Choose a cordless lamp for places without an outlet, or for a light that moves: a dining table, a shelf, a covered terrace. Choose a corded, plug-in lamp for a fixed place you light every evening, such as a nightstand or a console. One needs charging. The other never runs out, but stays near the wall.
How do cordless and corded lamps differ?
The difference is the power source. A plug-in lamp draws power from the wall, through a cord. A cordless lamp carries its own rechargeable battery. Everything else follows from that.
| Cordless (rechargeable) | Corded (plug-in) | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | Built-in battery, recharged | Wall outlet, through a cord |
| Light per session | About 12 hours per full charge (Silex, Auren) | As long as the lamp is switched on |
| Recharging | About 6 hours for a full charge | None |
| Cable while lit | None | A cord to the nearest outlet |
| Placement | Away from walls: a dining table, a shelf, a covered table outdoors | A fixed place, within reach of an outlet |
| Habit it asks for | A charge every few evenings | None |
| Kind of light at Bellerives | Ambient | Ambient |
| Lamps at Bellerives | 2: Silex and Auren | 11, from Rubra to Zenith |
| Heights at Bellerives | 9.4 to 11.8 in | 8.3 to 19.7 in |
Note the row on light. At Bellerives, the power source does not change the purpose of the lamp. Corded or cordless, each lamp gives ambient light: it sets the mood of a room and is not meant to light a desk.
Where each one makes sense
A cordless lamp: for places a cord cannot reach
A cordless lamp frees the light from the wall. It earns its place in a few situations.
- The dining table. The lamp sits at the center, with no cable across the floor or the tablecloth.
- A shelf far from an outlet. No cord runs up the bookcase.
- A covered table outdoors. It charges indoors and goes out for the evening.
- A room with few outlets. The lamp goes where the furniture is, not where the sockets are.
- A light that moves. From the living room to the dining table, then to the terrace, in one evening.
The trade-off is the charge. Silex and Auren give about 12 hours of light, then need about 6 hours to recharge, and like every battery theirs will age. We explain what to expect in how long rechargeable table lamps last. Our rechargeable table lamps are the two cordless pieces in the collection.
A plug-in lamp: for the places you light every evening
A plug-in lamp is meant for a fixed place in the room, near an outlet. It asks for nothing once it is there. Its cord is the price of never thinking about the battery.
- The nightstand. A lamp lit every night is simpler with no charging to remember.
- The entry console. The first light of the evening, switched on every day.
- The sideboard. Usually against a wall, so the outlet is close.
- Large or sculptural lamps. Our tallest lamp, Zenith, stands 19.7 inches and plugs in. So does Strates, made entirely of marble.
Place the lamp near the outlet and run the cord down the back of the furniture. Our plug-in table lamps cover marble, travertine, glass, linen, aluminum and lacquered polymer.
Which one where? Room by room
| Place | Cordless or plug-in | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Nightstand | Plug-in, as a rule | Lit every night; no charge to remember. Auren is the cordless option if no outlet is near the bed. |
| Living room side table | Either | Plug-in near a wall. Cordless if the sofa stands in the middle of the room. |
| Dining table | Cordless | No cable across the floor or the tablecloth. |
| Sideboard | Plug-in | A fixed place, against a wall. |
| Console table | Either | Plug-in in the entry. Silex if the console stands far from an outlet. |
| Bookshelf | Either | Cordless avoids running a cord up the shelves. |
| Covered terrace | Cordless | No outlet; the lamp comes back inside at night. |
Many homes end up with both. Plug-in lamps hold the fixed places, and one cordless lamp goes wherever the evening goes.
From the collection
- Silex: cordless, light beige travertine under a matte dark bronze dome, 11.8 inches tall.
- Auren: cordless, natural beige stone under a beige textured fabric drum, 9.4 inches tall.
- Cline Vesper: plug-in, beige marble with black veining under a dark bronze cone, 15.4 inches tall.
Questions
Is a cordless lamp as bright as a plug-in lamp?
Brightness depends on the lamp, not on the power source alone. At Bellerives, cordless and plug-in lamps give the same kind of light: ambient light that sets the mood of a room. Silex and Auren use a 3 W LED. None of our lamps, corded or not, is meant for reading at a desk.
How often does a cordless lamp need charging?
It depends on use. Silex and Auren give about 12 hours of light per full charge and take about 6 hours to recharge. Lit four hours an evening, they need a charge about every three evenings. Lit only for an occasional dinner, they need one much less often.
Can I hide the cord of a plug-in lamp?
Mostly. Place the lamp near the outlet, then run the cord down the back of the nightstand, the sideboard or the console, along a leg if you can. Furniture set against a wall hides most of it. If no outlet is close, a cordless lamp may suit that place better.
Compare the cordless rechargeable table lamps with the rest of the collection before you choose.