Review: Taotronics LED Multi-Function Desk Lamp

All desk lamps are the same right? Not if you have to happen to use one for many hours on a daily basis. As with all reviews on this site, I make it a point to thoroughly research each and every product before purchasing it. Many of the items reviewed here are items that I have shelled cold, hard (card?) cash for, so I am putting my money where my review is.

Up this week is a review of the Taotronics LED Multi-Function Desk Lamp (referred to as Taotronics Lamp for the remainder of this review), which sells for approximately $70 on Amazon.

My needs were simple, but clear:

I wanted a flexible, well built and energy efficient LED-based desk lamp that delivers consistent and flicker-free light for reading and general purpose illumination. My nearly decade old halogen lamp not only created a bit of a harsh light to work from (causing me eye fatigue) – but it was also pulling double duty as a heat generator. In a room full of computer gear, especially in the tropical climes of Florida, the thought of additional heat radiating near my proximity was, how shall I say, unappealing.

Last week, I ordered myself the Taotronics Lamp from Amazon, and I thought I would share my feedback on this device. But first, given that this is a review, some unboxing pictures are in order.

In the box is a metal base, a vertical stand (with LED bulbs attached), a power cable, a microfiber cleaning cloth, and instruction manual. Everything in the box was well packed, which always makes for a good first impression in my books.

Assembling the lamp was very simple and straightforward. Remove the oversized attachment nut at the base of the vertical stand and place it underneath the base. Then screw the attachment nut to the stand, through the base. Then, adjust the position of the light as desired. The base of the unit is very sturdy, keeping the light hoisted without any rocking. The vertical portion of the unit is made of durable, sturdy plastic.

Both the base and the vertical portion have a glossy sheen, which looks great, until you realize it’s a finger print magnet. The included microfiber cleaning cloth will definitely get some use. This lamp has a modern, minimalistic look about it. It’s very Apple-esque in its design.

The included manual is brief, well written and comes in both English and German translations. The user manual states that power consumption is 14W, Lumen output is 530Lm, and the lifespan of the LED bulbs are 40,000 hours or more.

In addition to the on-off switch, the Taotronics lamp comes with 4 different light modes, with 5 levels of brightness control. Reading mode provides a mid-range color. Study mode drops some of the warmth of reading mode due to its high range color temperature. Relax mode utilizes low-range color temperature, and casts a somewhat orange tinge. Sleep mode is favorable for gentle illumination in preparation of going to sleep. Also included is a 60 minute timer button which turns off the light after 60 minutes, regardless of which mode the light is operating in. At the top of the control unit are light level buttons to increase or decrease the relative brightness.

As if that weren’t enough, there is also one USB port located on the side of the vertical portion of the lamp. The manual states that the USB port can provide up to 5V / 1A power to charge MP3 players and smartphones. In my testing, it worked as advertised in charging my iPhone 5.

And here is the lamp in action. The light generated by the Taotronics lamp is uniform and even.

To give you a better idea of the light modes, I’ve taken photos of them. Briefly, they are:

Reading Mode:

Study Mode:

Relax Mode:

Sleep Mode:

The Taotronics lamp has a handy multi-pivoting capability, which allows you to rotate the unit 180 degrees around the base, 40 degrees from the lower support arm, and 140 degrees from the upper support arm, where the LED lights are housed. Pivoting the unit takes very little effort, and it remains in position when adjusted. Also: this lamp casts bright light!

In the studio, I will redirect the light to bounce off my back wall, as shown below. This backlighting helps me minimize eye fatigue when I’m working on my computer, and not in need of a direct light source.

Conclusion

Based on my needs and my requirements, the Taotronics lamp is a winner. Not only is it very adjustable from a mounting perspective, it also has a great deal of versatility when it comes to the light controls. Taotronics has made a lamp that is sturdy, easy to use, flexible and stylish. All the pieces add up, and having a USB charging port is a surprising, but welcome, touch. Taotronics offers a 2 year limited warranty, which offers me additional peace of mind should I ever need service.

In short, I really like the Taotronics lamp. It costs a little more than other lamps, but the added features and flexibility makes up for the additional expense. The Taotronics LED Multi-Function Desk Lamp earns 5 out of 5 Bob Weiners.

Krishna July 28, 2014