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21 Best Office Desk Lighting Ideas: What are Your Options?

Autonomous|Sep 29, 2020

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Before dwelling onto the various, yet lovely office desk lighting ideas available to complement your standing desk, it is paramount that discussion takes place onto “why you need one.” The most obvious answer is that it’s a light source for you when working in the dark. If the lighting above you is faulty, you’re going to need an additional light source. Alternatively, the light above you might provide too much brightness, which can disturb people nearby. Either way, an office desk light offers you the light source you need.

Which office desk light you should get depends on various factors. Some lights might be better suited for artists, while another light may excel for general usage. Regardless, this list is about the 21 best office desk lighting ideas. Different ideas can be either lighting color or extra objects and how it ties into desk lamp placement. Follow these options to give your office an ergonomic desk lamp setup.

1. Ultra Wide LED Desk Lamp

Also, number one on the 10 Best LED Desk Lamps list, the Ultra Wide LED Desk Lamp provides a wide range of office desk lighting ideas in a designated area. Compared to generic wall lamps or ceiling lighting, this lamp won’t disturb people on the other side of the room. As an artist, you may share a place with other people who may prefer to relax without bright lights shining in their faces. As a result, the Ultra Wide LED Desk Lamp is a perfect choice to illuminate your life.

Pros:

Four different lighting colors
Plenty of light
1-year warranty
Free shipping
No glare on your screens
Flexible to maneuver around
Five brightness levels

Cons:

The lamp itself is fairly boring-looking
No international delivery at the moment

2. LED Desk Lamp

If you’re looking for one of the best office lighting for computer work, Autonomous.AI’s LED Desk Lamp is an excellent investment worth checking out. Impressively, the LED Desk Lamp can last nearly 50,000 hours. Given its low cost, this is a top-tier budget option for creative minds looking for a reliable desk lamp.

Pros:

Multiple coloring options
Multiple brightness options
Angular design makes it easy to adjust
Works excellently with smart desks
Free shipping
1-year warranty
Can last 50,000 hours

Cons:

You cannot change the color of the base of the lamp
No international delivery at the moment

3. Lava Lamp

The lava lamp is a wildcard if nothing else. It’s primarily an aesthetic choice, especially since desk lamp ideas tend to focus on functionality over beauty. Nonetheless, some lava lamps can brighten your desk just enough to provide you ample illumination. Also, its charming design may inspire you to create more exciting music or more colorful pictures. If you need to have either something pretty to look at or a useful office desk light, fret not! A lava lamp can come in various colors and still do its primary job.

Pros:

A wide array of pretty coloring options
Good for inspiration
Offers various colored lighting
Can be used outside of desks effortlessly

Cons:

Limited illumination
If broken, it can make an unpleasant mess

4. Floor Lamp

Not every type of lighting source needs to be directly on your desk for maximum efficiency. As a floor lamp is placed on the flooring instead of being on your desk, you have more surface area for your various projects. Floor lamps also tend to excel in lighting options while not needing charging or needing a new battery. Naturally, a floor lamp is a right choice for creative minds who need more control over their lighting without sacrificing workspace.

Pros:

Generally more illumination
Allows you more space on your desk
Can be used outside of desks effortlessly
No need for batteries or charging
Several stylish options to choose from

Cons:

Typically less coloring and brightness options
Minimal to non-existent anti-glare features

5. Focus Lamp

A focus lamp illuminates a small area, typically your workspace. If you like to do traditional art or you’re working on some essential documents, a focus lamp can assist you in your daily life. It’s not a particularly fancy light source, but its flexibility allows you to maneuver it however you see fit for a digital artist workstation. It may not help with colorful office desk lighting ideas, but good focus lamps should make your life more convenient.

Pros:

Compact designs allow more space for your desk
Easy to adjust
Affordable
Easy to know where the light is going

Cons:

The lamp itself is fairly boring-looking
Typically less coloring and brightness options

6. Table Lamp

While a table lamp may seem like a boring, yet practical solution to your lighting needs, its simplicity is surprisingly inspirational. Some artists believe that imperfections can bring out more beauty within a subject. As such, the table lamp’s ordinary nature can make anything you’re working on look good by comparison.

Pros:

Affordable
Easy to move around
Plenty of options to make your office stand out
Can be used outside of desks effortlessly

Cons:

Limited functionality
Typically less coloring and brightness options

7. Stick with Sunlight

Sticking to natural sunlight was a tip within the 5 Effective Desk Setup guide that very much applies to your desk here. Obviously, this light source is unusable at night. However, you can always use other office desk lighting ideas on this list in conjunction with natural sunlight. Natural lighting can improve your overall mood, as it is less likely to harm your eyes or provide you headaches compared to artificial lighting. Depending on your windows and where you live, you can also get a wonderful picture to use as source material for your works.

Pros:

Free of charge
Can last you several years
Natural light improves sleeping, reduces eye strain, and reduces overall health problems
Can increase productivity

Cons:

Unusable at night
Limited ways of controlling how much light you get

8. White Lighting

This office desk lighting idea is a tad vaguer than other options on this list, yet there are some advantages to using white lighting for your creative projects. A white color scheme can bring your office out, especially if you work on colorful projects. A white desk and a white chair can accent color theory ideas you may apply to your work, so having white lighting can make it better.

Pros:

Almost all light sources provide white lighting
White compliments all other colors
Doesn’t change the colors of your beloved objects
Easy to obtain

Cons:

Can be a boring option for more colorful rooms
Depending on your light source, it could be challenging to adjust

9. Colorful Lighting

As the complete opposite of the previous entry, colorful lighting is an attractive choice for people who prefer something out of the ordinary. If you study color psychology, you should understand different colors can make you feel other emotions. For example, the red color in your room could make your creative work feel more aggressive. By comparison, a blue tint can make it seem more docile. Regardless of the color you choose, there’s a lot you can play around with involving colorful office desk lighting ideas.

