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.
Bonus: 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.
Lighting Ergonomics – What You Should Know
Quick Overview of the Types of Lights
A big part of what defines the best desk lamp for your eyes is the type of light bulb it uses. Technology has come a long way, and some light bulbs are definitely better than others.
Incandescent
With incandescent bulbs, light was created by heating the filament inside the glass. They generally lasted for about a year and were compatible with dimmer switches. Referred to as the ‘traditional’ light bulb, incandescent bulbs have almost all but phased out due to not being energy efficient. There are also concerns about the amount of carbon dioxide incandescent bulbs produce.
Incandescent bulbs also produce more carbon emissions for the same amount of illumination compared to other types of bulbs, up to 7 times:
LED (Light Emitting Diode)
An LED bulb is an ideal choice for a desk light, lasting longer than any other type of bulb, in some cases up to 50 times longer. It uses less power and its directional light provides a beam of light focused on where you need it the most. Although more expensive initially, they are better value due to their longevity. Not all LED lights work with dimmers, so look for bulbs marked ‘dimmable’.
Many desk lamps these days come with non changeable LED lamps that are built into the lamp frame.
Halogen
Halogen bulbs are also incandescent bulbs, though they use a different type of gas. This allows them to be more energy efficient than traditional bulbs.
Halogen bulbs can emit a lot of heat, so exercise caution and keep them away from flammable items. They provide instant light without needing to ‘warm up’ and can be used with dimmers.
CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp)
CFL bulbs are cost effective long lasting bulbs that are commonly used. When first introduced, the CFL bulb required time to warm up and become bright. Nowadays they reach full brightness almost immediately.
There are potential health risks associated with this type of bulb due to the use of mercury inside the bulbs. If one breaks you need to ensure people and pets leave the room to avoid inhalation.
Measure Brightness Properly (Watts vs Lumens)
Traditionally, bulbs were measured by the number of Watts. The number of watts signified how much power consumption was required to produce the level of brightness needed. The lower the wattage, the lower the energy bill.
A better way to express the brightness of a bulb however is using lumens.
Lumens are a measure of brightness, or light output. Choosing a bulb with higher lumens provides you with a brighter light.
Watts to Lumens Chart
To work out how to much brightness in a light bulb you need in terms of Lumen based on watts, refer to the following handy table:
| Brightness | 450 | 800 | 1100 | 1600 |
| Incandescent | 40 W | 60 W | 75 W | 100 W |
| LED | 8 W | 13 W | 17 W | 20 W |
| CFL | 9 W | 14 W | 19 W | 23 W |
| Halogen | 29 W | 43 W | 53 W | 72 W |
Q: How Many Lumens Do I Need for Reading?
In general, experts recommend at least 450 Lumens in a desk lamp for adequate illumination that minimizes straining on your eyes when reading.
For bed lamps where the beam is ultra concentrated, even less Lumens is needed.
Look for Adjustable Brightness
To dim or not to dim. Lamps with adjustable brightness allow you to reduce the light to just the right level of ambience.
A good desk lamp for your eyes will generally have the ability to adjust the brightness. If you are using an LED bulb you will need to ensure that it is marked as dimmable.
If your lamp does not have dimmable brightness, angle the light head to reduce brightness by changing the direction of the light instead.
How Light Temperature can Affect your Mood and Stress Levels
Eye health is not the only thing to consider when choosing the best lamp. You need to consider how your lighting choices can affect your mood, mental health and stress levels.
Kelvins are used to indicate the color temperature of your bulb, ranging from warm yellow-red hues to cooler blue light. Research from the University of Pennsylvania suggests light that fall within a warmer color spectrum may be safer for our eyes.
- Lighting with the lowest number of Kelvins will provide a warm environment promoting comfort and relaxation.
- Mid level Kelvins give a cool white light providing a bright and vibrant environment.
- Blue-white light, in comparison, can help to lift mood and promote productivity.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
People who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) are affected by the lack of natural sunlight during the winter months. SAD lamps can provide light therapy, restoring the Circadian Rhythm in the body. This can lead to better sleep, better appetite and increased energy levels.
Understanding Color Rendering Index (CRI)
Colour is an important aspect of our daily lives. In daylight we are able to see the natural colors around us. So how can we emulate this when using artificial light sources?
Bulbs have a color rendering index (CRI) rating of between 0 and 100. This rating identifies how well colors are defined. A rating of 0-55 will give a very poor render, meaning that colors will appear different from how they would appear in natural light.
To see colors reproduced accurately you would need to have a CRI of above 90, however over 80 is suitable for most situations:
CRI rating is unrelated to the color temperature. A bulb with a high number of Kelvins could have a lower CRI, alternatively you could have a bulb with high colour temperature and excellent CRI.
In Summary
As you can see, there are many things to consider when picking out the best desk lamp that’s easy on your eyes. In summary:
- Opt for LED lamps over other types.
- For reading and computing, make sure the bulb produces at least 450 Lumens to minimize strain on the eyes.
- Dimmable lamps are a big plus for adjusting the brightness based on time of the day and the task you’re performing.
- Light temperature is measured in Kelvins. The lower the Kelvin, the warmer the light color. 6000 Kelvins produce light comparable to daylight, while 2000 Kelvins is good for a calming, warm light.
- For artificial lighting that render colors similarly to how they appear under natural light, pick bulbs with a a CRI index of at least 80 (0 – 100 index).
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