Cordless Table Lamps

A cordless table lamp goes where there is no outlet. The middle of a dining table. A windowsill. A bathroom counter. A balcony in July. A bookshelf across the room from any plug. In older housing where outlets are scarce and badly placed, that's most of the places you actually want light.

What changed

These used to be dim novelties. Lithium cells and efficient LEDs turned them into real lamps: a week or more of evening use per charge, several brightness levels, and USB-C charging that takes a few hours.

The category grew out of restaurants — every patio table lamp you've seen in the last few years is one of these — and the domestic versions are the same technology in better-looking bodies.

What to check

Runtime at the brightness you'll actually use. Manufacturers quote runtime at the lowest setting. If you plan to read by it, look for the figure at full output — often a third of the headline number.

Charging method. USB-C direct into the lamp is simplest. Some use a charging base, which is tidier on a shelf but one more object to place.

Dimming. Stepless is better than three fixed levels, and it's what lets one lamp work as both a dinner-table light and a reading light.

IP rating if it's going outside. IP44 or better handles a rain shower on a balcony. Without a rating, keep it indoors.

Where they earn it

Dining table. A lamp in the centre of the table at dinner is the single best use of the category — the light everyone else has to run an extension cord for.

Bedside with no outlet behind the nightstand, a problem otherwise solved only by an electrician.

Bathroom counter, entryway console, bookshelf, mantel — surfaces that never got a plug.

Outdoors from May to September, on a balcony or patio table, then back inside for winter.

Colour temperature

2700K. These are almost always mood and accent lights rather than task lights, and warm is what makes a table feel like an occasion.

From a Canadian company that has counted the outlets in an old apartment.

Frequently asked questions

How long do cordless table lamps last on a charge?

A week or more of normal evening use at moderate brightness. At full output it's often a third of the quoted figure — check the spec at the level you'll actually use.

How do they charge?

Most over USB-C directly into the lamp, in a few hours. Some use a charging base instead.

Can I use one outside?

Only if it carries an IP rating — IP44 or better handles rain on a balcony. Unrated lamps should stay indoors.

Are they bright enough to read by?

The better ones are on their highest setting, but runtime drops sharply there. For sustained reading, a plugged-in lamp is still the better tool.

What colour temperature should I choose?

2700K. Cordless lamps are mostly mood and accent lighting, and warm light is what makes a table feel like an occasion.