The 16 Very Best Desk Lamps

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Adjustability:Articulated arm, head |Base:Standard |Light source:Bulb

Anglepoise, a British company that has been making task lamps since the 1930s, was far and away the most mentioned among the architects and interior designers we spoke to. As architectMei Lun Xueputs it, the lamps are “super-classic and look good everywhere.” Ming Thompson, a co-founder of architecture and interior-design firmAtelier Cho Thompson, is a fan of Anglepoise’s Type 75 lamp, noting it strikes “a balance between simple, modern forms and exposed mechanical elements.”

When I tested the Anglepoise lamp at a Design Within Reach store in Manhattan, I was incredulous at how smoothly and easily it moved — it followed my motions like it was floating, with no wobbling or sticking, a sign of great engineering. It can adjust in several directions — the base, arms, and head spin and pivot, and the base can rotate 360 degrees. It comes with a 13-watt CFL bulb, and the lamp is available in several colors, including yellow ochre, and three Memphis-inspired multicolored finishes. (You can also find hundreds ofvintage Anglepoise lampson eBay.)

Adjustability:Articulated arm, head |Base:Standard |Light source:E12 bulb

The IKEA Forsa has the adjustability and industrial aesthetic of the Anglepoise 75 at a fraction of the price. Architect Páll Hjaltason, the owner and founder ofPlús Arkitektar, recommends the Forsa for its practicality, affordability, and pleasantly generic aesthetic. “I bought a lot of them for my growing studio, so they’re everywhere,” he says. They’re made of nickel-plated steel coated in acrylic, which gives them a chromelike finish.

Adjustability:Articulated arm, 360-degree rotating head |Base:Standard, clamp, in-set pivot |Light source:E26 bulb

Another architect favorite is the Tolomeo table lamp, designed in 1989 by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina and made in Italy for Artemide. (We spotted it in JFK Jr.’s bedroom inLove Story.)Jane Greenwood, a principal atKostow Greenwood Architects, says that its design sits “at the cusp of the technology boom” thanks to details like its aluminum material, fully adjustable articulated arm with polished die-cast aluminum joints, and tension-control knobs. The shade also rotates 360 degrees.

Lane Rick and Can Bui, co-founders and principals of collaborative architecture and design studioOffice of Things, also use the Tolomeo in their office. They particularly appreciate that its adjustability is “very precise,” says Bui, and that “materially, the aluminum is pleasant to touch and the weight feels substantial, an unexpectedly nice thing to find in a desk lamp.” Plus, adds Bui, “The series has been around since the ’80s, and we think it has just about attained a classic design status.”

Adjustability:Articulated arm, 360-degree rotating head |Base:Standard |Light source:OneE14 bulb

For another investment-worthy, adjustable desk lamp with a design pedigree, Margie Lavender, a principal architect atIke Kligerman Barkley, recommends the Signal SI333 created by Jean-Louis Domecq for Jieldé back in 1950. Manufactured in Lyon, France, the lamp is “great for drawing or project tables when you need to adjust the light over a large surface,” says Lavender. Each comes with its own serial number (so no two are exactly alike), and they are available in dozens of bright colors, likeorange, Barbiepink,robin’s-egg blue, and the red shown here.

Adjustability:Shade |Base:Clamp |Light source:E12 bulb

I learned about this petite clamp lamp fromFood52 founder Amanda Hesser, who uses it as task lighting in her kitchen. It’s highly adjustable — it can be mounted horizontally or vertically, and the shade swivels, allowing you to transition from an unshaded bulb to directional light to a dim ambient glow. It would be a particularly good option for workspaces that are low on desk space or nestled under bookshelves.

Adjustability:Shade |Base:Clamp |Light source:E26 bulb

You don’t need to get fancier than a hardware-store clamp lamp, architectPeter Dumbadzesays. Though not marketed as a desk lamp, it’s just as versatile (and even cheaper). “I position the lamps such that I can bounce light off the walls and ceiling, helping to provide even lighting,” Dumbadze says. At under $20, this lamp is affordable enough that you can buy more than one and place them anywhere you may need an extra light source; the clamp also makes them easy to move around as your needs change.

Adjustability:Articulated arm, head |Base:Clamp |Light source:23W compact fluorescent

Greenwood calls the L1 “the classic workhorse lamp found in many architectural offices for more than 50 years.” (It also served as the inspiration for thePixar logo mascot.) Architecture critic Alexandra Lange is also a fan of the brand’s lamps, particularly this style from its LS series. “This is the desk lamp my architect husband actually has multiples of,” she says, calling it “the black T-shirt of architect desk lamps.” It has adjustable arms with external springs that allow for more flexibility, along with an adjustable shade. It can be customized with an edge-clamp mount, allowing you to attach it to the side of a table (as opposed to sitting on a base).

Adjustability:Counter-weight balanced arms, head, 360-degree rotating base |Base:Standard |Light source:Halogen

We have a vintage Artemide Tizio lamp in our living room, and it is my favorite light in the house. Designed in 1972 by Richard Sapper for Artemide, it’s free of visible springs, wires, and knobs, and instead uses two counterweights to change the direction of the light source (a halogen bulb, which is less energy efficient than a LED but a million times prettier). Made of aluminum, it comes with an adjustable head with a reflector and a 360-degree swiveling base. As architect Daniel Frisch puts it, “It may be the only task lamp that is a true pleasure to adjust.” It’s available in two sizes, the original and the micro, which is still quite large at 30 inches in height.

