The 9 Best Desk Lamps of 2023

Best Overall

Brightever Industrial Dimmable Desk Lamp

4.9

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When you're working at home, an ideal desk lamp is one bright enough to keep you focused, with features for greater efficiency. Our best overall pick, The Brightever Industrial Dimmable Desk Lamp, stands out not only for being stylish and bright enough to keep you focused, but also because it offers added extras to enhance your productivity. 

This desk lamp has multiple light settings to provide the right amount of light to suit your mood or the time of day. All you have to do is touch any part of the lamp to lock in on the brightness level that feels appropriate. You can also manipulate the 360-degree lamp head to get precisely the right lighting angle. 

You’ll also find two USB charging ports plus an outlet to power your phone, laptop, smartwatch, or wireless headphones—essentially any tech that helps get you through the day. And despite all of this, the multitasking lamp is compact enough that it won’t overwhelm even a small desk. 

Price at time of publish: $35

_{Dimensions: 5.91 x 5.91 x 16.14 inches | Material: Metal | Bulb: LED Edison | Wattage: 7 watts | Brightness: 800 lumens}

Best Budget

Simple Designs Basic Metal Desk Lamp with Flexible Hose Neck

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You don’t have to spend a large portion of your paycheck on a quality light for your office—the Simple Designs Basic Metal Desk Lamp with Flexible Hose Neck is proof of this. Though the lamp’s footprint is on the small side, it’s perfectly adequate for a small workspace. Since the unit has a flexible neck, you can adjust to direct the lighting to the perfect spot. Not to mention, the traditional minimalist design marries well with just about any decor style—just choose black or gray, depending on what you gravitate toward. 

Just note that the lampshade can get hot to the touch, especially if your light’s been in use for a while. While this budget-friendly lamp may not have extras, like charging capabilities or even dimming functionality, at the end of the day, it’s simple (just a single on/off switch), practical, reliable, and maybe best of all, affordable. 

Price at time of publish: $10

_{Dimensions: 6.1 x 4.9 x 13.85 inches | Material: Metal, plastic | Bulb: Type A | Wattage: 60 watts | Brightness: Not listed}

Best Mushroom Lamp

Crate & Barrel Joy Clay Table Lamp by Leanne Ford

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Mushroom lamps first sprouted in the 1960s, but they’re popping up in homes all over the world again. It’s no surprise, really—these accessories have just the right amount of quirky charm, especially for a spot like your desk. Take Crate & Barrel’s Joy Clay Table Lamp, for example. The beautiful matte finish lamp, designed in a collaboration between HGTV star and designer Leanne Ford and Crate & Barrel, has a vintage mushroom shape that makes it so undeniably adorable, but with a relatively neutral aesthetic that’ll suit most rooms. 

This desk lamp isn’t all about style, though. The lamp functions the way you want task lighting to. It has three brightness levels, all of which can be triggered simply by touching any portion of the lamp. Just note: While this is convenient, it is sensitive, so you may occasionally blow right past your desired setting. 

Price at time of publish: $129

_{Dimensions: 12 x 12 x 13 inches | Material: Iron | Bulb: 2 60-watt incandescent or 9-watt LED | Wattage: 60 watts | Brightness: Not listed}

Best Cordless

Baseus LED Desk Lamp

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If you’re looking for a cordless option, don’t sleep on the Baseus LED Desk Lamp. It’s not your average desk lamp–it’s much smarter! Instead of sitting on the surface of your desk, this light mounts via a magnetic backing to the top of an enclosed desk or the wall behind you. (The light adjusts 80 degrees to get the angle just right.) The battery lasts for a full 24 hours before it needs another charge, at which point you simply remove the light from the magnetic base and plug it in to juice up. 

The sleek bar-style light has three brightness settings, so you can choose whatever level suits you. And if you pretty much always stick to the same level, there’s good news: The device remembers your previous settings, even after you’ve turned it off. Just note: Because the whole light is so slim, the buttons can be hard to locate, especially in the dark. That shouldn’t be too much of a problem in a room like an office, though. 

