Why are you looking for the best desk lamp? Depending on the purpose for which they might need it, different people will have different answers to this question. Some might need it for study purposes. Others, especially working parents, would like to work in its glow as their child sleep in the crib.
There are also people who need more concentrated and focused lighting for their tasks which ceiling lights cannot provide. We also have readers who are knees deep into interior design – and would like to use their table lamp for ambient lighting or accent lighting purposes.
Were you aware of so many uses of that lanky, hunched piece of lighting? Our experts were. Aware of this piece of information, they only selected versatile models in our desk lamp reviews. So regardless of the purpose you might need a table lamp for, the below-mentioned models have got your back.
Table of Contents
Best Desk Lamps
1. TaoTronics TT-DL13B LED Eye-Caring Desk Lamp
The TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp is one of those models which won’t stop at lighting your surroundings. It comes with a built-in USB port using which you can charge your phone and other devices. Also on offer is the option of wireless charging, so you can say goodbye to wires forever.
What’s more, since it is equipped with a touch-sensitive power button, you can get this lamp up and running with the tap of a finger. Its control panel also has a ring that acts as a light dimmer. There’s another button which, on each tap, changes the color of the light emanating from the bulb.
Since it has an adjustable head, you have the freedom to change the direction of the light. The wireless charging pad built into its base lets you charge your iPhone X, and various other devices. It can quickly charge Android phones by giving a quick shot of 10 watts of power.
Read more: TaoTronics TT-DL13B LED Desk Lamp Review
2. Lampat LED Desk Lamp
Who says that competitively priced models cannot offer bells and whistles? The Lampat LED Desk Lamp busts this myth by offering four lighting modes and five levels of brightness. While the former lets you change the light’s color, the latter helps increase or decrease the light’s intensity.
More importantly for your eyesight, the natural light emanating from this lamp’s bulb will reduce the risk of eye strain. It also provides a timer using which you can program this lamp to turn off after an hour. There’s also the option which you can activate to have the lamp turn itself off after thirty minutes.
On top of everything else, its control panel won’t force you to consult the instruction manual. All the buttons have user-intuitive tags for the four lighting modes i.e. reading, writing, relax and sleep. Lampat also claims that its adjustable head has undergone the flexural test 6,000 times.
3. TW Lighting IVY-40BK The IVY LED Desk Lamp
To justify its reputation as one of the most versatile lamps on the market, the TW Lighting IVY offers multiple light intensity settings. It has a modifiable swing arm neck which allows you to adjust the angle as well as the height of the incoming light.
Furthermore, since it has the capability to offer up to 500-lumen, this lamp can illuminate the gloomiest of environments. You won’t have any trouble using it as it contains a user-intuitive touchpad control panel. Unfortunately, you can only use the button to change the color of the light and not its intensity.
And how can you increase/decrease the intensity? Well, for that purpose, look up. That’s because the three-level dimmer is positioned on the bulb. That’s a pretty clever move by TW Lighting, because, when you’d be looking straight into the light, you’d be able to get the right setting at the first time of trying.
4. Etekcity LED Desk Lamp with USB Charging Port
You only need to look at the green base and white top of this model to praise its modern design. Equally clever is the usage of 16 energy-efficient bulbs inside its head. Apart from providing flicker-free light, they consume less electricity and will, therefore, weigh less heavily on your electricity bills.
Additionally, its 1000mAh Li-Po battery provides respectable runtimes on a full charge. Provided you’re using it on the lowest brightness mode, the battery will last 6 hours before needing recharging. Conversely, if you are operating it at the max setting, the battery will still provide 2.5 hours of lighting.
The presence of the bendable goose-neck means you can adjust this lamp in any direction that you want. It also features a circular control panel which lets you choose from a range of 256 colors. The middle button in the control panel, meanwhile, lets you select between 3 light intensity settings.
