Best Lighting for Office Desk – Reviews and Buyer’s Guide in 2021

Last Updated on January 18, 2021 by LampPicker

As anyone who works in an office will tell you, the lighting leaves much to be desired and can cause strain on your eyes. By adding additional lighting for your office desk, you can have a better workday, be more productive, and your eyes won’t have to work as hard to focus on what you are working on.

In the following article, we will be going over the best lighting for office desk, as well as offer a comprehensive buying guide. This will help you to make an informed buying decision and be happy with the final purchased product.

Why buy an office desk lighting?

Office lights are great ways to make your office space yours while providing benefits that will help you with your workday. In this section, we will be going over a few of these benefits so that you can see why having an office desk light is a good idea.

It’s good for your eyes

When you purchase and use an office desk lamp, you may notice that you are experiencing less eye strain and will need to focus your eyes less to see what you are working on. This is because there is enough light to see what you are working on without squinting, and they are especially good for reading.

Additionally, it has been proven that the blue light monitors emit is not good for our overall health; if you use an office desk light, you can lessen the brightness of your monitor.

Keeps you productive

When we can better see what we are working on, we are going to be more productive at work. Office desk lights are great tools that allow us to better see what we are working on. Because of this, they are better for our eyes and you may notice that at the end of the workday you will have been more productive and overall less exhausted.

Additionally, they will allow you to focus on what you are working on and stay less distracted during your workday.

Provides task lighting

Office desk lamps are great at providing task lighting, and because they are more concentrated forms of lumens, you will be able to see what you are working on better.

They do provide a decent amount of ambient light, but the major benefit is the concentrated light that is easy to adjust depending on what you are working on; making them great tools for reading.

Reviews of the best lighting for office desk

#1. Best overall – TaoTronics TT-DL 16 metal LED desk lamps for executive office

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This well-rounded product from TaoTronics is available in 3 color choices (silver, gold, or grey) and comes in at a budget-friendly price. There are multiple color temperatures that you can switch between using the touch panel on the base, and it is fully dimmable.

Also located near the control panel is a USB port for charging your mobile devices while keeping them in arms reach. For added functionality, there is a memory function with this lamp, which will save the previous settings before the light was switched off.

In addition to the memory feature, you can also adjust the settings on this with a preferred lighting mode.

To direct the flow of light, the lamp arm and head are easy to rotate and swivel. For glare-free lighting that is easy on your eyes, this lamp features sideways illumination that won’t flicker or get in your way while you are working.

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#2. Best rated – Herman Miller pendant bubble lamp for office table

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For a high customer satisfaction rating in an overhead lamp, this is a great product from Herman Miller. It is available in either small, medium, or large and comes in a clean white.

This brings back the timeless aesthetic of the 1950s in a fully functional ceiling lamp that can provide a lot of lumens and is compatible with LED light bulbs.

This provides a good amount of illumination as well as ambient light and is not harsh or bad for the eyes.

This is a well-received and liked product among consumers due to its modern design while providing the needed light for your office desk. This is easy to install and operate and will lay flat against the ceiling for a streamlined design that is sure to impress.

This is an easy to install light that does not require any electrical work. Additionally, you have the option of where you need it on the ceiling to get the most benefit from this beautiful product.

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#3. Best sale – Brightech led floor lamp with natural daylight for office desks

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For an already great priced floor lamp that is currently on sale, this product from Brightech is a great option.

It is available in four color and style choices (black, brown, wood, and silver), and features a high amount of lumens. This is a good-sized floor lamp for office lighting that has an adjustable gooseneck to direct the flow of light for your task lighting needs.

This comes in a streamlined design that will fit into any design scheme that you have. The base of this lamp is weighted for extra stability while being lightweight enough to move around as needed.

In addition to providing a good amount of task lighting, this also has a nice contrast that is great for any type of work project.

It can brighten up your office space while being versatile enough to provide the working light that you need. Because of the design, this lamp can easily fit behind office chairs or furniture to provide the lighting needed, and it is easy on your eyes.

