While many bookworms have made the swap to eReaders with their limitless storage and fancy lighting, there are still us traditionalists that prefer the feeling of paper pages hands. But how do we read in the dark? And how do we do it without waking partners and sleeping babies and potentially starting World War III?
Enter book lights. Book lights are nifty pieces of gadgetry that serve as portable reading lamps. These clip-on lights illuminate the pages no matter where or when you’re reading. Best of all, they do it discreetly!
For this buyer’s guide, we went ahead and researched, tested, and re-tested the best book lights on the market, rounding up all that info right here. That way, you can buy the best reading light for you WITHOUT taking a shot in the dark.
You’re welcome. For that pun… but also for this comprehensive buyer’s guide. Let there be (a reasonable amount of) light!
Two heads for the price of one! How’s that for value? Our favourite clip-on reading lamp comes with two fully independent adjustable page lights so you can light up both pages while you read.
Beyond the dual-light function, it’s a straightforward but elegantly designed mid-range book light that gets the job done right. It’s small and compact but with a sturdy clip, has three brightness settings, three light colour settings, up to 70 hours of battery life, and, of course, lights up both your pages! Bibliophiles, look no further for your new book light – the LuminoLite hits all the marks and none of the misses for the perfect price point.
Gadget Features Inspired For You
A simple yet effective design with the added feature of dual lights!
Benefits
Two independently-controlled heads
Three brightness and colour settings
2-hour charge time for 70 hours of use
Compact design
Illuminates anything - from paperbacks up to music stands
Drawbacks
Why stop at two heads?
2. Premium Pick: Ecologic Mart - Double Arm Rechargeable Book Light
The premium choice of reading light for premium readers is stacked with features including the aforementioned dual heads! (But with the option of a single-light purchase.) However, what makes the Ecologic Mart Rechargeable Book Light the best book light is the extra bit of value it offers.
For anyone that loves options, the Ecologic Mart delivers, bringing three brightness and three colour settings for 9 total possible combos. The rechargeable battery also delivers on value with up to 85 hours of life per charge and also being entirely replaceable.
But the feature that sold me personally? The cute little carry bag that’s included for taking your book light on the go. Sometimes, it’s about the little things.
Gadget Features Inspired For You
Compact, versatile, and an included carry bag that makes this book light the choice for life on the go.
The great thing about this clip-on reading light is that it’s cheap without sacrificing on quality. Coming from household name Energizer, this book light offers the basics without any of the bonuses – one setting, one head, and one night of excellent reading!
But while you may be trading settings for savings, there is one big downside to the Energizer book light: its batteries aren’t rechargeable. After about 25 hours of runtime, you’ll have to swap them out.
Gadget Features Inspired For You
A small but very powerful book light.
Benefits
Very bright
Very adjustable
And very compact
All for a low price
Drawbacks
Too bright for some
Batteries have to be changed
4. A Book Light With Bonus Utility: Glocusent LED Neck Reading Light
And now for something a little different… The Glocusent LED Neck Light isn’t so much a book lamp as a neck lamp – for reading! But due to this handy gadget’s versatile design, it could comfortably double as an emergency flashlight or just be very useful in camping and outdoor situations.
With three colour settings, three brightness settings, and a long, rechargeable battery life, it checks all the boxes you’d want from a good reading light. But for anyone that wants that little bit of extra utility from their book light, this is the choice for you!
Gadget Features Inspired For You
An ergonomic and useful neck light design.
Benefits
Ergonomic and innovative
Doubles as a flashlight
Multiple brightness and colour settings
Lightweight
Drawbacks
Might be irksome for people with neck pain
5. Insanely Portable: DEWENWILS USB Rechargeable Book Reading Light
This is hands-down the best book light for reading at night if you have some sleep or photosensitivity issues (or your partner does). The warm amber glow this Vekkia clip-on book light offers is purposefully designed for pre-bed reading. It’s almost entirely blue light free to promote melatonin production for a good night’s rest.
Plus, with a completely adjustable neck and three different brightness settings, this reading lamp has a bit of utility too! It functions great as a warm-coloured nightlight for children and is less harsh on the eyes as the first light of the morning.
Gadget Features Inspired For You
Purposefully designed to enable a good night’s rest.
This book light has very little extra utility but might be the purchase of choice for readers who prefer the whole page evenly illuminated. Functioning more as a singular page light, the Juesi book light is a light-up screen that overlays across an entire page.
This unique design reduces light leakage and has probably the lowest amount of disturbance to others around you than any of the book lights on this list. However, it does require some extra care with storage and handling as the plastic screen tends to scratch.
