The 17 Very Best Floor Lamps

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Style:Upright, drum shade |Material:Linen, wood |Adjustability:Dimmable

I’ve owned the Everett lamp for about a year, and it’s been a pleasure to use. We have it in our bedroom next to a reading chair, and not only does it look great thanks to its pale-wood base and stem and linen-blend drum shade, it’s an effective additional light source. It’s dimmable, but it can get very bright or dim, depending on the situation. It’s beautifully made in Vermont of solid oak and has other thoughtful details like a dark brown cloth-covered cord. It’s a premium floor lamp, and you can tell. I also appreciate how the stem and shade are offset from the center of the base, making it look a little more interesting than a standard floor lamp. But because of its natural materials, it works across many décor styles, making it my choice for best overall floor lamp. It comes in two heights, 61 inches and 72 inches.

Style:Drum shade |Material:Linen, metal |Adjustability:Telescoping neck

For something slightly more affordable, consider West Elm’s adjustable floor lamp. TV and film set decoratorKimberly Fischerfirst told me about the lamp when I wrote thishighly specific story on floor lampsa couple of years ago, and she called it a staple of her jobs. “I’ve used it multiple times,” she said. “It’s classic and shows up well on-camera.” She points out its natural linen shade, and the fact that it is height adjustable makes it that much more versatile. It’s got a slender metal stem that incorporates both antique brass and satin black finishes (for a little extra detailing) and a base that will fit small spaces comfortably, which is why, along with its just-below-$300 price tag, I’ve dubbed it the best overall floor lamp on this list.

Style:Upright, drum shade |Material:Wood, linen

Pottery Barn’s Morton floor lamp is similar to Room and Board’s Everett but has a more traditional profile. It has a plain rubberwood base that’s square and a center stem topped with a textured linen drum shade. Interior designer Stacy Harwood likes its “versatile design” that she says pairs well with coastal, California, and transitional styles.” It’s also available in a darker walnut finish that comes with a gray shade.

Style:Upright, tapered drum shade |Material:Metal, polycarbonate, silkscreened shade |Adjustability:Telescoping stem, dimmable

This lamp from Italian lighting brand Luceplan has a sleek metal stem with square base and a tapered polycarbonate silkscreened diffuser that comes in 11 colors including a bright primary red, canary yellow, and mauve. It was designed in 1986 but has a contemporary look that I think would look really nice in all kinds of spaces, especially because of its shade options and three different body finishes — off-white, brass, and aluminum. It has a telescoping stem and an adjustable light.

Style:Upright, pleated conical shade |Material:Metal, cotton |Adjustability:Dimmable

The floor-lamp version of ourbest-in-class pick for bedside lamp, the Hay Matin, is also excellent. Strategist deputy editor Simone Kitchens, who has it in her bedroom, says that it has “the same elegant presence of the table lamp, while subtly channeling the Mads Caprani lamp.” It comes with a pleated cotton shade that she chose in peach “because I felt like it would emit the warmest glow.” While it looks delicate, Kitchens says that it’s covered with a hardy PVC laminate that’s easy to handle. The LED bulb is dimmable using a dimmer floor switch. “I find the lowest of the three settings to be the perfect balance of glow and just-enough light,” says Kitchens. As for when the lamp is off, “I love the texture it adds while still easily working with the rest of the room,” she says, “and how you can still see daylight filtering through the shade.”

Style:Task |Material:Metal |Adjustability:Adjustable height, swing arm

For something a little more traditional, try a task lamp, like this one that design historianAlessandra Woodrecommends. “I love a good pharmacy lamp,” she says, adding that because of its classic look, this will always be in style. “This has the perfect blend of vintage and industrial charm, and the aged brass introduces an upscale feeling of warmth to any rustic space.” It’s available in other finishes, including nickel and bronze, and has an adjustable height and swing arm.

Style:Task/reading |Material:Metal |Adjustability:Adjustable head

Here’s a more straightforward reading lamp from Ikea that’s as no-fuss as they come — and it’s just $20. It’s recommended byRajni Jacques, global head of fashion and beauty at Snapchat, who first told us about it in anissue of theSecret Strategistnewsletter(sign up hereif you haven’t yet subscribed to it). The aluminum lamp has an adjustable arm for directing the light wherever you need it to shine, but it also can add a nice glow to the room, as Jacques explains. “I like to call this the Moody Lamp. It’s a great light when you’re feeling melancholy. When the overhead lights are off and you want just a hint of light to soften the room, this does the job,” she told us. “Also, it’s cheap and looks good in any room — night or day.”

Style:Arc, drum shade |Materials:Metal, cotton| Adjustability:Dimmable

A floor lamp with a dramatically arcing neck can double as overhead lighting if you position it correctly — above seating or even a dining table, for example. Another favorite of Harwood’s, this more traditional option has a simple metal base and cotton shade, making it especially versatile. “With an extending arch that’s over six feet high,” Harwood says it is a practical option for both small and large rooms. She adds that it comes with full dimmer capacity and that you can get it in two finishes (brass and nickel).

