Bedtime Reader? These 5 Reading Lights Are the Best at Showing You the Page
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If your New Year’s resolution is to read more, a reading light can help you in many ways. Sure, you can read a book or Kindle next to a lamp or overhead light. But book lights offer the benefit of better illuminating text through closer proximity. Some can even “block” or “filter” harmful blue light, producing amber, yellow-tinted light that absorbs blue light pigments. That, in turn, can lead to better sleep if you enjoy reading before bed.
There’s a wide array of reading lights, from gooseneck clip-ons to wearable models you wrap around your neck. Read on for aspects to keep in mind when shopping for your first or next reading light—with pointers from a registered ophthalmologist—then scroll down for our reviews of the best.
The Best Reading Lights
Best Compact: Glocusent USB Rechargeable Book Light
Most Flexible: Vekkia Amber Rechargeable 7 LED Eye-Care Book Light
Best Neck-Mounted: Glocusent LED Neck Reading Light
Best for Kids: Dewenwils USB-Rechargeable Book Reading Light
Most Brightness Levels: Vafovo Amber Rechargeable Reading Light
What to Consider
Design and Adjustability
Connecticut-based, board-certified ophthalmologist and retinal specialist Jerry Tsong, M.D. at Greenwich Ophthalmology, says that your reading light should be bendable and directly point at the words you’re reading. This is why a dedicated light is better than a table lamp, which filters and diffuses light over a large area. The best kinds of reading lights for that direct beam are those that can clip on to the page or device you’re reading from and those that you can hang around your neck.
Tsong says that the best reading lights also have settings for adjusting brightness. Because many clip-on lights sit near whatever you’re reading from, they also don’t have to be as bright. Adjusting the proximity of a reading light to text is important, too, as every reader has their preference for how much light they need without straining their eyes or how much light they need on a particular section of a page. Many of the best reading lights also feature color temperature settings that provide warm and cool options.
Avoid reading lights that don’t adjust or have a variety of settings. An adjustable light offers (literal) flexibility in various situations, especially when swapping between an e-reader, book, and magazine. You won’t save much money by buying an inflexible model either; the cost doesn’t vary much from flexible options.
Blue Light
If you have issues with eye strain from screens and technology, find a reading light that doesn’t emit blue light. “Exposure to blue light, especially at night before bedtime, can disrupt our natural circadian rhythm, which regulates our sleep cycle,” explains Tsong. “So for many people, exposure to blue light makes it harder to fall asleep.”
Many brands indicate whether their lights are blue light “blocking” in the product details or on the packaging. If you’re trying to avoid blue light, look for reading lights with an amber light or an “amber” light setting, which, as we mentioned, absorbs blue light pigments.
Power
Most reading lights recharge via USB or rely on a small 3V coin cell battery typically used in remote controls and quartz watches. 3Vs are inexpensive and generally last between 3 and 5 years before needing replacement.
Types of Light Bulbs
“LED bulbs are the best suited for portable reading lights,” says Tsong. “They are lightweight, consume much less energy, and don’t emit any heat.” Tsong adds that many reading lights with LEDs don’t produce any blue light of their own.
Other bulb types include incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, and compact fluorescent, but LEDs are the most common. They’re the priciest, but also the most reliable, with a longer life span and less energy usage.
The number of lumens (indicating visible light or brightness) reading lights have varies, though they usually range from 16 to 60. The higher an indicated lumens, the brighter the light.
How We Selected
To find the best reading lights, we spoke with board-certified ophthalmologist Tsong about what to look for with regard to bulb types, directionality, and adjustability. We ruled out any lights that don’t offer various brightness settings, as they don’t have much versatility between reading mediums. Also, we only considered reading lights that are easily adjustable and have LEDs, per Tsong’s insight.
Furthermore, we conducted online research to see what other experts, guides, and consumer review publications—including Gear Lab, Wirecutter and ZDNET—recommend. Lastly, we considered what customers had to say in their reviews about each product before making our final selections.
Looking for more reading recommendations to make use of your new light? Check out our picks for the best gifts for books lovers, books about scientists, and survival books.
USB-Rechargeable Book Light
This clip-on reading light is a sturdy mix of ample adjustability and small size. It has five brightness settings and three light temperature settings—a warm amber mode, a cooler breeze mode, and a bright precise mode—that you can toggle between. And, since it’s so tiny, weighing less than an egg, you can pack it for traveling. In fact, Tsong recommends and owns two of these.
This Glucosent is rechargeable via a standard USB-A port (another bonus for travel: no disposable batteries) and provides between 9 and 80 hours of light, depending on the setting. However, several online customers say the light has sometimes taken a long time to charge.
It has impressive adjustability given its solid design, too; both the main arm and the light housing at the end of that arm tilt up and down. Plus, the housing rotates so you can direct the light if it’s off-center of what you’re reading.
Amber Rechargeable 7 LED Eye-Care Book Light
Tsong recommends Vekkia’s Rechargeable book light as a flexible option. Its gooseneck can rotate 360 degrees, and it’s pliable yet durable enough that you can fold it over if you want to stuff the light into a backpack while traveling.
Although this is on the bigger side, Tsong notes that it’s powerful enough to light up an entire page instead of only a portion of it. This Vekkia is available in three colors (black, blue, and white) and has three brightness levels (30, 50, and 100 percent) that can provide up to 70 hours of light.
LED Neck Reading Light
This neck-mounted light provides two beams for a doubly bright reading experience if you need it. And since it sits around your neck like a necklace, you can adjust the arms independently according to your fit and lighting preferences. Say you’re reading in bed and don’t want to bother anyone sleeping next to you; the stalks bend up to 90 degrees to keep the light focused on the page and away from their eyes. The three color temperature modes—a cool white, a warm yellow, and a warm white—and blue light filter further boost the adjustability.
Unlike other rechargeable reading lights, this one uses USB Type-C, making it a modern choice. Glucosent claims it provides up to 80 hours of light on a single charge, too. One con: There isn’t a lock to prevent the light from powering on. So if you pack it away in a bag and something hits the power button, turning it on, you could pull it out to find the battery is dead.
USB-Rechargeable Book Reading Light
Dewenwils made this light easy to turn on by pressing its lone power button. And it even folds down to serve as a bookmark when not in use. Another feature that makes it great for kids: The body of the light detaches from the clip to reveal the USB-A port, which they can plug directly into an adapter in an outlet. That means there are no additional charging wires necessary. Some users say its runtime is less than the claimed 8 hours claimed, however.
This light has three brightness levels (30, 60, and 100 percent), keeping words illuminated and eyes relaxed. You also won’t have to worry about your children receiving additional blue light, as it claims to block out 99.95 percent of it, which can be especially beneficial when reading those bedtime stories.
Amber Rechargeable Reading Light
This rechargeable reading light offers nine brightness levels and nine color temperatures, lending it the versatility to match the preferences of various readers. One of its most prominent features is its power indicator light located near its charging port—a quick glance can tell you whether or not you have to worry about it dying mid-read. This LED is an especially good choice if you’re trying to steer clear of blue light, as it blocks it with its amber light.
Whether you clip this reading light onto your Kindle, paperback, or hardcover book, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by its strong grip. Some reviews say its lowest setting is too bright, however, so be mindful of others when you’re reading with this device.
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