How to Choose The Right Desk Lamp for Your Home Office or Workplace

A desk lamp comes in handy for a variety of tasks, whether you are a student, a professional, or just want to get a lot of handwriting done. The sky’s the limit when it comes to the many models you’ll come across these days, but what is the difference between them, and how can you make sure you pick the right one?

That’s the question that we will attempt to answer in today’s article and give you some guidelines so that you can best match your desk lamp with the rest of your room design, while providing you with some other practical advice.

How Do I Choose the Right Desk Lamp for My Room?

Know Your Why

This is perhaps the first and most important factor that one needs to consider before going out or ordering a desk lamp in the first place. What will you be using the lamp for?

Do you plan on using it for work, or will it be more of a design piece that ties the room together? Do you have a casual workspace, or do you intend to use the lamp in your home office, in which case you might need to heavily focus on the practical side of things?

Are you a crafter or a DIY person, and is that the main reason you’re thinking of getting a unit? The design of such desk lamps makes it possible for you to focus on your task in detail, and the type of light they produce can sometimes be stronger than that emitted by a regular desk light.

Start with your why if you want to be able to choose the right model for your needs.

Different Styles

There are several designs when it comes to desk lamps nowadays, but the majority of the ones you will come across when you do your research can be split up into six major categories:

• Gooseneck lamps
• Clip-on lamps
• Adjustable arm lamps
• Magnifying lamps
• Bankers’ lamps

Each of these interior lighting fixtures comes with pros and cons and can improve or ruin your room design.

Gooseneck lamps are a bit more basic in terms of style, so they heavily speak to the needs of students and other prospective buyers who want to be able to move the light source from one spot to the other.

Clip-on lamps or clamp lamps are convenient if you’ve decided that you will definitely not be using your lamp anywhere else other than the side of your desk or your headboard when you do some reading. They aren’t as versatile as their regular counterparts, though, in that if you have no way of clipping them onto the appropriate surface, you will have no way of using them.

Adjustable arm lamps are very convenient for tasks such as studying or working on the computer, and they might even be a good fit for people who are into arts and crafts.

Magnifying lamps are incredible when it comes to reading and doing detailed DIY work, such as perfecting miniatures. They can also make the task of writing and studying a lot easier for people who have impaired vision.

Bankers’ lamps are winners when it comes to convenience and design.

They are perhaps the most stylish type of model that has managed to stand the test of time and while they do not come with the same handy features of some of the previously mentioned types, such as an adjustable arm or a magnifier, they take the cake when it comes to class. They’re a great match for traditional styles such as classic wooden office furniture.

Size

This is a fairly easy aspect to take into account in the sense that if you’ve already bought your desk, you probably have a relatively good idea of what dimensions your lamp should be so as not to take up too much space or be too small and produce too little light.

However, if you are shopping online, we suggest considering the size of the rest of the items you have on your desk, too – such as your computer monitor or laptop or design pieces that might have sentimental value and that you might want to keep close to you.

Lighting Type

The majority of consumers these days use LED bulbs because they are extremely long-lasting, convenient, and economical, and they also don’t produce a lot of glare, depending on the exact type.

Fortunately, there are some differences in terms of LED and halogen bulbs these days, so you can pick warmer or cooler tones depending on your specific needs. Strong, white light is usually not a good match for reading, but it could be a great fit for people who create handmade accessories, for example.

Materials

Desk lamps these days can look very different when comparing just two models you might be interested in. The colour of the materials can largely influence your final decision, but the way the product is made and how durable it is should also be another factor you look at.

The bankers’ lamps we mentioned previously are among the most reliable ones in the sense that some of the higher-end models can last for decades without showing any sign of wear and tear.

If you’re strictly looking for a desk lamp that gets the job done and you’re a student who maybe isn’t willing to waste their whole budget on such a product, a basic one might be right up your alley. However, depending on its build and the quality of the materials of the shade, main structure, or base, you probably shouldn’t expect it to last for more than a few years.

Practicality

A desk lamp doesn’t have to be just that – it can also be a small storage space, depending on its design or a spot where you can keep your pens and your smartphone if you want to be as practical as possible.

Some of the models available these days can even include a charging station, which makes them very versatile.

Finally, when it comes to picking the right desk lamp, always think of what you want to achieve and the direction of the lighting you need.

The position and the amount and intensity of the light should be other considerations you look at, especially after you’ve decided how your desk or working area should look in general.