Other Reading Lights We Tested and Liked
Photograph: Simon Hill
Philips Hue Go Smart Portable Table Lamp for $101: My previous bedside lamp offers many of the same features as our pick above, but it can also be picked up and carried around, making it great for parents with kids who are up at night. It sits on a charging base and can be fully adjusted and automated for colors, temperature, and brightness. The Twilight offers more customizable controls and can be angled for easier reading, but this lamp is much cheaper.
Mighty Bright Rechargeable Clip-On Book Light for $33: With a slim clip and design that works with most books, I enjoyed using this flexible reading light and appreciated the soft-touch finish. You can hold the power button down to dim the dual LED head from 10 lumens down to 2 lumens. Battery life ranges from 10 to 60 hours, and there’s a MicroUSB port for charging (cable included). It’s good, but I don’t understand why it’s so expensive.
Gritin 16 LED Reading Light for $15: I enjoyed using this reading light from Gritin. It is similar to our top pick, with a clamp design, gooseneck, three light colors, and a range of brightness levels. It is not as versatile because it only has a single head that contains all the LEDs. It also boasts up to 80 hours on the lowest brightness, though mine did not last that long. It is stable if you prefer to sit it on the nightstand, even more so than the Vekkia, thanks to an anti-slip coating on the bottom. But it took me a while to figure out how to hold the power button down to change brightness. This light is still a solid choice and worth a look when discounted.
Reading Lights We Don’t Recommend
These are the reading lights we’re not so keen on.
Energizer Reading Light: This small reading light from Energizer is as simple as they come. The power switch is just on or off (no colors or brightness controls). I like the smaller clamp for reading paperbacks, and the adjustable neck works well, but the light is quite bright. It also takes two disposable Energizer CR2032 batteries that are good for 25 hours of use, and I prefer rechargeable reading lights.
Withit Quad Clip-On Book Light: With four LEDs arranged in a square head and an adjustable gooseneck, this reading light offers plenty of bright light, and I like that you can hold the power button to dim it. The problem is that the clamp has an enormous, heavy battery compartment to house the three AAA batteries this light takes. It should last a long time, but when it does run out, you need a screwdriver to get in.
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