wirecutter table lamp

If your room is on the tinier side, we recommend getting a lamp without a shade, or at least getting one that has a smaller shade.

Just drop the preassembled arm and light head into the weighted desktop base, plug in the Nova, and its ready to use. Get this if: You need a desk lamp that can adapt to different tasks throughout the day. But experts recommend having a mix of light sources in every roomoverhead, task, and accent lightingfor ambiance and a balance between light and shadow.

Power, dimming, and occupancy sensor controls are all incorporated into a single touch-sensitive strip, an interface that is easy to operate without even a glance. Then Melanie tested each of the lamps throughout the day for over two weeks, comparing all the lamps side by side and taking note of the following: Melanie also measured each lamps lux level at the lowest and highest height settings, to see how each lamp performed with task lighting. 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. What kind of mood are you trying to create?

But its as basic as they come, sans any dimming or color-temperature options. 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. Instead we focused on four stylesshade, task, wall-mount, and small-space designsthat we believed would work for a range of bedrooms.

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.

While reviewing thousands of lamps labeled as being for the bedroom, we pared our research down to 50 modelstaking into account aesthetics, price, user reviews, and the criteria listed belowbefore narrowing our initial testing list to 11. We independently review everything we recommend. 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.

Its also backed by a lifetime warranty. *At the time of publishing, the price was $195.

Whether it's finding great products or discovering helpful advice, we'll help you get it right (the first time).

He has tested and recommended everything from beds and alarm clocks to bedside lamps, floor lamps, and sofas for Wirecutter.

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 touch switch makes switching from time to read to time to get into something more comfortable as easy as tapping a smartphone. Some people rotate art on their walls, but hes known to switch out lighting throughout the year. The OTUS Architect Desk Lamp boasts a ton of features that sound useful12 brightness levels and three color settings, and you can wave your hand above the lamp to turn it on or off, like a Jedi. The E7s controls are tasked to a single square button on the LED light bar, allowing for stepless dimming and brightness adjustments with a tap or long hold. Using a lamp should not be this hard. 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.

Learn more. 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). 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.

Turning the lamp on and off is simple because it has a single tactile button, located on the top of the lamp shade. We added three new picks: the Uplift E7, Humanscale Nova, and Anglepoise 90 Mini Mini. joybird astra 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. This space-saving lamp is easier to hang and comes in a wider variety of finishes than other swing-arm designs we tested. Unlike arms on other models we tested, the 90 Mini Minis articulating arms never sprang forward or tipped backward, no matter how far we pushed the lamp head in either direction.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $67. Why its great: If you dont have room for a bedside table, a wall-mounted swing lamp can be a great option.

Flaws, but not dealbreakers: Although owner reviews on the Wayfair site are overwhelmingly positive for the Alina, reviewers consistently note that the lamps color is more gray than the white/cream color in the photos. Here are a few of our favorite small desks for cozy apartments and shared spaces. 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.

Because the long arm can fold down, the lamp is useful for tiny spaces, too.

(Youll likely see lumens mentioned in lamp specs. But if you like the style and dont plan on using the lamp angled at 90 degrees, it could be a great fit for your home office. After 33 hours of research, were confident the Carex Day-Light Classic Plus is the best light therapy lamp to treat seasonal affective disorder.

Melanie said as shes gotten older, she has noticed her eyes straining more when shes working on the computer. We added two new picks to this guide: HAYs Matin Table Lamp and EQ3s Oxford Table Lamp. The luxurious golden finish of the Target Project 62 Dome LED Accent Lamp is only skin deep, and as soon as you pick it up, you realize why its so affordable. So dimming from 100% down to 14% brightness requires only an intuitive sliding motion, which we easily became accustomed to using without even a glance. 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. Flaws but not dealbreakers: Fully extended, the arms reach to only 20 inches in height. A space-saving wall lamp: Onefortythree Wallace Lamp, A contemporary shaded lamp: Joss & Main Alina Table Lamp, A sturdy tripod lamp: Adesso Eden Table Lamp, A minimalist reading lamp: Xiaomi Mi LED Desk Lamp, A tiny statement piece: Andrew Neyer Goodnight Light, A readers delight: EQ3 Oxford Table Lamp, How to pick the right lamp for your bedroom, Lighting It Right: How to Choose the Perfect Table Lamp, Everything You Need to Block Light and Noise From Your Bedroom.

You can also choose a dimmer switch or international plugs as add-ons for this made-to-order light (each one takes three to four weeks to build, if it isnt already in stock). This uncomplicated desk lamp uses LED bulbs instead of built-in LEDs, and its the most flexible model for positioning light just where you want it. But when we needed to focus light on an exacting tasklike installing new keyboard switches or removing a bee stinger with tweezerswe could pull the arms downward just above the desk to cast a shadow-free, even light.

