Shedding Some Light On Halogen Desk Lamps

There’s been a lot of publicity, some would say hype, surrounding halogen lamps over the past twelve months or so, especially since phasing out the traditional light bulb began. But, is halogen lighting all it’s cracked up to be? The truth is, it does have it’s place in domestic lighting, and although not ideal for every application, for desk lamps halogen is superb.

The first thing we must do is clear up a common misunderstanding – just as with traditional light bulbs, halogen bulbs are incandescent bulbs. With the growing tendency to call to traditional light bulbs ‘incandescent bulbs’, this simple fact is in danger of being lost. In very simple terms, both types of lamp work on the principle of running an electric current through a thin filament until it glows. In traditional bulbs, combustion is prevented because the glass of the bulb keeps oxygen away from the glowing filament.

I halogen lamps, the filament is sealed into a transparent gas-filled pocket, together with an inert gas plus a small amount of halogen. The advantage of this is that the filament continues to work for longer and at higher temperatures. Because of this higher running temperature halogen lamps should be used with caution when setting them into enclosed spaces, such as ceiling and walls.

Another characteristic that some people see as a disadvantage is the lack of the rosy glow that comes from traditional light bulbs. When it comes to task lighting, however, a rosy glow is far less essential than clear illumination.

And this, of course, is the crux of the matter – the characteristics of light produced by halogen lamps are very different from the light we have grown used to. It is not cosy, it is not soft focus, it is not good general illumination; it is clean, it is white, it is directable – it is ideal task lighting.

Halogen light is bright and white, not only making colours appear brighter but also reducing eyestrain, which particularly explains why halogen lamps have become so popular as reading lights and desk lights.

You’ll need a shade though – the one thing you can’t do with halogen lamps is have them un-shaded; the light is too bright. The beauty is, however, that the light is very easy to direct so once you put on an appropriate shade (so something that points the light downwards for a desk lamp), the light goes exactly where you want it to.

The other reason for the rising popularity of halogen lighting is the low running cost. A halogen light typically lasts two or three times longer than a standard bulb. Some commentators, in fact, quote a running life of up to 3,000 hours. At the same time halogen lamps use 10% to 20% less energy.

So there you have it – the truth about halogen lighting. These lamps may not be the definitive answer to all your lighting needs but when it comes to desk lamps they truly are the light of choice.