As a book reviewer who has been reviewing said books for fifteen years (whoa!) a lot of books launched in my general direction. Lately fewer, but in the course of a normal week, many, many books will land on the porch and in my inbox. (Hello, publicists trying to write yet another pitch email! You’re doing great!). At this point, I know the UPS drivers and USPS delivery people by sight, and sometimes by name. Books arrive daily, and I am pretty used to it. The dogs, not so much, but maybe someday.
All this to say that my shock and confusion was palpable when I received an email that asked, “Would you like to review a lamp?”
A…lamp?
Yes! A lamp! The BenQ e-Reading Desk Lamp, specifically. The pitch email informed my baffled self that this lamp is designed to have wider coverage of light so I won’t have to move my books to read. (Yes, hello, I’m interested, keep going). It’s designed to reduce glare on e-reading devices and screens, and allows for the adjustment of the brightness and lighting temperature.
Me: “A lamp? They want me to review a lamp?”
Yes. They would send me a lamp to try out and I would review it.
Okay, I thought. I’ll give it a try. So I replied.
Then two things happened.
- I worried that I wouldn’t have much to say about a lamp.
- The lamp arrived and every single human in my house said either, ‘Wait, you got a LAMP to review?’ And, ‘That’s not a book. That’s a lamp.’
- Bonus points for, “Did you start a lamp blog?”
Okay, that was three things, but whatever. I was sent said lamp, I set up the lamp on the table next to my favorite reading chair, and wondered again if I’d have a lot to say about it.
It’s a lamp. See?
But, y’all.
Y’all. I love this lamp. I have never had such delighted feelings for a lighting appliance before. I am so pleased to have been asked to review it. I like it so much I may need to name it.
It turns on by touch, which is not ever going to get old. I feel like a magician. Touch the ring, light turns on! (I am, for the record, also the dork who will pretend to be lifting the tailgate of the car by magic as it auto-opens every single time.)
There’s also an ambient light sensor that will read the lighting condition surrounding the lamp and will adjust the brightness and color temperature settings accordingly.
You can sort of see the gold and white LED bulbs in this picture, but those are what adjust to change the color temperature.
The base is heavy so that as you pull and move the lighting bar into position, it’s not going to fall off the table and scare the cat. It’s sturdy and easy to use. It’s very modern looking, but also so slim in design it doesn’t look distractingly weird while it sits there waiting for me to magically turn it on.
And as for the part where it’s supportive for reading, study, and gentle to your eyes? Oh, yes.
I have it on right now while I type this. I use it when I’m reading, and when I’m cross-stitching, too. It’s wonderful. It spreads plenty of light where I want it, so I and my tired eyes can see better as it gets dark. My eyesight is so strange and sensitive that the idea of extra light that’s bright but also gentle and comfortable makes me very, very happy. The dimmer and color adjustment are marvelous, going from “Chill and welcoming golden evening reading,” to “And now, we shall perform surgery!”
It’s adjustable, comfortable, and puts the light where I need it to read or stitch, and I am never, ever going to get tired of turning it on by touch.
Seriously, I like this lamp, and I’m very thankful to have been sent one to review. I never did start a yacht blog or a jewelry blog or a moderately expensive kitchen appliance blog, but a lamp blog now seems unnecessary as I like this lamp a lot, if not the most. I’ve never had lamp feelings before, but we are getting along marvelously (I definitely need to name it). I’m spending a lot of time in my home in my reading chair, and this makes it even more enjoyable.
So thank you to Irene at BenQ for the still surprising but very welcome invitation to review the BenQ e-Reading Desk Lamp. This lamp is a splurge, for sure, but I and my eyeballs happily recommend it.
You can find out more about the BenQ e-Reading Desk Lamp at their website, and on Amazon.
It’s certainly less… industrial? boring? than my Ott Light. Spelunking in my seemingly endless UFO pile has led to a lot of handwork and that clunky lamp that is fine looming over my sewing machine in the sewing room does not add a lot of style to my living room.
Based on the picture, I’m assuming that it folds down relatively flat? Which would be a nice feature.
Thanks for venturing out of your review comfort zone.
Hmm. As someone else with strange eyesight (hello, nearsightedness, glaucoma AND corneal dystrophy!), I’m always on the lookout for good lighting. Thanks!
This also sounds perfect for my designing, artwork and photography of small items for Etsy, as I need a color-balancing light for all three. Definitely looking into this!
Hrm. This could work for a light sensitive migraineur, who gets pretty photophobic with them, and has issues with other forms of lighting with a more blue-white glare. It’s a tricky balance, but I’ve wishlisted it on Amazon and bookmarked the Mfg page so I can investigate! Thanks for bringing this to attention!
As someone who always worries about supplies, even when there’s no pandemic, how do you replace burned-out bulbs, and are the replacement bulbs findable?
That is a cool lamp!
Like Margaret, I would also like to know about bulb replacement. Not interested in a lamp I’ll just have to toss once the first light bulbs give out, for both financial and environmental reasons.