See the Light: Reading Lamps for Your Living Room and Bedroom

For cozy Sunday afternoon reading sessions in your lounge chair, or for the suspenseful reads in bed – reading is really only fun with the right lighting. How to find a reading lamp that strengthens your vision and works with your decor:

Reading lamps for the bedroom

In the bedroom, we need reading lamps that provide perfect lighting and alleviate the strain on our eyes. Your reading light should be installed in a way to ensure that it directly shines light on the pages of your book and renders them fully illuminated.

  • Bedside lamps: Your bedside lamp should be bright enough – reading in the semi-dark strains your eyes and can cause headaches.
  • Clamp and clip-on lamps: Reading lamps that can be clipped to the bed provide perfect lighting, because they allow for the perfect orientation of the light source.
  • Reading lamps for modern bedrooms: Clamp and clip-on bedside lamps made of metal or plastic
  • Reading lamps for romantic bedrooms: Bedside lamps with curved bases and lampshades

Reading lamps for the living room

Ceiling lights are usually too diffuse for reading and therefore strain the eyes after long periods of time. A pretty reading lamp also looks great close to a sofa or armchair.

  • Floor lamps work particularly well with large armchairs. The light source should be directed downward.
  • Table lamps make great reading lamps for coffee tables or side tables.
  • Wall lamps are a chic option to be used as reading lamps next to armchairs and sofas. However, since they are fixed to the wall, they are not the best choice for those who like to re-arrange their furniture from time to time.
  • Reading lamps for functional living rooms: Metal or plastic floor lamps
  • Reading lamps for stylish living rooms: Chrome or brass floor lamps or table lamps, designer floor lamps, or designer table lamps
  • Retro-style reading lamps: Floor or wall lamps and table lamps with lampshades, wooden reading lamps

Bulbs and materials

Also pay attention to the type of bulb and lamp material when selecting a reading lamp.

  • LED lamps as reading lamps: Their low energy consumption makes them ideal for avid readers.
  • Halogen reading lamps: cheaper price, slightly more expensive to operate
  • Wood, metal, plastic, textiles: Lamps made of metal or plastic are more robust than those made of wood or textiles.

Which reading lamp is the best fit for you depends on your reading habits and decor. One thing goes for all reading lamps: the reading light should shine directly on the pages of the book and fully illuminate them.

Reading lamps are available as table lamps, clamp lights or floor lamps.

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