If I learned anything from the Strategist’s great Big Light debate, it’s that I’m not alone in thinking that overhead lighting is cruel, cold, and simply can’t be good for the circadian rhythm. Lamps make everything feel kinder and more intimate — and so, when my boyfriend and I moved in together last fall, I quickly established the No Overhead Light Law. Unfortunately, I ran into a problem when enacting: outlets.
The solution came to me quickly. Cordless lamps. I set out to find one that would be easily scoochable — from the coffee table to make room for a mezze spread or a card game, to the kitchen island to prepare a meal, to the floor as I watch TV and give myself a late-night pedicure. It turns out that there are a lot of cordless lamps on the market, including gumdrop-colored ones; the skinny, metallic kind you see at restaurants everywhere; and even maximalist ones with leopard-print shades. Here, you’ll find the practical and sleek one I opted for, along with a plethora of other options that are as easily portable as they are appealing additions to any surface.
My gateway cordless lamp. The price sold me ($30 for two!), but other attractive qualities include three light modes — from white to warm — and an eight-hour rechargeable battery life. Despite being fairly simple, these garnered more than one compliment at a recent dinner party of mine.
Synonymous with outdoor dining in NYC, these sleek Zafferano LED table lamps are sturdy enough to stay in place on breezy nights, but also unassuming enough to keep the attention on the small plates. They look just as nice inside, too, taking up just about as little space as a lamp can on a kitchen island or bar cart.
Pooky has an impressive cordless lighting selection, including a base made to look like an amber jewel, wall sconces, and a quite-tall floor lamp (called the Twinky). For each, you can DIY your way to ambient lighting by selecting your base, then your lampshade. The printed lampshades — with patterns like yellow shibori and eau de Nil zigzag — are some of my favorites.
For something a bit more earthy, try this one, with a “wood grain” finish (or select from four other color options, including black, gray, and a charming forest green). Plus, it’s waterproof certified, making it great for bathrooms and outdoor spaces.
Designed by Verner Panton, a 20th-century interior designer from Denmark, these domed lamps come in especially cheery colors, including vermilion red, tangy pink, and mustard.
Proof that cordless doesn’t mean flimsy. This asymmetrical robin’s-egg blue lamp, with a six-hour charge, is the curviest and tallest of the bunch at 21 inches.
This Zafferano feels more home-friendly than its Pina Pro counterpart and comes in a wider range of colors. For further customization, slide on one of these hand-painted striped ceramic shades from Italy.
In case you haven’t noticed: Zara Home is full of pieces that look a lot more expensive than they are, like this sleek iron lamp.
This one is also pretty striking — it’s like a big glowing rock for your nightstand (in a good way).
Carry-my-candle-in-a-nightgown vibes. Its cylindrical structure is made of birchwood, and you can choose between a sewn shade (my preference) or one made of taped beige cardboard.
Speaking of candlelight, this one was designed to mimic the look of a candle. It features a finlike handle and up to 12 hours of battery life, which is on the longer side of the lamps on this list.
Another metal option that costs a lot less than it looks, with some delightful scalloping. I’m not surprised it’s marked as a “Wedding Registry Favorite” on Target’s website.
If a cordless lamp could capture the feeling of lounging under a beach umbrella on the Amalfi Coast with an Aperol in hand, well, this is it. It also comes in olive, yellow, and blue.
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