5. TROND Halo 9W-C Dimmable Daylight LED Clamp Light Desk Lamp
Did you come here in search of an ultra-portable and stylish desk lamp? The Trond Halo 9W-C might be your best bet. The dark black color of this lamp means you can use it as easily in your office as you could on the bedside table of your toddler(s).
To take advantage of such wide-ranging utility, you have to keep it plugged in at all times. It justifies the exclusion of battery by offering a color temperature range of 5,800K to 6,000K. That’s important because natural light, which is beneficial for your eyesight, has the same color wavelengths.
In contrast to most desk lamps you see in this review, this model’s control panel only has a single button. It’s mainly a power on/off button but doubles as a touchable dimmer. Such an arrangement takes any confusion out of the operation of this model.
6. TOMOL Super Bright COB LED Portable Desk Lamp Travel Lamp
Some of us work in offices that have a hot desk policy. It basically means that you have to move your desk once every few days for whatever reason. Provided your workspace also subscribes to this view, the Tomol Super Bright Lamp, because of its portability, will come handy.
This ultra-portable desk lets you charge it in two separate ways. You can either count on its four AA batteries to keep delivering the juice. Or you can just plug it into the USB port of your laptop. Either way, it will deliver three light intensity settings, though you cannot control its color temperature.
To make up for this shortcoming, this model’s collapsible design will do more than enough. You can use it to fold the entire unit into a more compact shape. Also, since the shade is adjustable, you can adjust the light as well as the angle of the incoming light.
Desk Lamp Buying Guide
At the cost of generalizing, one of two types of people will consult this article. The first are those who already know everything they need to know about desk lamps. So they’d come here, look for the model with the best reviews, and make the purchase.
Such people are in a minority. A lion’s share of customers might not know enough about table lamps at the beginning of their research. They’d first want to expand their knowledge-base of table lamps, and after being assured that they won’t be ripped off by the manufacturer, they’d then head to the market.
It is for these buyers – who are here with an open mind – that this buying guide will prove useful.
What to Consider When Buying a Desk Lamp?
Following are the questions you need to ask yourself before purchasing a desk lamp:
Size of the desk lamp
Whether you’re sitting on the best folding chair or an ordinary one, the ideal position of a lamp is just above your head. If you position it below your eyes or between your eyes and your hair, it might not be able to cover the entire work area. If you place it too far above your head, the light would become too diffused.
To fully take advantage of this tip, here’s how you can select the right-size lamp for your desk.Small size lamps
If your desk is extra-small, make sure your lamp comes with clip-on. That would allow you to place it on the edges, preserving precious space in the center of the table to place your documents.
Conversely, if your desk can hold some gear, you might want a model with a small base. These are lamps whose size of the pendant exceeds the area they’d consume on the ground.Large size lamps
It goes without saying that large desks need lamps with extra reach. Otherwise, you might need an additional light source to illuminate your workspace. So you should choose a lamp with extra reach.
When we say ‘extra reach’, we mean lamps with a swing arm or architect design. These are models that let you increase/decrease their coverage area at will. So you can count on them to cover your entire desk.
Tip: To know more about sitting posture, consult our ergonomic office chair buying guide.
Type of lighting
What type of bulb would you like to have in your desk lamp? To help you answer this question, let’s have a brief look at the various types of lighting.
LED
In contrast to their halogen, incandescent and fluorescent counterparts, LED bulbs don’t get hot. Also, they consume 1/5th of the power when compared with an equally powerful halogen bulb. You can also get LED lamps with the light dimming feature.
That is not to say that everything is hunky-dory with this light source. They do not provide the brightest light source, especially when you compare them with halogen lamps. So they might not be a good choice for general lighting purposes.
Pros
– Won’t get hot
– Consume less power
– Have light-dimming featureCons
– Not the brightest light sourceFluorescent
With a shelf-life of up to 10,000 hours, fluorescent lights are one of the most long-lasting. They glow brightly than incandescent lamps and are more energy-efficient than them as well. Moreover, since they offer a cooler spectrum of colors, fluorescent lights won’t cause eye strain.