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#4. Best with wireless charger – Ampulla table lamp with Bluetooth speaker for office desk

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If you are looking for more of a high-tech option, this product from Ampulla is worth the time to look into. It features a modern aesthetic that will fit into any type of design scheme and is easy to use.

The wireless charger is a good size and fits on the base of the lamp, while the shade is used to turn on and dim the light.

The wireless speaker is good quality, and can easily connect to your Bluetooth capable devices. It should be worth mentioning as well that both the wireless charger and speaker are compatible with most modern smartphones.

The stepless dimming feature for this product allows you to easily switch between levels of lighting and has a sleep mode for a calm and soothing nightlight.

This offers a decent amount of light at 200 lumens and will make a great addition to any bedroom, or office desk that provides additional task lighting.

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#5. Best with 2 sidelights – Brightech tall standing dimmable light for office table

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If you are looking for more of a traditional floor lamp with adjustable reading lights, this product from Brightech is sure to provide you with what you are looking for. It is available in either silver, brass, or black and offers a lot of lumens between the three lights.

With a switch on each light, you have a higher level of versatility when operating them, and they are all dimmable.

For flexibility, the reading lights on the side are easy to pivot or turn as needed for task lighting. It has a stable base, has a compact and lightweight design, and is easy to move around as needed.

This is a great well-rounded product that provides a good balance between both ambient and task lighting for your office space. Because of the material used for the lampshades, they will not heat up and are cool to the touch when in use.

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#6. Best with rustic style – Brightech indoor lighting with adjustable arm for office desks

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If you are looking for an industrial or rustic aesthetic for your floor lamp, this is a great looking product from Brightech that provides a lot of lumens for your office desk workspace.

It is a good size standing at just around 5 feet tall and has an adjustable arm for task lighting. Overall a great looking lamp that can fit into most modern design schemes.

Compatible with most smart home devices including Alexa and Google Home for added functionality. The arm is easy to move and pivot to direct the light where needed, with a convenient handle at the bottom. Additionally, the arm can be extended to reach out further if needed.

This floor lamp gives off a warm and cozy atmospheric light, while providing the needed task lighting for your work space. The base is sturdy so you don’t need to worry about adding weight by overextending the flexible arm.

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#7. Best wall lights – Kira Home wall mount plug in lamp with swing arm for eyes

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If you are looking for a good wall light that will add some great aesthetics while brightening up your office desk and providing task light, this product from Kira Home is a great buy. It is available in 1 or 2 packs and comes in either black or white with multiple lamp shade choices.

With no electrical knowledge or tools required, these lights are easy to mount to the wall and plugin. They have power cord strips, which will remove the appearance of the cord for a streamlined look. These lights will provide light outside of the shade, and not through it; giving more of a pleasant ambiance.

For added functionality, these lights come with a swivel arm that can lay flat against the wall or pivot as needed. This allows you to direct the light where you need it most and offers versatility.

These are great for lighting specific areas of the room where it tends to be darker, and are very easy to move as needed.

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#8. Best for home office – LNC handmade hanging lamp for decor addition

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A great benefit of having a home office is being able to decorate it the way you want, and have the correct amount of lighting. This product is perfect for home offices and is available in 3 different unique styles. All of which are unique and different to show your character and design sense.

It features an easy to install pendant light that will look great and provide you with additional light wherever it is needed. This elegant pendant light can be described as industrial and retro; This is great for providing a lot of lumens in a compact design that is compatible with any type of lightbulb, including LED.

Overall, a great looking product that will be a good addition to any home office or working space.

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Factors to consider when buying the best lighting for office desk

In this section, we will offer the factors that you will want to keep in mind when shopping for one. While some of these may not be as important to your specific situation, they are all good to keep in mind for you to be happy with the final purchase for your office lighting.

• Size

Before purchasing an office lamp for your desk or working space, it would be a good idea to keep in mind how much extra space you have available to utilize.

Because you can either have a desktop lamp or a floor lamp (or both), it would be a good idea to decide on where the lamp would go, and how big of a lamp you can easily accommodate.

There are many lamps on this list that feature a more compact design without sacrificing on functionality and would make great additions to limited office spaces.

