Ideas and Advice on Bedside Lights For Reading

Bedroom reading lights can enhance the functionality and look of your bedroom instantly. Whether you install them on the headboard or the wall above or beside the bed, these lights can help you read easily in bed and add an ambience to the room. In this article, we will explore different types of relaxing bedroom lights for reading, as well as ideas on how to incorporate them as a part of a larger lighting scheme.

 

What Are Reading Lights?

When you have a reading lamp for bed installed, you can enjoy dedicated task lighting for relaxing in bed. A modern reading lamp is a light that can either be installed in, on, beside or above the headboard. These lights tend to shine a low level lumen count while remaining bright enough to see to enjoy a favorite book.

A reading light for bed can also make the space more comfortable. By having a modern reading lamp within easy reach, you can simply reach over and turn it on and off instead of getting out of bed to switch off the bright ambient ceiling light.

If you share a bed with a partner, a headboard or wall reading lamp on either side will also allow each person to control the level of light they have. If one partner likes to sleep early while the other likes to stay up, this can be done without one disturbing the other.

These lights come in various styles, just like any other kind of light, giving you plenty of options and versatility.

 

What Types of Bedside Reading Lamps Are There?

Below are the main categories of bedside reading lights:

 

• WALL MOUNTED – A wall mounted reading light attaches to the wall itself. These can be placed on either side of the bed or above the headboard.
  

• WALL RECESSED – These lights recess into the walls and provide a sleeker, more modern look. They have a low profile and prevent the risk of accidentally hitting your head on them.

• HEADBOARD MOUNTED – Headboard mounted lights are designed to be fixed to the headboard itself instead of the wall.

• HEADBOARD RECESSED – This type of light can be recessed into the headboard furnishing and is especially common on headboards that have shelving units.

• FIXED LIGHTS – Fixed reading lights will often swivel a bit to the right or left. Sometimes, you can tilt them up or down. Otherwise, they remain rather rigid and fixed in place.

• FLEXIBLE LIGHTS – Flexible lights tend to come with a long arm that you can bend and twist to point in the exact direction that you like.

You can also think outside the box and use other fixtures to create a reading light. These include fixtures such as articulated arm lamps either mounted to the wall or standing freely in a floor lamp. Go more traditional with your reading lighting by adding a desk lamp as your reading lamp on the bedside table.

What Colour Temperature Is Best for Relaxing Lights for Bedroom?

Colour temperature is the way to refer to a light’s coolness or warmth. The temperature of a light is measured in units Kelvin and stretches across a spectrum between 1,000k and 10,000k.

At the bottom of the spectrum, you will find that the lower the number, the warmer the light. Conversely, as you near the top of the spectrum, you will notice that they get cooler and brighter.

Both ends of the colour temperature spectrum have their place in the world, but warm lighting is generally reserved for domestic settings. Warm white light is clear and bright enough to be able to see while still being gentle on your tired eyes. If you choose cool lights for your reading lamp, you might actually be doing yourself a disservice; cool lights tend to wake you up and make you feel more alert.

The brightness of the LED headboard lamp or wall reading light should also be taken into account. You don’t want a light that is going to blast you with bright illumination when you are trying to wind down and sleep. That said, you still want illumination that is going to be bright enough to read without straining your eyes.

The lumen count you choose will ultimately come down to preference. Even so, the most common lumen level in reading lights tends to be between 100 and 450 lumens at the brightest.

 

Incorporating Bedroom Reading Lamps Into Your Space

Here, you will learn some different ways to mount your wall reading light fixtures.

 

• PRIORITISE SYMMETRY – By hanging a lamp on either side of the bed, you can make the space look more symmetrical. This will also allow both partners sharing a bed to have access to their own reading lights.

• FIXED OR FLEXIBLE – Consider whether or not you want your wall mount reading lamp to be able to bend and twist. A flexible light will give you more control over where the beam of light is shone, whereas a fixed one will generally just swivel.
  

• MOUNTED OVER THE HEADBOARD – You can instantly create relaxing lighting that shines over the bed by installing your wall mounted reading lights above the bed instead of beside it. This will shine light from overhead in a more generalised way than smaller reading lights on either side of the bed.

• FINISH AND STYLE – The light you choose will not only provide you with illumination to read; it will also influence the appearance of your bedroom. Choose a style of light that works well with the rest of the decor of the space, down to the finish.

