• It’s important to have good lighting at your desk so you don’t strain your eyes while typing away on your computer or going over documents.
  • There are dozens of different desk lamps to choose from in all kinds of styles, but the TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp is the best one you can buy to light up your workspace in style and charge your electronics simultaneously.

Society may be moving away from paper toward digital records, but desk lamps continue to have a role in the workplace or in the home even if you’re rarely hunched over your desk, staring at a pile of paper these days.

The best desk lamps take full advantage of LED lighting technology, creating lamps that are both stylish and energy efficient. The great quality of light you receive from LED makes these lamps enjoyable to use anytime you need a bit of extra light.

Some people may even prefer a desk style lamp on a nightstand near the bed because they work great as a reading lamp for those times when you prefer a printed book over an iPad. We’ve researched dozens of desk lamps to find the best ones for different people’s needs.

After all, it takes the right type of desk light to help inspire the brightest of ideas! (Feel free to groan aloud; we did as we wrote it.)

Here are our top picks for the best desk lamps:

Prices and links are current as of 3/27/2020.

The best overall

TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp

has a fast wireless charger and a USB port built in so it can charge your phone and another device all while lighting up your workstation.

If you like products that serve multiple purposes, you'll love the TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp with its built-in wireless charger, USB charging port, and many adjustable settings.

You turn the lamp on and off with the tap of a finger on the touch-sensitive power button. There's also a ring that regulates the brightness of the lamp and a button that you can tap multiple times to get five different color temperatures for your light. That way, you can decide how bright and how blue you want your light.

Because I have the TaoTronics lamp next to my bed, I typically have it on the lowest brightness setting and the highest color temperature setting. But when I really need light, I can amp up the brightness with a swipe of my finger. And this lamp gets bright - very bright.

You can also adjust the direction of the light, thanks to the nifty blade-like design of the lamp head. The lamp's head tilts up to 135 degrees and rotates up to 180 degrees, and the arm can be tilted up to 150 degrees and it swivels 90 degrees. It's a very modern design, and it does take up space, but this lamp is incredibly functional.

The wireless charging pad built into the lamp's base can charge your iPhone X, 8, or 8 Plus with the optimal 7.5 Watts of power. If you have an Android phone, you get 10 Watts of power for quick wireless charging. There's a small rubbery ring on the wireless charger, so your phone won't slide off. I use it to charge my phone every night on my bedside table, and it works like a charm.

TaoTronics also added a USB port in the back of the lamp so you can charge your phone with a cable instead. You could also charge your phone wirelessly and charge another device via a cable at the same time, which is great for multi-device households and tech nerds like me. - Malarie Gokey

Pros: Wireless charging, USB-A charging port for another device, varying light color/temperature and brightness, lamp's head is adjustable

Cons: Modern design may not appeal to all, takes up space

The best traditional desk lamp

Foto: Source: Torchstar

Desk lamp designs don't get much more traditional than the Torchstar Traditional Banker's Lamp with its emerald green shade and brass-toned base.

If the contemporary style of most modern desk lamps does nothing to inspire you, we have the answer. The Torchstar Traditional Banker's Lamp has a classic style that will be right at home in most home offices.

The satin brass finish on the base, classic pull chain, and antique-style emerald green lampshade are old school. You can rotate the glass lampshade to direct the light where you need it. The metal base and post are well made and sturdy, too.

The Torchstar desk lamp uses an E26 style tubular light bulb, so you can use replaceable incandescent, fluorescent, or LED light bulbs with it. E26 just refers to the size of the screw-in base of the lightbulb, and it's the most common type for household lighting, so you won't have trouble finding replacement bulbs for this lamp. It is best to use a tubular bulb as opposed to a standard-shaped lightbulb, though. A standard lightbulb will protrude from under the shade. It's nice to have a choice in which type of bulb you use, though we do recommend you go with a LED bulb for energy efficiency.

Pros: Excellent traditional look, all-metal structure, reasonable price point, can accept any type of E26 bulb, easy to set up and use, 6-foot power cord

Cons: No flexibility in position of bulb, some bulbs could cause excessive heat

The best cordless desk lamp

Foto: Source: Luxe

The Luxe Cordless LED desk lamp's modern cordless design and rechargeable battery make it the most portable desk lamp you can buy.

