A cordless table lamp runs on a built-in rechargeable battery. There is no cable to the wall while it is in use, so it can stand where there is no socket: the middle of a dining table, a bookshelf, a windowsill or a bedside table with no outlet behind it. When the battery runs down, you plug the lamp in to recharge it, like a phone.
Five points to compare
- Battery life per charge. Stated in hours. It is usually given as a range, because a lamp lasts longer on a low brightness setting than on full.
- Charging. USB-C is the most convenient, since the same cable charges many other devices.
- Brightness. Cordless lamps use low-power LEDs. They are made for ambience, a bedside or a table, not for lighting a whole room.
- Dimming. Several brightness levels or stepless dimming let you trade light for battery life.
- Weight. A heavy base makes a small lamp stable on a table. Stone bases are the heaviest: see our stone lamps guide.
Two cordless table lamps compared
| Cordless Marble Table Lamp | Cordless Gable Shade Table Lamp | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | height 23 cm, shade Ø 17 cm, base Ø 7 cm | height 22 cm, width 15 cm, depth 10 cm |
| Materials | marble base, opal glass shade, metal | lacquered iron body, ABS shade |
| Light | integrated LED, 3 W, 3 brightness levels (30, 60, 100%) | integrated LED, dimmable |
| Switch | touch control on the top knob | touch on/off |
| Battery | 8 to 12 hours per charge, USB-C charging | built-in rechargeable battery |
| Colours | see product page | burgundy red or light grey |
| Use | indoor only | indoor only |
Where a cordless lamp is useful
- Dining table: a low lamp in the middle of the table, with no cable across the floor.
- Bookshelf or sideboard: light where there is no socket.
- Bedside: a small footprint on a narrow nightstand.
- Moving from room to room: the same lamp serves the reading corner in the evening and the bedroom at night.
Cordless or corded?
Choose cordless for a lamp you want to move or place far from a socket. Choose corded for a lamp that stays on for long hours in one place, or that needs to give more light. Our table lamps collection has both.
Furnishing a bedroom? Our bedroom lighting ideas compare cordless lamps with wall lights and pendants, and show how much of a 45 cm nightstand each one takes.
At 23 cm, a cordless lamp sits low on a bedside table: our guide to bedside lamp height and reading lights shows how much to raise it for reading. The marble lamp's product page describes it as suited to interiors from Japandi to Scandinavian; see Japandi vs Scandinavian lighting for the difference.
A lamp with no cable is also handy in a child's room: see our ideas for kids' room and nursery lighting. Need more light than a table lamp gives? Our guide to the types of floor lamps compares arc, tripod and globe models with real heights.
All our cordless models are in the Cordless Lamps collection.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a cordless table lamp last on one charge?
It depends on the model and the brightness setting. The Cordless Marble Table Lamp runs 8 to 12 hours per charge.
Can a cordless lamp be used outdoors?
Only if the maker says so. The two models above are for indoor use only.
Are cordless lamps bright enough to read by?
They are designed for a table or bedside, not for a whole room. Use the highest brightness level for reading.