On the flip side, fluorescent lights don’t come cheap. Also, you can’t just turn them on and start working straight away. Their working mechanism is such that these lights take a few seconds before reaching their maximum brightness level. That means that you’d have to wait for a few minutes.
Pros
– Last longer
– Cooler color spectrum
– Brighter than incandescent bulbsCons
– Require a few minutes to reach their full brightnessIncandescent
Incandescent lights are for those of you who might be sensitive to light produced by modern bulbs. That’s mainly because they serve as a gentler light source. You might want to have them in your room if you’re into interior design.
Unfortunately, their gentle light means that incandescent lights are ill-suited for work purposes. You might also have to replace their bulbs more often. That’s because they don’t last as long as, say, their LED or fluorescent counterparts.
Pros
– Produce gentle light
– Great option for interior décor
– Won’t create a glareCons
– Not generally used for general lighting purposesHalogen
Of all the lamps that you see on the market, those with halogen bulbs provide the brightest light. That’s due to the fact that the halogen gas which fills the bulb prevents the tungsten filament from dying down. Hence the reason why these bulbs can operate at higher temperatures for extended periods.
However, since they give more light, halogen bulbs also tend to get pretty hot, pretty easily. You’d need to exercise extreme caution when using them with kids and pets around. Accidental touch might expose the victim to a burn injury.
Pros
– Emit the brightest light
– Are energy-efficient
– Can be used for task lightingCons
– Risk of burn injury on accidental contact
Base Material
Should you pay attention to the material the desk lamp is made of? You should. As stated in the reviews of back supports for office chair, a product’s base material plays an important part in its sturdiness. Also, the material of construction of the lamp would also influence its looks. So apart from having an effect on its quality, the material will also influence the aesthetics of the lamp.
Here are some of the common desk lamp base materials:
Metal
Metal lamps come in various forms. They might adopt a brushed steel finish or could adorn themselves with sophisticated bronze. Some of the more expensive metal lamps might also feature a chrome layer.
Regardless of the type, all metal lamps have one thing in common: they look stylish and sleek. They give off utilitarian vibes and, if their color complements your room’s décor, are minimalistic masterpieces.Plastic
Ever spent time choosing a home office desk? Then you must know that plastic is a no-go area for style lovers. Still, users who cannot afford to pay above a certain price point might find plastic lamps to be in their budget range.
Also, while most plastic lamps look cheap, some of them with more colors won’t betray their meager price tag with their looks. You can also get models that contain a mix of metal and plastic if you want the best of both worlds.
Power source
As far as their power source is concerned, the models reviewed above fall into two categories. The first set are those who run when you connect them to a power outlet. The second, meanwhile, are those with built-in batteries that you can charge via USB.
Here’s how both of them compare with each other:
Plug-in
Models that require you to plug them in offer various benefits. You don’t have to worry about them running out of power midway through the reading. Also, they tend to produce more luminesce than their battery-powered colleagues.
On the flip side, plug-in models aren’t portable. Their 24*7 reliance on wires means you cannot use them in remote settings. Also, the presence of cables means that they’re difficult to carry.Battery and USB powered
Battery-powered models promise you the world, and almost offer exactly that. You can use them wherever you want, don’t have to deal with any wires and can easily carry them in your backpack.
However, while they are ultraportable, these models cannot compete with plug-in lamps when it comes to luminesce. Also, if a model doesn’t have USB charging, you’d have to pay for the replacement battery after a certain time.
Style
Desk lamps are available in multiple styles including traditional, modern/contemporary, industrial, rustic, and mid-century. Since you’re going to use your unit in a domestic setting, we have only selected the first two styles.
Traditional
If ever there were models with timeless looks, traditional desk lamps have to be one. Their slightly reserved design makes them look as home on a table in a Wall Street Office as they do in domestic settings.
