Best Desk Lamps in Australia

Desk lamps are the go-to lighting devices for people that mostly engage in task-specific activities. Whether you’re prepping for an important exam or working on drawing plans at home or office, your job would be much easier with a desk lamp. However, settling for the right desk lamp from the sea of options in the market will not always be smooth sailing. 

Choosing the right type of desk lamp requires that you know exactly what to look out for and the things to avoid, and this can be quite the task for the average person. Your choice of desk lamp can affect your productivity, and this is in addition to the associated health impact that it can have on your eyes. We acknowledge that some people might find it particularly difficult to make the right choice, and this is where we come in. 

From their brightness levels and light source to their flexible utility and energy efficiency, these products offer the very best in terms of overall quality performance. Here, we’ve come up with solid recommendations, that is, five of the best products that impressed during our checks, starting from our top choice below. 

Our Top Choice Desk Lamp – The Phive Architect Lamp/LED Task Lamp 

Feed your eyes with the Phive Architect lamp, a LED lamp that combines a strong selection of useful functions with a flexible frame and an impressive overall build quality. From its touch control panel and adjustable metallic frame to its sturdy clamp provision, there’s an apparent edge to its build design. And when the bulb is turned on, it gives out light in flicker-free, glare-free, and soft, diffused LED light beams that catch the eye at every turn. 

PHIVE Architect Lamp/LED Task Lamp with Clamp, Metal Swing Arm Desk Lamp (Eye-Care Technology, Dimmable, 6-Level Dimmer / 4 Lighting Modes with Touch Control, Memory Function, Office Light) Silver

$ 288.63

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Best Desk Lamps – Reviews 

Desk lamps come with various build designs and use functions, depending on their mode of operation and the lighting technology. The most common desk lamps have flexible frames that can swing in several directions. They also have LED lights or fluorescent lights with lower energy demands for the light they emit in return.

The best lamps in the market have all of the above-mentioned features, and then there’s even more. They have a wide range of brightness levels and a good number of lighting modes to cater to various usage applications such as suitability for a standing desk. And with the quality of light that they emit, the average user can safely and comfortably resort to them without worrying about their eyes. 

The products that make our list are some of the very best in the business, and they come highly recommended for anyone who intends to use them for work, study, or any other purpose. 

1. Phive Architect Lamp/LED Task Lamp with Clamp.

Key Specifications

If you like your lamp bright, simple, and yet trendy, you’ll surely love the Phive Architect lamp. It is built from aluminium and is both rigid and flexible in all the places that matter. Its 360° swivel head allows you to turn it in any direction, and its clamp will latch firmly at the edge of your desk, making for some savings in space at your desk. 

If you, like me, like their lamp with some little bit of bells and whistles, you’ll also appreciate the sensitive touch control panel. I slid my finger across the edge of the bulb frame, and I immediately noticed that the light got dimmer, as if on cue. 

Tapping on the mode button also changed the light colour and the lighting mode by extension. From Study/Work mode and Reading mode to Relax and Bedtime mode, these are options that correspond to different levels of warmth that can stimulate your brain. 

Pros 

• The light from its bulb can be adjusted across six levels of brightness. This means that users can try out all of the brightness levels and settle for one that they are most comfortable with.
• You’ll never have to strain your eyes to see what is in front of you, even in the most poorly lit room. And even after you switch it off and put it back on later, it’ll continue from where you left off, at the same brightness level and lighting mode. 
• The entirety of its frame is very flexible. Its swivel head allows for a 360° rotation and, as such, can direct the remaining parts of the lamp in any direction of your bidding. Its two-arm design also allows you to bring the light source closer to, or farther away from your work area.
• It is rated for a lifespan of 50,000 hours, that is, about 25 years of uninterrupted power supply. These are very impressive figures by all accounts, and it makes for significant savings in costs that arise from frequent changing of bulbs. 

Cons

• It is not the cheapest desk lamp around, especially for lamps in its size class. However, this initial outlay is the price to pay for a long-lasting serviceable life of your desk lamp. 
• The touch controls and other control options are sited at the top of its lamp head. You’ll need to lower this lamp head to access the control panel, and this can be mildly inconvenient for some people. 

