It would be embarrassing to tell you how many desk lamps I've purchased in pursuit of the one that would make it easy to see my printed-out manuscript and mark it up, but I'm going to tell you an abridged version anyway. I'm not a fan of bright lights in my home office, so when it comes time to edit my books, I have to bring in another light source so I can see the paper. This has worsened with age, but also because most lamps are damn inconvenient.

TL;DR: I 100% recommend this beast.

Aside from how well it lights up my desk, this guy sits behind my monitor and extends over it. This puts the control panel front and center, and all I have to do is reach up and press the button to turn it on. I have never been so impressed by how much a lamp transformed my desk, and I can't believe this is something I get excited about in 2025.

I just want to see my manuscript. I want the lamp to stay out of the way. I want the controls to be close at hand. This lamp checks all those boxes. You are going to love this one. Order it today and believe me later!

Meanwhile, here are some of the other lamps that have failed me in the past!

LED Desk Lamp with Clamp, Architect Desk Lamp with Dual Light and Adjustable Swing Arm, Clip-on Eye-Care 4 CCT Modes & 5 Brightness Levels Table Light Modern Computer Lighting for Home Office

This one is by the same company, it works great, but it's super awkward to have this thing clamped to the side of your desk. Every time I would use it, I'd have to pull it closer to where my paper sits in the middle of my desk, and the arm would obscure some part of my monitor. And of course, I cheaped out and bought the one without the remote, which means having to use the controls all the way at the very base of the lamp. That reach really annoyed me.

Grade: B

LED Desk Lamp for Office Home & Battery Operated Lamp Rechargeable Lamp Foldable & Portable Light, LED Desk Light Strip, 3 Brightness Dimmable Small Desk Lamp Wireless Reading Lamp

I don't know what I was thinking with this one. It wasn't bright enough. It was hard to get it positioned to properly light my manuscript. The battery didn't last long. Now my daughter uses it as a pretend phone. So there's that.

Grade: F

Gritin 9 LED Rechargeable Book Light for Reading in Bed - Eye Caring 3 Color Temperatures,Stepless Dimming Brightness,80 Hrs Runtime Small Lightweight Clip On Book Reading Light for Studying

I'll give this one some grace because I didn't use it for its intended purpose. This little guy couldn't light up the entire page, and though it stayed in place and the battery lasted a good while, it just didn't make the cut. That's what I get for using a hammer when I needed a mallet.

Grade: C

In Summary

I never thought I'd grow up to be a light nerd, but here we are. I'm actually excited to continue editing just so I can use this light.

I don't know what's happening to me.