The all-metal wall bracket is easy to install; you secure it in place with just a screwdriver or drill. After researching over 51 desk lamps and testing 16, weve chosen our favorite desk lamps in a variety of styles and prices. It arrives fully assembled, and it features a tip-proof heavy steel base and an angled aluminum arm, with a 342-degree turning radius you can nudge away or near with one finger. The LEDs are tucked almost halfway back into the lamp shade, so the design eliminates distracting glare.

And when you pair it with a soft white bulb, the linen shade casts a relaxing, warm light. The 90 Mini Mini connects to power at the base via a Micro-USB power cord (a connection with a tendency to loosen and fail over time compared with more-robust USB-A or USB-C connections). 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. 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.

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.

The three-way rotary socket switch allows for quick adjustments to brightness.

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.

Get this if: You want a soft, glare-free, uniform light source that wont tire the eyes and can double as serviceable video-conference lighting.

Subscribe now for unlimited access. 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. The Possini is sturdy, attractive, and barely takes up space on a desk. shopclues The Slimline Modern Swing Arm Desk Table Lamp is a simple LED lamp with two standout features: an AC outlet and a USB port in the large, heavy base, both of which are handy when you dont want to reach under your desk to plug something in.

Subscribe now for unlimited access. This makes the 90 Mini Mini best suited for use with a laptop, for reading, or for other tasks that dont require a large area of illumination and that can be supplemented by a secondary light source. 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.

Many people who work at their desks rely solely on overhead lighting.

Dimensions: 29 by 13 by 14 inches, with a 7-inch-diameter base.

IKEAs energy-efficient, chandelier-style E12 bulb isnt the brightest of the buncha modest 200 lumen brightness. 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). The integrated 10-watt LED is bright (without being distracting) and also dimmable.

Signify (formerly Philips Lighting) says that 500 lux is average for office lighting, but higher levels are needed for detailed work, such as proofreading a paper or doing architectural drawings.

Our picks include a wall-mounted lamp, a contemporary shaded lamp, a sturdy tripod design, a futuristic desk lamp, a tiny statement piece, a delicate shaded lamp, and a modern, banker-style desk lamp. A large table lamp on a small surface in a small room can look out of place.

Get this if: You work from a small desk. The IKEA Forss on/off switch control is simple to operate. Positioning a lamp near the corner can make a room look brighter by bouncing light off the walls and ceiling to reduce eyestrain. It also has just one brightness level and temperature.

Also, one of our senior editors purchased this lamp, and the dimmer dial cracked after a few months of use. 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. 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. Whether tilting or swiveling, any adjustment required only one hand.

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. This great-quality, highly adjustable aluminum LED desk lamp is affordable, and it can reach high and far. Yet we couldnt deny the appeal of the lamps buttery-smooth movement and its three-in-one adaptability as a task, spot, and ambient light source. Why its great: The Adesso Eden Table Lamp is physically and visually lighter than the heavier Alina lamp, making it a better choice for smaller spaces or a room where you want to preserve the flow of natural light from a window.

The NJP Mini is a design object with a design pedigree price tag to match. When you rotate the lamp head over its center stand tube, a sleeve slides up to lock satisfyingly into place and directs light down through its perforated stemeffectively transforming into a warm, ambient torchiere. 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.

This portable and adjustable lamp has a compact base that can be powered using an outlet, rechargeable battery, or USB port. But in comparison with some of our new picks, this lamps cheap plastic construction and limited height adjustability stood out as noticeably inferior in fit and finishespecially when it was compared with the similarly priced but superior build and intuitive core functions of the Uplift E7. If you share a bed with someone who is easily disturbed by light, both of you will appreciate an adjustable shade and a dimming function; theyre great for those evenings when you want to finish a chapter but your bedmate wants to begin counting sheep early.

An adaptable (but pricey) desk lamp: The Dyson Solarcycle Morphs unique, industrial-modern design and hefty price tag wont turn everyone on.

Finally, to get real-world usability opinions from other people, Melanie asked four panelists to turn the lamps on and off, to change the brightness and color-temperature settings where available, and to adjust the lamp heights and angles as if they were shopping for a lamp in a store. For the most soothing lighting, we recommend pairing nearly all of our picks with a soft white bulb, such as our favorite LED bulb, the Cree 60 W Equivalent Soft White.

