It can be hard to avoid clutter when there are so many things needed to make your living space thrive. We could all agree that a well-lit living space is a must, but a lamp doesn't need to be obtrusive in order to be effective. Clip-on lamps clamp onto the edge of a table, desk, floating shelf, or headboard to illuminate your area without taking up any surface space.
The best clip-on lamps not only look sleek and stylish, but they should be able to work with the specific needs of your space. For example, if you're working at a desk around the clock, then a lamp with adjustable brightness and color temperature can help ensure that you can see clearly without strain as the day goes on. Some of these lights are wireless and rechargeable, making them travel-friendly. Other plug-in types are meant for permanent placement, but their flexible necks can swivel in any direction to cast light nearby.
Our guide to the best clip-on lamps covers a range of different styles that are suitable for workspaces, bedrooms, and beyond. Even better, all of these top-rated picks are under $50! Read on to find the best clip-on lamp for you.
This architect-style lamp is a great, reliable standard to have at your workstation. It clamps, as opposed to clips, to the lip of a desk — but while it stays stationary, its arm can swivel, raise, and lower, and the lamp head itself can also turn to any side.
This lamp includes an LED bulb, and just note that its simple on/off operation doesn't allow for color temperature or brightness adjusting.
This clip-on lamp's embedded LEDs help to provide more illumination to a desktop than a single bulb. Though it looks simple, this lamp's infinitely adjustable joints can tilt, raise, lower, or swivel the angle of the lamp in five different places.
It is equipped with three color temperatures and 10 brightness levels, so you can keep it adjusted to your comfort level at all times.
The popular gooseneck style of clip-on lamp makes it easy to mold to your workspace needs. At over a foot long and embedded with 38 LEDs in its lamp head, this one is best for illuminating a desktop space rather than using it as a bedside light.
This LED light also offers three color temperatures and 10 brightness levels, all adjustable from a small control bar on its cord.
This gooseneck-style clip-on lamp is a smaller, simplified version of the previous pick. It is slightly shorter in length with a much smaller lamp head that holds 10 LEDs. Users can flip between two brightness modes and three color temperatures.
This one is more bedroom-friendly because of its easy, pared-down functionality. We also like that it comes in black or white.
This clip-on lamp from Multitasky is too cute for words — it even has cat ears! Surprisingly, they actually serve a unique function. This light clips to a surface and can shine its main task light down on whatever you're working on, or you can illuminate the cat ears if you prefer more a more ambient nightlight glow. Both lights can also shine together brightly.
The Clampy Bendy Lamp is also rechargeable, so you can travel with it or move it around to different areas of your home as needed.
If what you want is a clip-on light for your bedroom that doesn't look like a clip-on light, this is the one to get. It was made specifically for use with upholstered headboards that are too thick for other types of lamps to clamp onto.
This brass-colored gooseneck light comes with a detachable back that extends down your wall and is held in place by the weight of your headboard. Its half-moon base also sits flush with your wall. This lamp has a dimmer dial and an on/off switch on its cord, making it super easy to adjust for late-night reading in bed.
When it comes to brightening up a dark corner that has zero space for a table or floor lamp, a clip-on spotlight will do just the trick. This plug-in light has an embedded LED bulb and can tilt up and down or swivel all around.
It has simple on/off functionality, which is great if you're pretty unfussy about your lighting scheme.
For those who work remotely full-time and need to be video-call ready at any moment, this clip-on ring light is a great multitasker. A ring light focuses the illumination toward your face in a flattering way while also diffusing it so that you don't look washed out by a bright beam.
But even if your days of meeting on Zoom are behind you, this desk lamp is still incredibly useful, providing three different color temperatures and levels of brightness with its embedded 60 LEDs.
This small, simple book light is one of my favorite gadgets ever. While it's definitely not lamp-sized, it's one of the most well-designed clip-on lights I've ever come across.
It has a single button that turns it on, toggles through the three brightness levels, and turns it off. It's also rechargeable and holds a charge for weeks, even with nightly use. I never travel without it, as it weighs next to nothing, folds up compactly, and produces stunningly bright light on its highest setting.
Melanie YatesSenior Home Decor EditorMelanie is the senior home decor editor of Best Products, where she's been researching and testing out home and bedding products since 2015 — her work can also be found on House Beautiful and Women's Health.
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