Modern
What are the indicators of modern style? Neatly demarcated lines, pleasing-to-the-eye colors, and geometric shapes. Those of you looking to make a bold statement might find modern desk lamps attractive.
Working Area and Wattage
Here’s why both these factors should influence your selection:
Working Area
It goes without saying that the bigger the lamp, the more area it will illuminate. Lamps that need to light up a bigger area must have a huge boom. The reverse is true if you are going to do some delicate tasks under the light.
Wattage
Luckily, there’s a consensus among desk lamp users that 5-10 watts are enough for most desk tasks. Though you might want to demand more wattage if you suffer from eye-strain.
Features and Specs of Desk Lamps
Here are some of the features and specs which are a must-have for the top-rated desk lamps:
Long lifespan:
One of the stand-out features of best-selling desk lamps is that they offer up to 30,000 hours of light. That means that even if you use them for 8 hours per day, they’d still come handy for the next 10 years.
Color Rendering Index:
Ever heard a friend commending his desk for emitting ‘true-to-life’ colors? They might not be aware that it’s their model’s CRI which deserves all the praise. Lamps with CRI ratings above 85 and less than 100 emit natural-looking light.
Color Temperature:
Do you know what makes one light ‘cool’ and the other ‘warm’? You guessed it; it’s the temperature of their colors that determines how warm (or otherwise) the light’s glow is. You might want to go for color temperatures between 2,700K and 4,500K to get good-looking light.
Adjustability:
Any one of several features that make a lamp adjustable, including swiveling heads, goosenecks, boom arms and swing arms. Any desk which has any of these features won’t only produce minimal glare but will also let you fine-tune its placement.
Dimmable light:
If you haven’t used a desk lamp before, you won’t know the adequate brightness of light in which you can easily read. That’s why we recommend that you choose a model offering multiple brightness levels.
Touch Control:
Despite having innumerable differences with each other, all models in this review have one thing in common. All of them boast touch controls as they make operating the lamp a cinch.
Built-in USB port: Barring one or two desk lamps, all the others in this review have a built-in USB port. It allows you to recharge the lamp from your laptop and use that power to power-up your smartphone’s battery.Safety features:
Make sure the lamp you’re going to buy comes with a weighted base. That would prevent it from being accidentally tipped over. Secondly, go for LED bulbs. They remain cool to touch and are, therefore, safe to use in the vicinity of children.
What is the Desk Lamp for?
It’s a no-brainer that desk lamps are there to illuminate your work area. But are there other benefits which you can get from them? We try to answer this question by detailing the oft-ignored benefits of these units in this section.
Top 6 Benefits of Desk Lighting For Your Home
It improves your focus:
What would happen if your working table is the only thing illuminated in the entire room? One thing that’s for sure is that you’ll have no distractions. You’ll be able to focus on the task at hand and improve the quality of whatever you might be working on.
Reduces eye strain:
General lighting like ceiling lights aren’t meant for reading or writing purposes. Their main purpose is to just illuminate your surroundings. In contrast, desk lamps are made for and by the workers. Their spot-lighting, therefore, helps reduce eye strain.
Helps read fine print:
Are you one of those people who know that the real truth is in the footnotes? Desk lamps, by allowing you to concentrate their lighting on one area, will satiate your appetite for reading the fine print.
Highlighting a feature:
You can use desk lamps to spotlight a specific feature in your room i.e. an ornamental corner or a beautiful object. People do that to let the world know of their prowess in interior décor.
Decorating the room:
Desk lamps come in various styles including classic, retro, modern and industrial. You can easily choose a style that would complement your room’s décor and serve as a decoration item.
Complement your eyesight:
All of us know that the eye-sight of a 60-year-old cannot be compared to that of a teenager. Why, then, the 60-year-old and the teenager should read under the same light? Desk lamps satisfy this query with their dimmable light feature.
