Why rechargeable / portable lamps are the latest interior lifestyle trend

Is this the end of the cabled lamp?

Probably not. However, it may well mark the start of a shift away from cables and towards more versatile portable lamps. In 2015 Philippe Starck who was discussing the launch of his Bonjour Unplugged Table Lamp for Flos spoke of his longing to create battery-powered rechargeable lamps. "We dreamed of making a rechargeable battery-powered lamp for 20 years and now we can have it," Starck told Dezeen. "The battery exists, the lamp exists and the quality exists. The wires will disappear".

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But why the need for a wireless lamp? The answer is somewhat obvious really, and well summed up by Piero Gandini. The Flos CEO notes that he loves lamps but that he finds they can sometimes be like "chains around your ankles, because they have to be plugged in. Sometimes you want to move the light a bit further from your bed, but the length of the wire creates a kind of protected area that you cannot escape".

It's a problem we will all have experienced at one time or another and it goes beyond just having more cable length to adjust your bedside or desk lamp. With advancements in technology over the last decade the obstacles we face are hugely different to those faced by previous generations. When the idea for a desk lamp was originally conceived it was to offer people the ability to work at their desk with ample light. Nowadays though, with people working on the move on their phone, tablet or laptops, from trains, coffee shops or their sofas, the conventional desk lamp isn't always the best solution.

The lamps below all exist to allow users to use them with complete freedom.

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Our picks for the best portable / rechargeable lamps

We've been incredibly excited to see our favourite brands "throw off the shackles" in recent years and embrace portable technology in their table lamps. Today, our favourite designs are being reimagined in a way that allows them to fulfil the needs of our lives today, and isn't that exactly what great design is all about?

Find out which portable lamps the Utility team are loving : Read 10 Best Portable Lamps For The Modern Home