Bedside lamp: soft light within easy reach
Key takeaways:
- A bedside lamp is a small table lamp placed on the nightstand that lights up your reading in bed and complements the bedroom lighting without causing glare.
- Choose it according to its light and size: a warm white LED bulb of 250 to 400 lumens for ambiance, 400 to 600 lumens for reading, and a shade at eye level.
- It simply plugs into an outlet or works cordlessly, takes an LED bulb behind a fabric or paper shade, and is dusted unplugged with a soft cloth.
A bedside lamp is a small table-top light fixture placed on the nightstand to light your reading in bed and create a soft ambiance in the evening. Of all the table lamps, it is the one you keep within easy reach, since you switch it on as you go to bed and switch it off without getting up.
It complements the bedroom lighting without causing glare: where the ceiling light provides general illumination, the bedside lamp creates a more intimate glow, limited to the bed and its surroundings. It is also a decorative object, visible by day and by night, whose shape and material matter as much as its light.
Styles and materials
Fabric or linen shades, ceramic, wood or metal bases, glass globes, touch or rechargeable lamps: the bedside lamp comes in every style, from Scandinavian to retro. Each material has its own way of filtering light and matching the furniture.
Fabric, linen or paper shades
The fabric shade remains the great classic of the nightstand, because it hides the bulb and spreads a subdued light. Linen, with its slightly irregular weave, gives a more natural look, while light cotton lets more brightness through, as you will see on our fabric lamps.
The color of the shade also changes the result: a white or ecru fabric lights the area around it generously, whereas a dark fabric directs the light upward and downward. Behind a fabric or paper shade, choose an LED bulb that stays cool, and respect the maximum wattage indicated.
Ceramic, wood or metal bases
Ceramic, glazed or matte, gives the base rounded shapes that suit classic or bohemian bedrooms. Wood, light or dark, warms up the nightstand and matches a headboard of the same wood, as our wooden lamps show.
Metal lends itself to slimmer lines, whether a black tubular base or a gold one. Whatever the material, a heavy, wide base adds stability, which is valuable on a piece of furniture you often brush against in the dark.
Glass globes and original shapes
Some models do without a shade: an opal glass globe then surrounds the bulb and diffuses an even light in all directions. Smoked or amber glass gives a warmer tint, and you will find more ideas among our glass lamps.
The collection also includes more unexpected lamps, shaped like a moon, an animal or a lantern, whose silhouette decorates the room even when switched off. These original lamps suit a teenager's bedroom as well as a guest bedroom, as long as you check that they give enough light for the intended use.
From Scandinavian to retro
In a bright bedroom with blond wood furniture, a Scandinavian lamp is a natural choice, with its simple shapes and white or natural tones. The Japanese style is similar, with its light structures and very soft lighting.
Retro relies on curves, gold tones and pleated shades, in the spirit of our vintage lamps. The industrial style prefers black metal and Art Deco geometric lines: in every case, two identical lamps on either side of the bed create a restful symmetry.
Touch, cordless and rechargeable lamps
A touch lamp turns on with a simple touch on the stem or the base, so you don't have to fumble for the switch. Some offer several brightness levels, from a simple glow to reading light.
Rechargeable models run on a battery and can be placed even far from any outlet, like our cordless lamps. They are most often recharged with a USB cable, and their exact battery life is given on the product page.
Choosing the right lamp
Amount and color of light
For a bedside lamp, a warm light of about 250 to 400 lumens is enough to create a soft ambiance and to move around the bedroom. For reading, aim for 400 to 600 lumens instead, so that the page is well lit.
The color temperature matters as much as the amount: a warm white, between 2700 and 3000 kelvins, gives a golden light that promotes relaxation, as on our warm light lamps. The base and the maximum wattage accepted are indicated on each product page.
Height and size
The bottom of the shade should be roughly at eye level when you are sitting up in bed. Placed higher, it exposes the bulb and causes glare, whereas placed lower, it lights the nightstand rather than the book.
Choose a lamp in proportion to the nightstand, checking the dimensions on the product page. A base that takes up only part of the top leaves room for a book and an alarm clock, and a shade that does not overhang the furniture avoids bumps when you walk past the bed.
A lamp for reading in bed
If you read every evening, favor a directed light. A reading lamp, with an adjustable head or a flexible arm, sends its beam onto the page and leaves the rest of the bedroom in the dark.
A dimmer lets you switch from reading light to a simple glow. On a dimmable lamp with a replaceable bulb, check that the LED bulb bears the "dimmable" mark, otherwise it may flicker or fail to turn on.
Adult's bedroom, child's bedroom
In an adult's bedroom, you most often choose two matching lamps, one on each side of the bed, each with its own switch. In a guest bedroom, a single lamp in a neutral style is enough, as long as it turns on easily.