Differences Between Halogen Lamps and LED Desk Lights
There are many differences between halogen lamps and LED desk lights. Let’s take a look at only those that will help you make a choice between the two.
LED vs Halogen: Is LED or Halogen Better?
Lifespan
Assuming you have purchased a 20-50 Watts LED bulb, it could last for as much as 100,000 hours. Regardless of their wattage, most average halogen lamps won’t remain in working condition after 4,000 hours.
Initial Cost
Since they are available in a variety of colors, are more energy-efficient and consume less electricity during their lifespan, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have more initial costs than halogen lamps.
Running Cost
Although LEDs have cost more upfront, they justify their steep asking price by their low running costs. That is, because, they are more energy-efficient (up to 50%) than halogens (up to 29%).
Brightness
Halogen lamps emit brighter light than LEDs because they discharge 80% to 90% of energy in the form of light. In contrast, LEDs only emit 10% to 20% energy that they receive in the form of electricity in light.
Operating temperature
Since they transmit more energy in the form of light, the outer shell of halogen lamps gets extremely hot during operation. You might risk yourself to a burn injury if you try to touch a working halogen lamp. LEDs, pose no such safety hazard as they remain lukewarm during operation.
Energy consumption
Due to the simple reason that halogens emit brighter light than LEDs, they also consume more power. Their energy consumption is, at least, 5x more than LEDs. Hence the reason why the US Energy Department terms than less energy-efficient than LEDs.
Applications
Halogen lamps are most commonly used for flood, accent and recessed lighting. LEDs have no specific usage as their low running cost and higher energy efficiency makes them suitable for both residential as well as commercial applications.
Are Desk Lamps Good or Bad for Your Eyes?
We were told in our childhood that reading under dim light can be dangerous for our eyesight. Some of us took this warning as gospel and shunned our bad ways. Others, who were of the more careless nature, brushes it aside and picked up their reading material.
As it turned out, the ones who adopted the latter approach were right. The British Medical Journal in 2007 noted that while it might cause some eye strain, reading in low light won’t damage our eyesight. The study also found that the harmful effect won’t persist, which means it will go away with time.
Does that mean you should dim your desk lamp’s light further? Neither we nor the study recommends that. In fact, if you want to prevent eye strain while reading under sub-optimal lighting, we recommend you follow these tips.
Tips for Working Under Desk Lamp’s Light
Balance your lighting requirements with your age:
As the NY Times reported in 1986, while we can read by 40 watts when we’re ten, we need around 100 watts by the time we’re 60. In other words, the more age you put on, the more light you’d need for reading.
Go for a translucent shade lamp:
Lighting experts agree that transparent shades are the best for reading purposes. They not only deflect light downward for reading purposes but also emit it upward to light your surroundings.
Place the lamp’s bulb just above eye level:
It goes without saying that if you’re a right-hand writer, the lamp should be on your left side. That would prevent the shadow of your arm. More importantly, the lamp’s bulb should be positioned between your eyes and the hair.
Position the reading material correctly:
Experts tell us that the correct position of reading material is somewhere between 14 and 18 inches from our eyes. Reading material closer or farther can strain the eyes.
Trust your eyes:
Your eyes won’t be biased when telling you what does or doesn’t suit them. If the desk lamp’s light isn’t comfortable to them, they will show signs of stress like headaches, squinting, burning. Don’t ignore these signs thinking that they’re normal.
5 Lighting Hacks for Healthier and More Productive Workplaces
Since all of us take lighting for granted, we don’t know how its proper use can boost our productivity. Good lighting can create environments that are conducive for creativity and good moods. Bad lighting, on the contrary, can serve as a killjoy by creating a gloomy environment.
Follow these 5 lighting hacks for healthier and more productive workplaces:
Open Those Curtains
There are tons of studies on how natural light can result in a more productive workplace. One of them, carried out by the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, found out that those of us who work under natural light have higher levels of energy than those who do not.
