21 of the best adjustable desk lamps

Last week I shared the above photo of my work set-up on Instagram and received so many questions about the lamp – IKEA’s versatile and great-value ‘YPPERLIG’ design – that I thought I’d dedicate a whole blog post to the best adjustable desk lamps currently on the market.

With so many of us based at home at the moment, creating a comfortable and well-lit working environment is crucial for our productivity and wellbeing. Desk lamps need to be functional but that doesn’t mean they can’t be stylish, and I’ve rounded up 21 of my favourite designs below. All combine minimalist good looks with practical features that let you angle the light exactly where you need it, and some are dimmable, too. As always, I’ve tried to include something for all budgets, with options ranging from £35 to £465; there are also lamps to suit every size and shape of space, from the roomiest of home offices right down to the tiniest of nooks…

1. Menu ‘Peek’ lamp with dimmer function and integrated storage bowl, shown here in white but also available in black, £270, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]
2. Marset ‘Funiculí’ lamp, shown here in black but also available in white, red and moss-grey, £179, Nest.co.uk
3. White ‘RIGGAD’ LED lamp with integrated wireless charging point and USB port, £60, IKEA
4. Northern ‘Buddy’ lamp with integrated storage pot, shown here in grey but also available in off-white, dark green and dark beige, £189, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]
5. Louis Poulsen ‘NJP’ LED lamp, shown here in light grey but also available in black and white (and with a clamp fitting rather than a solid base), £360, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]
6. ‘Reference TL2’ lamp with dimmer function, shown here in black but also available in white, US$148, Gantri
7. Fritz Hansen ‘AQ01’ LED lamp with dimmer function, shown here in white but also available in black and blue, £233, Skandium
8. AM.PM ‘Funambule’ lamp, shown here in brass but also available in black, £80, La Redoute [AD – affiliate link]
9. Örsjö Belysning ‘Minipoint’ lamp, shown here in chrome but also available in black, £465, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]
10. Ferm Living ‘Arum’ lamp, shown here in black but also available in off-white, £379, Someday Designs
11. Grey ‘YPPERLIG’ LED lamp with variable-touch dimmer function, £35, IKEA
12. John Hollington brass ‘Pavilion’ lamp, shown here with a black marble base but also available with a white marble base, £395, Someday Designs
13. ‘Zadie’ clip-on LED lamp, shown here in grey but also available in black, £40, John Lewis
14. Flos ‘Tab’ LED lamp, shown here in black but also available in white, dark green and matt blue, £216.75, David Village Lighting
15. Muuto ‘Leaf’ lamp with dimmer function, shown here in grey but also available in black, white, dark green and copper-red, £192.95, Made in Design [AD – affiliate link]
16. Black ‘Seppo’ lamp, £59, MADE.com [AD – affiliate link]
17. ‘Gio’ task lamp with dimmer function, shown here in white but also available in black, dark green, pale grey and burnt orange, US$298, Gantri
18. Anglepoise ‘Type 75’ lamp, shown here in black but also available in numerous other colours, £165, Amara [AD – affiliate link]
19. ‘Fa Mini’ lamp with dimmer function, shown here in chrome but also available in black, yellow and red, €265, GOFI
20. Black ‘Mantis BS3’ lamp, £392.70, Utility Design
21. Muuto ‘Tip’ LED lamp with dimmer function, shown here in olive green but also available in black, white and brick-red, £208.25, Made in Design [AD – affiliate link]

All the lamps I’ve picked out have shades that can be rotated and / or tilted, and many also let you adjust the height – either through jointed arms or, in the case of GOFI’s ‘Fa Mini’ and Marset’s ‘Funiculí’, through heads that can be moved up and down and secured with clips.

If you want to avoid anything that looks too utilitarian, Ferm Living’s ‘Arum’ lamp is ideal. The leaf-like shade can be angled up or down, and the marble base adds a beautiful touch. La Redoute’s ‘Funambule’ has a similarly elegant shape for much a lower price, and comes in black or brass. Alternatively, you could opt for something highly contemporary and unusual, such as Gantri’s ‘Reference TL2’ or ‘Gio’ designs. Like all the US brand’s products, they’re made from sustainable polymers and 3D-printed to cut down on waste material, so they’re a good choice for the environment, too.

If you have a small desk where surface space is an issue, you might want to consider a dual-purpose lamp that fulfils more than one function. IKEA’s ‘RIGGAD’ design has an integrated phone charging pad, while the ‘Buddy’ model from Norwegian brand Northern has a base that doubles as a storage pot for pens and pencils. Menu’s playful and compact ‘Peek’ lamp also has storage in its base, with a hollow that’s perfect for paperclips, trinkets and the like.

Finally, if space is really tight then a clip-on lamp could be the answer. John Lewis’ design comes in grey or black and can be fixed to the side of a desk without taking up any room. You’ll also find several clip-on options at IKEA, and Louis Poulsen’s ‘NJP’ model can be adapted to have a clamp rather than a solid base if preferred.

Please note this post contains affiliate links (all clearly marked), which means I will receive a small commission on any resulting sales. You won’t pay any more by clicking on these links than you would by visiting the websites directly.

Top image by Abi Dare; all other photography via the respective brands named above