Lamps for the office - form and function

An LED desk lamp?

LED office lighting creates a better working environment and saves you money. An LED light source will provide the most effective lighting of your workspace, and there are several other advantages to LEDs that are worth keeping in mind when you’re shopping for a new office lamp.

LED bulbs have long lifespans – from 10 to 25 years – so it’ll be quite a while before you need to replace one. They also use much less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs, and you’ll notice the difference on your electricity bill. One last advantage to LEDs is that they don’t give off heat so they won’t affect the indoor climate of your office.

We’ve put together some suggestions of lamps that are well-suited to desks and offices, both with and without LED. Desk lamps don’t necessarily need to use LEDs, but we think that they’re the optimal choice.

Lamps and the office ceiling – what you need to know

Before you choose a ceiling lamp or pendant for your office, consider your desk. It’s always a good idea to get the most out of the natural light in the room, so you should position your desk so that any daylight comes from the side – this helps to avoid reflections on your computer screen. The same principle applies to artificial lighting. Placing a ceiling lamp or pendant either over or just in front of your screen will create reflections, so we recommend positioning it to the side instead. Experiment with different locations before you get your toolbox out and install the lamp permanently. Height is a factor too. Our advice is to hang a pendant a minimum of 120cm over your work surface, but if your office has a high ceiling you can hang the lamp as high as you like.

We’ve put together a few examples of great-looking office pendants and ceiling lamps.

Desk lamps, ergonomics and you

Good lighting is a must when you’re sitting at your desk, hard at work. When that lighting takes the form of a desk lamp, it’s important that the illumination comes from the side and below eye level – that’s the best way to avoid reflections on your computer screen and being blinded by the lamp. We recommend placing the lamp on the opposite side from your dominant hand, i.e. if you’re right-handed, position the lamp on the left, etc. (A final tip on avoiding screen reflections – if you’re working near a window, position your screen at a 90° angle to the window.)

It’s a good idea to opt for a desk lamp that’s flexible/adjustable so you can position it exactly where you need it. A lamp with asymmetrical light distribution is another practical choice since it increases the amount of illumination projected sideways onto your work surface.

While desk and tables lamps are the most common choices for lighting your workspace, largely because of their flexibility and portability, we’re seeing wall lamps in more and more offices. There are lots of practical, adjustable wall lamps on the market that are ideal for office use – we hope you’ll be inspired by the examples we’ve included below along with a few excellent desk lamps.