 

How To Use Other Fixtures to Complement Your LED Reading Light

Reading lights are just one part of a bedroom’s layered lighting scheme, serving as task lighting. To make the room feel well lit, you will still need to incorporate accent lighting and ambient lighting into the space.

 

– Bedroom Ambient Lighting Ideas –

 

• HANGING PENDANT LAMPS – Pendant lamps, such as chandeliers, are lights that hang down from the ceiling, usually on a cable. These are a common option for ambient lighting and are usually installed in single fixtures. They can be subtle or dramatic if you want to use a statement pendant as a focal point in the room.

• RECESSED CEILING LIGHTS – Recessed ceiling lights are a popular choice for ceiling lighting among those who love modern minimalism. Since they sit flush with the ceiling, they have a very low profile and a sleek contemporary look.

• FLOOR LAMPS – If you want to make a statement in your small bedroom, installing an oversized floor lamp is a surefire way to do so. The standalone nature of a floor lamp draws the eye, creating a focal point while showering the room in illumination.

 

– Bedroom Accent Lighting –

 

• STRIP LIGHTS – Strip lights have been gaining popularity lately for their trendy look. These lights can be installed along the perimeter of the ceiling or as low level lighting near the floor. They offer a soft glow that provides a beautiful mood and setting.

• WALL WASHER LIGHTS – Wall washing lights bring artistic appeal to a space by shining light back onto the wall. They do so in halos or by spreading out beams of light depending on the type that you choose.

• UP AND DOWN LIGHTS – Up and down lights are one type of wall washing lights. They shine their illumination above and below the light fixture, often in a bold and eye-catching way.

• UPLIGHTERS – if you have any unique architectural features in your bedroom that you want to highlight, these lights are best. They shine light straight upward and draw attention to whatever their illumination lands on.

 

Ideas for Bedroom Reading Lamps

 

1. Seville Single 3 Watt Black LED Reading Light

For a luxury hotel feel in your bedroom, opt for the Seville Single 3 Watt Black LED Reading Light. This wall light features a fixed head that can be tilted and twisted a little bit to shine where you like it. The head is affixed to a square-shaped backplate in a matching black colour. The fixture outputs 120 lumens of 3000k warm white light that gives soft illumination to easily read.

 

2. LWA317 3 Watt LED Beech Wood Wall Mounted Reading Light

Add some fun texture to your modern bedroom with the incorporation of the LWA317 3 Watt LED Beech Wood Wall Mounted Reading Light. This reading bedside light is crafted out of beechwood from the circular base to the lamp head. The lamp head sits on the end of the flexible arm that allows you to totally customise which way the light shines. It comes with either a chrome or black end to suit the appearance of the rest of the room. The fitting shines 120 lumens of 3000k warm white light and can be mounted to the wall with ease.

 

3. LWA475 3 Watt Surface Mounted Bedside LED Reading Light

Designed to be mounted on the wall, the LWA475 3 Watt Surface Mounted Bedside LED Reading Light is a sleek reading light that mimics the look and functionality of recessed lighting. The bulb sits inside of light head that you can push out to turn on and push back in to turn off. When it is turned off, the head sits flush with the rest of the fixture for a minimalistic look. The light comes in your choice of either black or white and outputs 120 lumens of 3000k warm white light.

 

4. LWA474 5 Watt LED Wall Light With 3 Watt Adjustable Reading Light

Spruce up your bedroom lighting with the LWA474 5 Watt LED Wall Light With 3 Watt Adjustable Reading Light on your wall. The lamp comes with two forms of illumination by way of general lighting from the bar lamp and a small swivel reading light. You can control both forms of illumination independently using the switch on the fixture. The fixture comes available in either black or white to suit your bedroom decor and outputs 3000k warm white light. The lamp shines 500 lumens, while the reading light outputs 120 lumens.

 

5. LWA322 3 Watt Recessed LED Reading Wall Light

Enjoy a sleek and modern reading light with the LWA322 3 Watt Recessed LED Reading Wall Light. The reading light features a rectangular backplate that hosts the cylindrical reading light head. The light can be moved in and out of the backplate, which turns it off and on. Available in black or chrome finishes, you can easily incorporate one or two into bedrooms of any decor style. The sleek fitting outputs 120 lumens of 3000k warm white light that is gentle on the eyes while still providing ample light for you to read.