Lighting for Sewing
 

What is the best desk or floor lamp for sewing and quilting?

Ott lights are great...simulate natural light and they have floor models and desk models..I have several...bulbs can be expensive to replace but last long...

I really like the Ott light. I have a floor lamp by my sewing machine and a clip on for my ironing board. I really need lots of light!

I have 3 Ott lights and love, love them. The larger bulbs can be expensive but my desk one was $11 from Amazon. With the cost of LED lights for just a regular lamps the cost doesn't seem a lot and they last a long time. The light is pure white. I did find my desk one on Amazon for less than At Joann's with a 50% coupon. Do shopping for the best price.

I'm an ott light girl too.

Personally, I prefer just getting a basic floor lamp at Home Depot with 3 adjustable lights (can move to point different directions) & then outfit them with 19wt LEDs. 3 of those are the equivalent light of (6) 60wt incandescent bulbs. It's like noon at the equator in my sewing room since I bought them. Cost me about $20 each for the light bulbs & another $20 for the lamp, but it was the best $80 I ever spent on my sewing room after my machine.

I really like halogen lights but they do get warm. I have one for my hand sewing on a table by my chair and it can get quite warm while sewing but I can see EVERYTHING.

i've heard such good things about the LED lights. i like your description of the brightness. How much heat is emitted?

I have a floor model Ott light, just love it. I also have a folding Ott light table lamp that I use on retreat or when I am quilting at a friends house. Just love the light it gives and love that the light is similar to daylight. Colors show up as they really are under this light too. There are other brands out there, but I have not tried them.

Zero. LEDs don't have a heating element like other light bulbs. They also are the only light bulb that doesn't emit any UV light so they are totally safe for fabrics (no fading, no fiber breakdown).

There are only 2 potential downsides: (1) the cost, although that isn't as much of an issue when you consider the minimum life of these bulbs is around 10 years [some say 20, but that's probably not typically realistic], and (2) the size of the 19wt bulbs is like the size of a spotlight. They do fit within in my floor lamp shades, but just barely. However, since they emit no heat, they do not cause any melting/damage to the cheapy plastic shades that came with the lamp. You can get a smaller bulb, but then it obviously wouldn't be quite as bright.