If you’re an avid reader, you’ll have a variety of reading nooks to choose from. Sitting up in a comfy armchair or sofa, or lying in bed with a bunch of soft pillows beneath your back and arms, relaxing.
If you’re an older adult, though, a reading lamp is a must-have because your eyes require more light to read as time passes.
In fact, when it comes to reading, floor lights are the ideal option for the elderly.
According to studies, the elderly require 80 percent more light for reading than younger individuals. Floor lamps are suitable for this task since they are not only elegant but also take up less room and light a wide range of areas.
Now, let’s read more about the best reading floor lamp for elderly and what features you ought to look for.
Recommend Floor Lamps for Elder Readers:
With Magnifying Lens to Zoom the Details: Brightech LightView Pro Standing Magnifier
Easy Touch Control Method, with Adjustable Neck to Pivot Light Angles According to Your Reading Position: Verilux Task Floor Lamps
With Bright Light for Aging Eyes or People Who Have Eye Problems: Brightech Litespan Full Spectrum Lamp
How Reading Floor Lamps Help Ageing Eyes?
With passing years, people tend to develop a variety of health problems, including vision problems.
Being an elderly person, one of the issues that you may encounter with time is poor vision, which makes reading extremely difficult for you. This is why, when choosing a reading light, you must keep the needs and requirements of your eye condition in mind.
That’s when reading floor lamps step in to help aging eyes read more than ever before since they come with a variety of unique features and specifications.
Provide Adjustable Illumination
Not only can reading floor lamps provide ample and adjustable illumination options, but they may also be adjusted to various heights.
They allow for brilliant light beams that can be adjusted to the desired amount of illumination, making them perfect for senior readers.
Provide Clear Vision
Being a senior, the bright illumination of a floor lamp is especially beneficial for your aging eyes because it helps you focus on the words more clearly, making reading more comfortable for you by preventing eye fatigue.
Provide Direct Light
Besides, you may also adjust reading floor lamps to various angles, making reading one of the most enjoyable pastimes for you.
What to Consider In Buying Reading Lamps for the Elderly?
There are certain things to consider when buying reading lamps.
1. Adjustability
When buying reading floor lamps for the elderly, the flexibility of the lamp to adjust accordingly is important.
Seniors prefer to adjust the lamp as per your requirements. Some prefer to keep it in close contact while some like it at a definite distance. All of this is only possible when the lamp has adjustable arms.
The adjustable arms are connected in a flexible way that can be moved back and forth. The quality is still good and sturdy but the swing arms can be moved to set into the desired position.
There are also goose neck lamps that do not have any screws and are easier to adjust than lamps with swing arms.
The goose neck is especially good for the elderly as it does not require much effort to adjust the lamp, and you adjust it in any shape to get the right angle for the lighting.
Brightech Litespan LED Reading Floor Lamp with Easily Adjustable Gooseneck
2. Number of Lamp Heads
The number of lamp heads plays a vital role in the amount of light for the elderly. If there is more than one lamp head, then light can be better and spread wide and far.
Nevertheless, the quality of illumination does not depend on the count of lamp heads, but for wider coverage, more lamp heads are better.
However, in a floor lamp for the elderly, more than one lamp head can help the aging eyes and put less strain on them.
3. Switch Type
It is important to choose a switch type that is simple and easy to control. Switches that have complex installation methods and advanced ways of functioning can confuse older people.
The most common type of switch for reading lamps is the toggle switch and touch switch. It is the simplest switch that operates the lamp with just a toggle. It has no technical issues and works long enough.
Brightech Sky Dome Torchiere Floor Lamp with Rotary Toggle Switch and a Side Reading Lamp for Seniors’ Reading
Other types of switches such as the proximity switch and dimmer switch are fancy and advanced types of switches. But the technicalities to install and maintain it keep them to limited use.
4. Usage Places
Since you are looking for a reading lamp for the elderly, it is crucial to place the lamp in a comfortable place with proper lighting. The place can be a corner in the living room or next to the bedroom nightstand.
Older people prefer to read sitting on their sofa chair with the lamp standing beside them. In such a place, find the right angle of light in line with the chair and place it accordingly.
