Floor Lamps

A floor lamp is the easiest light to add to a room that is already built. It needs a power point rather than an electrician, so it can go in a rental, move with you.

It also fills the part of a room a ceiling light cannot reach. The corner behind an armchair, the end of a sofa, the side of a bed. That gives a living room a second layer to switch on in the evening, and gives a reader light coming from beside them rather than from the ceiling.

What's in this range

There are 17 floor lamps in this collection, priced from 100 to 520 AUD. Heights run from 123 cm to 180 cm, which covers everything from a low reading lamp beside a chair to a tall standing light that clears the back of a sofa. Shade diameters run from 17.5 cm to 40 cm. The recorded wattages are tight, between 10 W and 15 W, because every light source listed in this range is LED.

The styles here include straight standing lamps, arc lamps that reach out over a seat, adjustable head models and reading lamps with a tray. Materials listed include metal with acrylic, stainless steel with ABS, glass with solid wood and marble, resin with a fabric shade, and glass shades on an iron structure. E27 is the only socket recorded in this range, and it is listed both with the bulb included and without, so check that line before you order bulbs. Some lamps are listed as taking an E27 LED bulb, others carry a 9 W LED already fitted. Switching is done at the lamp: foot switches, knob switches, touch on and off, and button switches all appear. Power is mains AC, listed on one lamp as a wide range of approximately 90 to 260 V. Most models are listed as needing assembly. On dimming, of the lamps that record it, three are listed as not dimmable, one as compatible with dimmable bulbs and one as offering a tri colour brightness adjustment.

How to choose

Height against what it sits beside

This is the decision that makes a floor lamp work or not, and the range gives you 123 cm to 180 cm to pick from. For reading in a chair, you want the bottom of the shade near or just above shoulder height when seated, so the light falls on the page and not in your eyes. For lighting a corner or throwing light up a wall, taller is better. The height in centimetres is on every product page.

Straight, arc or adjustable head

A straight lamp lights the space it stands in. An arc lamp reaches out over a sofa or a coffee table, which lets you put the light where you need it while keeping the base out of the walkway. An adjustable head lets you aim the light at a book and then swing it away.

Where the switch is

A lamp is switched several times a night, so the switch matters. A foot switch is found without looking and works if the lamp is behind furniture. A touch control on the body suits a lamp within arm's reach of a seat. A knob or a button on the cord is a middle ground. The control type is listed on each product page.

E27 socket and whether the bulb is included

The lamps that list a socket all take an E27 screw fitting, which is the common screw socket in Australia, so bulbs are easy to find. What varies is whether one comes in the box. Some lamps arrive with an E27 LED already supplied, others expect you to buy the bulb. If you want to choose the colour temperature yourself, a lamp without a bulb is an advantage rather than a gap. The light bulbs range lists the socket on each product.

Base footprint and assembly

Most of these lamps are listed as needing assembly, which is usually a base, a pole and a shade. Before choosing, think about the base itself: a wide round base is stable but takes floor space, and an arc lamp needs a heavy base to counterweight the reach. Check that the base will sit clear of a rug edge or a walkway.

Frequently asked questions

What height floor lamp is right for reading?

Aim for the shade to sit above your shoulder when you are seated, so the light reaches the page without shining into your eyes. The lamps here run from 123 cm to 180 cm, and the height of each is listed on its page so you can compare it against your chair.

Can a floor lamp be dimmed?

Only where the page says so. Most in this range are not dimmable. One is listed as compatible with dimmable bulbs, which means the dimming comes from the bulb you fit, and one offers a tri colour brightness adjustment on the lamp itself.

Do I need an electrician?

No. Every lamp here runs from a standard power point, which is what makes a floor lamp the practical way to add light to a room you cannot rewire. If you want a fitting on the ceiling instead, that work does need a licensed electrician, and the ceiling lights range covers those. For the whole layered arrangement in one place, see the living room lights range.