost looking as if it had been used and repackaged. Because the lamp isnt height-adjustable (though it does swivel, as its name implies), we found it less versatile for most workspaces. The Possini is sturdy, attractive, and barely takes up space on a desk. Whether tilting or swiveling, any adjustment required only one hand. What kind of mood are you trying to create? The Nova also has a touch-bar control running along its top arm. A modern makeover of the traditional bankers lampin black, silver, or brass, with a dark gray marbled basethe lamp practically disappears when lights are out. Turning the lamp on and off is simple because it has a single tactile button, located on the top of the lamp shade. Lux measures the intensity of light on a surface area, such as a desk or table. It took just a few minutes to assemble the lamp and secure the clamp to our desk, and it was easy to do. Why its great: The Andrew Neyer Goodnight Light is for anyone whos looking to add a minor statement piece in the bedroom, and its the best of our picks if you simply want to add an ambient glow. We also appreciated the memory setting, which turns the Nova to its last-used brightness level, as well as a built-in energy-saving occupancy sensor, which turns the lamp off automatically when its left alone. You may need to experiment with a few bulbs, but you can also use this lumens/watt calculator to figure out the best bulb for your room. The lamp arm is available in an assortment of finishes and materials, from natural brass to colored, powder-coated steel, so you can customize the lamp to complement a range of interiors. Note that its also a tall lamp (27 inches at its tallest), with a large, 7-inch base. And when the Matin is on, its glow invites the transition between reading and sleep. At 25 inches high and 15 inches in diameter, this is a pretty big lamp; it looks best on a larger bedside table or dresser top, where its dimensions complement the space. Best for: People who like to read in bed, specifically those who have a small bedroom that lacks a bedside table. Learn more. Why its great: If you dont have room for a bedside table, a wall-mounted swing lamp can be a great option. IKEAs energy-efficient, chandelier-style E12 bulb isnt the brightest of the buncha modest 200 lumen brightness. The striking shape, touch sensor, and heavy base elevate it to a tiny design statement. How much light do you need? The arm and shade adjust so you can angle the light perfectly for reading. The included mounting hardware wasnt the best quality; wed recommend replacing that with a higher-grade substitute before mounting the lamp. This lamp has a great rustic industrial style, while still looking clean and modern. It can reduce eye fatigue and help you better see what youre working on, and it can set the right mood for getting work done. Best for: Bedrooms where you want to add ambient light rather than focused reading light. In 2022, we again sifted through major retailers, but we also increased our budget cap and explored some more-design-oriented options to fit more decor styles. The lamp achieves this uniform pool of light by adding a diffuser lens over the LED array.
The arm and head dont swivel, but you can adjust the height and tilt the lamp shade. We found four of the best desk lamps in various styles to brighten up any workspace and help you stay on task. Its a tall, architect-style lamp with a chic brushed-metal finish and both wireless charging and a USB port. Also, one of our senior editors purchased this lamp, and the dimmer dial cracked after a few months of use. Im a writer at Design Milk and the former managing home technology editor for Apartment Therapy. A desk lamp can illuminate the area behind or around your computer display, creating a more comfortable environment for your eyes. The lamps organic stylea matte concrete base with a large, 25-inch-diameter off-white linen shadeappears soothing when its off as well as on (particularly when paired with a soft white bulb). Too bright of a light, and your eyes will tire quickly; too little light, and youll strain your peepers from squinting. Although the LED lights are rated for 25,000 hours (around 8 years, if kept on for eight hours a day),1 they will eventually burn out, rendering the lamp useless. But experts recommend having a mix of light sources in every roomoverhead, task, and accent lightingfor ambiance and a balance between light and shadow. Why its great: Although the Xiaomi Mi LED Desk Lamp is a desktop task lamp, its minimalist design and highly customizable light make it a standout bedside lamp for anyone who loves reading or working in bed. Dimensions: 29 by 13 by 14 inches, with a 7-inch-diameter base. The three-way rotary socket switch allows you to make quick changes to brightness; pair it with a three-way soft white bulb of up to 100 watts for best results. It has three lamp-arm hinges, a tall spring-loaded arm that rotates 180 degrees, and a lamp head that rotates 360 degrees, so you can aim the light anywhere. We moved some of our previous picksthe Possini Euro Magnum, TaoTronics LED