The 16 Best Floor Lamps of 2024

How We Picked the Floor Lamps

To choose the recommended floor lamps above, we chose a mix of styles, shapes, and sizes to best outfit any corner of your home. We shopped around top retailers to find the best options for you, and we pulled unique, beautiful floor lamps that you can't always find upon entering a big box store.

We considered all different sizes and styles as well, since floor lamps come in all forms. We chose options that span ultra-sleek and modern to charming and rustic so there was something to suit everybody. Though lighting is an essential part of any room, it's also a great opportunity to dress up a space and choose something in line with your design style—it's a win-win.

What to Look for in a Floor Lamp

When shopping for the ideal floor lamp for your home, there are literally thousands of options on the market. To ensure you’re getting the one that best suits your needs and style, take these into account:

A Lamp Type That Suits Your Space and Usage

The type of lamp you choose can depend on the purpose of the lamp and its overall functionality. 

• Ambient Floor Lamps: These are the most common type of floor lamp and provide a general, inviting light for a room without concern about the direction or focus of the light itself. These are often arc or swing-arm lamps.
• Reading/Task Lamps: This lamp style provides directed, focused light for illuminating a desk, work table, or reading nook. 
• Uplight Floor Lamps: As the name implies, these lamps direct light upwards to be softly and diffusely reflected off the ceiling to help a room feel larger and more inviting. These are typically torchiere, tripod, or club lamps.

Lamp Height and Overall Size

Most floor lamps available from the best places to buy lighting fixtures usually stand between 60 and 67 inches. Zernicke recommends selecting one that will sit at the same height as any tabletop lamps you may have in the room to create balance. She suggests a height of 67 to 69 inches if you want to avoid being blinded by the bulb while sitting or standing nearby.

You should also think about how you plan to use the lamp within your space. For example, if you want a light next to a chair or sofa to provide a good setting for reading, the bottom of the shade should be around eye level when you’re seated.

If you want a larger amount of light to brighten an entire room, a taller height, closer to 69 inches, will ensure you won't be blinded by the light bulb when standing close to your floor lamp.

The Right Brightness for Your Needs

The amount of light your floor lamp gives will be dependent on the overall size of the lamp and its shade, as well as the strength of the lightbulb. In general, floor lamps with a torchiere or club design tend to give the most light, since they direct light upwards to be reflected off the ceiling. Floor lamps with multiple bulbs also provide a lot of light.

For optimal ambiance, a bulb with a wattage rating between 60 and 100 is usually ideal.

In addition to bulb wattage, you'll also want to think about lumens, a measurement that helps determine brightness. Higher lumen numbers make for a brighter light.

Floor lamps that are intended for reading should offer at least 500 lumens. If you’re looking for a floor lamp to light up an entire room, the general rule is to aim for 100 lumens per square meter of space. So, if your living room is 20 square meters (about 215 square feet), you’ll want a lamp that produces 2,000 lumens. For a smaller, cozier atmosphere, an ambient light that offers less than 400 lumens is usually ideal. 

You may also want to consider purchasing a floor lamp with an adjustable switch or dimmer that allows you to control the brightness of the lamp, as that will increase its versatility and make it convenient to use for multiple purposes.

A Stylish, Durable Material

Most floor lamps are made from durable steel, metal, or wood. Floor lamps are often considered a statement piece, and they need to be sturdy and strong, so materials like plastic are usually avoided.

When it comes to the lampshade, however, that’s where you can really diversify the material factor. Zernicke notes that cotton or linen shades allow for the greatest amount of light to get through. Metal shades and clear glass shades allow for a stronger, harsher light.

Standout Features

Shade Type

Selecting the right lampshade to go with your floor lamp is vital when it comes to pulling off a polished, uniform, and tasteful look. In general, if you have a floor lamp with a sleek, straight-line stem, select a square-shaped shade.

Conversely, if your lamp has a more rounded or curvy design, go with a round shade. The wider the shade, the more light will be allowed through. So, for larger rooms, larger shades are best. For smaller spaces and work rooms, consider a more compact shade.

Bulb Type 

The type of light bulb you choose can greatly affect how energy-efficient your floor lamp is. While a little more expensive initially, LED and CFL (compact fluorescent lights) are the longest-lasting and the most energy-efficient.

The drawback is that they can emit a harsher or sharper light. Incandescent bulbs are inexpensive and highly compatible, and they cast a warm glow, but they lack the brightness and longevity of LED light bulbs.

Switch Type

Another feature to consider is the type of switch your floor lamp comes with.

• Most have rotary switches or pull cords set within easy reach.
• Some floor lamps come with foot switches. That can be a great hands-free option, but be sure to position the switch in an easy-to-reach location.
• Some floor lamps are touch-activated, or you can opt for a smart lamp that can be controlled by an app on your phone or by your smart home hub. 

Why Trust The Spruce?

This article was written and researched by Mia Ingui, an editor at The Spruce, who gets lost in the lighting section at nearly any home improvement store. It's the best reprise from the boring drill bits and hardware, that's for sure. She's chosen quite a few floor lamps in her day, from small-space friendly finds to a statement piece for her home office. For this article, she thoroughly scoured the floor lamps on the market to bring you the most stylish, durable, and affordable options worth recommending.

Additional experts:

• Jessica Zernicke, an interior designer and architectural photographer