Price at time of publish: $28 

_{Dimensions: 11 x 1.4 x 1.6 inches | Material: ‎ABS plastic | Bulb: LED | Wattage: 5 watts | Brightness: 100 lumens}

Best With USB Ports

LALISU Metal Desk Lamp

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Even if you don’t have a small desk, keeping the area streamlined and free from clutter can enhance your focus. And that’s exactly where multi-purpose lamps like this one come into play. The LALISU Metal Desk Lamp has a built-in USB port and a built-in outlet, so you can keep all of your electronics close at hand—and fully charged—while you work. There aren’t any dedicated shelves or pockets for stashing these gadgets, but the light does have an amply sized wooden base with built-in wireless charging capability, giving you a smart spot to perch your phone when you’re in need of a charge. 

Despite these cool add-on features, the lamp itself is high-functioning. It has three brightness settings (low, medium, and high) that can be activated simply by tapping the base. The flexible gooseneck arm bends to an impressive 180 degrees, too, so you can get the angle just right. Keep in mind you may need to get it used to moving at first, as it can be stiff out of the box. Also nice: It comes in two colors, black and white, so you can choose whichever one better suits your style. 

Price at time of publish: $54

_{Dimensions: 5.9 x 4.72 x 17.71 inches | Material: Metal | Bulb: LED | Wattage: 9 watts | Brightness: Not listed}

Best for Zoom

Bekada LED Desk Light With Clamp

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A traditional desk lamp the Bekada LED Desk Light is not, but this clip-on style light is perfect for something so many professionals find themselves constantly doing during the workday: video conferencing. Though this lamp looks more like a ring light (technically, it is one!), it’s just what you need to illuminate your face and eliminate any shadows that can make for a less-than-ideal experience when using video conferencing software like Zoom. 

It’s easy to use. Simply clip the light onto your desk via the strong metal clamp. It stretches up to two inches to accommodate most desks (though some may not fit). Once it’s in place, bend the gooseneck arm any which way to direct the light exactly where you need it. 

There are three different light settings—cold, natural, and warm—and each one of these modes has 10 adjustable brightness levels to choose from. Keep things natural, or go bright to soften your features. It’s all powered by a simple USB port. 

Price at time of publish: $20

_{Dimensions: ‎4.7 x 5.9 x 3.1 inches | Material: Metal | Bulb: LED | Wattage: 12 watts | Brightness: Not listed}

Best LED

Himigo LED Desk Lamp

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If you’re looking for a quality and energy-efficient desk light source, you really can't go wrong with the Himigo LED Desk Lamp. The light is designed with an LED panel that delivers a lot of light fixed into a rotating arm that makes it easy to pivot the lamp however you need. It also has five color modes and five brightness levels, so it'll give you perfect lighting both day and night.

You can also choose how you want to operate the lamp, since it has both USB and wireless charging capabilities. You can even set your phone down on top of the charging pad to keep it powered up while you work. And, to add to the ever-growing list of nice-to-haves, this lamp also features a 30- or 60-minute timer that automatically turns off the lamp—perfect for reading before bed. Alternatively, you can fold the arm in on itself, turn the brightness all the way down, and then use it as a nightlight while you—or your child—sleeps. 

While adjusting this lamp at certain angles can be a bit of a challenge, as it’s stiff in some directions, it’s overall nicely bright and affordable. However, for its low price, it isn’t the most durable option you’ll find.

Price at time of publish: $20

_{Dimensions: 43 x 7.4 x 14.2 inches | Material: Metal | Bulb: LED | Wattage: Not listed | Brightness: 450 lumen}

Best Vintage

Catalina Traditional Bankers Desk Lamp with Glass Shade

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Love the idea of adding some vintage style to your home? The Catalina Traditional Bankers Desk Lamp, which is crafted from gold-coated metal and complete with a green glass lampshade, is reminiscent of something you’d find in the office of a banker, doctor, or lawyer once upon a time. But this one has a touch of modern class, thanks to the shiny finish and small profile. It’ll look right at home in a transitional office that skews more formal. 

Like the original banker lights, this one also has an attached on/off pull chain under the shade. Simply pull it to turn your lamp on or off. It may not require any effort, but it’s this simplicity that deprives the fixture of additional settings like dimmers or brightness settings. You can, however, attach the light to a smart outlet to put it on a timer. Otherwise, it’s pretty simple and feature-free.

Price at time of publish: $32

_{Dimensions: 10.25 x 10.25 x 13.38 inches | Material: Alloy steel, glass | Bulb: Incandescent or LED | Wattage: 60 watts | Brightness: 800 lumen}