When we think of lighting, it's almost always ceiling lights that spring to mind, but it's important to consider the floor up perspective too. Supplementing your overheads with a great floor lamp can help add a beautiful aesthetic to your home and make it easier and more enjoyable to complete your daily tasks.
Choosing the best floor lamp can be an overwhelming task. At TLO, we stock 100s of styles and colours, and sometimes it's hard to know where to start, and that’s why our team is here to help. We’ve compiled a list of the seven best floor lamps for 2025 to get your creative juices flowing and hopefully help you on your journey.
Floor Lamp Buyers Guide
Now you know the types of floor lamps and where to place them, you just need to choose the right one. The considerations below will help you decide how to choose a floor lamp.
Making Small Rooms Look Bigger
If you have a very small space, you can make it look bigger with the use of uplights. These lamps have a shade that widens as it goes upwards. This provides accents to walls and gives the illusion of a room that is spacious.
Position the lamps as a pair, or in opposing corners. Try to cut back on competing light sources from ambient and direct lighting. When you have light coloured ceilings the trick will work much better.
Space Considerations
Floor lamps have huge variations in size and shape. Ambient and reading floor lamps can take up large spaces, while uplights will tuck into almost any space.
It all depends on how much room you have on the floor and the surrounding area. Make sure you are not bumping into the lamp as you walk past. Lamps with tripod bases will also need a wider base area, so it may be worth choosing something smaller if you are tight on space.
Budget
Like any piece of furniture, you need to set out a floor lamp budget. Luckily, with lamps, you can get ones that will fit your decor even at low prices. The light quality is generally the same, so there is something for everyone.
When you start to spend more, you get into the types of lights that function as statement pieces. If your room seems a little dull, then consider paying more for an artistic, high-end lamp to give the area some flair.
Style
There is a wide range of floor lamp designs out there. The look already prevalent in your home should dictate what type of lamp you choose. If not, your lamp may end up looking out of place.
Think about what design theme your room has. Is it contemporary, coastal, minimalist, classic? From here, you can find a lamp that matches the core elements.
Aside from this, you will want to theme the colours. In most circumstances, matt black or white will go with anything. However, a lamp that fits with the colour scheme can really enhance your interior design aesthetic.
Types of Floor Lamps
Each type of lamp serves a different purpose in your room. By knowing its function, you can get a blend of functionality and aesthetics in your lighting.
Ambient Floor Lamps
Ambient floor lamps are there to provide warmth to dark corners and general light to a room. By adding a shade, the light can be diffused in different ways and the intensity can be altered. You may be able to perform fine work or reading under them, but they are no replacement for a large reading lamp.
Reading Floor Lamps
Reading floor lamps offer more direct, focused light for fine work and reading. Many of them will have a tilting surface or hangover in an arc, so they can sit above an area and illuminate downwards. They bring a blend of practicality along with the ability to illuminate your space.
Uplights
Uplights are often known as torchiere lamps. They have upward pointing shades and light sources, that can highlight walls. Use them as more of an accent lighting to highlight areas than for any practical use.
Arc Lamps
Arc lamps are a mix between direct lights and ambient lights. They have adjustable stems that can be moved around for many applications. Larger ones can even be used to duplicate the overhead lights in a room.
Floor Lamp Placement
Before purchasing floor lamps, you need to think about where they actually need to be. If not, you may end up with too few or have an excess that is not fit for purpose.
Lighting can be broken down into three main categories. These are ambient, task and accent. Each will serve a different purpose in your home.
Ambient lighting will help illuminate the space. Task lighting is more direct and should be used for work and reading. Accent lighting is used to highlight a certain feature or walkway, concentrating on mood and aesthetics.
Begin by deciding where you will need task lighting. Usually, this is over sofas, tables, desks and worktops. If you are struggling to get light sources coming from the right angles, then you will need something that has an adjustable stand or shade.
Once you know where task lighting exists, see which other areas of the room are dark when this light source is on. For these areas, you will need ambient lighting. Find a lamp that suits the design of the room then experiment with the intensity and diffusion.
After this, accent lighting can bring attention to any other features you want to highlight. These could be large walls that have no ambient light upon them, or you may want to pick out walkways, ornaments or artwork.
How To Choose a Floor Lamp
Now you have read our floor lamp buyers guide, knowing how to choose a floor lamp should be much easier. Think of the lamps you need, then set a budget. Shop around to find one that suits the design and style of the room.
Find Your New Favourite Floor Lamps at The Lighting Outlet
A great floor lamp can change any room or space into an inviting area while also acting as a beautiful décor piece. Whether you’re looking for a floor lamp to use as task lighting, a statement piece or something in between, our team is here to help you find the perfect fixture. Browse our entire collection of stunning floor lamps today to find the best floor lamps for your living room, bedroom, entryway or other areas of your home. Need help with your order? Reach out to our friendly staff today — we’d love to assist!
