Herbarium Eryngium Wall Sconce in Glass and Plywood
by Mateusz Wappa · Warsaw, Poland

A light with its own power source rather than a connection to the mains — either a built-in rechargeable cell or replaceable batteries. Because it has no cable, it can be placed anywhere and moved freely, which makes it the answer for tables, shelves, terraces and walls with no socket or wiring nearby.

For a designed object, usually yes. A rechargeable cell means no waste, a slimmer form, consistent output and no battery compartment to design around. Replaceable batteries have one real advantage: when they die you fit new ones, whereas a sealed rechargeable cell eventually ends the useful life of the whole piece unless the maker allows servicing.

Typically 5 to 20 hours, depending entirely on brightness. The figures makers quote are usually at the lowest setting, so read them accordingly. Dimming is the biggest variable — running a lamp at a third of its output can more than triple its run time, and low output is what most people actually want from a portable piece.

Most pieces charge in around 3 to 6 hours, generally over USB-C, sometimes on a dock or magnetic base. Many can be used while plugged in, though not all, and a lamp designed for a charging base is usually meant to sit on it between uses. If a lamp will be used every evening, a dock is worth prioritizing over a cable.

Some are, most are not intended to be. Portable pieces typically produce 50–400 lumens, which suits ambient and accent light rather than sustained reading. If reading is the purpose, look for a rechargeable task lamp with directed light at the upper end of that range, or use a mains lamp and keep the cordless piece for atmosphere.

This is the question we would ask first, and the answer varies by maker. Some designs use a serviceable or user-replaceable cell; others are sealed. For a piece you intend to keep for decades, a replaceable cell or a stated repair route matters more than any specification on the box — ask us about a specific piece and we will find out from the studio.

A cordless lamp has no cable at all. A plug-in piece has a cable but no hardwiring: it runs to an ordinary socket instead of a junction box, which means no electrician and no holes in the ceiling. Both solve the "I can't rewire this room" problem, but only a cordless piece solves "there is no socket anywhere near where I want light."

Some designers make pieces with a visible fabric or textile cable intended to run to a socket, which is a genuine design decision rather than a compromise — the cable is part of the object. Availability varies by studio and by piece, so check the product description or ask us before buying if that is a requirement.

Very often, yes — dimming matters more here than on a mains lamp because it directly extends run time, so most makers include it. Touch-sensitive bases and stepped switches are common. Look for a lamp that remembers its last brightness, so you are not resetting it every evening.

Only if it is rated for it. Rechargeable does not mean weatherproof, and a portable lamp carried onto a terrace for an evening is a different proposition from one left out overnight. Check the stated rating, keep unrated pieces under cover, and bring anything portable back inside — which also extends the life of the battery.

A cordless lamp on a shelf away from direct splashing is one of the easier ways to light a bathroom without any wiring, which is why they have become popular there. It is still worth checking the rating and keeping the piece away from the bath and shower zones, since humidity affects electronics over time even where water never lands directly.

Solar is common in mass-market garden lighting and uncommon in collectible design, because panels and the light they produce sit awkwardly with handmade objects. Rechargeable pieces achieve the same freedom from wiring with better light quality and more control. Ask our curation team if solar is a firm requirement.

Rarely. These are handmade objects rather than connected devices, so app control, RGB color and remotes fall outside what most studios make. Where a piece uses a standard bulb socket, a smart bulb of your own choosing will give you scheduling and dimming without altering the design.

They are one of the few ways to put a lamp on every table, and hospitality has driven much of the innovation in this format. The practical questions are charging logistics — how many units, how many docks, whose job it is at closing time — and battery servicing over a two-to-three-year cycle. We can discuss quantities, lead times and replacement cells through our trade programme.

Lithium batteries have to travel in cabin baggage rather than checked luggage on most airlines, and there are limits on capacity. Shipping is also affected: cells above certain thresholds face carrier restrictions, which can lengthen delivery times or limit destinations. Ask us before ordering to a remote address or with a fixed deadline.

Not flat. Leaving a lithium cell fully discharged for months is what shortens its life most. Charge it to roughly half, keep it somewhere cool and dry, and top it up every few months. For seasonal pieces used on a terrace in summer, that small habit is the difference between a battery that lasts two years and one that lasts five.