Pros:

Plenty of options to choose from
Some colors can make your projects stick out in a positive way
Some lighting sources are multicolor, allowing you to experiment with styles
Tends to have a white color feature if you need something simpler

Cons:

Some colors can contrast poorly with your room
Depending on your light source, it could be challenging to adjust

10. Fluorescent Lighting

If you prefer excellent efficacy in your lighting, a fluorescent lamp offers some of the best lighting around. First things first, be warned that it contains mercury and should be handled safely. Aside from that, you can place it on the ceiling above your desk to give your workspace plenty of more space to utilize later. Keep in mind it doesn’t produce much heat, thus saving you money on your energy bill.

Pros:

If using a wall or ceiling variant, you can have more desk space to your work
Excellent illumination
Doesn’t produce much heat
Saves electricity
Typically lasts you a while

Cons:

Contains mercury, so it’s a hazardous waste if not handled properly
Typically less coloring and brightness options
Flickering lights can cause eye strains

11. Desk Lamp Placement

Have you ever wondered what could be the ideal location for your office desk lighting ideas? A floor lamp can go on the floor, but where? All light sources have an ideal location, but it differs from person to person. For instance, right-handed people should have their light source on their left side to maximize efficiency.

Pros:

Can maximize productivity
Applicable to all light sources

Cons:

Improper desk lamp placement can ruin your efficiency
No “one size fits all”

12. Customize Your Light Source

Lighting can inspire your creativity, but there are some external factors you can apply to your lighting to make it better for you. For example, placing stickers on the framework can make your room feel more “you.” Like painting the base or weaving the fabric over a table lamp, anything else can also help it seem more customizable.

Pros:

Gives you room a more personalized feeling
Should work with most lamps

Cons:

Some office light sources cannot be customized

13. Gaming Lights

Gaming lights tend to be colorful. In many ways, it’s similar to colorful lighting. However, colorful lighting can come primarily from the light source’s bulb, while gaming lights tend to be more colorful in its structure.

Pros:

Also great for gaming
Plenty of options to choose from
Some colors can make your projects stick out in a positive way

Cons:

Some colors can contrast poorly with your room
Depending on your light source, it could be challenging to adjust

14. Smart Lighting for Office Desk

Smart technology is continually evolving, so it should come across as no surprise that there’s lighting utilizing said technology. Some of the benefits are also similar to natural sunlight, particularly related to your health.

Pros:

Highly accessible
In a field that’s quickly growing
Easier to maintain
Lasts longer compared to other lights
Saves electricity

Cons:

Requires internet if you’re using it outside of your home
Higher cost

15. Book Light Lamps

Similar to focus lamps, Book light lamps are smaller and less centralized. You can even use some book light lamps on your monitor with minimal to non-existent glare.

Pros:

Tend to be affordable
Easy to adjust
Easy to know where the light is going

Cons:

Less light
Not as useful for large-scale projects

16. Cordless Desk Lamps

Lamps can either be corded or cordless. A cordless desk lamp idea can help ignite creativity within you by its ease of access. If you’re struggling to move your lighting around, then your passion fades. More stress leads to less creativity overall.

Pros:

Highly portable
Comes in many varieties
Easy to adjust

Cons:

Requires batteries or charging
Tends to be less potent compared to corded desk lamps

17. Deco Lamps

If you’re creatively-inclined, then chances are a good piece of decoration may inspire you. If your light source looks good, perhaps your projects can look good too. Whether you direct or produce something artistic, a deco lamp can be the perfect supplement to your vision.

Pros:

Great aesthetically
Comes in many varieties
Can provide either white or colored lighting

Cons:

Some options may clash with your projects
Some may have minimal to non-existent anti-glare features

18. Anti-Glare Lighting

Generally, when you use lighting near your computer, you may notice a glare from time to time. You may even assume that you should use a lamp behind your computer to prevent this. However, some desk lights for computer work can be used anywhere, as they may have anti-glare technology.

Pros:

Excellent for use near a monitor screen
Often incorporated with other items on this list
Shares whatever pros with the type of lighting you get

Cons:

Tends to be more expensive
Shares whatever cons with the type of lighting you get

19. Traditional Lighting

Old school aesthetics work well with many creative workspaces. Whether you’re using a modern desk or a traditional desk, old school lighting can work just fine and dandy. If it worked a dozen years ago, chances are it can work today.

Pros:

A good juxtaposition with smart desks
Easy to use
White compliments all other colors
Doesn’t change the colors of your beloved objects

Cons:

Can lack some functionality that modern lights have
Tends to be less safe to handle

20. Multiple Lighting Options

Utilizing multiple different lighting options gives you numerous other ways to enjoy your expression of creativity. You could have both white and color lighting options, a floor lamp and a desk lamp, etc. The only limitation is deciding which office desk lighting idea option is best suitable.

Pros:

Shares whatever pros with the type of lighting you get

Cons:

Less space for your desk
Shares whatever cons with the type of lighting you get

21. TaoTronics TT-DL16

If you already have a SmartDesk Core - Home Office, then chances are you appreciate the value Autonomous brings to you. While this lamp isn’t from Autonomous, it is still an excellent choice worthy of consideration. Angular and modern lighting can complement the overall appearance of your desk. For creative minds, you should have more flexibility in how you arrange this lamp on your desk. As it can be used in various angles, you have a ton of options regarding how it can best accent your creative works.

Pros:

Five different lighting colors
Six brightness levels
Angular design makes it easy to adjust
Comes with a USB charger
Includes a 60-minute timer

Cons:

Less light compared to the Ultra Wide LED Desk Lamp
The lamp itself is fairly boring-looking

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