Also, it has a propensity to kick backward like a catapult when positioned too far back and upward. Flaws but not dealbreakers: Some minor glue remnants were present where a leg was adjoined to the center pipe, marring an otherwise smooth and fine finish. 2022 Wirecutter, Inc., A New York Times Company. Best for: Average to small bedrooms with one or more bedside tables, and for people who like to read or work in bed. Waveform Lighting has a good guide to lux versus lumens, if youre interested in learning more.). This article was edited by Daniela Gorny and Erica Ogg.

The power switch is made of cheap plastic. Its more top-heavy than other lamps, which made it less likely to hold its position at certain angles in our tests.

The lamp cant tilt back at the base beyond a fixed angle, and the top arm can fling back with some velocity if positioned beyond 90 degrees.

The E7 isnt going to win any style awards, but the lamps rangy, simple design is unobtrusive.

Either way, we both took an immediate liking to the idiosyncratic personality of the Matin Lamp, a delicate-looking model with a very lightweight, yet stable, base. Combined with the small, 3-inch lampshade, the area of light cast by this desk lamp is limited in comparison with light cast by our other picks.

A rotating center tube and 180-degree V-shaped shade make the illumination easy and quick to adjust. 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.

It also swivels 360 degrees from the base, has similar spring-tension articulation, and stretches more than 6 inches higher than the 90 Mini Mini, casting more light than its petite cousin. *At the time of publishing, the price was $180. The ideal bedside lamp will fit nicely in your room, offer sufficient brightness for your needs, and help create a relaxing atmosphere that invites sleep.

In a very small bedroom, the same single lamp could work over a bed and in a reading nook, since the lamps arm swings 180 degrees on the wall and the shade swivels 90 degrees vertically and 360 degrees side to side. But at 9.5 inches tall when bent at 90 degrees, its tiny and probably best only for a students desk or a small workspace. 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.

The arm and shade adjust so you can angle the light perfectly for reading.

Best for: A bedroom with other sources of light, inviting the Matin to warmly fill in a bedside corner. The bulb you choose, the location you pick for the lamp, your wall color, and the shade you use can all affect the overall atmosphere of a room. The lamps slide gesture control is intuitive and responsive, and it can stop precisely at the brightness point desired. And since 2006 he has been writing about home decor for a multitude of design-focused outlets, including Dwell, Domino, and Apartment Therapy, where for years he helped everyday people turn houses into homes.

Melanie Pinola previously covered all things home office as a senior staff writer at Wirecutter.

Our writer also tested how easy bedside wall lamps were to install.

Gregory Han is a writer at Design Milk. Our journalists combine independent research with (occasionally) over-the-top testing to save people time, energy and money when making buying decisions. No problem.

Keeping in theme with its diminutive size, the Anglepoise 90 Mini Mini connects via Micro-USB, but we wish it used a more-robust USB-A or USB-C connection. Targets Project 62 Marble Lamp has been discontinued, so weve removed it from the guide. 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). Lux measures the intensity of light on a surface area, such as a desk or table. Flaws but not dealbreakers: Not everyone liked the look of the lamp in a real-world setting. Whether youre reading, dozing, or simply relaxing in bed, the right lighting goes a long way toward creating a soothing atmosphere. However, the base is too large: 2 inches tall, compared with the other lamps -inch to 1-inch base heights. And he worked beside each model as a primary light source for a minimum of three hours each.

Because this lamp clamps onto a desks edge (an optional desk base is available, for $20), it doesnt require a lot of space. So you might want to replace it with a different bulb (up to 40 watts).

But this non-height-adjustable desk lamp proved to be a non-starter for our own desk setup.

Gregory Han is a design, travel, and lifestyle writer, and the co-author of Creative Spaces: People, Homes, and Studios to Inspire.

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. When turned on, the Oxford puts out an even and warm light (which never tired our eyes).

It has a very high brightness setting with a warm color temperature. The striking shape, touch sensor, and heavy base elevate it to a tiny design statement.

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 preferred lamps that let us adjust the brightness levels (and made it intuitive to do so). Uplift also makes our top pick standing desk, so we know its a reliable company (and if you happen to be shopping for a desk, you can usually find discounts when bundling accessories). 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.

Fashioned after the iconic British spring-armed lamp that has inspired innumerable knockoffs since its introduction, in the 1930s, this half-size update retains all the best features of the original design.

Theres also an app to pair the lamps geographic location, syncing the Solarcycle Morphs color and brightness to the time of day. In our 2022 update, we researched nine more lamps and tested six more, based on the following criteria: These nice-to-have features also informed our choices: For the original guide, 23 staff members evaluated the 10 test models based on photos of the lamps and a brief description of their features. 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.

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