Nicolae Bochis · April 17, 2024 · 10 min read Setting up the home office means you’ll invest in an ergonomic computer desk, a PC, or laptop, office chair, and all the little accessories that’ll help you focus on your work. You’ll also have to find a suitable desk lamp to brighten the long working hours. There is more to a good desk lamp than a lightbulb, a cable, and a switch, so let’s talk about the best desk lamps for your home office.
Why You Need a Desk Lamp
A desk lamp can help you optimize the lighting conditions of your home office throughout the workday. Relying on natural light is never enough as it will shift during the course of the day. Overhead lights are never positioned to illuminate the whole space. A desk lamp will not only act as an additional light source but will also be focused on your work table, thus helping you concentrate on your work.
That said, the key benefit of a desk lamp is its ability to reduce eye strain and fatigue. This also means fewer chances for a headache, and a better posture as you won’t have to lean forward to better see what you are doing. Plus you can use it for some beneficial light therapy.
What Type of Light to Choose?
When it comes to the light type, it will all come down to personal preference, but certain light temperatures are better than others. Color types, or temperatures, are measured on the Kelvin scale (K). The spectrum is divided into three categories: warm, neutral, and cool. Let’s see what each of the categories has to offer.
Warm light (between 2700k and 3000K)
The bulbs labeled as “warm” will emit a soft white light that will appear yellow to the observer. Warm lights are not the brightest which makes them suitable for creating a relaxing atmosphere, so they’re ideally used for ambient lighting. Although more suitable for a bedroom or a living room, you may find you prefer the warm light because it’s very easy on the eyes.
Neutral light (between 3100k and 4500k)
Because neutral light is somewhere between warm and cool, you can benefit from the best of both worlds. It’ll easily boost your productivity, but keep you rested enough for all those long work hours. This is why neutral light is mostly used in offices and schools. However, try not to use it right before sleep because it can prevent your body from producing melatonin, a hormone associated with the sleep cycle.
Cool light (between 4600k and 6500K)
Cool or cold light gives out a white-blue hue which you can find in monitors, TVs, smartphones, or tablets. Exposure to this light will make you alert and more productive, but it can also cause severe eye strain, headaches, and fatigue. Your body’s own clock will be confused by cool light into thinking that it’s still day outside. Avoid using cool light during the night at all costs as it can hinder melatonin production and keep you up late at night.
Light Coverage
Aside from choosing the light temperature, you should also pay attention to the brightness, softness, or harshness of the lamp. Also, look into the power settings so you can assess how much of your workspace will be covered in the lamp light. If you really want to geek out you can use a light meter to measure the amount of luminance of your chosen lamp.
Adjustability
When choosing the perfect home office lamp, you should ask yourself do you need a fixed lamp, or an adjustable lamp? This will mostly depend on the type of your workspace. Do you move around the office while working? Are you standing? Are you sitting? Lots of modern desk lamps have various joints, pivots, and elbows that you can turn and twist in order to adjust your lamp. This could be a handy feature.
Additional Features
Modern lamps come with some pretty nifty features that can improve your work. Some have a simple switch, while others have a touchpad. They can also have USB ports, energy-saving features, a timer, pen holders, different lighting modes, and even a wireless charging station for your phone. The options are numerous and it’s up to you to choose a lamp that will fit your office perfectly.
That being said, here are our top picks for home office desk lamps.
1. EppieBasic LED Desk Lamp
Price: $50
- Clamp lamp
- Color range between 2700k and 6500K
- Wide coverage
- Flexible neck
- Double head
EppieBasic LED table lamp is ultra-wide and it has a double LED bulb head to ensure the widest possible light coverage. What’s most interesting is that it was thoughtfully designed not only to illuminate your whole work area but also to preserve desk space. Simply clamp it to your desk behind your monitor and it will perfectly shine its light on your keyboard and desk without causing any screen reflections.
The touch-sensitive buttons will allow you to easily change the color temperature and brightness. Also, the EppieBasic has an automatic light detection feature. It will assess the lighting conditions in your office and automatically adjust the lamp to help illuminate your office. It’s also highly adjustable thanks to its flexible gooseneck design that allows you to work at different angles and focus the light on a specific area or object. The only downside of this lamp is that its c-clamp doesn’t fit all desk types.
2. Lampat LED Desk Lamp
Price: $20
- 4 light modes
- USB charging port
- Auto-off feature
- Touch sensitive control panel
- 5-level dimmer
The Lampat LED light has the best value when it comes to home office desk lamps and it’s even dimmable. It has a sleek, simple design that will fit any home office. Its body is equipped with light-up buttons that will allow you to choose the brightness settings. This lamp also has an auto-off mode, which is great if you tend to forget to turn the light off. You can even set the timer to turn off the lamp after one hour.
