10 best bedside lamps 2022 | Mumsnet (2024)

There are two main boxes to tick when it comes to bedside lights: you want a lamp that is both practical and aesthetically pleasing. The perfect bedside lamp will create a soothing setting while providing enough light to read (or navigate your way to your child’s bed in the middle of the night). Bedside lamps are also great for adding a decorative touch to your room too.

From industrial designs to colourful and contemporary lamps, there are so many styles on the market, so we’ve consulted the Mumsnet forums to round up a selection of the best.

Here are the best bedside lamps to buy in 2022.

1. Best overall bedside lamp: John Lewis ANYDAY Kristy Touch Table Lamp

Price: £20 | Buy now from John Lewis & Partners

This lamp from John Lewis is a super buy. It’s part of the store’s ANYDAY range, a collection of ‘quality products you expect at prices you wouldn’t’, and we couldn’t agree more.With its tear-drop shaped base and tall cylinder shade, this lamp will give your bedroom a modern look. Most importantly though, as many reviewers point out, it won’t take up a lot of space on your bedside table. There’s also no annoying cord to encroach on your bed as you can operate this lamp by touching the base.

Like most touch lamps on the market, there are three lighting levels. A great quality product at a bargain price.

Key specs

• Size: 12 x 36cm

• Material: Steel (base); cotton blend (lampshade)

Price: £14 | Buy now from Amazon

Looking to create a nighttime glow for your bedtime reading? This small and neat lamp will do the trick, and you can mix the mood up by changing the colour of the light with just one easy tap.

Compact and portable, it can provide a fun setting for a sleepover in your kid’s bedroom or in your tent on a camping trip - it has a very handy built-in hook under the base so you can hang it up. Just bear in mind that you may need to recharge it when using it on the go though - the battery lasts around four hours on its brightest setting, and around eight hours on the lowest setting.

One reviewer even loved the glow so much she used it instead of candles to give off a relaxing ambience during an evening bath. Easy to use, effective and a great steal.

Key specs

• Size: 10 x 10 x 13cm

• Material: Plastic

Price: £70 | Buy now from Amazon

“We have Philips Hue lights. They connect to the WiFi so we can then control them via our phones, change the colours and dim. You can also get apps so they will change colours in time with music via the Spotify app so the kids can have a disco.” - covetingthepreciousthings

This bedside lamp comes with lots of smart tech features and is controlled via WiFi through the Philips Hue app or by Bluetooth. You can also hook it up to Alexa or Google Assistant devices.

There are five colour settings and two white settings and if you plug it into the mains then you can take your pick from 16 million colour options (who knew there were so many?).

The battery lasts up to 18 hours and as it’s extremely lightweight so you can swap it around rooms depending where you’re reading, working, nursing or sleeping.

Key specs

• Size: 15 x 15 x 7.9cm

• Material: Plastic

Price: £65 | Buy now from John Lewis & Partners

This elegantly designed, sleek lamp will definitely add a style statement to your bedside table. The neat marble base contrasts with the satin finished stand - available in two colourways that are bang on trend (satin nickel and white, and antique brass and black). Although this lamp is tall, the base is very sleek so it won’t take over your bedside table.

There is no dimmable function with this lamp as it’s operated by a flick switch, but this is a quality lamp that gets top marks for its striking style.

Key specs

• Size: 46cm x 18cm x 42cm

• Material: Metal, marble

Price: £20 | Buy now from Argos

If you’re looking for an alternative to the classic lamp base and shade, then this is a great option.

This petite, curvaceous glass table lamp will sit pretty on your bedside. It comes in four different colours - dusky pink, white, smoke and navy. Reviewers suggest using ‘warmer bulbs’ as the top of the lamp is exposed and could be too bright for a night light, something worth considering before buying this one.

Key specs

• Size: 19cm x 13cm

• Material: Glass

Price: £150 | Buy now from Amazon

The Anglepoise lamp is an iconic design dreamt up by George Carawardine in 1931 but the smaller Type 75 design was created by British industrial designer Sir Kenneth Grange in 2011. Available in jet black or slate grey, this lamp will give your bedroom an instant modern update with its bold design.

It’s practical too as you can move it around to direct the light where you need it. The Anglepoise lamps are keepers - once you’ve bought one, you’ll never want to part with it.

