A desk lamp is an essential feature to any home or office work environment and even with adequate natural or overhead lighting, a desk lamp performs the special task of shedding light downward on the work surface, exactly where it is needed.
Proper lighting is crucial to avoid eye strain as well as the overall long term health of the eyes. Several types of bulbs are used in desk lamps; halogen, full spectrum fluorescent and incandescent and of the three the halogen provides the brightest and flicker free white light
Suit The Task
The type of lamp used will usually be determined by the task performed A free standing desk lamp, much like a small table lamp will work well if there is enough room on the desk and the type of work performed doesn’t require use of the entire desk top.
An attached or clamp on lamp is useful where space is at a premium and the entire work surface may be needed for the task. This is especially true for architects and artists whose desks are typically slanted.
To Swing Or Not
A very useful feature of many desk lamps, both free standing and attached is a swing arm. These allow for a lot of flexibility in adjusting the direction and amount of light as needed or simply swing out of the way when not in use Because the arm on this type of desk lamp is constantly being moved, the mechanism can receive a lot of wear and tear and weaken in very short time, so quality is an important consideration in a swing arm desk lamp. Look for stability and make sure the arm will stay where you put it and not drop down.
Keeping Up Appearances
If you have a large antique desk an old fashioned banker s lamp or other antique style lamp might be a nice addition. These lamps may be more for appearance than function compared to some of the other styles, but if your desk is more decorative than being used as a work horse they look great with antiques and are a warm addition to any room.
A good desk lamp above all must perform as a task light with style being the secondary consideration, but with today’s wide selection of stylish lamps you don’t have to sacrifice appearance with nondescript utility lighting and there is a desk lamp for any taste, function or environment.