Verdict

The Phive Architect lamp is the perfect companion for task-specific activities. It’ll cast a targeted beam of soft and diffused light on your work area. And then it’ll illuminate the whole place without causing so much as the whiff of a glare.

While it is admittedly priced on the high side, this cost ultimately pales in comparison to the features and functions that it performs. And its LED bulbs will not fail or drop their quality by a notch even after many years of service.

Our Top Pick: Phive Desk Lamp

$ 288.63

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2. BenQ WiT Eye Care e-Reading LED Desk Lamp

Key Specifications

Simple yet sophisticated, the BenQ WiT Eye Care e-Reading LED lamp is not built like your regular desk lamp. It has an extensive coverage span and wide lighting levels, both expanding beyond the scope of many others in its class.

It gives out a flicker-free light, and its curved light design is not just an accessory to aesthetics. This design helps to widen the illumination area so that the light can extend beyond your work area to other parts of your room. 

Pros

• The glare-free light that it beams out will come in handy for Engineers, designers, and other professionals like me who mostly use their hands while working.
• This is facilitated by its smart technology provision, hardwired to detect changes in ambient light and capable of adjusting to adequately compensate for the change.
• It has an extensive range of lighting modes and colour temperatures that can cater to a large user audience.
• These functions can be adjusted by a knob at the top of its lamp head, and they make for easy customization of the room ambience. You can set the tone for your work or study with a warmth level that’ll suit you properly. 
• The light from this lamp is evenly distributed across the work area. I found this to be particularly true when I raised the lamp head above the joint area of its two-arm frame. 

Cons 

• It does not have a USB port or a smart technology integration provision. This is somewhat surprising given that it is mostly targeted at tech-savvy professionals. 
• Many people might be priced out of this wonderful device because of its relatively high price. So unless you have big bucks to splash, you may have to look elsewhere for something more affordable 

Verdict

With a build that is elegant and slight, to go with impressive light 

coverage, this desk lamp has a lot of things going well for it. It also has an overall working operation that belies its frame and powerful light output.

I say powerful because I’ve personally tried it out, and it streamed out light rays that put every other light source in the room in the shade. So if you have the cash to splash on premium ware, this bad boy is all the value for money that you’ll ever find. 

BenQ WiT Eye Care e-Reading LED Desk Lamp - Perfect for Designers Engineers Architects Studying - Blue

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3. Xiaomi Mi Smart LED Desk Lamp Pro

Key Specifications 

At first glance at this reading lamp, I got the “less is more” message that its manufacturer intends to pass across. And if I needed any further proof to shed light on this fact, I only had to press the power button and launch a powerful stream of striking light rays. 

Its head joint can assume various positions at your desk, and with its duo of 32-inch long metallic arms, you can stretch its span across a considerable length of your desk. 

Pros 

• The switch has options to vary the brightness levels in increments of 25% up to 100%.
• And with a colour temperature in the range of 5600K-6000K and a CRI of 80, you can be sure of a pleasant ambience in the room. You get light that is soft and evenly spread across your work area, as well as in the adjoining areas around the room.
• The light comes out from its circle-shaped lamp holder in vivid bursts of non-glare and 20-inch wide shades that brighten everything in its path.
• And as it uses LED bulbs, you can expect it to retain its maximum output for a very long time, 20 years, as per its manufacturer.
• It’ll not get hot along a large portion of its metallic parts, no matter how long it has been in use. This spells well for the occasional trailing arm contact or, at times, when you attempt to switch it off.

Cons 

• The lamp is not as flexible as I would have liked it to be. This is most especially at the top part where the light is. 
• It does not have a lot of brightness levels to work with. But this was not much of a problem as it still had more than enough to go by. 

Verdict

If you want a desk that is smart in looks and operation, this LED lamp comes highly recommended. With its simple build and simpler operational system, it’ll come in handy for everyone that uses it.

And with the quality of light from its LED bulb, along with the precision and consistency with which it delivers, there are very few holes to pick in this device.

Xiaomi Mi Smart LED Desk Lamp Pro

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4. Luxe Cordless Eye Friendly LED Desk Lamp

Key Specifications

Elegant and efficient in equal measure, the Luxe Cordless Eye Friendly LED desk lamp is everything that its manufacturer claims it is, as I just recently found out. 

