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If you are someone who consistently works at their desk, it may be time to buy a desk lamp with softer lighting that can help reduce eye strain and allow you to write, read, or draw more effectively. Folding Desk Lamp
To find the best desk lamps, I consulted with an ophthalmologist, ergonomists, and engineers and used their insights to narrow my search to seven top-rated products. Our best overall pick is the BenQ e-Reading LED Desk Lamp — while it is on the pricier side, its user friendly design, customizable warmth settings, and wide lighting coverage make it a great investment for folks who work from home.
Benjamin Bert, MD, an ophthalmologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, said adjusting lighting temperature throughout the day can help minimize symptoms of eye strain, which can include headaches and soreness. The warmth settings and wide range of motion on the BenQ e-Reading LED Desk Lamp make it an ideal choice for those who want a high quality LED light source that also protects their eyes.
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Best overall: BenQ e-Reading LED Swing Arm Desk Lamp - See at Amazon Sporting a modern design, the BenQ e-Reading LED Swing-Arm Desk Lamp provides wide light coverage, a large range of motion, and adjustable brightness and temperature settings.
Best for eye strain: Dyson Solarcycle Morph - See at Walmart The Dyson Solarcycle Morph automatically adjusts its brightness and light temperature throughout the day based on your precise location, helping to reduce eye strain.
Best with phone charging: LumiCharge II - See at Amazon The LumiCharge II boasts both a universal phone dock and wireless charging pad.
Best for small spaces: TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp - See at TaoTronics The TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp has wireless phone charging and a night-light feature, making it suited to dorm rooms or other small spaces.
Pros: Modern design, numerous warmth settings, tall enough to illuminate desktop computers, a wide range of motion, simple controls
Cons: Large frame might not suit small spaces
Extending vertically up to 30 inches, the BenQ e-Reading LED Swing-Arm Desk Lamp is significantly larger than the other best desk lamps we tested. The lamp's head is mounted on a ball joint so you can pivot it in any direction, and the arm also rotates 360 degrees on the base, making this lamp extremely versatile. Despite its somewhat complex design, the lamp was extremely easy to set up.
The light's head is just over 15 inches in length and casts wider lighting coverage compared to the other best desk lamps I tested. It easily illuminated my whole desk, which is 56 inches wide. I rarely needed my usual overhead light. It produces an impressive 1,800 lux and the lights provide constant flicker-free illumination to reduce eye strain. Although it was the heaviest lamp we tested, I was never worried about it tipping over, even as I adjusted the arms.
It's quick and easy to adjust both the brightness and color temperature, and it has 12 different settings, the most of any lamp we tested. The lamp also has an ambient light sensor, so it automatically adjusts its brightness to suit your environment. I sometimes had to tweak these settings, but not by much. Its special e-reading mode helps reduce glare when you're reading on a computer screen.
Pros: Wide range of movement, automatically adjusts warmth and brightness based on your location, turns on/off automatically when you leave or enter the room, can be controlled via Dyson Link app
Cons: Very expensive, physical controls are tricky to use, app needs your location for full functionality
Few lamps with auto-adjusting dimmers came up in my research, but the Dyson Solarcycle Morph (formerly the Lightcycle Morph) met our criteria for testing. This Energy Star-certified smart desk lamp automatically adjusts its warmth and brightness throughout the day based on your exact location.
During testing, I was impressed that the lamp optimized its settings to suit my environment, and I never experienced any eye strain. Its near-constant micro-adjustments happen every 60 seconds. However, you have to give the Dyson Link app permission to access your location for the lamp to do this.
The Dyson Solarcycle Morph has the sleek modern design you'd expect from the brand, though I was surprised at its 7.7-pound weight. The vertical stem of the lamp offers a 360-degree range of motion, and you can also twist the upper half of its horizontal arm to point the light sideways or upward for ambient lighting. When the arm is placed back over the lamp's base, it lights up the stem, creating a gentle ambient light that reduces blue light.
You're able to adjust both the lamp's warmth and brightness from the top of its arm, but frankly, these controls are a bit finicky to use. I found it significantly easier to adjust the lamp via the Dyson Link app, which also allows you to save custom brightness and warmth settings for specific situations and even your age. The Solarcycle Morph also automatically turns itself off and on when you leave and enter the room.
Pros: Wireless charging, three physical chargers, built-in digital display, easy-to-use controls, a wide range of motion
Cons: Somewhat cheap-looking, night-light is too bright, clock is confusing to program
A few lamps that we tested — including the ones from TaoTronics, Pablo, and LumiCharge — come with the ability to charge smartphones. Of the three, the LumiCharge II stood out. It has various charging methods, including a wireless Qi-enabled pad, universal phone dock, and USB port.
The LumiCharge doesn't require any setup, and it has an adjustable arm with an impressive range of motion. The stem offers 145-degree rotation, and the arm itself can be tilted 120 degrees up or 90 degrees side to side. The lamp contains LED bulbs covered by a plastic diffuser that help reduce the harshness of the light. During testing, I adjusted the lamp to my preferred brightness levels with no issues, and it never caused any eye strain or other discomfort.
