Table Lamps

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as a proper research and development in the LED technology industry, and the people at Jake Dyson have come up with a high end gadget-style task LED lamp that will work for almost forty years! In their own words, ... After a period of intense research and development, the Jake Dyson Lighting Design team honed in on the following features which they believe are key to producing a high performance LED task light and answer the technical requirements of consumers and industry alike.Note: this light fitting/s are no longer available at Sparks; you can see the existing LED table lamps here. