5 of the Coolest Desk Lamps for a Modern Office

Quick! Name an office staple that you use regularly but don't put much thought into buying. If you said pens, I'll accept it. But I was thinking more along the lines of something luminary.

All pens aside, when you need to get work done late or need just a bit of extra light for a dark corner of the office, the desk lamp is the staple that everyone has, but only the creative and natural aesthete takes care in choosing.

Let's change that now. Here are 5 (plus a bonus) desk lamps that are cool, unique, modern and other adjectives.

I absolutely give you permission to 'add to cart' at the end of this blog post.

1. The LED Desk Lamp

Unless you've been living under a rock, LED isn't the wave of the future but its here and now. (And for good reason.) According to the Department of Energy LED's use at least 75% less energy, and last up to 25 times longer, than incandescent lighting.

In terms for people who are't as excited about this as the department of energy, it means you save money and change your bulb a lot less.

This red, Lady-7 Series LED desk lamp from Koncept Lighting has a minimalist design with sleek, clean lines and an integrated USB port for mobile device charging. Plus, the lamp body swivels and telescopes for maximum adjustability.

If you want to light up your space and do it in red, here's your sign.

Cool color, even cooler features. Enough said.

2. The Unique Desk Lamp

If you're thinking unique means crazy, wacky or just a little off, you're partly right. If you're into that sort of thing, there are some great desk lamps on this list to excite you.

How do you feel about ditching the lamp shade and bulb altogether? Now that would be unique.

Z-shaped desk lamps are the new style to the market but are gaining in popularity. They make lighting flexible, touch and go, plus space-saving.

The Z-bar has a touch pad, is easy to fold and maneuver in ways that suit your task and is perfect for getting strange stares from your cubicle neighbors.

If you want to keep it simple without losing functionality the Z-bar gives you permission.

Cool design paired with compatibility. A marriage made in lamp heaven.

3. The Small Desk Lamp

What comes to mind when you think of a small lamp? Is it the cheap dorm room one that you can get at Walmart, complete with colorful shade? Yeah, I thought so.

Small desk lamps don't have to be cookie cutter. They can be modern, compact and yet still break the mold. Case in point- What I've termed the "White Rainbow Lamp."

Actually, called the Mr. N (I like my name better) from Koncept Lighting it has an arch shaped design, is touch activated with an entire outer surface that glows.

This thing has won some awards.

It illuminates more than just one static area, acts not just as a functional piece but as an office design accent and stands at only 7.5 inches.

Can't you see this glowing your desktop up?

If you need a small desk lamp with a lot of light, the “White Rainbow” is calling your name.

Cool shape, glows like a lighthouse - Could you really find better in such a small package?

4. The Modern Desk Lamp

Modern could be abstract art, black and white clothes or someone's obnoxious idea of futuristic. There are many versions. While most people's ideas of what modern is hinge on a few cliches, straight clean lines, simplicity and plain color options are a few design principles that seems to cover it.

For a modern lamp, that would mean taking out unnecessarily rounded edges, large shades and loud patterns in order to have something that gives you the light you need, with a bit of color for aesthetics.

The Splitty has three muted tones, can flex in almost 180 degrees and charge your phone. It functions as ambient or task lighting and casts an even glow with droplet shaped head.

Is it modern or, is it modern?

If you want the modern, high-class cousin to the traditional desk lamp - this is them.

Coolest range of motion, far reaching light - welcome to the desk lamp family.

5. The Adjustable Desk Lamp

Functionality is an important part of any office furniture or accessory purchase, but when you think of something being “cool,” that usually has to do with the way it looks.

Another consideration for deeming something to be “cool” is it does something completely out of the box, like say, folding completely closed for example?

With five color changing and dimming levels, built in USB charger, simplistic wand like design when fully closed and touch activation, the Angle-U by Collaborative Spaces has the adjustable desk lamp thing all wrapped up.

If color changing mood lighting isn't your thing, make it.

Coolest not-in-use mode, multiple dimming levels - office dance party, activated!

Bonus: Mood Floor Lamp

And for the much promised, much awaited bonus lamp, we move to the floor!

The Tono series lamp from Koncept has cool written all over it. The bar like shape stands at 3 feet 9 inches, has a white back and base and oh yeah, can paint your office in over 1500 colors!

(And yes, boring people, it does have just white. In 3 shades!)

Cycle thru all of the colors, keep it at a fixed color, dim the light, face it into the room or toward the wall. This fulfills all our childhood dreams of having a glow stick that never runs out.

Don't pretend like you never had that dream.

So, rounding out the cool desk lamp list is our glow bar floor lamp. Nice.

Conclusion

Whether you need more lighting or just simply want to add a more unique element to your modern office space, the things that desk lamps can do nowadays while keeping their main functionality are definitely impressive.

The desk lamps on this list present you with a multitude of options for prioritizing flexible, space-saving, minimalist and even colorful lighting to your desk space.

If you want to read a book, office party-all-night, or finish that last minute report, it's official, you no longer have to do it by boring candle light.

What if you don't even have a desk to put a lamp on? Dilemma! Check out Small Computer Desks for Back to School. That should fix things.