Style:Arc, globe shade |Material:Metal, marble

This arcing lamp has more of a ’60s vibe thanks to its globe shade. It’s recommended by home decoratorCarrie Carrollo, who likes that it comes in different finish options. Her favorite ischrome, which is temporarily out of stock. “This lamp feels like a nice way to potentially experiment with the tone,” she says. It also marries two of the shapes she mentions above with a form that is both orblike and mushroom reminiscent.

Style:Arc, pleated shade |Material:Wood, canvas

The Mads Caprani lamp, originally designed in 1971, has a bentwood neck that’s a more subtle take on an arc lamp. Vintage ones were once difficult and expensive to source — I bought mine from Copenhagen-basedEtsy sellerVerbo Studio, whose lamps were in beautiful condition and better priced than the ones I saw in the U.S. — but now they’re back in production thanks to Gubi. The curved bentwood spine is made of wood veneer with a canvas pleated shade and balances on a crescent-shaped cast-iron base. It can slide into just about any spot due to its petite footprint.I’ve created the most pleasant reading nook by placing it next to a big white slipcovered chair. Even though it’s slightly ubiquitous now, I never tire of looking at its sinuous shape.

Style:Tripod |Material:Metal |Adjustability:Adjustable head

If you like a lamp that stands on three legs but prefer something with a slimmer profile, consider this lamp by Greta Grossman’s original 1947 Grasshopper design that Allan recommends as an “alternative reproduction if you are working toward building your own iconic collection.” It has a tubular steel tripod stand that is “tilted backward, creating a modern silhouette,” and a conical shade with an elbow joint that can be adjusted up or down to direct the light where you please. In terms of placement, Allan recommends “placing it behind your favorite reading chair in a family room, bedroom, or kids’ room.”

Style:Tripod |Material:Washi paper, metal, bamboo

For something that doubles as a piece of art, considerIsamu Noguchi’s Akari light sculptures, which are made from washi paper and come in dozens of styles and shapes. The Akari 10A stands on three slim legs and has a round paper shade with bent bamboo trim. It’s what beauty consultant Alexis Page (and Strategist senior editor Simone Kitchens) has in her home. As she told us atthe time, “I chose the 10A for its lower profile and traditional shape. I like that these lamps either disappear or serve as a focal point. They create warm lighting that I love because overhead lighting should be banned.”

Style:Column |Material:Plant polymer, aluminum |Adjustability:Dimmable

Photographer and designerTommy Leiturns to California-based Gantri, which makes 3-D-printed lighting using plant materials, for his floor lamps. “It works directly with reputable designers to produce cutting-edge products with a high-design flair,” says Lei. The Pavone, designed by Viviana Degrandi, is one of his favorites that he uses in both his home and with clients. The LED light source isensconced between twotail-feather-shaped shells that diffuse lightradially and sit atop two aluminum rods that are anchored by a slim cylindrical base, giving it a slender profile. Lei prefers to use it as a corner lamp to “elevate any sitting or living room,” adding that it “pairs easily with a wide range of décor styles because of how timeless the silhouette is.”

Style:Column |Material:Metal

If the above light works best in a corner, this shiny stainless-steel lamp that Victoria Adesanmi, founder and principal of interior-design studioAesthetics Studios, recommends is meant to stand out. “I’m obsessed with this,” says Adesanmi. “It’s modern, simple, and perfect for any place in your home.”

Style:Upright, globe |Material:Metal

I love the idea of this simple globe lamp, a version of which was firstbrought to our attention by artist Hugh Hayden in the same edition of theSecret Strategistnewsletter as above. Hayden, who has two of them, says that he loves “their simplicity, size, and the amount of light they bring to my living room.” The spherical diffuser is made from opal white glass and its slim, minimalist stem is made from steel.

Style:Orb, low |Material:Plastic |Adjustability:Dimmable,16 LED color options

For a different kind of ambient light, two of our experts, Thompson and Shannon Retseck, the owner ofCuttalossa, a home-goods and textile company, andCuttalossa & Co., a retail space in Philadelphia, suggest trying round floor lamps, like this one recommended by Thompson. “This is a nontraditional version of a floor lamp,” she says. “I love it directly on the floor or propped up on a stack of books.” It casts a soft glow and comes with 16 LED color options. Retseck, who recommends a similar lamp, agrees that “well-placed glowing globes bring a serene diffused light.”

Style:Bent neck |Material:Metal |Adjustability:Dimmable

Another minimalist LED lamp, the Leaf from Scandinavian design studio Muuto comes recommended by Clémence Polès, the creative director and founder of online magazinePasserby. “I recently discovered Muuto and have been fawning over their designs,” she says. “The Leaf floor lamp is beautiful. It’s really elegant, thin, and doesn’t take up much space.” Slightly more sculptural than the Ikea lamp above, this “feels like it could be part of an Alexander Calder piece,” according to Polès. The shade, which is shaped like a leaf, can be angled in the direction you desire.