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The smartest bedside lamps to buy now

Bedside lights have to provide a soft glow to help you wind down at the end of the day, as well as being decorative additions to your bedroom scheme

By Arabella Bowes, Bolatito Sibanda and Tilly Wheeler

17 February 2025

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Two different bedside lamps in a Hampstead house decorated by Anna Haines. The wall lights are Lorfords and the table lamps are bespoke murano glass by Emsie Sharp.

Boz Gagovski

A harshly lit bedroom is never a pleasant thing, and we recommend lots of different lighting in the room for different situations. For bedside tables, we generally go for something relatively small and subtle, either a classic table lamp on a smaller scale than we might use in a living room, an adjustable desk lamp for more directed reading, or a wall lamp for a soft glow without taking up valuable bedside table real estate. Here are our favourites to buy now, from simple wired wall lights to decorative portable lamps.

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Chrome bedside lights

Traditional bedside lamps

Lacquered bedside lamps

Wall lights for the bedroom

Colourful bedside lamps

Bedside lights with pleated shade

Sculptural bedside lamps

Portable bedside lights

Glass beside lights

Bedside lamps to add texture to a space

Marble table lamps

What is the best bedside lamp for reading?

If you have the inclination, a desk lamp or task light with an adjustable arm, such as a classic Anglepoise, can be very useful if you want to read without disturbing the other person in the room. However, in our experience these tend to offer a harsher glow than traditional bedside table lamps. With that in mind, look for something with a dimming setting or dimmer switch so you can be more versatile with the amount of light given off.

Different lampshades will diffuse the light source in different ways, so consider whether you prefer the soft light of a milky glass shade, for example, or the rustic, warm glow of a rattan one. Looking at a lamp switched on in a shop is a great way of visualising how the lamp will perform once at home. Otherwise, if you're buying online, most retailers have images showing the lamp turned on, which will give an idea of the lamp's effect.

To avoid wires trailing off your bedside table, consider a portable lamp. These are usually rechargeable via USB and result in a clean, wireless look, as well as more flexibility over where the lamp can be placed. There are many lovely options available, but some of our favourites come courtesy of Original BTC and &Tradition.