Want a truly contemporary desk lamp? Not only do you need a non-traditional looking lamp with an LED light bar, you need one that cuts the cord. When fully charged, the Luxe Cordless LED desk lamp can run for about 40 hours, providing continuous light while you work. When you run out of battery life, you simply plug a Micro USB cable in to charge it.

The light bar contains 28 LED lamps that offer 50,000 hours of use - nearly six years of continuous power if you never turn it off - so you won't have to replace this lamp for a very long time. The Luxe desk lamp looks amazingly simple, but it's a long-lasting desk lamp that offers great versatility. Plus, the skinny lamp is sturdier than it looks.

We wish the lamp had a battery gauge. Instead, the Luxe uses a flashing indicator light that pops up when the battery is nearly exhausted, but otherwise, you don't really know how much juice is left in its battery.

In its review, Lifewire likes the three different light modes and the six levels of brightness within each mode. It's nice that you can adjust the brightness to suit your needs. Although the Luxe Cordless desk lamp looks like a severely bent hockey stick, you can twist and bend the support bar to almost any angle. This versatility allows the Luxe model to work as a desk lamp, a reading lamp, or even a portable work lamp.

Pros: Cordless design gives this desk lamp great flexibility, bendable base for added versatility, sturdy base, available in four accent colors, 18 different total light modes

Cons: Doesn't offer enough brightness for some tasks, no battery gauge

The best for reading

Foto: Source: BenQ

The BenQ e-Reading LED desk lamp is great for reading with its high-quality curved LED light bar, and it has a really cool contemporary design.

The curved LED light bar on the BenQ e-Reading LED desk lamp definitely grabs your attention, giving this contemporary desk lamp a really cool, modern design look. But this desk lamp doesn't get by on its looks alone. The BenQ reading lamp has amazing LED light quality and adjustable brightness levels that make it very versatile.

The LED light bar is easily adjustable and it offers a wide light range that will illuminate your whole desk. The light is flicker-free and you can adjust the temperature and brightness to suit your needs. BenQ says it should last 17 years if you have it on for eight hours each day because the LEDs are rated for 50,000 hours.

The Gadgeteer calls it the best desk lamp because of the excellent quality of the elbows. Tech Walls' reviewer calls it the most powerful lamp he has reviewed, saying the brightness of the LED light bar is perfect for reading. However, he also says the e-reader function didn't work as advertised. The BenQ LED light created a glare on the screen of tablets and laptops, no matter what angle he tried to position it in.

The BenQ e-Reading lamp's heavy base makes it sturdy and ensures that it won't tip over when your cat strolls across your desk or you bump into it accidentally. Although it's expensive, the BenQ lamp is a great desk lamp for people who need good lighting for reading and working.

Pros: Excellent light quality, cool contemporary/industrial design, works great for reading at night, high-quality construction of elbows, heavy base gives the desk lamp a sturdy build quality

Cons: Very high price point, difficult to have success with e-reader feature

The best swing arm desk lamp

Foto: Source: Tomons

The Tomons Nature Wood Swing Arm Desk Lamp is colorful and stylish enough to spruce up any desk.

If you want a cute desk lamp that has more style than high-tech features, Tomons Nature Wood Swing Arm Desk Lamp is a great choice. It's also quite affordable, though the price varies based on the color you choose.

The lamp's frame is made of solid, light-colored wood and the shade is made of metal that's painted in your choice of color. The lamp is adjustable, so you can angle it to cast light wherever you need it. It doesn't take up too much space, but it gives a good amount of light to work by.

You'll need an E26 light bulb. Tomons recommends you use an LED bulb so the lamp doesn't overheat and you spend less energy. There's a simple on/off switch and a long braided nylon-covered cord.

Pros: Cute, colorful, wood accent, easy to adjust, affordable

Cons: You have to replace the bulb

The best antique finish desk lamp

Foto: Source: Three Posts/Wayfair

The Malvern 20-inch Desk Lamp has an antique brass finish that complements the look of almost any room with traditional charm.

