The Best Reading Lights (2024): Clip-On, Rechargeable, Portable

Reading before bed is a great way to relax. But getting the right balance of light can be tricky. We want to illuminate the text without disturbing sleeping partners, kids, or roommates. Warm light that is not too bright is also better to help you feel drowsy. Special reading lights may be the answer. They come in a surprisingly wide variety of shapes and sizes, but all will light up your page, not your whole room.

We have tested a library of reading lights over the last few months, tucking into tomes as blissfully unaware partners slept, and these are the very best reading lights for bookworms. There are several kinds of clip-ons, wearable lights, and a bedside lamp among our picks, as well as a tempting alternative to book lights.

Avid readers will also want to check out our Best Gifts for Book Lovers, Great Tech Books, and Best Science Fiction Books guides.

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Photograph: Simon Hill

Best Reading LightVekkia 14 LED Book Light

Vekkia’s rechargeable reading light is our top pick for sheer versatility. This clip-on light has an easily adjustable gooseneck that stays put, and the two swiveling light bars have seven LEDs each. The large, padded clamp supports various positions, can open as wide as 2.1 inches, and can serve as a stable base to sit this reading light on a nightstand. Short-press the power button to cycle through five levels of brightness, and long-press to choose from three warm colors with minimal blue light. The battery life is excellent (Vekkia says up to 80 hours on the lowest brightness, and that seems about right). There is a USB-C port for charging.

The downside of this reading light is its size. It is relatively large. The clamp is perfect for hardcover books but can be heavy and awkward for paperbacks. I was careful to clamp onto several pages with the cover, which worked okay. Sometimes, I preferred to sit it on the nightstand or even balance it on my stomach (the base is stable enough to do this). But if small paperbacks are your main reads, our runner-up might be the best book light for you.

Photograph: Simon Hill

Runner-UpDewenwils Book Reading Light

Compact, cheap, and simple, this is perhaps the most portable reading light we recommend, as it folds flat and weighs just 1.38 ounces. It has a clip design that slides easily on the cover of any size of book (a bit like a paper clip). The main body hinges open, and the top part with the LEDs can swivel to hit the angle you need. It offers two colors (warm white and amber) with two brightness levels, and you tap the power button to cycle through them and long-press to turn it off. To charge, you pull the main body out to reveal a USB-A jack that can plug directly into a port or power bank without a cable. This light is also stable if you want to sit it on the nightstand or even prop it on yourself (if you have a top pocket in your pajamas it will sit in nicely).

With great portability comes relatively low battery life, and Dewenwils’ reading light only lasted around eight hours. I also found it started to dim as the battery emptied. It is best used with paperbacks and smaller books. With a large hardback, I had to adjust the light as I read to cover both pages, and it struggled to illuminate fully to the bottom of the page. Be careful if you go for this light, as Dewenwils seems to offer different models that look identical. There is another version that only offers warm white.