To charge your phone, this lamp has a "charging dial" in the base that you can rotate and access lightning, micro-USB, and USB-C chargers. You can also place your smartphone on the wireless charging pad, though it only worked when I removed my phone case.
The LumiCharge II has a few other interesting features, including a digital display on the arm that shows the time, date, and temperature. While the idea has potential, I found the display to be frustrating to program and old-fashioned in appearance. The blocky, retro numbers seemed out of place. The lamp also has a cheap, plasticky appearance, despite costing $100.
Pros: Easy-to-use controls, lightweight, wireless charging, night-light feature
Cons: Short, limited range of motion, stiff hinges
Despite its low price, the TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp proved quite effective. It didn't require any setup beyond plugging it in and is easy to move around. The lamp is one of the smallest options we tested, and its compact form and night-light feature make it a good fit for dorm rooms.
You can select the brightness level via a touch-activated bar on the base of the lamp. There are five color settings controlled by the "M" button. There's even a wireless charging ring that can juice up Apple and Samsung phones, but it only worked when I removed the case from my iPhone.
The TaoTronics Desk Lamp's stem rotates 180 degrees at the base, and the arm tilts up or down 180 degrees on its hinge — not bad, but also not the best we tested. However, the hinges were fairly stiff, and I had to hold down the lamp's base to keep it from moving as I adjusted the arm.
The lamp wasn't tall enough to use with my desktop computer, which is around 20 inches tall. Occasionally, it caused eye strain, as I had to tilt the arm upward, and the LED lights were very bright when they shined directly into my eyes. The lamp worked much better when I was using a laptop, as the arm could stay angled downward — another reason we think it's better suited for smaller desk setups.
Editor's note: In 2021, Amazon banned Sunvalley, TaoTronics' parent company, from selling products on its website. Amazon claimed the manufacturer was offering gift cards to customers in exchange for a review, a violation of Amazon's policies. Our recommendation of TaoTronics' lamp is based on our own use and testing and not user reviews.
Buying the best desk lamp might not seem like a complicated task, but there are a number of features you'll want to look for when selecting the best for your needs.
Range of motion: All of the experts consulted for this guide agreed that it's important for lamps to be adjustable, and the larger the range of movement, the better. McGowan said lamps should have "the ability to be positioned to exclude glare on the work surface, keyboard, input display, computer display, or other equipment." A wide range of motion also allows you to move a lamp's light source closer to paper or other objects when needed.
Base: The best desk lamps come in various shapes and sizes. One of the coolest things about design is that you can purchase a desk lamp that seamlessly fits into your routine. If you have minimal desk space, try a lamp with a clamp base that can attach to your desk, headboard, or kitchen table. If you've ever wondered why some desks have a hole in them it is actually for a desk lamp so the wires and base can slip through the bottom to be hidden.
Brightness and color temperature: Extended computer use can cause eye strain, but proper lighting can help minimize the effects. "Having the appropriate color spectrum has been shown to benefit our sleep/wake cycle, contributing to fatigue and eye strain," said Bert. Look for a light that has brightness settings and also offers different light temperatures, allowing you to adjust the color spectrum throughout the day.
LED: LEDs are long-lasting, don't get overly warm, and are often adjustable for brightness and color temperature (more warm or cool). For the most natural-looking light, look for a higher Color Rendering Index (CRI), between 85 and 100.
Energy efficiency: If you're going to be using a lamp all day, an energy-efficient model can help save you money. Luckily, most of today's best desk lamps use LED bulbs, which consume less energy and last significantly longer than incandescent bulbs. You may also want to look for a light that is Energy Star-certified, which must use 90% less energy than traditional models using incandescent light bulbs.
Additional features: Many desk lamps offer additional features, including phone-charging capabilities. If you're looking for a model that can charge your phone, make sure it's compatible with your particular phone model — some only work with the latest iPhones and Androids.
I've been a product reviewer for four years now, so I used my experience testing household products, including lamps, to develop a comprehensive testing methodology. I also consulted various experts, including Benjamin Bert, MD, an ophthalmologist at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center; Blake McGowan, director of ergonomics research at VelocityEHS; and Matthew Thorpe, a senior sales engineer at Fagerhult Lighting in London.
With their advice in mind, I came up with several essential features to evaluate, and from there, I was able to determine which desk lamps to test. When testing these desk lamps, I considered several key factors, including their range of motion, brightness levels, and ease of control. I used each one in my home office for at least two full consecutive workdays.
LEDs can be harsh on your eyes when not diffused. "Bare LEDs are an extremely bright point source — lots of light from a very small space — so look for a well-made fitting that will control the light with a diffuser," says Thorpe.
LED lamps tend to be more expensive than those with replaceable bulbs, and it can be difficult to replace built-in LEDs at the end of their life cycle.
A dimmable LED light is the best bulb choice for a desk lamp. Since they are energy efficient and long-lasting, they are eco-conscious and worth investing in.
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