Alternatively, if you have an abundance of space you may opt-in for a larger office lamp, as this would help to add some aesthetics to your office area.

Buy Herman Killer large-sized hanging lamp

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• Type

There are many different styles of office lamps available, although there will only be three main types that you will need to choose about. Those will be table lamps, floor lamps, and wall lamps.

• Floor lamps make great options for brightening a space although they take up some space.
• Table lamps are great at proving task lighting but not a lot of ambient light.
• A good middle ground is wall lamps, which can be placed on the wall behind where you will be working.

All of these are great choices, although it is dependant upon what your needs may be.

• Lumens

When we are referring to lumens, we are talking about the amount of additional light that a bulb or lamp can offer for a room. Because you are going to be using office lighting primarily for reading, working, and studying, you will want to find one that offers a good amount of lumens.

For this reason, any light that is considered to be a task light would make a great option to have for lighting your office space. There are multiple ways and products available to receive more task lighting for work, and by taking into consideration the other factors listed above you can get the perfect light for your specific needs.

Some are better at providing a concentrated light, while others will be great for illuminating the room as a whole.

Buy Brightech torchiere floor lamp with bright uplight for the whole room and sidelights for tasks

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• Aesthetics

While this one is not the most important, it is still worth mentioning and taking into consideration. Because you are going to be spending a lot of time around your new office light, you will want to make sure that it is visually appealing for you.

There are many styles of lamps and lighting that are available, and by picking the right one for yourself you will be happier with the final purchase.

For office lighting aesthetics, you can’t go wrong with more modern or industrial-style lamps. Both of these styles are very popular right now, and there are many choices to choose from.

Table lamps vs. Floor lamps vs. Wall lamps for office desks

When we are referring to office lighting for your desk, three main options are available to improve the amount of light and lessen the strain on your eyes.

These three types will either fall under the categories of table lamps, floor lamps, and wall lamps. In this following section, we will be going over these types of office lighting to help you determine which one is best suited for your situation. All of the types of lights for office desk lighting below will be compatible with LED lights as well.

#1. Table Lamps

Arguably the most common and budget-friendly option available for office desk lighting, office desk lamps make great additions to any office that can provide a lot of task lighting.

They are also the most versatile of the three main types mainly due to the option that you can move them around the office space as you see fit.

Additionally, a lot of the models for table lamps that are currently on the market feature compact designs with smaller bases that will not take up a lot of space; even on smaller desks.

As far as the lighting goes, table lamps will offer a much more concentrated kind of task lighting that can be easily manipulated depending on what you are working on. they do provide some ambient light, although not as much as either floor lamps or wall lamps for office lighting.

Buy best rated TaoTronics LED table lamp with a compact design

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#2. Floor Lamps

Floor lamps for office lighting are similar to table lamps in their basic design, although on a much larger scale. They will have a sturdy base with a pole that leads up to the light itself and generally a lampshade.

These are easy to operate and because they are by nature more compact, they won’t take up a lot of space to use (the base can even slide under furniture in most cases).

They will run a little higher of a cost than desktop lamps will, although they are capable of providing more light in most cases.

That said, the light they provide will be wider spread throughout the room than with table lamps.

There are models available that have reading lights attached to the stand of the lamp that can be rotated as the need arises, and they do provide a good amount of task lighting for reading and working.

Buy Brightech torchiere lamp with 3 sidelights for reading and working

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#3. Wall Lamps

As the name implies, these will attach directly to the wall and will plug into an outlet to operate. There is no electrical work required for the most part to operate these, and they provide a good amount of lumens per lamp.

These are excellent products at between task and ambient lighting, especially if installed directly above where you are working.

The main thing to look out for with these is how easy they are to move around. Some models will have swinging arms that allow you to have some degree of control, and this is excellent.

Buy Kira Home wall lamp with adjustable swing arms

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Conclusion

We hope this article was helpful, and that you can be very happy with your office desk lighting purchase. All of the products listed above are made from high-quality materials and will make great additions to your office space.

Additionally, our buying guide should help in answering any questions that you may have about what to look out for and expect from office desk lighting.