Floor Lamp Buying Guide Hong Kong: Reading, Arc and Ambient Lamps, Sizes and Prices

A floor lamp brings light to the sofa or the reading chair without drilling a ceiling or a wall, which is why it suits rented flats and finished interiors. This guide lists the floor lamps our customers chose most over the past twelve months, then explains how to choose by what the lamp is for.

Most chosen in the past twelve months

Louis Poulsen PH 3½-2½ FloorReading and ambient · 130 cmFrom HK$18,500Louis Poulsen Panthella FloorAmbient · Ø50 × H130.5 cmFrom HK$10,300Artemide Tolomeo Mega Floor with dimmerLong reach · up to 202 cmFrom HK$12,400Louis Poulsen AJ FloorReading · 130 cmFrom HK$11,400Louis Poulsen Yuh FloorReading · 140 cmFrom HK$7,600Artemide Melampo FloorAmbient and reading · 137.5 to 163 cmFrom HK$9,000

Reading lamps

For reading, the light source should sit a little above and behind your shoulder when seated, so the page is lit and the bulb is out of sight. Lamps of 120 to 140 cm do this beside most sofas and lounge chairs.

• AJ Floor, H130 cm, from HK$11,400: tilting head, narrow footprint.
• Yuh Floor, H140 cm, from HK$7,600: the head slides up and down the stem and rotates.
• NJP Floor, H121.8 cm, HK$7,600, and VL 38 Floor, H120 cm, HK$7,600.
• Artemide Tolomeo Reading Floor, H167 cm, HK$5,800, and Demetra Reading Floor, H130 cm, from HK$6,600.

Ambient lamps

An ambient floor lamp lights the corner and the wall behind it and lets you leave the ceiling lights off in the evening. The Panthella Floor (Ø50 × H130.5 cm, HK$10,300) throws light down the stem and across the room. The PH 3½-2½ Floor (H130 cm, from HK$18,500) does both jobs: glare-free reading light and a soft glow through the glass shades. The Melampo Floor (H137.5 to 163 cm, HK$9,000) has a shade that opens to send light up or down.

Panthella FloorPH 3½-2½ FloorMelampo Floor

Long-reach lamps

When there is no ceiling point over the sofa or the dining table, a long-arm floor lamp brings light there from the side. The Artemide Tolomeo Mega Floor reaches up to 202 cm high, has a dimmer and costs HK$12,400 to HK$13,200 depending on the shade. Check the space first: the arm needs room to swing, and the base should stand clear of the walkway. The standard Tolomeo Floor is HK$6,500 and the Tolomeo Micro Floor HK$4,800.

Artemide Tolomeo Mega FloorTolomeo FloorTolomeo Micro Floor

Before you buy

• Socket: note where the nearest socket is, and whether the cable will cross a walkway.
• Height of the seat: a low lounge chair needs a lower lamp than a high-backed sofa.
• Dimming: a dimmer makes one lamp work for both reading and late evening.

Further reading

• Table lamp buying guide
• Wall lamp height and installation guide