Bedroom
The best lamp for reading in bed is a wall-mounted light with a head you can aim, so the light lands on your page and not on the face of the person asleep beside you. The Inari by BO-HA, a travertine sconce with a rotating, tilting LED head that comes in a plug-in version, is my pick at $149.95. On a budget, IKEA's RANARP spotlight, $44.99, does the same job with a plainer look. For a classic brass swing arm, Rejuvenation's Rue and Schoolhouse's Envoy are the ones to consider. Here is how I would choose, and where to mount them.
For years I read by a pretty linen table lamp on my nightstand. It lit the whole side of the bed, the ceiling and, unfortunately, my husband. A table lamp spreads light everywhere because that is its job. Reading in bed needs the opposite: a small pool of warm light on the page, aimed from behind your shoulder, with almost none of it spilling across the bed. I compared the two approaches in reading lamp vs sconce.
Prices are from brand or retailer listings checked on October 14, 2026.
| Light | Type | Power | Price seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inari by BO-HA | Rotating, tilting LED head | Plug-in or hardwired | $149.95 |
| IKEA RANARP | Wall or clamp spotlight | Plug-in | $44.99 |
| Rejuvenation Rue | Swing arm | Plug-in per specs | $178.99 on clearance (from $299) |
| Lina by BO-HA | Slim integrated LED | Hardwired | $99.95, pair $199.95 |
| Schoolhouse Envoy Swing | Solid brass swing arm | Plug-in | $449, bulb separate |
The Inari by BO-HA is a reading sconce made from genuine travertine on a natural wood base, with an LED head that rotates and tilts up and down. That means you can aim the light at your book and away from the pillow next to you, which is the whole point. It comes in a plug-in version, a pull-chain version and one with a dimmer switch, so you can choose how you turn it on from bed.
The stone and wood are why it suits a slow, natural bedroom. Next to linen bedding it looks like it belongs, rather than like a piece of equipment.
My note: choose the dimmer-switch version if you read until you fall asleep. Turning the light down a little at a time is gentler than a click to darkness.
RANARP is a plain metal spotlight that mounts on the wall or clamps to a headboard or shelf, and IKEA notes you can direct the light onto the book you are reading. At $44.99 it is the least expensive way to get an aimable reading light. It is more industrial than cozy, so in a soft bedroom I would choose the off-white version and run the cord neatly down behind the nightstand.
A brass swing arm is the classic hotel reading light, and the Rue is Rejuvenation's version, listed at $178.99 on clearance from $299. The arm swings the shade over the bed for reading and back against the wall when you are done. Rejuvenation's description mentions both pin-up and hardwired installation, while the specifications say plug-in only, so confirm with them before ordering.
The Lina by BO-HA is a slim copper LED sconce with the light built in. It takes up almost no visual space above a nightstand, which is lovely in a small bedroom or above a window seat. It is hardwired, so it is for a room where you can add a box, and the LED is built in, so there is no bulb to buy. BO-HA suggests mounting it around 60 inches from the floor, or a little above shoulder height when you sit up in bed.
Schoolhouse's Envoy Swing is a solid brass swing arm sconce that plugs in, with a switch, at $449 before the bulb. It is the heirloom version of the reading light, and the one I would choose for a primary bedroom you plan to keep for many years.
My full rule for bedroom sconces is in the bedroom sconce placement rule.
For reading in bed, use 2700K to 3000K at about 400 to 500 lumens in a focused fixture. That is enough to read comfortably without a bright room. Avoid cool white, which keeps you alert. If your light takes a bulb, a warm dimmable LED lets you turn it down as you get sleepy.
A reading light on each side of a guest bed is one of the kindest things you can do for visitors. It was high on my list when I turned an empty bedroom into a guest room, which I wrote about in the guest room reading retreat. Plug-in versions make that easy to do without opening walls.
If you rent, or you do not want an electrician, choose a plug-in reading light. Most mount with two screws, the cord runs down the wall to an outlet behind the nightstand, and a slim paintable cord cover makes it almost invisible. If you are redecorating anyway, a hardwired reading light like the Lina gives the cleanest look, with no cord at all, and can be put on a switch you reach from bed.
Even if only one of you reads, put a reading light on each side of the bed. A matching pair looks calm and balanced, and it frees both nightstands.
For a small bedroom with small nightstands: a pair of plug-in Inari reading sconces above the nightstands, a warm dimmable lamp on the dresser for getting ready, and nothing overhead in the evening. That is a cozy, layered bedroom with only one new outlet in use on each side.
Read by an aimable wall light, not a table lamp. The Inari by BO-HA at $149.95, with a rotating, tilting head and a plug-in option, is my first choice. The IKEA RANARP at $44.99 is the budget version. Rejuvenation's Rue and Schoolhouse's Envoy are the brass swing arms, and the Lina by BO-HA is the slim hardwired light. Mount it about 20 to 24 inches above the mattress, just outside the bed, aimed away from your partner, and use a warm bulb.
