Anglepoise Desk Lamps

BookCat · 05-22-2013, 07:59 PM

Does anyone have one of these? If so, what do you think of it and are they worth the money?

I've been thinking of buying a 1227 or 1228 for my new study when I move house, but these are hugely expensive. On the other hand, I remember having an anglepoise back in study bedrooms at Uni in the late 70's, and really liking them.

I'll need a lamp because the room I'm going to use as a study faces north west so will be a bit dim.

Any opinions welcome.

gmw · 05-22-2013, 08:50 PM

I had something similar many years ago. I remember it as being good when working on paper at night, the light is a bit too specific/directed to be good when working at the computer. I find it can be very difficult to get the screen brightness adjusted well to work in a dark room and most often I leave the room light on. (The exception being some nights in summer when the bugs are all fighting at the window to come inside, I have a "lights-out" profile that greatly reduces the brightness at the cost of loss distorting image colours - but since I'm writing - black text on a grey background usually - that doesn't matter too much.)

VydorScope · 05-23-2013, 06:33 AM

What is so special about them?

Penforhire · 05-23-2013, 12:44 PM

Ooh, my dad used one of those clamped to his drafting table way back when. Very nostalgic. I much prefer the light quality from an Ott-Lite (or any of their competitors) for reading and at my PC desk.

BookCat · 05-24-2013, 05:21 PM

Ott-lite seem to be a US product, I'm not sure if this is available in the UK.

Also, I'm looking for something which uses incandescent light bulbs. I hate the energy efficient type, especially for a lamp. I dislike the idea of anything filled with mercury etc being so close.

VydorScope: the main benefit of an anglepoise is the ability to alter the light's position in many ways. The normal sized ones are especially good. Mind you, my memory of using them was pre-pc. I would still need a lamp to shine upon any papers I was using as reference etc, while not obscuring the pc screen.

Alternatives welcome.

Matth79 · 05-25-2013, 07:13 PM

A genuine anglepoise is quite an impressive mechanical apparatus - had an old one but the joints were getting a bit slippy.

The modern cheaper version is a 12V halogen transformer with the power carried to the head by two telescopic rods, and the only adjustments are moving/turning the base, tilt of the rods and of the head, and extending the rods.

BookCat · 06-02-2013, 08:11 PM

I've been looking at led lamps on Amazon. As this thread is specific to Anglepoise, I may start another about desk lamps in general. Thanks.

BookCat · 06-02-2013, 08:30 PM

Hi everyone! I'm looking for a good desk lamp for a north-west facing study. I don't like CFL bulbs, so would like one which can take an incandescent bulb or led. A full-spectrum light would be nice. I'm not too keen on the bendy-neck lamps as I can never persuade these to adopt the best position.

I'm quite attracted by those L-shaped led lights, like this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Daylight-Met...lic+red+8+watt

(Hope the link works.)

But this looks a bit too intense.

Please tell me what you have used, and your opinions. All input welcome.

JSWolf · 06-02-2013, 08:51 PM

Ikea sells some nice lamps. Have a look at their website.

I would have recommended the lamp I have on my night table, but they don't seem to have it on the website. I also have one in the living room right next to the couch.

JSWolf · 06-02-2013, 08:55 PM

Try Ikea. You can get very similar looking lamps at a fraction of the price.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/ca...kspaces/20502/

teh603 · 06-02-2013, 09:20 PM

I'm not too keen on LED lighting. I tend to find most LED lights painfully bright and too blue for comfort. Given the choice, I'd rather go for something incandescent- balanced.

BeccaPrice · 06-03-2013, 06:11 AM

I'm very happy with my Ott lamp for my desk.

kacir · 06-03-2013, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BookCat

Hi everyone! I'm looking for a good desk lamp for a north-west facing study. I don't like CFL bulbs, so would like one which can take an incandescent bulb or led. A full-spectrum light would be nice. I'm not too keen on the bendy-neck lamps as I can never persuade these to adopt the best position.

I personally would have a look at a good halogen lamp. A filament in a halogen light-bulb can get hotter, so the light is more like sunlight and you get full spectrum.
You do not need a fancy lamp. You need a good light-bulb. A cheap generic bedside lamp (with a better quality bulb) would work very nicely. Plus, you can get more of them to cover all angles.

VydorScope · 06-03-2013, 06:53 PM

I prefer to work by candle light that way I get the most natural possible lighting and conserve power.

BookCat · 06-03-2013, 06:54 PM

Thanks. I would like one which doesn't get hot and which has a dimmable light. I used to have a goose-neck (bendy) 40 watt incandescent lamp which always had to be put on a pile of books as the height was too low to light the desk, and it would make my face very hot. Eventually, it broke.

I took a look at the UK Ikea website. Yes, they do have some nice lamps, but no reviews or any real details that I could find.

The search goes on.

I thought the led might not get hot and be an energy saving substitute for a CFL. I don't mind the light being slightly blue. I would want one which stands fairly high so that I don't have to stand it on books. Something like a cross between an anglepoise and a typical led lamp.

Candle light!

05-22-2013, 07:59 PM	#1
BookCat C L J Posts: 2,912 Karma: 21115458 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Birmingham UK Device: Sony e-reader 505, Kindle PW2, Kindle PW3, Kobo Libra2	Anglepoise Desk Lamps Does anyone have one of these? If so, what do you think of it and are they worth the money? I've been thinking of buying a 1227 or 1228 for my new study when I move house, but these are hugely expensive. On the other hand, I remember having an anglepoise back in study bedrooms at Uni in the late 70's, and really liking them. I'll need a lamp because the room I'm going to use as a study faces north west so will be a bit dim. Any opinions welcome.