Its feature set includes a trio of lighting modes and six brightness levels, controllable via an ultra-sensitive touch panel that is intricately woven into its aluminium frame. Another feature in its highlight reel is the touch control lighting and the capacity to tweak its 18 unique settings to pick up on a suitable light softness and brightness. 

One feature that I loved about this lamp is its four unique two-tone colour variations. While it perfectly accented the decor(or lack of it) of my minimalist room, it would look even better in a room with more colour and interior detail. 

Pros 

• It gives out light that is free of glare, blue light and UV ray emission. This makes it very eye-friendly, safe for usage by people of all ages and incapable of causing strain to the eyes. 
• It can keep the lights on for 40 hours on end after a 3-hour complete charge cycle. With its micro USB cable, you can charge the 2000 mAh capacity Li-Polymer battery that is built into its frame. 
• While I did not test this particular feature, its manufacturers tout 1-meter fall protection that secures it against cosmetic dents and damage from small drops and bumps.
• This is even more important, given that it does not have a clamp provision that firmly secures it on your desk. 

Cons 

• Extreme care has to be taken while handling this product as it can fall off your desk if it is not properly secured.
• However, its manufacturers design it with a spoil-proof provision for 1m-high drops, right on cue.
• Some user complaints border on the erratic behaviour of its charging indicator. It may not automatically switch off on completion of charging, but sources say this is an isolated incident. 

Verdict

The Luxe Cordless LED lamp has looks that will turn heads and raise eyebrows in the same breath. If you’re looking for something refreshingly different from the mix of all-too-familiar lamp designs, this is the lamp for you.

Beyond the exquisite frame, it also boasts a couple of choice features, chief among which are its pleasing and versatile light streams and the clarity that they bring. To put it in simple terms, it is the eye-catching and eye-friendly LED lamp. 

Luxe Cordless Eye Friendly LED Desk Lamp, USB Rechargeable, Up To 40 Hours of Continuous Light, Touch Control, 6 Brightness Levels, 3 Light Modes, 360 Adjustable Modern Design, Portable (Space Gray)

$ 173.98

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5. Cyezcor LED Desk Lamp

Key Specifications

This lamp is specifically designed for people who spend long hours on a desk in front of a computer. It has a bulb area that spans the larger part of its arm, and its arm is also designed to stretch across and on top of the entire breadth of an average computer screen. 

The lamp has a build provision that makes it capable of being adjusted across two or three different shapes to suit the display that it beams its light on. So if you have a monitor screen that you can move forward or backward against you, the lamp head can follow suit in the shift of position.

Pros

• It is designed in such a way as to cut back on the screen reflections that tend to dampen the visual quality of your screen.
• And while at it, it’ll tackle the problem of glare-induced eye fatigue that is the bane of most people that spend long periods facing a monitor. 
• Its USB ports are all able to charge the lamp. Whether I plugged it into my laptop or mobile, I barely noticed any significant drop in its output when compared to plugging into a light source. 
• With three adjustable light sources for its LED light(white/warm/natural) and a capacity to switch between five brightness levels, this lamp has the perfect toolset to create any ambience.
• And with a colour temperature being toggled around 3200K-6800K, you can make it even better. 

Cons 

• The charger tends to heat up uncomfortably when you attempt to charge it using the small Apple cube charger.
• While I was told that this is not a design glitch, I’ll advise owners of this device to stick to the proprietary USB cable charger and the power bank. 
• It is quick to switch off when it encounters any problem while working. Again, this looks like a design provision, rather than a flaw, or so I was told. 

Verdict

This desk lamp is the go-to for people who spend a larger part of their day seated on a desk and bearing down on a computer screen. They are built to enhance the visual quality of your screen and make your work more pleasant.  

Other than that, they’ve all the features and functions that make for an improved work experience. There’s a provision to adjust the brightness to sync with your display, and it has a series of lighting modes that complement the overall aesthetic quality of your screen work. 

