February 18, 2024, 6:38 am | Read time: 6 minutes

Without a nightlight, something is missing in the bedroom. Like a puzzle piece, the lamp completes the setup around the bed. But which model is actually the right one? The answer: Everyone has their own preferences for a good bedside lamp. myHOMEBOOK takes a closer look at the different models and explains which types they suit.

What Function Must the Bedside Lamp Fulfill?

In everyday life, the bedside lamp often receives little attention. In daylight, it just needs to look nice. Its real role comes into play in the dark. For some, it’s a reading lamp; for others, it’s mood lighting—and often it must fulfill both functions. The bedside lamp is usually the first and only light source when you need to leave the bed at night. To avoid waking your partner unnecessarily, the light should sufficiently illuminate the path to prevent bumping or stumbling, but it shouldn’t be too bright.

Those with a TV in the bedroom also appreciate a lamp that bathes the room in soft light while balancing contrast. Even without a bedside table, there should be an appealing light source near the bed. Before purchasing such a lamp, it’s important to be clear about its primary purpose.

Nightlight for Book Lovers

Reading a few chapters in bed before sleep is a favorite pastime for many. Fortunately, there are now many suitable models that provide a bright, focused beam for comfortable reading. This is often achieved with a trumpet-shaped reflector that concentrates the light into a beam. A swivel arm allows the light to be directed exactly where needed, eliminating any bothersome shadows that could disrupt the reading experience. Such a nightlight often resembles a desk lamp from a study.

In addition to table and wall lamp versions, there are models that attach directly to the bed frame. Clamp spots can be individually mounted on the edge of a headboard and adjusted as needed. Despite the focus on function, it’s advisable for the nightlight to have a warm white light color of 2700 to a maximum of 3300 Kelvin. This helps protect the eyes while reading bedtime stories and makes falling asleep easier.

Models with Open Shades

A true classic next to the bed are lamp models with open shades in a cylindrical shape. This allows light to flow partially upward but primarily downward, sometimes creating dramatic shadows in the room. Such a lamp doesn’t offer a direct view of the bulb; instead, it bathes the bedroom in subdued light. Not only does the light fall gently, but the shade is often made of soft fabric or delicate wicker.

With such a housing, light rays can subtly penetrate the material. Classic shade lamps come in various sizes but often have a rather expansive circumference. Ideally, the lamp leaves enough space on the table for other items like a water glass, bedtime reading, or reading glasses. It’s recommended to pay attention to a harmonious size ratio between the lamp and bedside table.

Also interesting: 7 stylish ceiling lights for the bedroom

Bedside Lamp with Closed Shade

Increasingly, lamps with completely closed shades are seen on bedside tables. Models with frosted glass, in particular, flood the room with pleasantly soft, diffuse light, but only over a short distance. All other areas in the bedroom remain hidden in darkness. Because the base and the rest of the housing are often made of metal—such as matte stainless steel, brushed brass, or mirrored chrome—such a lamp usually appears quite elegant. A nightlight with a closed shade is less suitable for extensive evening reading due to its subtle light but is more intended as mood lighting.

Models with opaque shades, often made of colorfully lacquered metal, like the trendy mushroom lamps, provide a distinctly reduced light beam. Because the light consistently escapes downward, these lamps also create a highly dramatic atmosphere. The intentionally low light output in the room is ideal for people who need to get up at night but don’t want to unnecessarily wake their partner.

A Design Object on the Bedside Table

For some people, neither the function of a reading lamp nor atmospheric mood lighting is decisive. Instead, they focus on the room’s aesthetics. Thus, the lamp on their bedside table often appears artistic. Sometimes it’s a design object made of plastic or metal in an eccentric shape, sometimes a high-quality handcrafted product with a lampshade made of wood or paper.

Popular are small, compact models in a minimalist industrial style with a concrete base and a spherical shade made of clear glass, offering a direct view of the bulb. Also trendy are modern interpretations of old oil lamps or candle holders with the distinctive ring to hold the lamp with a finger while carrying.

Modern Bedside Lamps

In addition to the well-known, primarily classic models, the market now offers many innovative bedside lamp variants. Instead of a conventional cable, more lamps come with a USB port for charging. This avoids cable clutter and an unsightly appearance next to the bed, and the lamp is portable when needed.

Models with practical touch functions are also popular. Simply tap the housing at any point, and the bedroom is illuminated. Often, a dimming function is activated with a longer tap, allowing the room’s atmosphere to be adjusted to one’s mood.

Particularly comfortable in the morning are so-called daylight alarm clocks. Mimicking a sunrise, the lamp gradually produces gently increasing daylight. While practical for everyday use, such a lamp is less suitable as a reading lamp due to its rather diffuse light.

More on the topic

Facility 7 Trends That Will Be Out of Style in Bedrooms in 2024

Healthy and Effective The Right Lighting for Your Home Office

Interior Designer Reveals How to Properly Furnish a Bedroom with a Sloped Ceiling

A Lamp Without a Bedside Table

What if there’s no bedside table? Even then, you don’t have to forgo suitable lighting next to the bed. In this case, a wall lamp is suitable. Some models even have an integrated small shelf for a smartphone or reading glasses. Some wall lamps also feature a swivel arm that functions as directed reading light.

Extremely stylish are small pendant lamps that hang from the ceiling and—depending on bed height—usually hang very low. Definitely a trend gaining more fans, not least because of its pronounced minimalism.

Floor lamps are also no longer considered unusual next to the bed. Slim models with delicate construction and relatively low height, which may also have a swivel arm to direct light for reading, fit well here. This variant is certainly a real eye-catcher in the room!