Lamp, and Franklin Iron Works Bronze Turnbuckle LED Lampto our Competition section. For more than a dozen years, Melanie Pinola has written about technology and home-office topics for sites such as Lifehacker, PCWorld, and Laptop Magazine. This compact, adjustable lamp is powered via a wall outlet, USB-A port, or portable batteryfor an everywhere is my office convenience. And once its assembled (PDF), its three-part adjustable aluminum arm can impressively reachlike an NBA centerup and outward, craning 34 inches up and 43 inches wide when fully outstretched (PDF). A classic lamp, if you dont need to adjust it that often: The IKEA Hektar is one of the most popular desk lamps on IKEAs site. Compared with incandescent, halogen, or compact fluorescent (CFL) bulbs, LED bulbs or lamps with built-in LEDs are cheaper and more energy-efficient, which is better for the environment. Targets Project 62 Marble Lamp has been discontinued, so weve removed it from the guide. LED bulbs have extremely long lifespansthe lamps we looked at should last an estimated 50,000 hours, or about 24 years for the average 40-hours-per-week workday. You also wont be able to charge a phone or adjust the color temperature, but you can manipulate the brightness at three levels. And when you pair it with a soft white bulb, the linen shade casts a relaxing, warm light. Flaws but not dealbreakers: Not everyone liked the look of the lamp in a real-world setting. A benefit of job-specific lighting: Having an adjustable lamp in your workspace reduces the contrast between the object you are focused on and the surrounding area. A large table lamp on a small surface in a small room can look out of place. And the optional wood-block bracket adds a touch of warmth, for an additional $10. Dimensions: 20.5 by 4.7 by 4.7 inches, with a round base and 59-inch cord, Brightness levels: adjustable (470 lumens). Why its great: If you like to regularly settle into bed with a book, tablet, or crossword puzzle before sleeping, the EQ3 Oxford Table Lamp is your lamp. Its minimalist silhouette, flat rotating LED array, and one-handed operation design are all plusses. It has a near-seamless finish and a red flat cord that ribbons outward, connecting the lamps three main components with a dash of style. We also found that when its time to call it a night, the shade is a convenient place to hang magazines, bookmarking where you left off. Assembly requires just a tad more effort; both the lamp shade and the base slide into each side of the arms with a secure click, and two springs need to be stretched and attached for proper tension. It took only a few uses for the controls to become an intuitive Look ma, no glancing required motion. A desk lampspecifically a task lamp that lets you control the light distribution on your deskoffers benefits that can affect not just your mood but your health as well. His work can be found at Design Milk, Dwell, Domino, Apartment Therapy, and Airbnb. A big reason we liked this lamp was its effortless, silent adjustability. Its also backed by a lifetime warranty. Also, it has a propensity to kick backward like a catapult when positioned too far back and upward. At the lamps brightest setting, the periphery of its pleated, plastic-laminated cotton shade offers a very agreeable light for reading; at its two lower settings, the lamp takes on a more romantic presence. We also looked at lamps that offer adjustable color temperature, like the Humanscale Nova, so you can choose between a warmer, golden light or a cooler, blue hue, depending on your preference. The flat, 5-inch light head adjusts up and down and swivels nearly all the way around, so light can be aimed from varying heights and angles. But we think its small size, quality build, and one-button control simplicity may appeal to those who prioritize aesthetics as much as functionality. In our testing, the 9-pound, drum-shaped concrete base never budged; other lamps with smaller or lighter bases shifted when we pushed them. Compared with other task lamps we tested, this desk lamp is sturdier and sleeker, and provides better light. The power switch is made of cheap plastic. *At the time of publishing, the price was $195. Lighting designer Linnaea Tillett explained, When you reduce contrast, its relaxing for your eye and keeps you from changing your focal perspective. Think of how harsh the bright light of a computer display is in the middle of the night; the strong contrast can make your eyes more fatigued. In reality, you could use a floor lamp or a desk lamp to read in bed (and many people do). Unless youre in dire need of additional ports/power, skip this option. If youre really strained for space, the dual-function Edge Light Clock might offer an acceptable compromise, combining the features of a small light with an alarm clock. The TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp with Qi-Enabled Wireless Charger was a previously recommended model. After researching over 51 desk lamps and testing 16, weve chosen our favorite desk lamps in a variety of styles and prices. This minimalist desk lamp provides