Touch Bedside Lamps with USB Ports, Set of 2, 21 Inch Grey

Why we picked it

A bedside table usually has one socket behind it and three things that need charging. This lamp solves that by building the sockets into itself: USB-A, USB-C and a full AC outlet, all in the base.

The detail that makes it genuinely useful is that the ports stay powered when the lamp is switched off. Plenty of lamps with USB ports only power them when the light is on, which defeats the purpose overnight. Being able to charge a phone with the light off is the whole point.

The USB output is 5V/2.1A, which is standard-speed charging rather than fast charging. It will refill a phone overnight comfortably, but it is not going to fast-charge a modern handset or run a laptop through the USB-C port. The AC outlet is the one to use for anything demanding.

Touch dimming is the other genuinely practical feature. Three brightness levels, changed by tapping any metal part of the lamp, means no fumbling for a switch in the dark. Low is useful for getting up at night without fully waking, high works for reading.

Now the thing worth thinking about before you buy: the included bulbs are 5000K. That is daylight white, the colour temperature of an overcast midday sky. It is a strange choice for a bedside lamp, because cool white light suppresses melatonin more than warm light does, and the entire purpose of a bedside lamp is to be the last light you see before sleeping.

The listing describes the bulbs as eye caring and soft, and 800 lumens at 5000K is neither soft nor especially restful in a bedroom. In a home office or a reading chair, 5000K makes sense. Beside a bed, most people will be happier with 2700K.

Fortunately this is easy to fix. The base is E26, the standard screw fitting, so you can swap in warm white dimmable bulbs for a few pounds. Just make sure any replacement is dimmable, since the touch dimming will not work properly with a non-dimmable LED and can cause flicker or buzzing.

Two smaller points in its favour. The weighted base with a non-slip mat addresses the real risk with a slim 21 inch lamp, which is knocking it over reaching for a glass of water in the dark. And a 36 month warranty is unusually long for a lamp at this end of the market, which matters more than usual here because there is electronics in the base that can fail independently of the light.

What’s in the box

Quantity	2 lamps, 2 LED bulbs included
Dimensions	7.8 inches wide by 4.4 inches deep by 21 inches high
Dimming	3 way touch control, low, medium and high
Charging	USB-A and USB-C at 5V/2.1A, plus 120V AC outlet
Bulbs supplied	6W LED, 800 lumens, 5000K daylight, dimmable
Bulb fitting	E26; use dimmable bulbs if replacing
Base	Weighted metal with non slip mat, matte finish
Warranty	36 months

The honest take