These Desk Lamps Are Guaranteed to Brighten Your Day

Best Overall

Mercury Row Aislinn Desk Lamp

View On Wayfair

Sleek and slim, this desk lamp from Wayfair is a great little option that's big on style. It has a metal arm (in your choice of gold or nickel) and matte black shade, plus a circular base with an easy-to-reach on/off switch, making it both super cute and functional. It's small enough to work on tiny desktops, or you can really let it shine on top of a side table or credenza.

Best Budget

IKEA NÄVLINGE LED Work Lamp

View On Ikea

IKEA's NÄVLINGE Work Lamp is a budget buy that doesn’t look like one. The classic task lamp is rendered in a sleek silhouette that will brighten up your workspace without overwhelming it, making it ideal for smaller spaces.

Though small, the lamp’s head gives off a considerable amount of light, and you can easily adjust its body to direct that light where you want it. The white finish also means it's incredibly versatile, so you can keep things minimalist or add pops of color elsewhere in the space.

Best Splurge

Arne Jacobsen for Louis Poulsen AJ Table Lamp

View On Design Within Reach View On Lumens.com View On Ylighting.com

The iconic AJ Table Lamp has managed to make the classic task lamp look like a work of art—and it has the high price point to prove it. With its compact base and rigid body, this midcentury lamp boasts a sleeker profile than other options without skimping on function. Its bold geometric shade tilts up and down, allowing you to direct its powerful spotlight wherever it needs to go.

The lamp comes in 10 stunning colors, including red, cerulean, yellow, and forest green. Use it to add a little vibrance to your space, or keep things minimal by opting for one of its subtler (but equally sleek!) neutrals.

Best with USB

West Elm Modern Deco LED Wireless Charging & USB Task Lamp

View On West Elm

West Elm’s Modern Deco LED Wireless Charging & USB Task Lamp will wirelessly charge your phone while giving you all the light you need to work. The versatile lamp boasts a simple design, with an opal glass light sitting without a shade on a stylish brass base, and also comes with a USB port. Slide this modern beauty into one of the corners of your desk, and enjoy all the sleek convenience it offers.

Best Cordless

Marset Bicoca Table Lamp

View On 2modern.com View On Lumens.com View On Ylighting.com

Marset’s Bicoca Table Lamp is a classic table lamp made whimsical. The lamp’s silhouette boasts a base and lampshade, but they’re fused together and rendered in a sleek polycarbonate material. Even better: The lampshade tilts, giving you as much or as little light as you want, and it's battery-operated, so you can place it anywhere without worrying about cords. It comes in a variety of colors, so you can pick the shade that best suits your aesthetic.

Best Adjustable

Schoolhouse Studio Desk Lamp

View On Schoolhouse.com

If you're looking for a lighting fixture that's actually cool, say hello to this modern-meets-industrial lamp from Schoolhouse. It combines all the best parts of a desk lamp, like a sturdy cast iron base and directed light, with an adjustable shade and arm so it'll shine just right.

Though the yellow style will add a pop of color to your space, it's also available in both black and white options for a more neutral look. Regardless of which style you choose, this timeless style will sit pretty on any desk.

Best Industrial

Anglepoise 90 Mini Mini Desk Lamp

View On 2modern.com View On Anglepoise.com View On Design Within Reach

If you're looking for a traditional task lamp, you can't do much better than Rejuvenation's Anglepoise 90 Mini Mini Lamp. Available in two colors (carbon black and steel blue), this industrial lamp is made of cast iron and aluminum, creating a striking silhouette that'll give your home office space some serious style.

It's also convenient: it's USB-powered, giving you the option of plugging it straight into the wall or in your laptop or other portable battery. Other great features include an adjustable arm and shade and a dimmable LED light.

Best Contemporary

FontanaArte Blom Table Lamp

View On Finnishdesignshop.com View On Lumens.com View On Ylighting.com

FontanaArte’s Blom Table Lamp is as fun as it is sophisticated. Though the lamp is a mere 9 inches tall, it puts off an impressive amount of light, largely thanks to its open-face design. If you’re looking for a dimmer experience, simply turn the lamp around—its built-in aluminum petals will act as a lampshade, diffusing and blocking light.

Since the Blom Table Lamp comes in five different colors, you can choose how vibrant or subtle you’d like your workspace to be. Opt for a minimalist white, a bright yellow, a warm pink, a deep blue, or a dark green—and rest assured knowing you really can't go wrong.

Best Modern

&Tradition Flowerpot VP3 Table Lamp

View On 2modern.com View On Finnishdesignshop.com

&Tradition’s Flowerpot VP3 Table Lamp would look great in any room of your house, but in particular it's a perfect accent piece to place on your desk. The lamp’s head is crafted from two hemispheres, which work together to give off a ring of diffused light. Flip it on, and you’ll soon realize why it became a midcentury design classic. And since the lamp comes in a whopping 12 colors, you can select a shade that’s as spirited or elegant as you want it to be.