If you would like more of a traditional look in your desk lamp rather than the newer LED bar light designs, the Malvern 20-inch Desk Lamp is a stylish choice. This lamp looks great almost anywhere you place it, thanks to its distressed antique brass finish and wide shade. The white paint on the interior of the shade really reflects the light well, creating a bright light over the desk.

The Malvern lamp has a wide base with an ornate pedestal. A moveable arm attaches the shade and bulb to the pedestal, completing the sophisticated look.

The lamp measures 20 inches from the base to the top of the shade. You'll need 21 inches of clearance for the lamp from front to back because of the way the arm angles.

The lamp's socket accepts standard-sized bulbs of 60 watts equivalent, whether they're incandescent, fluorescent, or LED. The lamp features an on/off switch and a 70-inch cord, which is great for reaching far-off electrical outlets.

Pros: Desk lamp looks great with antique brass finish, ornate pedestal provides a sense of style, accepts any type of standard bulb, long power cord, sturdy base ensures desk lamp won't tip easily

Cons: High price point, arm can be difficult to adjust

What to look for in a desk lamp

Foto: Source: Wayfair

Before picking a particular desk lamp, think about why you want the lamp. Certain lamps excel at certain tasks, meaning you'll be more pleased with your choice if you match your needs to the lamp's strengths.

  • Brightness: Desk lamps offer a variety of wattages and lux in their lights, which gives you a rough idea of the brightness of the light. Lux measures light brightness and wattage measures the amount of power the light requires to operate. As a general rule, a higher wattage number indicates more brightness. Having the right brightness in your desk lamp means you'll reduce the possibility of eye strain, according to Lightology. The brightness of light bulbs is often measured in lumens. If you want to match the brightness of a 60-watt incandescent bulb, you should find a bulb that's 800 lumens.
  • Color temperature: Whether you like warm or cool light is entirely a matter of preference. Warm yellow light is around 2,700 Kelvin, white light is about 3,000K, bright white light is 3,500K to 4,100K, and bluish-white light is 5,000K to 6,500K, according to Consumer Reports.
  • Lighting type: The majority of new desk lamps make use of LED lights. These lights offer strong energy efficiency and last significantly longer than an old incandescent or fluorescent light. Additionally, LED lights offer the ability to adjust the color temperature (also called CRI, or color-rendering index), which eases eye strain, as Hooked to Books explains. Finally, LED lights don't heat up as they operate and you don't have to replace them.
  • Location: If you have a particular location where the lamp will reside, make sure any model you pick will fit in that spot. If you're going to be moving the lamp around, perhaps a cordless model that runs on a battery is a smart idea.
  • Reading: A reading lamp should have at least one adjustable elbow, allowing you to change the angle to match the location of the reading materials.
  • Style: Some lamps offer a design that fits in a particular décor of a room. A traditional style of desk lamp looks quite a bit different from a contemporary style of desk lamp, for example.

Check out our other great guides to home office accessories

Foto: Source: Amazon

The best USB desk and portable fans

Stuck in an office with air conditioning that seems to barely cool the room? Even in a modern skyscraper, the air conditioning can do so much when the bright sun is blasting through the windows. A USB desk fan can come to the rescue, especially when the summer heat becomes unbearable. These are the best desk fans.

The best planners for students and professionals

Self-improvement is a big business. Who doesn't want to be fitter, richer, more successful - or just happier? But to achieve all these things, you've got to get organized. Despite the fact that most of us have some form of electronic calendar on our phones or computers, many people still rely on their paper planning agenda to keep their lives running smoothly. Here are the best planners you can buy.

The best office chairs

Sitting at a desk for hours on end could have negative effects on the body if the chair is not designed for proper ergonomics, whether you work in an office or telecommute from home. A good office chair should provide comfort and support and be well made, adjustable, and breathable while helping to maintain proper sitting posture. These are the best office chairs.

The best standing desks

Improve your posture, burn more calories, get more energized, and increase your life expectancy. These health benefits sound like something you'd get after a rigorous exercise routine, but believe it or not, they're the result of standing more instead of sitting. A standing desk allows you to incorporate more standing into your day without interrupting whatever task you may be trying to accomplish. These are the best standing desks.