Well, LEDs are now dominating the flashlight market, but there’s only a handful of LED desk lamps available in 2009. Many LED desk lamps are designer lamps costing $300 and up. That’s unfortunate, because a desk lamp LED-based desk lamps have a lot going for them. Besides being energy efficient, LED lamps run much cooler than conventional desk lamps, and you can expect the LEDs to last for 10-15 years. Watch out for poorly made LED lamps though — I have an Adesso Lamp that lost 7 of its 20 LEDs in the first year. I see many other Amazon buyers had the same problem with this lamp.
The Z-Bar High Power LED Desk Lamp
The minimalist Z-Bar High Power LED Desk Lamp heads up our list of LED lights. It’s a bright, attractive lamp that features the latest ultra-bright LEDs. It costs around $170 — many LED lamps out there cost more but are much less bright.
It has six daylight white LEDs that use only about 9 watts of electricity at full brightness (the LEDs generate about 240 lumens of light).
The Z-Bar has a built-in 4-step dimming function that will take the light down to save even more on electricity or it can be used to create softer lighting for the task at hand. The adjustable joints can be placed in almost any position without tightening or loosening knobs or screws, simply move the light to where you need it and the lamp will hold to form.
The Z-Bar lamp received an I.D. Magazine “best of category” award a few years ago.
It comes in three colors: red, silver and black.
It’s available from Amazon.
LED Panel Desk Lamp
This lamp, known only as the “LED Panel Lamp” by EarthTech Products has a unique feature — it uses an electronic ballast to stop power drain when you turn off the lamp. Some LED desk lamps use 8 watts when turned off, this one uses 0.40 watts. The power adapter can also handle 120V or 240V, and it can switch between 50Hz or 60Hz.
The LEDs generate a coolish white light at 5,000° Kelvin.
It comes with all the important certifications: UL, CE and RoHS.
Available from EarthTech Products for about $115.
Freeform Black LED Desk Lamp
This lamp, the Freeform Black LED Desk Lamp makes full use of the potential for minimalist LED-based design. It includes eighteen 1/2 watt LED lights, for a total of 9 watts. No word on the actual lumens generated though. This lamp is selling for $150.
Available from Lamps Plus.
Tri-L LED Work Light
Tri-L Rechargeable LED Work Light
Tri-L LED Light by Altus Lumen is another portable LED that works well as a desk light. The lamp has a metal housing made out of 85% recycled magnesium (lighter than aluminum). When folded up, the light acts as a flashlight, and measures just 110×60×20mm, so it fits nicely in a pocket. When unfolded, the light becomes its own 360 degree tripod stand, and can be used as a serious worklight or booklight.
The Tri-L’s hinges are also impressive – they are made with fraction joins instead of screws. The light can be fixed precisely in any orientation you set. The Tri-L has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which can be recharged using a USB cable (included). The runtime is about 1.8 hours for the flashlight, and around 8 hours for he worklight once the battery is fully charged. The runtime can be extended with an optional extended battery pack.
The Tri-L will also warn you when it’s about to run out of power. It flashes for 30 seconds when its about to shut off — you have 30 seconds before the spotlight turns off, or 10 minutes before the flashlight runs out.
The manufacturer, Altus Lumen, states that 75% of the Tri-L is recyclable, and is built for easy disassembly. It is made with non-toxic components, and is LOHAS compliant.
The Tri-L sells for about $70 and is available from Amazon.
The Flip Rechargeable LED Desk and Travel Light
The Flip Rechargeable LED Desk and Travel Light is a rechargeable led light that can be folded up and stowed away for travel. It can be used while traveling, or you can use it as a desk lamp and charge it from your computer with a USB cable. It features a extending lamp head. It runs up to 5 hours on a single charge. It costs about $35.
Available from: Lamps Plus
Read more! Related stories:
- Review: The Best LED Reading Lamps
- New High Power LED Floor Lamps
- The Tri-L: A Portable LED Work Light
- Review: The Best LED Desk Lamps
- The Best LED Floor Lamps
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{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
I do not understand why LEDs use power when turned off. Is it like a sleep mode?
@ EfficiencySeeker,
LEDs are not perfect diodes (actually, there’s no such thing as an ideal diode). So, as long as there’s some voltage on the LEDs, there will be some current drain. Also, I’m guessing that a lot of the power drain while the device is off is coming from the power supply (LEDs are DC components, so you have an AC->DC transformer burning up some power) and the electronics driving the LEDs.
is it auto turn of? amazing products..