Yet another study showed that checkout counter receiving skylights generated 40 percent higher sales. There’s also a survey in which 47% of employees admitted that the absence of natural light made them feel tired. So, while it might seem nothing to you at first, opening those curtains does have its benefits.Go Blue
Thanks to the minds of architects who design our buildings, it isn’t always possible to receive natural light at our desks. The next best thing you could do is hang a blue light on top of your head. Studies show that when used alongside natural light, it works by improving the overall well-being of the reader.
Need proof of this statement? Glad you asked. Blue wavelengths, like the ones emanating from your Facebook feed, boost mood, reaction time and attention. That’s the reason why, apart from Facebook, other major apps like Twitter, Dropbox, and Google Docs have also gone blue.
Warning: Since it increases your alertness, blue light can also interfere with your sleeping pattern. So you might want to log out of Facebook and maybe read a book before going to bed.Illuminate your office vertically
Ever thought why desk lamps are vertical and not horizontal? Apart from the simple reason that horizontal lamps would be more difficult to carry, the main factor behind them being vertical is for them to create a sense of depth and space.
That’s the reason why you should consider going vertical when deciding lighting for your office. Vertical lights create a pleasant atmosphere. They also help the workers and the visitors understand the structure of the office better. It also emphasizes important information, like an inscription on the wall, in a better way.Brighten up your workspace
Studies show that people who don’t receive adequate light day in, day out tend to lack energy and show signs of moodiness. Also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), this behavior does have a negative impact on productivity and well-being.
To counter this behavior, make sure that the illumination in your workplace is, at least, at 2000 lux. That might not sound a lot before you know that most of our offices don’t go beyond 500lux. To check whether your office meets this standard, you might download a lux meter app on your smartphone.Adjust your screen’s brightness
As stated earlier, blue light at night can interfere with your sleep pattern. At the same time, you need blue light during the day if you wish to remain productive. What you should do, then, is to adjust your screen’s brightness with the time of the day.
Does that mean you should activate your smartphone’s night mode when it gets dark outside? It’s a good place to start. Unfortunately, though, night mode doesn’t work in all apps. So you’d need an application that dims the blue light on all apps, like Twilight.
FAQs and Answers
- Q: How tall should a desk lamp be?
A: The height of the desk lamp should be between your eyes and your hair. If it’s too low, it might not be able to cover the entire work area. If you place it too far above your head, the light would become too diffused. - Q: Are LED desk lamps dimmable?
A: The LED desk lamps weren’t dimmable in the bad old days. However, with the advent of technology, you can get LED models that allow you to increase/decrease the intensity of their light. You can tell that by looking at the models in this review, all of whom are dimmable. - Q: How to repair a desk lamp?
- Q: How to clean a desk lamp?
A: Follow the following steps to clean your desk lamp:
1. Unplug the unit if it’s connected.
2. Remove the shade.
3. Unscrew the bulb.
4. Prepare a mixture of dishwashing soap and warm water. Dampen a smooth microfiber cloth with the mixture. Then use it to gently wipe clean the bulb, the base and the shade.
5. Give all the parts that you’ve cleaned enough time to air-dry.
6. Reinstall the bulb and follow it up by connecting the shade. - Q: How i convert halogen desk lamp to led lamp?
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Conclusion
Apart from increasing your focus by directing your attention to the task at hand, the best desk lamps provide a lot of benefits. Their presence on your desk would complement your eyesight, an advantage which you cannot expect from ceiling or other forms of lighting.
Also, as you can see by going through our desk lamp reviews once again, most of them also come with a built-in USB port. Provided you choose a model with the same feature, you can use it to charge your smartphones, tablets and other gadgets.
On top of everything else, these models would also let you read fine print without putting any strain on your eye. Put all these benefits together, and one could easily gauge that these models are well-worth their asking prices.