The best place is where the access to the switch is easy and the seating in the surrounding is comfortable and peaceful.
5. Height
The reading lamp height should be not too tall and not too short. For tall floor lamps, it can be hard for seniors to reach that height and then adjust the lamp. While the short height of the floor lamp can affect the illumination of light.
The ideal height of the floor lamp is such that the lamp is placed right beside your shoulder where the bottom of the lamp shade is at the same height as your head.
If you choose a floor lamp that is too tall and not adjustable, that will ruin the illumination of the light.
The usual floor reading lamp height for elderly is between 58-64 inches.
6. Regular Reading Lamps Vs Magnifying Lamps
Magnifying reading lamps are suitable for elderly who require visual aid. They act as a magnifier while illuminating the surroundings.
Magnifying lamps are great for elderly people because they make reading easy and more fun.
Magnifying floor lamps are also known as the best reading floor lamps for elderly. It offers a clear vision to what the person aims to read; all while keeping the eyes safe and healthy.
While choosing between a regular or magnifying reading lamp, you can choose either since neither of these has any side effects on your health. Magnifying lamps can be used by the elderly for better performance without any damage to the eyes.
Brightech Magnifying Full Page Floor Lamp for Older Adults
7. Bulb Types
Since we are talking about best reading floor lamp for elderly, we need the types of bulbs that are the best and most suitable for old people.
There are different types of bulbs used in reading lamps. The mostly used reading bulbs are LED and Halogen bulbs.
These types of bulbs are better than incandescent light bulbs. Incandescent light bulbs have an insufficient amount of light that damages the eyes in the long run.
Halogen bulbs are comparatively better than other types of bulb because they have better light illumination and a whiter light. This light illuminates all the surroundings and puts no strain on the eyes. However, seldom halogen floor lamps are in the market.
Moreover, LED lights are also a top favorite for reading lamps. They are economical and have suitable light for reading lamps for elderly.
>> Buy Nxone LED floor lamp with adjustable height for different heights of seniors and remote for convenient use.
8. Lumens
Lumens mean light intensity. The greater the lumens, the better is the illumination of the light. In other words, Lumens mean the watt of electricity in that bulb.
For elderly, you need better lighting bulbs, above the range of 1,600 lumens in a general room.
For a reading floor lamp for elderly, it is better to choose a bulb with a greater amount of lumens. For the elderly, a reading floor lamp will 850 lumens will be good enough.
O Bright Pharmacy Floor Lamp with 1050 Lumens Light for Elder Readers
9. Additional Features to Consider
Reading lamps also have different color settings. For elderly, there are different colors of light to choose from. These different shades of lights are to provide a calming and relaxing feeling to the senior’s homes.
The preference for a specific color depends on the person’s requirements since different lights do not have such variations.
The common light colors available are yellow and orange. These colors provide a calming effect and make the surroundings serene. They relax the eyes and enhance the surroundings.
>> Buy Brightech Jacob tree floor lamp with 3000K warm light for elder bedroom reading.
Reading lamps also have a memory function. Memory functions help preserve the setting that was set before the lamp was turned off.
Memory function is a function to be considered when looking for lamps for elderly. With a memory function, the lamp stores the standard setting and operates on it, without having to set it every time. This saves time and effort for older people.
>> Buy Dimunt cheap task floor lamp which can memorize your last brightness settings.
Choose Adjustable Floor Lamps to Get Direct Light for Elder Reading
An adjustable floor lamp has a number of advantages for keen readers, especially the elderly. The most significant advantage it provides is the option to adjust the light according to your preferences.
In the course of the conversation, floor lamps offer two specifications regarding light adjustability, dimmable light and directional light.
1. Dimmable Light
For elder reading, a lamp floor with a dimmable light feature is recommended. This function enables you to customize the brightness of the floor lamp to your liking.
Because a faint light would strain your eyes, forcing you to concentrate more on the words, defeating the whole point of reading. A glaring light, on the other hand, can make it difficult for you to concentrate and focus on the text of the reading stuff all the same.
Elderly readers would likely benefit from a moderate brightness setting.
This way you won’t have to concentrate on the text, and neither would be irritated by the intense light. That’s why a floor lamp with the dimmable light feature is highly recommended for you.
