Desk Lamps: Bankers, Stained Glass, Dome and Cordless, Real Sizes

A desk lamp is a small lamp that throws light down onto a work surface: a desk, a writing table, a study corner or a bedside table used for reading. What matters is less the style than three practical points: where the light goes (down, all around, or aimed), how much of the desk the base takes up, and how you switch it on. This guide compares the desk lamps we sell, with the real sizes from each product page, so you can check what fits before you order.

What to look for in a desk lamp

• Downward light. An opaque or tinted shade (a bankers shade, a metal dome) sends light onto the desk and keeps the bulb out of your eyes. A stained glass shade glows all over and gives a softer, more decorative light.
• A small footprint. The base and the width of the shade decide how much room is left for a laptop, a notebook or a keyboard.
• An easy switch. A pull chain, a button on the lamp, an in-line switch on the cord or a touch knob: choose the one you can reach without looking.
• The right light colour. Warm white feels relaxed in the evening; neutral or cool white looks crisper for focused work. Our guide to warm white vs cool white explains the difference.

Bankers, stained glass, dome and cordless desk lamps

Bankers lamp. The classic library desk lamp: a horizontal glass shade over a curved arm. The Cobalt Glass Bankers Desk Lamp sends warm light down onto the desk while the blue glass glows at its edges, and it switches on with a pull chain. The history of the style is in our bankers lamp guide.

Stained glass desk lamp. A Tiffany-style shade gives a warm, coloured glow rather than a working beam, which suits a desk used for writing letters or a home office in the evening. The Tiffany Mission Style Table Lamp has a square amber shade, the Blue Stained Glass Tiffany Lamp a smaller round one, and the Tiffany Cat Table Lamp works as a small desk lamp or night light. These are Tiffany-style lamps, not pieces made by Tiffany Studios. More glass shades are compared in our guide to glass table lamps.

Dome desk lamp. The Bauhaus Silver Dome Table Lamp has a wide polished dome on a wooden stem; the light falls downward in a pool across the desk. It offers warm light or a 3-colour option. Other polished finishes are in our chrome and silver lamps guide.

Cordless desk lamp. The Cordless Marble Table Lamp has no cable on the desk: it runs 8–12 hours per charge and recharges on a 5 V magnetic base, with 3 brightness levels. See our guide to cordless and rechargeable table lamps.

A wall light instead of a desk lamp. If the desk is small, a wall-mounted spotlight frees the whole surface. The Adjustable Polished Metal Spotlight Sconce has an adjustable angle, so the beam can be aimed at the keyboard or the page.

Desk lamp sizes compared

How much desk does each lamp take?

The widest part of a lamp is usually the shade, so that is the space to keep free on the desk. Taking a desk 60 cm (23.6 in) deep and placing the lamp against the back edge:

• The Cordless Marble shade is 17 cm wide, which leaves 43 cm (16.9 in) of depth in front of it.
• The Blue Tiffany and Tiffany Cat shades are 20 cm, which leaves 40 cm (15.7 in).
• The Cobalt Bankers shade is 26.5 cm wide; it sits sideways along the back edge, and its 18 cm base leaves 42 cm (16.5 in) in front.
• The Bauhaus dome is 30 cm across, which leaves 30 cm (11.8 in): better on a deeper desk or a side return.
• The Spotlight Sconce takes no desk space at all.

A common tip: if you write with your right hand, place the lamp on the left of the desk (and the other way round) so your hand does not cast a shadow on the page.

Frequently asked questions

Which desk lamp gives the most light on the desk?

Of the lamps above, the ones whose product pages describe light falling downward onto the surface are the Cobalt Glass Bankers and the Bauhaus Silver Dome (rated for spaces of about 5–10 m²). For aimed task light, the Adjustable Spotlight Sconce has an adjustable angle and is rated for about 10–15 m².

Is there a desk lamp without a cord?

Yes. The Cordless Marble Table Lamp runs 8–12 hours per charge, recharges on a 5 V magnetic charging base and has 3 brightness levels (30%, 60% and 100%).

Can I use a stained glass lamp as a desk lamp?

Yes, as a soft desk light: the Tiffany Mission Style, Blue Stained Glass Tiffany and Tiffany Cat are all 36.5 cm (14.4 in) high and their product pages suggest a desk among their uses. The glass glows all over rather than throwing a bright beam, so for long reading sessions pair it with a brighter main light.

See all our table lamps, the desk lamps collection, the Tiffany and stained glass lamps and our wall lights.