a soft, glare-free adjustable light, and when it senses no one is around, it shuts off automatically to save energy. *At the time of publishing, the price was $100. White or lighter-colored walls accentuate brightness by reflecting light, while dark-colored walls absorb light, requiring brighter bulbs for equal effect. The CB2 Swing Arm Black Wall Sconce looked great out of the box, but it was extremely onerous to install because of its nonstandard mounting hardware. My wife saw the spiral remnants of a gigantic sharpened pencil. Why its great: Many table lamps tip over easily, but thats not a problem with the Alina Table Lamp. His work can be found at Design Milk, Dwell, Domino, Apartment Therapy, and Airbnb. We added two new picks to this guide: HAYs Matin Table Lamp and EQ3s Oxford Table Lamp. That said, it could be a great bedside or end table lamp, thanks to its added ports. The LEDs are tucked almost halfway back into the lamp shade, so the design eliminates distracting glare. The all-metal wall bracket is easy to install; you secure it in place with just a screwdriver or drill. One tester said it looked clunky. Watch the video here to see more detail on how the lamp can be adjusted. We used the following criteria to determine our top picks: The Target Project 62 Modern Marble Accent Table Lamp (now discontinued) used to be one of our picks, but the design has been discontinued, so weve removed it from our lineup. Our writer also tested how easy bedside wall lamps were to install. A flexible-spring-arm desk lamp with classic design: The Anglepoise Type 75 Desk Lamp is a larger version of the Anglepoise 90 Mini Mini, switching in a replaceable E26 base bulb instead of an integrated LED. For the previous version of this guide, Wirecutter staff writer Anna Perling did extensive research on LED lighting and consulted lighting and optometry experts to determine the features that make the best desk lamps. A space-saving and energy-efficient lamp with a long reach: Uplift LED Desk Lamp E7 with Clamp, An intuitive LED desk lamp: Humanscale Nova, A classic architect-style lamp: IKEA Fors, A petite desk lamp you can take anywhere: Anglepoise 90 Mini Mini Desk Lamp, A lightweight lamp with heavyweight features, A supremely adjustable (but small) lamp to place almost anywhere, recommend having a mix of light sources in every room, Ohio State University College of Optometry, TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp with Qi-Enabled Wireless Charger, Possini Euro Magnum French Bronze LED Desk Lamp, Franklin Iron Works Bronze Turnbuckle LED Desk Lamp, Slimline Modern Swing Arm Desk Table Lamp, The Essential Ergonomic Gear for Your Home Office. You can dim the lamp by holding down the power button, but execution is a bit clunky compared with the rest of the lamps straightforward simplicity. Dont give in to tossing and turning because of random noises or light in your bedroom. We focused on shades and on lamps specific tasks, as well as on space-saving designs for setting a lamp on or near a nightstand. If youre especially tight on space, consider wall-mount swing-arm lights. Waveform Lighting has a good guide to lux versus lumens, if youre interested in learning more.). Flaws but not dealbreakers: Installing the PVC-laminated shade looks easy in the how-to video, but in person it took a few attempts to align and secure the Matin in place. The automatic energy-saving on/off sensor failed us only once, when we were in a still, long reading mode and had the lamp blocked with other items. Some people rotate art on their walls, but hes known to switch out lighting throughout the year. So shes particularly interested in task lighting that could reduce that fatigue. But if you want a cordless LED lamp that you can take anywherewe moved it from room to room a couple of timesits an interesting lamp. But as a bedside lamp, its way too small, and the lights too dim for any task beyond finding glasses or phone in the dark. This bedside lamp is nearly impossible to knock over. Best for: Average to small bedrooms with one or more bedside tables, and for people who like to read or work in bed. The integrated 10-watt LED is bright (without being distracting) and also dimmable. We were also impressed with the Novas easy assembly. Flaws but not dealbreakers: Although this lamp can reach far forward, its two-piece arm cannot tilt backward beyond a subtle angled position. Before that, I designed childrens toys and furniture as an industrial designer, learning the ins and outs of mass-market product design from conception to manufacturing. With the turn of a dial, you can precisely adjust the brightness and temperature of the light (it goes up to 300 lumens and spans a color temperature range of 2,700 to 6,500 Kelvin). This space-saving lamp is easier to hang and comes in a wider variety of finishes than other swing-arm designs we tested. Although the shade isnt adjustable, in our tests, reading near or under this lamp proved to be easy on the eyes. And, unlike most desk lamps, this lamp includes a two-part power cord instead of one continuous lengthwhich