That said, this lamp has a lumen rating of only 530, which means it is not enough to light up a large work area. It is good as an extra lamp to focus the light on your desk, while you’re also using an overhead light source.
3. Mchatte LED with Wireless Charger
- Price: $30
- Flicker-free light
- USB port
- Wireless charging base
- 5 color temperatures
- Affordable
If you want a desk lamp with multiple charging capabilities, but you don’t want to break the bank, think about the Mchatte LED lamp. It has both a USB-A port for chargers and a wireless charging pad for your smartphone. It’s perfect for a small desk. As for the lamp itself, it comes with five different light temperature settings and ten brightness levels. The Mchatte lamp also has an auto-off timer so you won’t have to worry about power consumption if you go to bed and forget to turn the light off.
This lamp is easy to set up, and it has elbows that are easily manipulated into a perfect position. The first adjustable joint rotates 160 degrees at its base, while the second joint has a range of movement of 225 degrees. However, the head itself cannot be tilted, so you won’t be able to shine the light horizontally. You might also want to keep this lamp away from your bed, as the charging indicator light never goes off and it might bother your sleep.
4. Ikea Forsa
Price: $ 35
- Stylish design
- Adjustable arms
- Adjustable height
- LED light bulb included
- No assembly required
If you want to shop for your home office items all in one spot, Ikea might be the right choice. They don’t sell just furniture, but also all the necessary appliances and decor. This Swedish retailer sells one of the most popular choices among desk lamps, the Forsa. It has a very sleek and stylish design that easily fits any home decor, and it comes in different colors. The lightbulb is included in the price of $35, but you can also choose other bulbs based on your preferences.
The Ikea Forsa is made of steel which ensures its durability. Long adjustable arms make it easy to find the perfect angle for illuminating your workspace. The lamp base is heavy so it’s secured from flipping over. Due to its design and the bright light it emits, you can use the Forsa lamp on an end table, a desk, or on a bedside table.
5. Tobusa Architect LED Lamp
Price: $48
- Single-button touch control
- 3 color modes
- Dimmable
- Flexible swing arms
- USB charging port
If you’re looking for a vintage but sophisticated task light that will serve its purpose and decorate your office, the Tobusa LED lamp might be the perfect solution. This lamp is luxurious and elegant, but that doesn’t diminish its functionality. It has one button only, but it’s not a simple on-and-off controller. You use it to control the dimming or to choose one of the three color modes: 3000K warm white, 4000K natural light, and 5000k daylight white.
The Tobusa LED task lamp is flexible with 360-degree swing arms, and a 90-degree rotating head. On top of the beautiful design and amazing lighting possibilities, the Tobusa lamp also has a USB-A port so you can charge your devices. The only downside is that the lamp head is heavy, which makes it impossible to swivel it at the lowest possible point without the lamp tilting over. That means you won’t be able to focus the light on just a small portion of your work desk.
6. Dyson Solarcycle Morph
Price: $650
- Unique industrial design
- Acts as ambient, spot, or task light
- Automatically sets the color temperature based on local daylight conditions
- Energy efficient
- Has a smartphone app
If money is not the problem, the Dyson Solarcycle Morph will bring the latest tech and a high-quality innovative design to your office. Connect it to your smartphone and the lamp will automatically adjust the color temperature based on the daylight conditions in your location. This helps curb the bad influence of blue light in the morning and evening. Dyson’s lamp can easily be transformed to serve you as a desk light, feature light, or ambient light. If you need to change the bulb, you can use any LED bulb rated between 4-6W.
With the Dyson app, you can set one of the lamp’s pre-programmed modes: Study, Precision, Relax, and Wake-up. You can also use temperature and brightness controls to create and save your personalized mode. A motion sensor installed within Dyson Solarcycle Morph will switch the light on automatically when you sit at your desk. The only drawback of this lamp is that it can be connected to your device only by Bluetooth. There is no wifi option which means you might not be able to add it to your smart home hub.
Improve Your Home Office with a Desk Lamp
Finding the right desk lamp for your home office can make all the difference in creating an inspiring and productive workspace. Desk lamps come in various shapes, sizes, and styles, offering numerous options to meet your needs. LED bulbs offer optimal energy savings while providing bright and uniform light, and are a great option if you’re looking to save money over time. You might also consider adding unique features like dimming functions or adjustable color temperatures for extra customization.
With so many options available today, we hope you found this guide helpful in finding your perfect desk lamp! Let us know in the comments below if you have any other recommendations.
