A good desk lamp is indispensable for any type of desk work, be it computing, reading, or even drawing. The choice of desk lamp that we choose however can have a huge effect on the health of our eyes.
Lighting that is either too dim or bright can quickly fatigue the eyes, while flickering can induce headaches and eye strain. The temperature of the light can even negatively affect your mood.
In this buyer’s guide, we handpicked the best desk lamps that have adjustable brightness, flicker-free lighting and adjustable temperature settings to create the very best environment for your eyes.
Note: Don’t miss out on Lighting Ergonomics- What You Should Know.
Best Desk Lamp for Your Eyes at a Glance
- TaoTronics TT-DL16 LED Desk Lamp – Editor’s Choice
- BenQ LED Desk Lamp – Best overall, with brightest flicker free light
- Lumiy Lightblade 1500S – Second brightest light
- JUKSTG Flicker-Free LED Lamp – Awesome timer function
- Homtech LED Lamp – Highest coloring index (CRI)
- TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp – Best Budget Option
- LEPOWER Clip on Light – Best Clip On Lamp
TaoTronics TT-DL16 Stylish Metal LED Desk Lamp
Editor’s Choice
Our favorite desk lamp that’s easy on the eyes is the TaoTronics TT-DL16. For a reasonable price, you get a stylish metal desk lamp with three-point angle adjustability, a wide range of color temperatures to soothe your eyes and mood, and three thoughtful functions.
With 5 color modes, each with 6 brightness levels, you get a total of 30 combinations. You can rotate the base, neck, and head at different angles to get glare-free lighting right where you need it. There’s a USB port where you can charge your smartphone or tablet too. But, our favorite functions are the night light and the 60-minute timer which, when combined, allows for worry-free bedtime reading.
Main Features:
- Adjustable Brightness: Yes, 30 levels
- Wattage: 12 watts
- Maximum Brightness: 600 lumens, 1200 lux
- Color Temperature: 2,700 – 6,500 K, 5 modes
- Warranty: 1-year manufacturer’s warranty
- Rotatable base, neck, and head
- 60-minute timer, USB charging port, night light
What Other Owners Say:
- The customer support was very helpful. The desk kept dimming by itself. Emailed the customer support and was advised to use the original adapter instead of my universal adapter. Problem solved!
- I’m not sure if what I got is a fluke but a subtle high pitch sound is coming from the lamp. If you have sensitive hearing, it might be better to look for another option.
You can watch how the TT-DL16 works here: Video
BenQ LED Desk Lamp
Best Overall, Flicker-Free, and Brightest Light
If you’re looking for the very best desk lamp for protecting your eyes, look no further than the BenQ LED Desk Lamp. For a premium price, you get an intelligent desk lamp that provides 100% flicker free, ultra bright light that can self adjust to the environment.
The BenQ can output an astonishing 900 lumens of light, enough even for grandma to thread a needle using.
Activate the auto-dimming mode to detect the ambient and adjust automatically to give you the best possible brightness level for your work environment. You can also manually adjust the lamp to take advantage of the decent color temperature range and the highest light output in our lineup.
This lamp stands out as well for its unique curved design which allows it to cover more desk area while keeping everything glare-free by being brighter at the sides and darker in the middle.
Outstanding Features:
- Adjustable Brightness: Yes
- Wattage: 18 watts
- Maximum Brightness: 900 lumens, 1,800 lux
- Color Temperature: 2,700 – 5,700 K
- Warranty: 1-year manufacturer’s warranty
- Adjustable arm structure and joints
- Auto-dimming mode, glare-free, wide illumination range (90 cm)
What Other Owners Say:
- This is a very solid investment. I love the very bright light for crafting and even lighting for when I’m doing computer work.
- For its price, you’d expect it to be free of nuisances. But, it has an annoying habit of turning on after a power failure.
Watch the BenQ in action in this video.
Lumiy Lightblade 1500S
Second Brightest Desk Lamp
An excellent balance of price and maximum brightness output, that’s what the Lumiy Lightblade 1500S offers. Add to that the USB charging port and 1-hour timer and you can see why this desk lamp has earned a spot on our list.
Boasting 4 color modes with 5 brightness levels each, the 1500S has an extremely high maximum light output of around 800 lumens and CRI of 93. CRI stands for Color Rendering Index; the higher the number, the more natural the color of objects appear under the light for your eyes. For your reference, natural sunlight has a CRI of 100 (maximum level).
Outstanding Features:
- Adjustable Brightness: Yes, 20 levels
- Wattage: 10 watts
- Maximum Brightness: Around 800 lumens, 1,500 lux
- Color Temperature: 2,635 – 6,185 K, 4 modes
- Warranty: 1-year manufacturer’s warranty
- Omni-directional pivoting head
- USB charging port, 1-hour timer
What Other Owners Say:
- The original product I got was defective and stopped working after 3 months. The customer support sent me a replacement right away. The defective lamp started working perfectly again after replugging prior to packaging for return. Still, the company wanted it back so they can find out the issue and improve on it for future models. Kudos to the company for being responsive and sincerely wanting to better their products.