could create an unnecessary point of breakage (and also doesnt look as tidy). We also didnt care for its crimping iron on a stand silhouette. Most of the lamps we considered for this guide come with built-in LEDs. Lamps with shades or a tripod-style base require more space, and they look best on bedside tables with enough surface area to keep them from inching toward the edge (a half-foot of space on each side should be sufficient for avoiding accidental knock-overs). More importantly, the brightness level was almost blindingly high in our tests, and the lamp felt and looked cheaper than the other lamps we tested. Theres also an app to pair the lamps geographic location, syncing the Solarcycle Morphs color and brightness to the time of day. Other desk lamps (including ones we like) can look clunky, but the Mi lamp offers a refined and minimalist design. The cute, mushroom-shaped Lexon Mina M is marketed as a Medium LED lamp, but its smaller than many real-life mushrooms weve found while foraging. But once we positioned the Nova normally, that never occurred again. These experts included: Geoff Goral, senior designer at the Lighting Design Alliance; Linnaea Tillett, head of Tillett Lighting Design Associates; Nicole Graeber, a development engineer at the California Lighting Technology Center at the University of California Davis; Dr. Gregory Good, professor emeritus of clinical optometry at the Ohio State University College of Optometry; Mark Lien, industry relations manager of the Illuminating Engineering Society; and Wirecutters own lighting enthusiast, Dan Koeppel. It adds an efficient LED, and it can be plugged into an electrical outlet, USB port, or run off of its rechargeable battery pack for cordless operation. We like that this lamp comes with a fabric-covered cord, which is unusual for a model at this price. And the lamp head obstructed the monitor by about a half-inch, so we had to adapt to the lamp, rather than the other way around. A little practice is required to adjust brightness using the long press button-operated dimming controls. Its also one of the few cordless (and therefore portable) lamps we encountered in our research that also had positive reviews. No room for a full-size desk? But it didnt get as bright as the other lamps we tested. However, the base is too large: 2 inches tall, compared with the other lamps -inch to 1-inch base heights. The off-white linen shade helps to create a soothing light. Using a lamp should not be this hard. And we thought the shiny coat on the black version (no longer available as a desk lamp) made the Fors look more plasticky than it did in online photos. Its probably even better suited as a bedside lamp. After 33 hours of research, were confident the Carex Day-Light Classic Plus is the best light therapy lamp to treat seasonal affective disorder. With our external monitor standing at a similar height, the two battled for elbow room. *At the time of publishing, the price was $130. In 2022 tests, Gregory tried each lamp in a home-office environment, following guidelines established from our previous review. Ive been writing about home design and products since 2006 for a multitude of design-focused outlets, including Lonny, Metropolis, and Design Sponge. If and when this lamp becomes available in a standard-outlet version, well revisit it as a possible top pick. And because everyone has different aesthetic preferences, we sought out desk lamps in a variety of style categories, from classic to modern. This contemporary take on the bankers light works well as a bedside reading lamp, particularly due to its V-shaped shade, which you can angle conveniently where needed. If you regularly read before bed, you may prefer a lamp that allows you to adjust the brightness to illuminate the page or screen without excessive glare. Our writer unboxed and assembled lamps in Wirecutters Los Angeles office. We wished the lamp head could also rotate to each side, but the two lamp arms make up for this drawback with gymnast-like flexibility: The first joint of articulation bends 110 degrees, and the second articulation point offers an even more limber 210 degreesallowing for seemingly endless angles for the lamp to shine its light.
Its large size makes it best for low surfaces with sufficient space all around. Also, its easy to adjust with only one handstability you rarely see with lamps this small. The lamps on/off control would be better placed on the lamp head, rather than dangling from the cord in the form of a cheaply constructed plastic power switch. Gregory Han is a writer at Design Milk. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. The adjustable height of the West Elm Telescoping Table Lamp is its best feature, but its marred by legs that wobble a little when you extend the lamp. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. In the initial round of testing for this guide, we considered over 100 models and arrived at a short list of 42 promising desk lamps, which eventually got whittled to a final testing list of 10 lamps.
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