Cyezcor LED Desk Lamp,Screen Eye-Protection Lamp,USB Upowered Computer Monitor Light, Task Lamp with 3 Color Temperature and 5 Adjustable Brightness，for Offices/Bedrooms/Dormitories

$ 79.22

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Buyers Guide to Finding The Perfect Office Desk Lamp

There are a good number of important details that you should consider before settling for any of the lamps on the market. Knowledge of these details will come in handy when you eventually make your move. And in the following sections, we briefly discuss some of the most important things to look out for in a desk lamp. 

Lamp Size

Your choice of lamp size may depend on the desk you’re most likely to use it on. You’ll probably look out for lamps with smaller footprints if you’re short on space. And while the average height of most lamps hovers around the 15-inch mark, a taller lamp(with a flexible body) will have a wider reach from any part of your desk. 

Lamp Type

From the bulb type to the base stand, body design and light intensity among other things, several parameters can be used to classify a lamp. Some of the most common lamp types are the adjustable(Gooseneck) lamp, the Clip-on lamp, LED lamps, and fluorescent lamps. And in the next couple of subsections, you’ll find out some key information about them. 

• Adjustable Lamps.
  
  Also known as Gooseneck lamps, these types of lamps have a very flexible frame/neck that allows them to be bent across several directions. Their users can stretch them at any angle and direction of their bidding as they are very pliable. 
• Clip-On Lamps
  
  Clip-on lamps have provisions for fastening their base to the edge of a desk or table. They can be very firmly clasped to the edge of your table, a provision that’ll come in handy in cramped or small desk spaces.

Bulb Type

The type of bulb used in your lamp can also determine your choice. Factors that affect the bulb include its brightness level, energy efficiency, durability, and coverage capacity among other things. Some of the most popular bulb types include. 

LED Lamps

Short for Light Emitting Diode, LED lamps offer energy efficiency and durability that is unmatched by other lamp types. They have the lowest energy consumption rate and their average 25,000-hour lifespan puts other bulb types in the shade. 

CFL Lamps

With an average lifespan in the range of 6,000 to 15,000 hours, and an energy efficiency that’s only bettered by LED lamps, Compact Fluorescent Lamps(CFL) are the next best thing. They are also known as energy-saving bulbs as they use up lesser energy in comparison to incandescent bulbs. 

Incandescent Bulbs

These types of bulbs have the lowest lifespan and energy efficiency levels of the bulb types discussed in this article. They are relatively cheaper than the others and equally receptive to AC and DC. 

Color Temperature

Simply put, colour temperature is a measure of the “warmth” that a light source can produce in a room. It is measured in Kelvin(K) and a range of 2700–3600 K is mostly suitable for indoor lighting. The colour goes from red, to yellow and closes out at deeper tones of blue, with all of them corresponding to decreasing warmth and increasing coolness levels. 

Control Options 

The control options are another consideration that adds to the aesthetic quality of the lamp and the overall use functionality of the lamp.

• Touch-sensitive lamps are the fashionable alternative to the traditional button/knob switch on or off lamp design. They are hardwired to switch on/off or change intensity levels when any of their metal parts are touched, making for greater convenience. 
• Switch on/off lamps have physical switch buttons that go on or off when pressed. They are also present as knobs that can be turned clockwise to both vary the bulb’s brightness or switch it on/off.
• Colour options/Lighting modes: Some bulbs have provisions to vary the colour of light that is emitted, depending on the capacity of the lamp. The colour can affect the general ambience of the room. While blue lights make for cooler rooms, red or orange-coloured lights tend to make the room warmer. 
• USB Charging outlets: While a USB port can be used to charge your lamp, it can also charge your mobile devices as an extra. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

The right lighting can play a key role in increased productivity in your workspace and this is particularly true for people who engage in task-specific activities.

If you fit into this category of persons or any other one, a desk lamp will come in handy for you. And if you’re looking to get a desk lamp, whether for work or study, a well-detailed buyer guide will greatly help your cause in making the right selection. 

This is what this article intends to achieve. We’ve taken great pains to try out many of the latest and greatest desk lamps on the market, and we have seen just about enough to come up with a list of five products. The lamp desk options that make our list, especially our recommended option – the Phive Architect Lamp– have exciting features and functions that catch the eye, even at first glance.