Bedside lamps for the bedroom

Getting the height right

The simplest rule is to sit up in bed as if you were reading and look straight ahead. The bottom of the shade should be roughly at your chin or shoulder, so the bulb is hidden from your eyes and the light falls onto the page. In practice, this means the top of the bedside table plus the lamp should land around 50 to 65 cm above the mattress. Most bedside tables are close to mattress height, between 55 and 65 cm from the floor, so a lamp of 40 to 60 cm usually works.

Width matters too. A shade much wider than the bedside table will knock against the headboard and the wall, and it will leave no room for a glass of water and a book. As a guide, keep the shade diameter under about two thirds of the table's depth.

Reading light or mood light

If you read in bed, you need light that is directed rather than just pleasant. A shade that is open at the bottom, or a lamp with an adjustable head, puts light on the page. A thick fabric or opal glass shade gives a lovely glow but less useful light for reading. Many people solve this with one of each, a lamp that sets the mood on one side and a more focused reading light on the other. If you share the bed, a directional lamp lets one person read while the other sleeps.

Bulbs and colour temperature

For reading, 400 to 600 lumens from a lamp close to you is plenty. Choose warm white, around 2,700 K, or even 2,200 K for the last half hour before sleep. Blue-rich cool white light is better kept to the kitchen and the desk. Dimmable LED bulbs let you start bright and turn the lamp right down when you put the book away, but check that the lamp's switch or dimmer is designed for LEDs, or you may see flicker at low levels.

Switches you can reach

This is the detail people forget. Lie down and reach out. Can you turn the light off without sitting up? Touch lamps, which switch on and dim when you tap the base, are popular for exactly this reason. An inline switch on the cable, lying on the table, also works well. A switch hidden under the shade or on the back of the base is fine on a sideboard and irritating at midnight.

Shades and materials

Linen and cotton shades give a warm, even glow and soften the light on the wall behind the bed. Pleated fabric adds texture when the lamp is lit. Paper is light and diffuse. Ceramic, stone and glass bases add weight, which matters if a cat or a child might knock the lamp over. Darker shades lined in white or gold throw light down and keep the room dim, which suits a bedroom.

If your bedside table is small

When there is no room for a lamp, consider the alternatives. Wall lights fixed either side of the bed free the table completely and can be plug-in models if you rent. A pendant hung low beside the bed, about 50 to 60 cm above the bedside table, looks good in rooms with high ceilings. A small rechargeable lamp can move from the bedside to the bathroom or the garden, and needs no socket nearby.

Pairs, sockets and cables

Two matching bedside lamps give a double bed a calm, hotel-like symmetry, and they are the simplest choice when you are unsure. Mismatched lamps can look relaxed if they share one element, such as height, colour or material. Before buying, check where your sockets are. A UK plug on a short cable may not reach, and an extension lead across the floor is a trip hazard in the dark. A cable clip or two along the back of the bedside table keeps everything tidy.

Small extras worth having

Some lamps now include a USB port in the base, which saves a socket for your phone charger. Others work with smart bulbs, so you can dim the light from your phone or set it to fade up slowly on winter mornings. Neither is essential, but if your bedside lamp will sit next to a single socket, a built-in USB port is genuinely useful.

For children's rooms

Choose a stable base, a shade that stays cool to the touch with an LED bulb and a switch a child can use. A dimmable lamp can double as a night light, turned down to a low glow once the story is finished.