WIO-MIO LED Floor Lamp with Stepless Dimming for Older Readers
2. Directional Light
Directional light is also a must-have feature for elderly readers when it comes to floor lamps because it enables various light directions, making the best of your downtime.
The directional light does not illuminate the entire room; instead, it generates parallel light rays in the direction you specify.
This allows you to read at any time of night without bothering others because they can change the direction of the lamp to provide light where they need it.
Swing-arm Floor lamps are the best for providing directional light for this purpose. You may effortlessly shift them from side to side and up and down without moving your floor lamp.
Lepower Swing Arm Floor Lamp for Direct Light to Your Books
How Many Lamp Heads Are Required for Elder Reading?
When it comes to selecting the best reading floor light for the elderly, you must consider a few key factors. This also includes the amount of bulb heads deemed suitable for senior people’s reading.
As an elderly person, you can do well with one, two or three lamp heads, depending on the condition or health of your vision.
1. Single Light for Average Elder Reading
A single-light floor lamp is ideal for elderly reading since it provides better lighting and allows you to concentrate while reading.
This type of floor lamp is useful for dimming only one corner of the room, allowing you to read at any time of the night. This way, you may have light where you need it without disturbing others.
If you are a senior reader with rather healthy eyesight, you are more likely to benefit more from floor lamps with a single light source. How so? Because the directional light of the lamp allows you to focus on your reading stuff more clearly.
TOBUSA Single Light Floor Lamp for Elder Reading in Living Rooms
2. Dual Reading Floor Lamp for Low Eyesight Older People
As an elderly, a dual reading floor lamp is also effective for your reading purpose.
Why so? Because a dual-light floor lamp is perfect for illuminating a limited area of your room. Besides, it also provides you with more light than a single-light floor lamp, which is another plus.
But wait, there’s more to that. Another of the amazing features of a dual reading floor lamp allows seniors to turn on just one lamp when required, thus making a complete package of single and dual lamps.
A senior with low eyesight will require more light to read and will benefit greatly from twin reading floor lamps.
OttLite Dual Light Reading Floor Lamp for Low Eyesight Seniors
3. 3 Head Reading Floor Lamps for Visually Impaired Eyes
Three head floor lamps are one of the ideal choices for elderly people. There are two advantages to using a floor lamp for elder reading, with three or more heads.
To begin with, they give enough light to brighten the entire space. Second, they also provide focused light (if only one bulb is turned on), allowing you to read books or other reading materials more comfortably.
If you are elderly who are over 80 years old or have hyperopia (an eye condition where closeby objects seem blurry), these three head floor lamps are specifically designed for your convenience.
The ample illumination of a three head floor lamp is more than enough for you to continue with your reading habit without a slight bit of unease.
Brightech 3 Head Reading Floor Lamp for Aging Eyes
Choose Switch Type for Convenient Usage of Reading Floor Lamps for Seniors
Lamp floor typically comes in three types, in terms of their operating systems, touch control floor lamps, footswitch floor lamps and remote control floor lamps.
While all these three types are great when it comes to elderly reading, we will discuss the specifications each of them entails and their benefits for seniors reading.
1. Touch Control Reading Floor Lamp – Simplest to Use
When it comes to choosing a floor lamp for elderly reading, the one with a touch control function is the best of all. The main feature of this type of floor lamp is that it can be turned on simply by touching it rather than by turning on a switch.
This makes it ideal for you as you can easily operate these touch control lamps just by placing your hand on the base, neck, or the shade of the lamp.
Another key benefit of a touch control floor light is that it can quickly transform a conventional bulb into a three-way bulb.
The brightness of a touch control bulb can emit 33% of its light on the first touch. On a double-tap, it emits 66 percent of the light, and on a third tap, it emits full power light. So, you can change the lamp’s lighting by pressing it multiple times.
As a keen senior reader, these lamps are a must-have for you. Because you can easily adjust the lighting by touching it from your comfortable position while reading.
JOOFO Touch Control Floor Lamp for Aging Eyes Reading
2. Foot Switch Reading Floor Lamp – Hands-free Operation
Lamp floors with a footswitch feature are also recommended for senior reading. You can easily operate these lamps with just a gentle push of your foot.