I would figure LEDs would be fine as long as you actually switch them off… An incomplete circuit is all one needs no?
My concern is AC->DC conversion as well. Cheap powerbricks are a big problem everywhere and I’m sure there are stats somewhere about how many coal plants we waste each month… Even a good powerbrick is going to drain something all the time.
What we need is progress on DC powered devices; I like that google is working on a standard for DC. What about something along those lines? Or perhaps a Energy Star for DC devices? To get certified for the label, you follow rules such as placing the SWITCH on the AC instead of the DC line– which cuts the drain from the transformer in those ‘bricks’…
Perhaps a standard for AC-DC transformers?
How about all these lights using 48V DC with 2 AC wires for switching off the brick– standardized with the same plug. This means DC wired houses and standard power bricks could be used instead of the custom bricks for each DC device that we currently have.
Oh– would be nice if you included material use and packaging into consideration. A great metal (recyclable) lamp could have a stupid package…
The last lamp looks like its plastic (what kind?) and it contains a battery… what kind?
I think as time goes on you’ll see LED’s that will run on 120 volt AC . This will get rid of the inefficent transformers that are currently used. On the other hand induction technology may by that time make LED be the “betamax” of our time
I would like to know if you can get LED-lights in a rose colored hue? I found out by accident that I can concentrate on text much better in rose colored light.
There is a led reading lamp available at Ikea for $40.
It draws 4W and is bright enough to read by.
If the power switch for the light is on the AC side, before the transformer/DC power supply; then I would think ANY light could not draw power. Someone please correct me if i am wrong.
Hey,
What about that new desklamp from Finelite? You should review it!
It is awesome!
You can buy it from their website here:
http://finelite.pinnaclecart.com/products/PLS_6_Watt_Desk_Lamp-36-1.html
Jeff
There’s been plenty of work on power supplies; see ledsupply.com for various LEDs, lenses, and drivers. Most of the new drivers are based on switching power supplies and range between 85% and 95% efficiency. (I am a satisfied customer, otherwise no affiliation.)
LEDs are either of a specific color (royal blue, blue, green, cyan, amber, orange-red, red) or are “white”, which is obtained by mixing a blue LED with phosphors that lengthen the frequencies provided. “White” LEDs are commonly available in “cool white” (which has looks like a welding arc), “neutral white” (to my eye, very nice, though it can be greenish), and “warm white”, which looks similar to a “warm white” fluorescent tube. In each case, the light is better-looking that what you get from a fluorescent tube, and the new white LEDs are as efficient (or better) than good fluorescents, but provide better directional control of their light. To get “rose” light, you would probably mix red and orange-red with some flavor of white. I read, somewhere, that mixing several cool whites with a red gives a nice-looking light, but I have not tried that myself. A typical modern power LED (Luxeon III, Luxeon Rebel, or CREE XRE) draws between 350mA and 1000 mA at 3.3 volts, and costs about $8 mounted on a puck. Cooling is an issue; too much heat shortens their life, and they are more efficient at cooler temperatures anyway.
If you were doing do-it-yourself, you could assemble a really ugly lamp that produced in the neighborhood of 700-900 lumens of light, drawing 11 watts, for about $120 (I have exactly that under my kitchen cabinets, so the ugly is hidden from view, but the light is not. Having all the LEDs spread out across the bottom of the cabinets is also beneficial to the cooling). LEDs are still blessedly expensive; I currently use them in places where the efficiency and/or durability matters (bicycle), or where they are on often, and their low profile is beneficial (under cabinet).
Check out this interesting product with LED bulbs ,,,, really interesting
http://www.studylite.in/intro.html
check out this interesting lamp by BPL
http://www.studylite.in/intro.html
Nice article! just what I’m looking for… wonder where the on/off switch is.. a link to the manufacturer’s website for more detailed specs: z-bar LED desk lamp
I found a nice little LED lamp in Lowes Lighting Dept. as part of Lowes’ “Portfolio” line. Only 29.99. This is a goose neck design about 20″ high. The base and lamp head are black plastic. The center shaft is metal or aluminum with a flexible point near the lamp head. The paperwork mentioned you will get approximately 10,000 hours of use. Connects to wall with an adapter. I am looking for a battery pack that could run the lamp when traveling. As with most LED lamps this one burns very cool. I’ve been running mine for about 24 hours and it is just slightly warm to the touch. One negative is that the lamp has limited adjustability but I think most consumers could live with it. Sorry, I could not find a picture of the this lamp online.
these lamps are very interesting