Key specs

• Size: 38 x 13 x 40cm

• Material: Aluminium with a cast iron base

Price: £21.98 | Buy now from Amazon

If you’re after a minimalist look in the bedroom, but still want a nod to modern design, then this bedside lamp does the trick. The metal frame and bare bulb ticks the industrial style box - you can have fun with the filaments in the bulbs you choose to use.

The wooden base contrasts with the sleek black stand, giving it a softer edge to suit the bedroom. Reviewers love the eye-catching effect of this simple yet stylish light, and at just over £20, it's a decent price too.

Key specs

• Size: ‎45.6 x 20.4 x 18.6 cm

• Material: Metal and wood

Price: £30.15 | Buy now from Argos

If you’re looking for a statement lamp to add to your bedside table, this is a cool option and an opportunity to invest in a piece by British lighting designer Claire Norcross for a very affordable price. It’s ‘inspired by the shape of a moving ribbon’ and is a huge hit with design lovers who’ve often bought not two but three for their homes.

It’s worth noting you’ll need the mini version as pictured for the bedside but you could definitely go large elsewhere around the home. The inline switch is probably the only drawback on this ultra contemporary lamp.

Key specs

• Size: 40.5 x 29 x 25cm

• Material: Metal

Price: £69.77 | Buy now from Amazon

OK, so admittedly a small mouse on your bedside might not be everyone’s cup of cocoa, but this quirky lamp is a big seller.

The Italian it-brand prides itself on making unique interior furnishings for those that like to inject a bit of fun into their homes - and this little mouse lamp is no exception. Choose a cool filament bulb for this shadeless design and make friends with your new whiskered bedside companion as you settle into a good book. This lamp isn’t all about style though, it’s energy efficient too.

If the mouse takes your fancy, you might want to look at the brand’s range of other animals including monkeys, birds and more.

Key specs

• Size: ‎18 x 7 x 12.5 cm

• Material: Resin

Price: £25 | Buy now from Next

“It has three brightness settings and I read my book in bed using the second setting, whereas the highest setting is brighter than you expect and the lowest setting is really cosy.” - bonfireheart

If you’re looking to recreate a luxury hotel vibe at home then try this sophisticated touch lamp at a bargain price. The chrome-plated base and faceted glass cylinder-shaped shade give this bedside lamp a decadent feel. The glow from behind the glass is sure to fill your room with a soft focused light, creating the perfect bedtime ambience.

A decadent look without a designer price tag, it’s a big hit with lots of Mumsnetters, with many buying in bulk.

Key specs

• Size: 14 x 11cm

• Material: Metal and glass

How to choose the best bedside lamp

When you’re looking to buy a new bedside lamp, there are two important things to think about: space and light. Measure the size of your bedside table and work out what else you like to have on there as well as your lamp then you can get an idea of the kind of lamp you can accommodate. When it comes to using your lamp, are you wanting a low light to provide a soft glow or brightness to light up the whole room?

You’ll also need to think about functionality. Some bedside lamps have the old-fashioned switch under the shade, but most modern lamps have an inline switch or touch technology (where you just touch the base to turn it on and off). And of course, it’s advisable to match your bedside lamp to the style of your bedroom.

What's the best height for a bedside lamp?

This is totally down to preference but generally speaking bedside lamps aren’t tall. The tallest lamp on our list is 58cm high, but we wouldn’t recommend you go taller than that. Likewise, think about the size of the shade. You probably want to rule out large, curvaceous shades next to your bed. Experiment at home with a tape measure before you buy.

What’s the best bedside lamp?

The John Lewis & Partners ANYDAY Kristy Touch Table Lamp is hard to beat. You’ve got style, quality and the convenience of touch controls for just £20. But judging by rave reviews on the Mumsnet forums, the Next Cleo Touch Table Lamp is also a brilliant buy.

How we chose our recommendations

Because we know that there’s nothing like a real recommendation from a parent, we first headed to the Mumsnet forums to find out which bedside lamps discerning Mumsnet users had bought for their homes. We compiled a list of the best bedside table lamps they recommended for being functional and stylish.

We then did some research across the wider web, looking at which bedside lamps had won accolades or been featured in ‘best buy’ lists across websites and print media, and what customer reviews said about them.

Having collated all that information, we picked the best bedside table lamps we thought would make the best buys.

Why you should trust us

We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.