06-02-2013, 08:30 PM	#8
BookCat C L J Posts: 2,912 Karma: 21115458 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Birmingham UK Device: Sony e-reader 505, Kindle PW2, Kindle PW3, Kobo Libra2	Desk lamp recommendations Hi everyone! I'm looking for a good desk lamp for a north-west facing study. I don't like CFL bulbs, so would like one which can take an incandescent bulb or led. A full-spectrum light would be nice. I'm not too keen on the bendy-neck lamps as I can never persuade these to adopt the best position. I'm quite attracted by those L-shaped led lights, like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Daylight-Met...lic+red+8+watt (Hope the link works.) But this looks a bit too intense. Please tell me what you have used, and your opinions. All input welcome.

06-03-2013, 06:54 PM	#15
BookCat C L J Posts: 2,912 Karma: 21115458 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Birmingham UK Device: Sony e-reader 505, Kindle PW2, Kindle PW3, Kobo Libra2	Thanks. I would like one which doesn't get hot and which has a dimmable light. I used to have a goose-neck (bendy) 40 watt incandescent lamp which always had to be put on a pile of books as the height was too low to light the desk, and it would make my face very hot. Eventually, it broke. I took a look at the UK Ikea website. Yes, they do have some nice lamps, but no reviews or any real details that I could find. The search goes on. I thought the led might not get hot and be an energy saving substitute for a CFL. I don't mind the light being slightly blue. I would want one which stands fairly high so that I don't have to stand it on books. Something like a cross between an anglepoise and a typical led lamp. Candle light! Last edited by BookCat; 06-03-2013 at 06:57 PM.

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05-22-2013, 08:50 PM	#2
gmw cacoethes scribendi Posts: 5,809 Karma: 137770742 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Aura One & H2Ov2, Sony PRS-650	I had something similar many years ago. I remember it as being good when working on paper at night, the light is a bit too specific/directed to be good when working at the computer. I find it can be very difficult to get the screen brightness adjusted well to work in a dark room and most often I leave the room light on. (The exception being some nights in summer when the bugs are all fighting at the window to come inside, I have a "lights-out" profile that greatly reduces the brightness at the cost of loss distorting image colours - but since I'm writing - black text on a grey background usually - that doesn't matter too much.)

05-23-2013, 06:33 AM	#3
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	What is so special about them?

05-23-2013, 12:44 PM	#4
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	Ooh, my dad used one of those clamped to his drafting table way back when. Very nostalgic. I much prefer the light quality from an Ott-Lite (or any of their competitors) for reading and at my PC desk.

05-24-2013, 05:21 PM	#5
BookCat C L J Posts: 2,912 Karma: 21115458 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Birmingham UK Device: Sony e-reader 505, Kindle PW2, Kindle PW3, Kobo Libra2	Ott-lite seem to be a US product, I'm not sure if this is available in the UK. Also, I'm looking for something which uses incandescent light bulbs. I hate the energy efficient type, especially for a lamp. I dislike the idea of anything filled with mercury etc being so close. VydorScope: the main benefit of an anglepoise is the ability to alter the light's position in many ways. The normal sized ones are especially good. Mind you, my memory of using them was pre-pc. I would still need a lamp to shine upon any papers I was using as reference etc, while not obscuring the pc screen. Alternatives welcome.

05-25-2013, 07:13 PM	#6
Matth79 Zealot Posts: 122 Karma: 502620 Join Date: Jan 2012 Device: Kobo Touch	A genuine anglepoise is quite an impressive mechanical apparatus - had an old one but the joints were getting a bit slippy. The modern cheaper version is a 12V halogen transformer with the power carried to the head by two telescopic rods, and the only adjustments are moving/turning the base, tilt of the rods and of the head, and extending the rods.

06-02-2013, 08:11 PM	#7
BookCat C L J Posts: 2,912 Karma: 21115458 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Birmingham UK Device: Sony e-reader 505, Kindle PW2, Kindle PW3, Kobo Libra2	I've been looking at led lamps on Amazon. As this thread is specific to Anglepoise, I may start another about desk lamps in general. Thanks.

06-02-2013, 08:51 PM	#9
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 74,488 Karma: 129668758 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Ikea sells some nice lamps. Have a look at their website. I would have recommended the lamp I have on my night table, but they don't seem to have it on the website. I also have one in the living room right next to the couch.

06-02-2013, 08:55 PM	#10
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 74,488 Karma: 129668758 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	Try Ikea. You can get very similar looking lamps at a fraction of the price. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/ca...kspaces/20502/

06-02-2013, 09:20 PM	#11
teh603 Autism Spectrum Disorder Posts: 1,212 Karma: 6244877 Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Coastal Texas Device: Android Phone	I'm not too keen on LED lighting. I tend to find most LED lights painfully bright and too blue for comfort. Given the choice, I'd rather go for something incandescent- balanced.

06-03-2013, 06:11 AM	#12
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	I'm very happy with my Ott lamp for my desk.

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06-03-2013, 06:53 PM	#14
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	I prefer to work by candle light that way I get the most natural possible lighting and conserve power.