Light Without Limits: 10 of The Best Portable Lamps

It’s 9PM at a summer garden party and the sky is leaking colours. You pause to admire the view, surrounded by everyone you love most. What happens next is up to you. Do you A) usher them out with the fading light? Or B) transform the party into a sophisticated evening soiree? If the answer is B then you’ll need some day-to-night lighting to help keep the party going. Ranging from Bluetooth lanterns to delicate blooms, our collection of portable lamps bring you light without limits in every locale.

Slamp is an Italian brand with a clear mission — to enchant and delight using the evocative language of light. Through their experiments with materials, they manage to distil the natural world into poetic luminaires. Their latest release, the La Fleur Table Lamp, is no different. Thanks to a complicated hand-moulding process, a whimsical flower is born, capable of illuminating the home with delicate, ethereal light.

With Bon Jour Unplugged, Philippe Starck sought to create a light that could adapt to every situation. Chic and petite, it can follow you all over the house, its glamorous design a joy to all those burning the midnight oil. What’s more, it’s entirely customisable from shade to base, meaning you can shape light your way.

Every party needs a soundtrack and this summer it’s time to crank it up. The UMA Mini features an all-new party mode which allows you to connect to up to 24 UMA Mini‘s for a spine-tingling soundscape. Ideal for any outdoor gathering, it promises luminosity and 20 hours of the sound you love.

The Bellhop is one of the most well-known portable table lamps. Designed by Barber & Osgerby, its cute shade acts like an umbrella catching light and reflecting it onto the ground to create delicate pools of illumination.

Traditional in aesthetic but not in technology, the Muse Lantern invites old-worldly elegance into the garden. Available in a range of sizes, its braided handle and glass cage set the scene for an intimate and cosy gathering.

Under-the-sea decor is having a moment and the Musa Table Lamp by Vibia is no exception. The bulb sits like a pearl in its cupped shade, letting light flood all over its delicate surface. A beautiful alternative to tea-lights, it makes for an elegant addition to bedrooms and hallways.

Giulietta offers a powerful exercise in reduction. All sleek lines and vintage brass, it is minimal yet luxurious, with no evidence of a protruding light source. It appears instead to have been imported directly from the future, from a time in which bulbs have been banished in favour of discrete LED boards.

Cri Cri is the first portable lamp from Foscarini. Its curvy lines and colourful shade establish a playful aesthetic whether in the park or at home. Designed to be hung up or set down, it’s your go-to for great illumination this summer.

At once a frame and a stage, Curiosity shines a light on beautiful objects and the spaces that they occupy. Be it a beloved Bonsai or a prized piece of jewellery, this portable table lamp creates dramatic new contexts through clever illumination. Boasting 16 hours of battery life, it’s a must-have for collectors of the finer things.

Salt & Pepper Table Lamp

Salt & Pepper Table Lamp

Nicknamed the contemporary candle, Tobias Grau‘s Salt and Pepper beams comfort wherever its placed. Smooth to hold and intuitive to use, it provides touch sensitive light control, allowing you to set the mood with the stroke of a finger.

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