Gadget Features Inspired For You
Unique design illuminates entire pages with minimal disturbance.
Benefits
Equally illuminates entire pages
Very little light escapes
Uses easily replaceable AAA batteries
Holds firmly in place
Drawbacks
Can scratch or scuff easily
8. Also Insanely Portable: Glocusent USB Rechargeable Book Light
Very simply, this is a more high-end version of the DEWENWILS USB Rechargeable Book Reading Light. It’s just as portable and you can charge it off of any USB outlet. However, you pay a little bit more buck for a little bit more bang.
What the Glocusent USB Book Light offers that the DEWENWILS doesn’t is more light settings and more battery life. It offers three different settings: an amber light for reading before bed and two stronger white-colour settings for other situations. It also offers more battery life with a promised whopping 80 hours on the dimmed setting.
Otherwise, not much has changed. If the design of the DEWENWILS appealed to you but you felt it was a bit light on features, give this ultra-portable book light a chance instead.
Gadget Features Inspired For You
Ultra-portable without sacrificing on battery life and light settings.
Benefits
Small enough to take anywhere
Can charge off any USB outlet
Long battery life
Still has amber lighting
Drawbacks
Doesn’t illuminate two pages very effectively
9. A Different Design: Vekkia 14 LED Rechargeable Book Light
This option is cheaper than the Energizer Clip-On Book Light but for good reason. It’s a good choice for anyone that just wants a budget reading light and doesn’t care about all the bells and whistles!
It beats out the Energizer in settings offering two brightness modes and that’s where the wins stop. It’s not as bright nor as sturdy nor do the batteries last as long (offering only 4 hours of life). However, you are swapping out for one AAA battery which is infinitely easier than the two CR2032 batteries of the Energizer Clip-On light.
But the neck is slightly more adjustable and, of course, it is by far the cheapest book light on this entire list.
Gadget Features Inspired For You
A no-frills choice of book light with a price to match.
Benefits
Very cheap
Flexible neck
Two brightness settings
Gets the job done
Drawbacks
Just doesn’t have the options offered by competitors
It’s not rechargeable
That’s the list of the best book lights for reading and all that’s left is to choose your favourite!
Our premium pick remains the LuminoLite Dual Heads Rechargeable Book Light for all the marks it hits at a very digestible price point. It has excellent battery life, multiple settings, and it’s hard to look past that dual-head functionality for double-page or big book lighting.
That said, you can get much the same effect and then some (plus a cute carry case) for splurging a little more for the Ecologic Mart – Double Arm Rechargeable Book Light. It’s the premium pick for premium bibliophiles!
But, in this humble author’s opinion, it’s just hard to look past the utility offered by the Glocusent LED Neck Reading Light. You can use it for other pre-bed hobbies quite comfortably (sewing, drawing, etcetera) and it doubles as an emergency flashlight for midnight toilet runs! But, as any headlamp lover will tell you, there’s always the potential for an accidental misfire right into your sleeping partner’s face.
Regardless, with choices like these, a good night’s sleep with an even better goodnight read is only a few clicks away – for you and your snoozing significant other. Never squabble about turning the lights off again!
A good night’s sleep fixes everything. But so does a good book.
FAQ
Our top pick is the LuminoLite Dual Heads Rechargeable Book Light, however, it’s hard to look past the versatility offered by the Glocusent LED Neck Reading Light.
Unless the goal is to work long hours and have a night session, it’s best to read at night with book lights that have yellow, amber, and/or red colour settings. Using LEDs and blue/white lights before sleep suppresses melatonin production and can lead to difficulty falling asleep or overall restless slumbers.
For reading, 400-500 lumens is the sweet spot (approximately 40 watts). For tasks that require more fine detail and concentration (like sketching), something around the 800-1100 lumens range (60-75 watts) should do the trick nicely.
Absolutely and not even a question. Jokes about cranky partners aside, reading lights promote better eye health by enabling ideal reading conditions regardless of your situation. And taking into consideration that as a person ages, they will actually need more light to read (and that straining your eyes leads to more rapid deterioration over time), then spending $10-$20 on a reading light now rather than several thousand on laser eye surgery later just seems like a no brainer!
Many years, several break-ups, and one university diploma ago, Ziggy hit the road with little more than his trusty uke and 4-coloured pen to chase the dream of the wandering writer. Some years later, now an adept freelancer, travel writer, and editorial lead, he put the backpack down and leaned into the slow life instead, watching the clouds of Tasmania with his partner and wide assortment of hard-earned camping, camera, and travel gadgetry.