Adjustability:Counter-weight balanced arms, tilting head |Base:Standard |Light source:8W LED bulb

This slim LED desk lamp is a more affordable weight-balanced option and has been a constant table-side companion forNoroof Architectspartner Scott Oliver. “I bought a version of this halogen model 30-plus years ago — and lo and behold, it is still around,” he says. While he originally bought it as a bedside lamp, “it became my go-to lamp as it left the bedside, and became my drawing lamp when I was in grad school doing design competitions.” The lamp employs a counterbalance to adjust the arm up and down and also has a tilting head for directing the light, which is dimmable. Shown here in black, it comes in silver and white as well.

Adjustability:Tilting stem, 360-degree rotating head |Base:Standard |Light source:Onboard LED, fully variable dimmer

If high-tech features are paramount in your desk setup, try the Pixo Plus. It received multiple mentions, including from interior designerKendall Wilkinsonand Angie Lee, a partner and design director of interiors atFXCollaborative. Lee likes its “friendly, playful silhouette” and “surprisingly warm lighting temperature,” which dims smoothly via touch. Its head rotates 360 degrees, and its stem rotates and tilts 180 degrees so you can direct light exactly where you want it. More design details, according to Lee, include the “elegant concave base platform that holds various tchotchkes or electronics” (and doubles as a wireless charging base). Wilkinson also loves all the colors and finishes the lamp comes in — which include white, orange, neon yellow, blue, and silver.

Adjustability:90-degree tilting arm, 180-degree tilting head |Base:Standard |Light source:Onboard LED

Frisch owns the now-discontinued Leaf lamp from Herman Miller, which features a twisty flat stem and long, leaflike LED shade. While he loves the light, the lamp he uses most is this minimalist lamp with a similar, albeit sleeker and more industrial, shape from Lepro. “This fixture outperforms the Leaf — and at an unbelievable price,” says Frisch. The LED lamp can be adjusted via a tilting arm and shade and comes with a dimmer and three color modes: pure white light, neutral white light, and a soft yellowish warm light.

Adjustability:Articulated arm, 30-degree tilting head|Base:Standard, clamp, in-set pivot |Light source:Onboard LED

Clifford Selbert, the founding partner ofSelbert Perkins Design, says that he’s owned many desk lamps over the years, including the Luxo, which was his first. Now he uses the NJP lamp, which was designed by Japan’s Nendo studio for Louis Poulsen as a reinterpretation of the classic architect’s lamp. “It updates the Luxo approach with a more elegant design, and it provides beautiful diffused light,” says Selbert. Henry Ng, architect and co-founder ofIdeas of Order, loves this lamp for its “minimalist lines, playful geometry, beautifully expressed mechanics, and ease of movement.” You can choose from two color temperatures (warm or cool), and the LED light itself has multiple brightness levels. Selbert adds that he appreciates the lamp’s small footprint and multiple mounting options, including a table base, inset pivot, and clamp.

Adjustability:None |Base:Standard |Style:Pleated shade, seven colors |Dimmable:Yes

If adjustability is less important to you and you prefer the vibe of a library to an industrial-design studio, consider Hay’s Matin lamp, which Liza Curtiss and Corey Kingston, the co-founders of architecture-and-design studioLe Whit, call “sophisticated and fun.” (It’s also our favoritebedside lampand one of ourbest gifts for readers.) Its conical, pleated cotton shade comes in a wide range of colors like red, green, lavender, and yellow, and they tell us it “pulls the traditional pleated shade into a more playful future.” While it’s not adjustable, the LED light can adjust to three brightness levels, and the open wire base can serve as an organizer for a stack of books.

Adjustability:None |Base:Standard |Style:Paper shade

Designers love Isamu Noguchi’s Akari light sculptures as both tabletop andfloor lamps, so it makes sense to hear that a smaller one like this would work well in an office setting. “I’ve used this specific light for decades,” says Jonathan Marvel, the founder ofMarvel Architects. Strategist senior editorSimone Kitchensalso wrote about how she used a Noguchi lamp to give her desk, which wasn’t “blessed with a ton of natural light,” a “cozy, glow-y living-room feel.” The lamp also appeared in our roundup ofstylish people and their Noguchi lampswith writer and curator Andrew Gardner describing it as a “shining little beacon of comfort.”

Adjustability:Dual-action pivot and rotation system|Base:Standard |Light source:Onboard LED

This Tom Dixon lamp marries the convenience of aportable lightwith the adjustability of a desk lamp. I learned about it from Strategist senior editor Ailbhe Malone, who keeps it on her desk. (Per her report, it comes with a pair of white cotton gloves and would make a great housewarming gift.) Powered by a rechargeable battery, it has three-step dimming and adjustable color temperature, and it comes in six colors, from a neutral greenish brown called kelp to bright sky blue.

Adjustability:Tilting head |Base:Standard |Light source:Onboard LED

Architectural designerMadelynn Ringois one of three folks who recommended a desk lamp from the 3-D-printed lighting company Gantri. This one was created by industrial designer Mona Sharma. The head is not only adjustable (it moves up and down) but dimmable, and the lamp has a “great rounded shape that puts stylish focus on the task at hand,” says Ringo.

[Editor’s note: Gantri’s Buddy lamps are made to order and take about a month to arrive.]