"You’ve got a friend in me…" sings Randy Newman, in the Oscar-winning toy-box-fearing romp, Toy Story. But although the song refers to the relationship between a young boy and his favorite toys, it could equally apply to another of Pixar Animation’s most iconic characters, the loveable Luxo Jr, seen hopping around the studio’s production logo.
Combining a stable base with an independently moveable arm and head may make anthropomorphic desk lamps more functional, but while size, position, brightness, temperature, and the adjustability of all of the above are important features, what you really look for in someone to share a desk with, is a friend. Here are some of the friendliest desk light characters.
The baby one: Nordic lamp by Mantra
At 580mm tall, the Nordic lamp stands on two splayed feet like a newborn bird, searching for its mother. The light’s wide base, thin wooden limbs, and oversized head combine for a cute, childlike quality. Meanwhile, a translucent shade allows proud parents to see the light behind their eyes.
The posh one: Bestlite Collection by Gubi
With clean lines and uncomplicated movement, the Bestlite collection represents the refined elegance of the upper classes. Indeed, its form –significant of the Bauhaus period in which it was born– was chosen as Winston Churchill’s personal desk lamp, and would later go on to feature in both the V&A and Design Museum’s permanent collections.
The experienced one: Balanced-arm desk lamp by Anglepoise
Desk light characters, however, can’t all be attributed to Spice Girls. Although it’s indelicate to discuss matters of age, this iconic 90-year-old balanced-arm desk lamp was the design that kicked off the movement, so to speak. The engineered brilliance of its physics ensures the gravitational force of the shade weight is counteracted by the arms’ springs, making its head easy to maneuver.
The Gen-Z one: Eclipse light by Steelcase
Representing the functional design requirements of a contemporary workplace, Eclipse light simultaneously adjusts angle and brightness to transform from task light to face-friendly ring light, attractively sculpting the user’s features by mimicking daylight and reducing shadow. A phone-gripping pad on its base, meanwhile, completes a quick video-call setup.
The playful one: Z-Bar desk lamp by Koncept
With its innovative through-table mount, it is perfect for smaller desktops with limited space. Z-Bar’s long, slim arms bend and fold into each other, or extend out to widen their reach. Like a small office dog, the flexible light brings colorful energy into the workspace. Unlike a dog, however, its presence is easy to control with the touch-sensitive operation.
The playing-it-cool one: CSYS task light by Jake Dyson Light
The CSYS task light is a masterpiece in engineering: its arms gently glide and rotate across one another via a perfectly balanced wheeled system, asking for little more than a touch. Meanwhile, an aluminum heat sink dissipates heat from its eight LEDs, meaning the adjustable light keeps its power and position for longer.
The minimalist one: LIM Undersurface Light by Haworth
Although they take up less space on the desktop, clamp lights often lose any visual weight-saving with a clunky and complicated form. With its pivoting magnetic grip, however, the LIM Undersurface light is able to keep everything tucked away cleanly, retaining the super-minimalist look of its slim aluminum body.
The minding-its-own-business one: Joker by Regent Lighting
With the ability to point one way, and look another, Joker light aims to deceive in the most helpful way… providing well-defined, glare-free task light down onto the desktop, while standing up straight alongside it. Meaning the light source itself can stay out of its user’s way.
The hidden one: AK2 workplace divider by De Vorm
If we’re talking minimal occupancy lights that stay out of the way, how about AK2 workplace divider, with a built-in task light that pretends not to be there at all? The colorful and playful acoustic panels absorb an LED lighting module that literally blends into the background.
The ‘different’ one: Acrobat lamp by Normann Copenhagen
With a rounded body and futuristic, almost magical levitating operation, the Acrobat lamp gets itself into any position or orientation using powerful magnets to hold itself. Its ability to cast diffused, omnidirectional light can focus task light close to the work surface, or spread softer ambient light above it.