This trait of footswitch lamps is of great use for elderly reading. It allows you to perform your reading or writing without engaging one of your hands in turning the lamp on or off.
And since these switches are placed on the floor, while reading, you can easily activate or deactivate them without having to put your books on the table.
Ambimall Reading Floor Lamp with Foot Switch for Senior Readers
3. Remote Control Reading Floor Lamp – Multi-Function Control
Remote control floor lamps, as the name implies, are controlled by a remote device that can be aimed at the lamp from any part of the room.
A remote control floor lamp is handy and a must-have for elderly readers. It allows you to turn on the lamp without moving a muscle.
Besides, you can also adjust the brightness of the lamp to your desired preferences.
This fundamental advantage enables you to make the most of your reading time instead of constantly shifting your position to turn the lamp on and off.
Joly Joy Reading Floor Lamp with Remote for Elderly
Choose the Right Reading Floor Lamp Based on Elderly Reading Areas
Being an avid senior reader, it’s crucial for you to have your reading areas well lit so that you can enhance and enjoy your reading experience to the fullest.
These reading areas often include different parts of the house, such as beside the couch, bed, or behind the sofa.
Floor lamps can be easily installed in these reading areas to provide seniors with enough comfort to carry on with their reading.
1. Floor Lamps That Hang over Couch – Consider an Arc Lamp
Elder reading is best done with floor lamps hung above the couch as it provides you with an ideal reading light over your shoulder.
So, if you intend to install a floor lamp above the couch, an arc floor lamp is considered suitable especially for your reading. The reason is that it allows you to adjust the lamp’s height and brightness to your preferences.
Furthermore, the arc floor lamps’ shade is oriented downwards, making it simpler and more accessible for the elderly to read.
Brightech Mason Reading Floor Lamp for Sectional Sofa
However, you should avoid placing it in front of your seating because it will obstruct your reading. To get the best results, always place it behind the couch.
2. Floor Lamp Behind Sofa – Consider a Stick Floor Lamp
Placing a floor lamp behind the sofa is also the best option when it comes to senior reading.
If you’re setting a tiny reading place for your reading area, a stick floor lamp is an excellent option because it allows you to effortlessly aim the lamp’s light onto your reading material.
Moreover, a stick floor lamp’s adjustable components allow you to customize the lamp’s size and brightness to suit your needs best.
Yang Hong Yu Reading Floor Lamp with a Stand Pole for Seniors
If you’re going to install a floor lamp behind the sofa, make sure it’s not on the right side. This will cast a shadow on your book or other reading material, which will be a disadvantage.
3. Floor Lamp for Reading in Bed – Consider a Swing Arm Lamp
Reading in bed is always one of the coziest options for elderly people. For that purpose, swing arm floor lights are deemed best as it helps brighten only the part of the book it is directed at.
Placing the Swing Arm floor lamps beside your beds or bedside tables is highly likely. This will allow you to adjust the lamp direction according to your choice, thanks to its flexible metal gooseneck.
Lewpower Architect Swing Arm Floor Lamp for Seniors Reading in Bed
Also, here’s a pro tip. When it comes to reading in bed, make certain that the floor lamp entails a touch control system. It will allow you to customize the brightness only with a slight movement of your hand, without getting up or changing your cozy position.
In addition to that, make sure you position it in a way that its light is directed onto the page instead of your shoulder. This way, you will be able to prevent any strain on your eyes that can happen as a result of unwanted glare.
Get Sufficient Lumens for Elder Reading in Different Areas
When it comes to elderly readers, keeping track of the appropriate quantity of lumen is essential to avoid straining your eyes and making your reading experience as comfortable as possible.
When it comes to the required number of lumens for a floor lamp in a living room, there is no set number because living rooms vary in size. However, we’ll make things easier for you by providing an example.
If your living room is 100 square feet, you’ll need 1000-2000 lumens to brighten it sufficiently to read in peace.
Besides this, reading in bed is one of the most comfortable places for elderly people. That’s why it’s crucial to think about how many lumens your floor lamp has to avoid tiring and hurting your eyes.
