Bedside table lamps are a staple of most bedrooms, for good reason — you put them on your nightstand. But with so many different styles, how do you pick the right one for your bedroom?
How to choose bedside lamps
Style of bedside lamps
Ideally, a bedroom table lamp should blend into its surroundings and add to the decor. Have a more modern look? Select a bedside lamp with angular lines — you might even choose one without a lampshade at all for a truly minimal look. Going for a natural look? A wicker or rattan shade with a neutral base should do the trick.
Our pick: The Twilight sleep and wake-up light was designed to help you feel recharged from dusk till dawn — and it makes the perfect bedside lamp. It uses science-backed scenes designed to support your circadian rhythm. Featuring two lights, the front light swivels left to right, while the back light offers exclusive ColorCast️ technology, which creates a rich, colorful experience.
Use with other lamps
Balance the lighting in your space by using multiple lights to make your bedroom more versatile. If you have a nightstand on either side of the bed, place a bedside lamp on both tables. Pay attention to the rest of the lighting in the room, such as the ceiling light and floor lamps, to ensure you don‘t have any dark areas.
If you have smart bedroom lighting, you can take advantage of Wake up automations. You can choose which combination of lights turns on in the morning— and what kind of personal sunrise you want.
Our pick: The Signe gradient table lamp in oak is a tall, slender lamp whose colorful light shines against the wall. It’s a dramatic effect — so use this when you want to use your bedside lamps as a core part of your bedroom decor.
Functions of bedside lamps
Smart bedside lamps have a lot of other features that can help you feel recharged, starting from your bedtime routine to your morning wake-ups.
If you buy a bedside lamp that requires a separate bulb, you have more options to choose just the right kind of lighting you want. Want a bright reading lamp? Get a bulb that provides at least 450 lumens. Just want to set the mood? A bulb with around 400 lumens is enough to produce a relaxing glow.
With a Philips Hue table lamp or a smart bulb placed into a traditional table lamp, you can dim and brighten (and change the color temperature, depending on the bulb or light!) to suit the task at hand. You can even set an automation in the Philips Hue app that slowly brightens your lights to wake you up.
*When a bulb displays "Up to" a certain number of lumens in its specifications, it displays the maximum lumen output of the bulb. It shows how bright the bulb can get at 2700 K (White bulbs) or 4000 K (White ambiance or White and color ambiance bulbs). Learn more about brightness.