- It looks sleek but the plastic construction feels cheap. The glossy surface is a fingerprint magnet too!
JUKSTG Flicker-Free LED Lamp
Awesome Timer Function
Sporting a modern minimalistic sleek look, the JUKSTG Flicker-Free LED Lamp is our pick for the best budget desk lamp that comes with an automatic shut off function. Aside from the basics and a highly adjustable build, it comes with a 1-hour timer and a USB charging port.
Angle-adjustable at three points, this lamp has a space-saving design that would fit right in on your bedside table. With the timer function, you can safely read office documents to sleep without straining your eyes or keeping your lamp burning the entire night. It’s easy to assemble as well and comes with everything you need to get it up and running – screwdriver and spare screw included.
Outstanding Features:
- Adjustable Brightness: Yes, 7 levels
- Wattage: 14 watts
- Maximum Brightness: 400 lumens
- Color Temperature: 2,800 – 5,500 K, 4 modes
- Warranty: Lifetime replacement guarantee
- Multi-angle adjustable base, neck, and head
- 1-hr timer, USB charging port
What Other Owners Say:
- The company stands by its words when it said lifetime replacement guarantee. The original lamp broke after 2 years of long daily use. After reaching out to the company, they sent a replacement right away.
- It performs well but I don’t like its cheap plastic feeling.
Homtech LED Lamp
Highest Color Rendering Index
If seeing the true color of an object is very important to the task you’re doing, then you need the Homtech LED Lamp for its almost perfect color rendering index. With more than 95 CRI, this eye-caring lamp is ideal for artists and designers, or anything that want to see objects in their true colors.
Take advantage of the 25 brightness levels at 5 different color temperatures to bring your work to life. With the space-saving design, it’ll be easier to find a place for it on your workbench. There is also the USB charging port to help you stay connected as you work long hours. Finally, the 18-month warranty will give you a sense of security when you invest in this affordable LED lamp.
Outstanding Features:
- Adjustable Brightness: Yes, 25 levels
- Wattage: 10 watts
- Maximum Brightness: 450 lumens
- Color Temperature: 3,000 – 6,500 K, 5 modes
- Warranty: 18-month warranty
- Adjustable base and arm
- USB charging port, space-saving design
What Other Owners Say:
- It really does protect the eyes because it doesn’t produce blue light. I noticed right away that I don’t get a headache anymore and my eyes don’t feel as tired after hours of painting.
- This desk lamp is good but I wish the neck part can be turned sideways for even better positioning.
TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp
Best Budget Option
If you’re shopping on a tight budget, our pick for you is the TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp. It’s a no-frills option but what it can do, it does really well.
For a cheap price, form and function meld seamlessly to bring you a whopping 35 combinations of color modes and brightness which you can position using the easy to adjust flexible gooseneck. Another thing that makes it standout is its total of 30 months warranty, something that we usually do not see in economy price products.
Outstanding Features:
- Adjustable Brightness: Yes, 35 levels
- Wattage: 7 watts
- Maximum Brightness: 386 lumens
- Color Temperature: 3,000 – 6,500 K, 5 modes
- Warranty: 12-month + 18-month free extension warranty
- Flexible gooseneck
What Other Owners Say:
- It doesn’t take up much space and it doesn’t get hot even after hours of use. There are also rubber discs under the base which keeps it from sliding around.
- This lamp doesn’t sit high or illuminate a large area so it’s only good for close up work.
LEPOWER Clip on Light
Best Clip-On Lamp
Bring customizable light wherever you need it with the LEPOWER Clip on Light. This very affordable lamp features an ultra flexible gooseneck, a scratch-resistant clip, and easy to use controls.
With the foam-padded clip, you can attach the Lepower anywhere you want without worrying about scratches. It’s a good option if you don’t have a lot of space as well since the arm is very flexible. Along with its light weight, its ability to be powered using an AC adapter or a USB cord makes it highly portable.
Outstanding Features:
- Adjustable Brightness: Yes, 2 levels
- Wattage: 3 watts
- Maximum Brightness: 260 lumens
- Color Temperature: 2,700 – 6,000 K, 2 modes
- Warranty: 60-day money-back guarantee + 12-month warranty
- Flexible gooseneck, clip with scratch-resistant foam
- Power using USB cord or AC adapter
What Other Owners Say:
- This is a company that cares about their customers! I was frustrated when the lamp stopped working a few days after the return date. Fortunately, their customer support replied promptly and helped me fix the issue. As for the lamp itself, it performs like a champ.
- It only produces a small amount of light. I use this for lighting my keyboard but it won’t work if you want to light up more desk space.
Leave a Reply