16 of the best portable lamps for indoor & outdoor use

The arrival of spring means many of us are turning our attention towards getting our gardens, balconies and terraces ready for the warmer months – especially as meeting up outdoors is going to be the only way to socialise (here in the UK at least) for a while to come. So, I thought I’d dedicate my latest ‘best of’ post to portable lamps that you can use outside, move around the house or even take with you to parks and beaches.

All the below designs are wireless and have integrated rechargeable batteries, making them ideal for alfresco use. They’re also very handy to have around the home, especially if you have gloomy corners where cables won’t stretch, or if you want an alternative to harsh overhead lights in socket-less spaces such as bathrooms. As always, I’ve tried to include something for a range of budgets and styles, but all my picks have the kind of simple, timeless aesthetic that means you can invest in them safe in the knowledge that they won’t date. There’s even a portable LED version of Vernor Panton’s iconic ‘Flowerpot’ lamp for those who want a design classic in their garden! What’s more, most are dimmable, meaning you can adjust the intensity of the light depending on whether you want task lighting for reading and eating or a just a soft, ambient glow.

1. Marset ‘Follow Me’ dimmable LED lamp, £158 for the standard size or £286 for the larger ‘Follow Me Plus’, Made in Design [AD – affiliate link]
2. Ferm Living ‘Meridian’ dimmable LED lamp (available in black, beige and brass), £159, Someday Designs
3. &Tradition ‘Flowerpot VP9’ dimmable LED lamp (available in numerous different colours), £135, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]
4. Menu ‘Carrie’ dimmable LED lamp (available in black, white, dark red, olive green, brushed brass and bronzed brass), from £129, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]
5. &Tradition ‘Como SC53’ dimmable bronzed-aluminium LED lamp, £143, Made in Design [AD – affiliate link]
6. Fatboy ‘Bolleke’ LED lamp (available with a taupe, light grey, dark grey, green, yellow or red hanging loop), £79, Made in Design [AD – affiliate link]
7. Lucide ‘Joe’ dimmable LED lamp, £84.90, Lights.co.uk
8. Marset ‘Bicoca’ dimmable LED lamp (available in numerous different colours), £164, Made in Design [AD – affiliate link]
9. Flos ‘Bellhop’ dimmable LED lamp (available in grey, white, brown, blue, red and yellow), £175, Utility Design
10. Nordlux ‘Kettle’ dimmable LED lamp and accessory set, £70 for the smaller size or £100 for the larger one, John Lewis
11. Menu ‘Column’ dimmable bronzed-aluminium LED lamp, £149.95, Made in Design [AD – affiliate link]
12. Menu ‘Phare’ LED lamp (available in black, light grey and dark red), £140, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]
13. Nordlux ‘Sponge’ dimmable LED lamp, £43.90, Lights.co.uk
14. Flos ‘In Vitro’ dimmable LED lamp (available in numerous different colours), £750, Nest.co.uk
15. HAY ‘PC’ LED lamp (available in white, olive green and black), £79, Made in Design [AD – affiliate link]
16. &Tradition ‘Lucca SC51’ dimmable LED lamp (available in black, moss green and maroon red), £120, Nordic Nest [AD – affiliate link]

The beauty of all the above designs is their flexibility. You really can take them wherever you want, and many have tilting handles or flexible loops that mean you can hang them from branches, hooks and parasols as well as standing them on tables or other surfaces. Perhaps the most versatile, though, is Nordlux’s ‘Kettle’ model, which comes with an array of accessories (including a hanging cord, a ground spike and a height-adjustable tripod) that let you transform it into a pendant, table or floor lamp.

Above: Ferm Living’s ‘Meridian’ model, Marset’s ‘Follow Me’ lamp, HAY’s ‘PC’ design, and the versatile Nordlux ‘Kettle’ lamp and accessories 

It’s worth taking battery life into consideration when choosing your lamp, as it will have an impact on how you use it. Most of the above will last 10-12 hours between charges, but Lucide’s ‘Joe’ design can make it to 72 hours on the lowest setting. Other lamps have shorter durations of only five-six hours, but as they’re normally connected via USB cables you can charge them via your phone or laptop while they’re in use.

Above: the beautifully minimalist ‘Carrie’ lamp, designed by Norm Architects for Menu, which comes in a range of different finishes and has a moveable handle

Finally, it’s worth bearing in mind that most portable lamps aren’t waterproof, so they’re only usable outdoors when the weather’s fine. The exceptions are Fatboy’s ‘Bolleke’, Lucide’s ‘Joe’, HAY’s ‘PC’ and  Flos’s ‘In Vitro’ designs, plus the two Nordlux models – though to be on the safe side, I’d still recommend keeping them inside when they’re not in use.

Above: a selection of wireless lamps available from &Tradition, including the ‘Como’ and ‘Lucca’ models (both created by Danish design studio Space Copenhagen) and a portable version of Vernor Panton’s 1969 ‘Flowerpot’ lamp

If you want more tips on how to turn your outside space into a cosy haven for alfresco entertaining, take a look at this post. You can also read about my plans for my own garden here and here. 

Please note this post contains affiliate links (all clearly marked), which means I will receive a small commission on any resulting sales. You won’t pay any more by clicking on these links than you would by visiting the websites directly.

Top image by Menu; all other photography via the brands named above