The 8 Best Desk Lamps of 2021

Best Overall: TaoTronics TT-DL16 LED Desk Lamp

4.8

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This TaoTronics lamp is your desk’s best friend. It has six levels of brightness and five different light temperatures (2700-3000K warm white, 3000-3500K soft white, 4000-4500K natural light, 5000-5500K daylight and 6000-6500K cool white light), plus it can reach up to 1200 lux, making it TaoTronics’ brightest lamp yet. And thanks to its Advanced Memory setting, you can save your favorite temperature and brightness setting, so you can quickly flip on the perfect lighting, whether you’re reading a book or typing a report.

The lamp has a classy yet modern look that’s both stylish and functional. The base, head and neck are all rotatable, so you can adjust to all angles depending on your activity. Conveniently, the base also has a USB port to let you charge up your mobile device while burning the midnight oil.

Runner-Up, Best Overall: Lumiy Lightblade 1500S LED Lamp

3

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As LED lamps continue to grow in popularity (thanks to their energy-saving benefits), the Lightblade 1500S is a superb combination of looks and performance with an omnidirectional pivoting head that enables complete control over the direction of light. The LED light bulbs mean just one watt of power is used at the lowest brightness and eight watts at maximum brightness, producing a total of 1100 lux of brightness overall.

In addition to a USB port for charging a smartphone, the lamp also has capacitive sensors that are directly incorporated into the base of the it, so it's touch-friendly. The total brightness of the lamp results in a color rendering index of 90 CRI (color rendering index), which is just below the 100 CRI product by natural sunlight. The CRI itself helps determine the lamp’s ability to accurately display any desk-based objects full color underneath the lamplight.

Best for Customization: Lampat LED Desk Lamp

3.4

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If eye-protection and personalization are your major checkpoints, then look no further than the Lampat LED Desk Lamp. It features four lighting modes and five levels of brightness which can be adjusted via touch-screen controls. The LED bulb skillfully mimics natural light and boasts a color rendering index of more than 90, meaning it illuminates color with almost true-to-life accuracy. It’s also energy-efficient and offers a 25-year lifespan.

Physically, the Lampat also provides a good amount of flexibility and maneuverability. The arm bends forward up to 40-degrees, the lamp head has an adjustable tilt of up to 140-degrees, and it rotates up to 180-degrees. Additionally, the Lampat includes a USB charging port and an automatic 30- to 60-minute timer.

Best for Versatility: BYB E430 LED Architect Lamp

3.4

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The swinging desk arm of the BYB E430 LED desk lamp offers a functional lighting that’s uniquely and solidly designed. Featuring a highly adjustable clamp that can be attached to the edge of any desk, there’s a memory function for separate lighting modes and six different dimming modes to help suit any mood. The incorporated touch panel helps adjust each of the lighting and dimming modes, while the 144 included LED bulbs use 80 percent less energy than conventional bulbs, which allows for a lifespan of more than 50,000 hours.

Beyond energy-efficiency, BYB took great effort to help protect the user’s eyes with an innovative light guide panel that helps prevent light flickering and harmful glares. Ultimately, this design feature means a less fatiguing experience overall.

Best Budget: Sunbeam Flexible LED Desk Lamp

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With an incredibly attractive price tag, this little adjustable LED light from Sunbeam is the perfect budget desk lamp. Press the single button to turn the lamp on or off and cycle through the three levels of dimming: full brightness, half brightness, and a "night light" mode that is only 5% brightness. The lamp head rotates and the neck is super flexible so you can position it however you need it. The base is surprisingly heavy for such an inexpensive item, ensuring that it won't tip over no matter how you angle the lamp.

The eight LED bulbs last 36,000 hours and the whole thing is guaranteed to operate for at least three years from the date of purchase. That alone makes it a pretty great deal, but the quality build, additional dimming features, and adjustability make it an exceptionally good desk lamp for the price.

Best Design: Pablo Designs Pixo 17" Desk Lamp

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The design of the Pixo Optical LED Lamp strikes a fine balance between simple and functional, but with a fun, quirky silhouette. The frame is made with 97-percent recyclable materials: top-quality aluminum for the arm and polycarbonate for the lampshade and base cover. The Pixo boasts a high level of mobility, with a 180-degree arm tilt and 360-degree rotation in both the arm and the shade.

The elegant LED light produces a pleasantly warm glow, and the battery offers a remarkable 50,000-hour lifespan. It’s also energy efficient, with a max consumption of 6W per use and features a full dimmer switch. Finally, the base includes a built-in USB charger, and the platform itself functions as a holder for your phone or other small objects. Also, for the best fit for your home’s carefully crafted color scheme, the Pixo comes in six different colors (including azure, black, and white and brass) and is sure to bring a bit of flair to your desk space.

Best for Reading: BenQ e-Reading LED Desk Lamp

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BenQ’s dedicated e-reading and reading LED desk lamp is the perfect addition to the office of any engineer, architect or even for students with late-night study habits. The inclusion of BenQ’s lighting technology offers LED panels that are good for more than 50,000 hours or eight hours a day of lighting every day for the next 17 years.

Beyond lifespan, BenQ incorporated zero flicker technology for a flicker-free experience that won’t harm your eyes or induce fatigue. The built-in ambient sensor offers multiple different touches on the control ring to automatically detect the brightness level of a room and adjust brightness accordingly. When it comes to positioning, the ball-joint base helps you to find the angle you need for the best reading experience.