# Opinions on best bedside lamp setup



## riccobo4 (Dec 29, 2017)

I currently have the master bedroom gutted for renovation and I need to decide what type of bedside lamps I will use and how they will be controlled. I will be doing the electrical work so cost and complication of installation is negligible. The questions are:


Table lamp or wall mounted? (I don't like hanging lamps)


If wall mounted, where is the best place on the wall to mount it relative to the mattress surface and mattress side


How should it be controlled? A) switch/pull cord on each lamp B) wall switches by bed, or C) 3 way switches by bed and door


What do you think and why? Thanks!


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Receptacles definitely placed on either side of proposed bed location. Never could figure electricians out when they put a receptacle directly behind a bed. It's sort of like dining room hanging lights. They are NEVER centered over where the potential table will go.

I would control general lighting from a switch near the door as you enter. For bed lighting it is convenient to have switches, but not necessary if the table lamps are reachable. My wife likes her sconce lamp to read by, but it is operated by touch control, and not a switch.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

We have a ceiling fan with a light that operates from the entry door
and from the bedside as well. 

We have table lights on our nightstands that 
are reachable from the bed. Our headboard is wicker and iron; I took
advantage of the iron part (on my side) and have a small clip
on goose neck lamp for reading. It’s a small one with a short goose neck.
We also have outlets behind the end tables.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

Those tacky touch lamps which look like they're from the 70's are great for the bedside.

I'm surprised no-one mentioned smart plugs or switches. Nowadays, you don't even have to reach over and touch the lamp. Just say "Alexa, turn off the bedside lamp."

Some day I may join the 21st century.


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## riccobo4 (Dec 29, 2017)

Two Knots said:


> We have a ceiling fan with a light that operates from the entry door
> and from the bedside as well.
> 
> We have table lights on our nightstands that
> ...


I had considered putting the main ceiling light on a 3 way switch by the bed also. Do you find it useful or do you end up never using the bedside switch?


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

CaptTom said:


> Those tacky touch lamps which look like they're from the 70's are great for the bedside.
> 
> I'm surprised no-one mentioned smart plugs or switches. Nowadays, you don't even have to reach over and touch the lamp. Just say "Alexa, turn off the bedside lamp."
> 
> Some day I may join the 21st century.


We have Alexa, operating the lights in the Living Room (4 lights) and the Family room, (2 lights) 
but not in the bedrooms. The living room lights are on
timers as well. 

I have one of those tacky lights in a guest room. :smile:


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

riccobo4 said:


> I had considered putting the main ceiling light on a 3 way switch by the bed also. Do you find it useful or do you end up never using the bedside switch?


We use it all the time.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

> Do you find it useful or do you end up never using the bedside switch?


Which side??? Veeewy important. Or go to a 4 way switch and install one on the other side as well.


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## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

> Never could figure electricians out when they put a receptacle directly behind a bed.


That’s the buyers problem. The receptacle was there first.


More seriously, the electrician was most likely working on a job were the builder or developer specified either NEC minimums or lowest price.
You can do up to a 12x12 room with 4 receptacles by centering them in the walls. 

The electrician knows better than most that the bed is going to cover one of them. However, he has to make his customer happy, not the eventual buyer.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

We had wall mounted lights on swinging arms in a couple of houses. They're okay until somebody decides to rearrange the bedroom. Our current house has half switched outlets with a 4-way on one side of the bed. It's not really handy because the builder mounted it too close to the corner of the room.


I vote for switched table lamps but do like the idea of the clip-ons if your headboard accommodates them. No experience with Alexa, Siri or any other techy controls. Do they still sell the Clapper?


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Another way would be to put a smart switch on the wall at the door and use remote controls to turn the lights off and on. That with another switch for general lighting would work, too.


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## Toolmaker68 (Jul 2, 2018)

one of the nicest, more recent things Alexa can do is that you can whisper commands and she can whisper back so you don't wake anyone up. Great for turning off outlets when the significant other is sleeping.


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## Guap0_ (Dec 2, 2017)

> Table lamp or wall mounted? (I don't like hanging lamps)


I despise lamps at eye level. So if an overhead light or pole lamp isn't an option. I would choose wall mounted light above eye level.


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## carpdad (Oct 11, 2010)

I'd use remote switch outlets with a tableside lamp. My father uses a touch lamp, not tacky at all.:smile: Saves him from fumbling for switches. But I have a third in storage since the first didn't last very long. It is frost glass barrel and light is not too bright to read by. I don't know what it is with the quality, but one goose neck wall sconce sank with led bulb, I think the cooling and the electronics made the bulb too heavy.


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## Mystriss (Dec 26, 2018)

One of my condos had built in reading lamps in the bed area. I hated them because it made it so the bed /had/ to go there, even though the bed would have been a lot better on the other wall. They were also a major pain to paint around (though that was related to the lamps themselves.)


My vote would be put in outlets on either side and use nightstand lamps.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

Picturing Mystriss's setup, I had another thought.

Hotels always have those wall-mounted lamps over (or between) the beds. You know the ones; push once for one side, again for the other side, again for both, and again for off.

I always hated them. I'd have to turn around and crawl up in the bed, or get out of bed if the lamp is centered between two beds, to hit the button.