25-50 lumens are deemed suitable because they are bright enough to light up a book page. So, if your floor lamp emits 80-100 lumens, that’s OK because the light focussed on your book will be roughly 30-50 lumens, which is more than enough for reading.
When reading in little nooks of your home, however, you must consider the optimal amount of lumens your floor lamps emit, since too much brightness in a small place will not only impact your vision but also strain your eyes when reading.
As a result, the lumens required for modest reading nooks should be in the range of 450 – 850. This amount is thought to be sufficient to assist elderly persons with daily tasks such as reading and writing.
How Can Elder Get the Best Lighted Magnifying Glass for Reading?
Magnifying glass for elderly is a great way to help them see well. The magnifying glass blurs out all the unusual things in the surroundings and helps focus on the main object. A magnifying floor lamp produces a magnified and clear image.
With this type of lamp, the elders are not bothered by constant strain and hurt in their eyes. This ability to see much better with a magnifying glass fascinates the seniors.
What matters when choosing these magnifying reading lens? Let’s find out.
1. Choose Glass Lens
The ideal lens for magnifying glass is a convex lens. A convex lens is a glass lens that converges all the light rays passing through the glass at a single focal point to produce an image.
This lens produces an erect magnified image that is not achieved through any other lens.
It is recommended to use a glass lens for elderly reading because it is durable, has a clear vision and is easy to clean as well.
The best and the easiest way to clean a glass lens of magnifying floor lamp is by blowing it with compressed air and then cleaning it with a soft fabric. You do not have to wash or any such thing, a simple blow of air clears out the vision of the lens.
2. Choose Natural Light
To work best under a magnifying glass, the best way is to use a natural source of light which is the sun. Working or reading directly under the natural light keeps the eyes healthy.
Natural light, 5000K and above, is also a full-spectrum light.
A full spectrum light improves the mood, helps with sleep disorders and most importantly improves vision.
Pupil constriction is aided by full-spectrum lighting, making it easier to see better and fuller. Hence when the pupils focus better, it becomes much easier to read and concentrate without the eyes hurting.
While it is good to use ambient lights for reading, using natural light is just as important for the elderly.
3. Choose High Magnification
For elder people reading, glasses with higher magnification serve the purpose better. Magnification strength with a range of 1.75x-3x is suitable for reading. But elder people that have sensitive eyes might prefer a 5x strength magnifying glass.
For weaker eyes, greater power of the magnifying glass is needed.
Daylight24 Magnifying Floor Lamp with 3x Magnification Power
To Protect Eyes, How to Correctly Use Reading Floor Lamps for Elderly Citizens?
Reading floor lamps are a great assist to elderly for reading, but what will be the effects if the lamp is not used properly.
Incorrect use of reading lamp can be the wrong positioning, low intensity of light, or using lamp for more than the required time. Reading floor lamp is safe and helps you take care of the health of elderly only if it is used properly.
The low and bad quality of light can cause severe headaches, impaired vision and nausea.
Moreover, for proper usage of reading floor lamps for elderly and to prevent low vision and to make sure the eyes are not damaged, these following tips should be followed:
1. Use a halogen or an LED or bulb.
2. Have a bulb with higher brightness.
3. Find the right position for reading.
4. Keep a minimum distance of 14-18 inches between the lamp and the book.
5. Use other sources of lighting in the surroundings as well.
FAQs
1. What Is the Best Light Color Temperature for Elder Reading?
For elders, it is better to use warm and ambient shades of light such as yellow and orange.
While bright white has better illumination, yellow and orange light has a calming sensation. It does not put any strain on the eyes and makes reading easier and more relaxing.
2. What Is the Best Wattage for Elder Reading?
For aging people, it is better to pick a bulb with higher lumens and watts.
A suitable range for an elder person reading is around 60-100 watts depending on how much visual aid the eyes require. The stronger is the light, the less pressure it puts on the eyes and keeps them healthy.
3. How Bright Should a Reading Floor Lamp Be for Senior Reading?
Reading floor lamps for elderly should be bright up to 850-1600 lumens. It is important to have more lumens for a standing reading lamp because most of light is dispersed when it comes to standing lamps.
Moreover, the brighter the lamp is the better it is for the health of elderly people.
