How To Choose The Best Desk Lamp For Studying
Desk lamps provide “task lighting” for reading, writing, studying, crafting, computer work, and more. Whether you work from home every day or only pretend to and use your desk mostly for show, the right desk lamp is a key element of a good study area (we would argue, the key element). So when buying a desk light it makes sense to do a bit of research to find the ideal one.
For this reason, a good desk lamp should provide the following:
- Clear, bright light that’s easy to work beneath.
- Relatively focused beam with minimal glare.
- An adjustable design that can be positioned to accommodate a range of tasks.
Desk lamps for studying – practical things to think about
If you need the desk lamp for task lighting, the main practical considerations are:
1. The color temperature
The color temperature of most halogen lamps is around 3000K. LED lamps are available in 2700K, 3000K or even 4500K. At 4500K, the light is cool, so you should be certain you like it before purchasing such a lamp.
At the same time, every 300K increase in light temperature results in a 10% increase in the light output. Warm color light may be more soothing, but when it comes to sharpness and productivity, a cooler light could be a much better choice.
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2. Look for Adjustability
If you do different kinds of work (reading, drawing etc) requiring different intensities of light, or have a couple of working areas in your desk space, you may need the flexibility of a desk lamp that can be manipulated and angled.
3. Working area
The taller the lamp the more desk area it will light up, so work out how much space you need to illuminate and make sure the lamp has a stand with enough height. If you’ve got a huge desk you’ll need a tall lamp – and perhaps one with a long adjustable stand that can reach across the surface.
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4.The right amount of light
With so many people now spending so much of their lives at desks staring at computer screens, eye strain is a real concern, and you need more light as you get older. LED bulbs are generally best for task lighting, and you’ll want an LED of at least 5-10 watts for most desk work purposes.
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5. Consider the On-Off Switch Position
Turning your desk lamp on and off should be easy. Good on-off switch options include pull chains, base switches, and touch operation lamps.
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Tips on Light for the Aging Eye
Adequate reading light is increasingly important as we age and our vision declines. In fact, studies have shown that people in their 60s need up to 80 percent more light for reading than people in their 20s. Other symptoms may include reduced color discrimination and sensitivity to glare.
To offset these symptoms, we recommend choosing a desk lamp with high contrast/high CRI and, multiple levels of brightness if possible. Be sure to position your lamp so that it provides ample light with minimal glare.
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POST COMMENTS
It’s good that you brought up how important it is for us to choose a long adjustable table lamp for our working area since more space will be illuminated the taller the lamp is. Speaking of table lamps, the one I use on the study desk in my bedroom won’t turn on all of a sudden even though it was still fine last night, so I want to get it repaired soon. I’ll keep this in mind while I look for a lamp repair service in Wildwood to contact for help soon. https://tampabaylightingrepair.com/