So I'm voting for either outlets for bed-side lamps, or at least some sort of remote option. I'm getting so used to my WiFi thermostats that when one didn't respond right away this morning, I started looking up replacements. I'd be lost now without a smart phone app to control the stat. I'll bet lighting would be the same way.


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## lenaitch (Feb 10, 2014)

Toolmaker68 said:


> one of the nicest, more recent things Alexa can do is that you can whisper commands and she can whisper back so you don't wake anyone up. Great for turning off outlets when the significant other is sleeping.



Do we want to know what you whisper to her (it?), and what she says back?:devil3:


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## Toolmaker68 (Jul 2, 2018)

> Do we want to know what you whisper to her (it?), and what she says back?




Sounds like you do! 

grins........... :biggrin2:


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## ConcreteLady (Feb 6, 2019)

I don't know if it's one of those "want what you don't have" kind of thing. But I have table lamps, and they take up most of the space on the table that is kind of annoying. So I would sooo go with wall mounted, if I had the chance with a renovation...
-Concrete Lady


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## doortrouble (Feb 16, 2019)

riccobo4 said:


> Table lamp or wall mounted?


Table lamps work great when you have plenty of space; when you find beautiful table lamps that you cannot find in a wall lamp; when you have large pieces of art on the wall and don't want to disrupt that. Wall lamps work great when you're short on space; when you're not short on space but you want the extra floor space to be open; when you're more of a minimalist (wall lamps tend to be more simple). Depending on where your outlets are, the electrical cord on a table lamp might be hidden from view behind the bed, but the electrical cord on a wall lamp is going to drop down from your wall and it will look tacky unless you use a cord cover (this is added work). 



> If wall mounted, where is the best place on the wall to mount it relative to the mattress surface and mattress side


Ideally, above where you are reading and equally on the opposite side -symmetrical with your bed.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

I like my wall lamp. No planning, it just came in a auction box with a bunch of other crap. When the boys left home I found that lamp, walled it beside a twin bed with a screw in a stud and it makes a fine place to take a nap. It has one of those roller switches in the cord, or whatever they're called, and the elect recep is down behind the bed of course. It looks like cut glass and gold plated but I ain't tellen anyone any different.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

Anyone else spent any time in a Hospital room?

They have a light fixture mounted on the wall above the beds, with a pull string, 1 click, light for reading, 2 clicks, light up to illuminate the room, 3 click, both on, 4 clicks, all off. 

I too have a pair of those touch lights, in the guest room.

I prefer a table lamp for reading in bed. 


ED


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## wilhelmina (Jul 10, 2019)

Make the management of space properly, so that things will be placed nicely.


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## Markhennry (Sep 24, 2019)

You can use the best quality modern bedside lamps on the side of you bed, it is the right position for setup lamps.


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## Gregsoldtruck79 (Dec 21, 2017)

Seems like everyone will have Alexa or one of her sisters living with them in their home sooner or later. Just plug your wall bed sconces in to these and with the optional voice command, just tell your over/bedside light when to come on or go off.  https://www.amazon.com/Gosund-Compatible-Required-appliances-Certified/dp/B079MFTYMV/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=wifi+wall+outlet&qid=1569369506&s=gateway&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExOFJVVDRCU0NQTzlMJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDkyMDEyM0VGQ0NETDdGVEk3SCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUExMDMyNjMwMklZTVZTV1FBVERVNCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=


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## riccobo4 (Dec 29, 2017)

OP Here
Project is long done but I figured I would share what I did. I ended up putting a wall sconce on each side of the bed. Each sconce is controlled by both a bedside wall dimmer switch and a switch by the bedroom door. There is also an electrical outlet with built in usb charging port at nightstand height on each side.
I am very happy and would do it the same way again.


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## Markhennry (Sep 24, 2019)

I think wall mounted lamp are the best option, it help to increase your room look. You can mount the lamps on the back of your bed.


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

Gregsoldtruck79 said:


> Seems like everyone will have Alexa or one of her sisters living with them in their home sooner or later. Just plug your wall bed sconces in to these and with the optional voice command, just tell your over/bedside light when to come on or go off.  https://www.amazon.com/Gosund-Compatible-Required-appliances-Certified/dp/B079MFTYMV/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?keywords=wifi+wall+outlet&qid=1569369506&s=gateway&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExOFJVVDRCU0NQTzlMJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDkyMDEyM0VGQ0NETDdGVEk3SCZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUExMDMyNjMwMklZTVZTV1FBVERVNCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=


Greg, I love those lights on and off with Alexa...we have three in the living room 
and two in the family room, that go on and off at different times.

Two of them in the living room are also on timers -that go on and off
at different times. 
When we’re home at night - I usually give the command to shut one off in
the living room ( when I remember to do so. ) 

I also love the Alexia for the radio feature/ music feature. The one in the
family room and the one in the kitchen are in sync, so as we move between 
these rooms we can still hear what’s on. 

Also, using it for a cooking timer is awesome. :thumbsup: Before Alexa
I used to have to carry a separate timer into the family room from 
the kitchen cause I couldn’t hear the oven or Micro timer from
the family room.

I’m the least techie person in America, but I can do Alexa! :biggrin2:


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## Two Knots (Nov 12, 2011)

Markhennry said:


> I think wall mounted lamp are the best option, it help to increase your room look. You can mount the lamps on the back of your bed.


There are some nice inexpensive clip on lamps - I have one on my side
clipped to the headboard for night time reading.


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