For a child's bedroom, choose a children's lamp with a stable base, fitted with an LED bulb that stays cool, and keep the lamp and its cable out of reach of toddlers. A night light, with a very faint glow, can take over for the night.
| Use | Recommended bedside lamp | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Evening ambiance | Lamp with a fabric shade | Warm white LED bulb, 250 to 400 lumens |
| Reading in bed | Adjustable reading lamp | 400 to 600 lumens, beam directed onto the page |
| Nightstand without an outlet | Rechargeable cordless lamp | Battery life indicated on the product page |
| Child's bedroom | Lamp with a stable base and LED bulb | Lamp and cable out of reach of toddlers |
Installation and maintenance
Plugging in and placing the lamp
A bedside lamp requires no installation: it simply plugs into an outlet, and is switched on by a switch located on the cable, on the stem or near the lamp holder. Run the cable behind the nightstand so that it doesn't trail across the walkway.
Place the lamp toward the back of the top, on the bed side, so that you can reach the switch without getting up. If the nightstand is too small, a bedhead wall sconce frees up the top, but its connection must be carried out by a qualified electrician.
Changing the bulb and cleaning the lamp
Unplug the light fixture and let the bulb cool down before changing it or cleaning it. Replace it with a bulb with the same base, without exceeding the maximum wattage indicated on the lamp or on its product page. On a model with integrated LEDs, there is no bulb to replace.
Dust with a soft cloth, with the light fixture switched off and cooled down, without abrasive products. A fabric shade is cleaned with a soft brush or a lint roller, and a glass globe with a barely damp microfiber cloth, which you wipe dry immediately. Never wet the lamp holder, the switch or the cable.
Where to buy a lamp?
At Lustria, each product page indicates the lamp's characteristics: dimensions, materials, type of base, maximum wattage accepted and, for cordless models, charging method. The price appears on each product page, which allows you to compare models before choosing.
The dimensions let you check that the lamp fits on your nightstand. If you are reviewing the lighting of the whole room, a bedroom floor lamp placed in a corner complements bedside lamps well, and our customer service will answer your questions.
Frequently asked questions about bedside lamps
Answers to the most common questions before choosing:
What power for a bedside lamp?
An LED bulb of 250 to 400 lumens is enough for ambiance, which represents only a few watts. To read comfortably, go up to 400 or 600 lumens.
Rely on lumens rather than watts, because they measure the light actually emitted, and never exceed the wattage indicated on the lamp.
What height for a bedside lamp?
The bottom of the shade should be roughly at eye level when you are sitting up in bed. With a thick mattress or a high bed, you therefore need a taller lamp.
Measure the height of your nightstand, then compare it with the dimensions on the product page: the lamp and the furniture are chosen together.
What light color should you choose for the bedroom?
A warm white, between 2700 and 3000 kelvins. This golden light, close to that of a candle, creates a soothing ambiance at the end of the day.
Cool white, more invigorating, is better suited to an office or a kitchen. Some lamps offer several color temperatures: the product page specifies this.
Do you need two identical bedside lamps?
It is not mandatory, but two identical lamps create a symmetry that structures the bedroom and simplifies the choice. Each person thus has their own light, without disturbing the other.
You can also deliberately mix them, as long as you keep a common element between the two lamps: same height, same color or same material.
Which bulb for a fabric or paper shade?
An LED bulb, and only that. It stays very cool, which protects the fabric or paper, as long as you respect the maximum wattage indicated on the lamp.
Check the base on the product page, and prefer a frosted bulb, whose light is spread more evenly behind the shade than with a clear bulb.
Is a touch bedside lamp practical?
Yes, especially at night: you just touch the stem or the base to turn it on, without looking for the switch in the dark. It is also a simple gesture for a child or an elderly person.
Check on the product page whether the bulb is included, integrated or to be bought separately.
How does a cordless bedside lamp work?
It runs on an integrated battery, which you recharge with a cable, most often USB. Once charged, it can be used without an outlet nearby.
Battery life varies depending on the model and the brightness chosen, and it is indicated on the product page.
Where should you place the lamp on the nightstand?
Toward the back of the top and on the bed side, so that the switch stays accessible from the pillow. The light then falls on the book, and not in your eyes.
Leave a little space between the shade and the wall, the curtains or the headboard, and keep the front of the top free for your evening items.
How do you clean a bedside lamp?
With a soft, dry cloth, with the lamp unplugged and the bulb cooled down. Used regularly, it is enough to remove the dust that dulls the light.
For a stain, barely dampen the cloth, without abrasive products, then wipe dry. A fabric shade is brushed gently, and the electrical parts must never be wetted.
Which bedside lamp for a child's bedroom?
A lamp with a wide base, which does not tip over, with an LED bulb that stays cool. Moon or animal shapes are very popular with children.
Place the lamp and its cable out of reach of toddlers, on a stable piece of furniture, and never in the bed. A cordless model removes the cable near the bed.