of course you can buy 100 watt bulbs. the store had the newer kind in their lamp, the swirling ones. i hate those but will one day be stuck using them. the lamp my hubby uses has a center one of 150 watts and three 60 watt ones. all on at the same time. I doubt i'll ever have all three bulbs on at the same time but at least i know my hubby could read by it if it ever became a necessity.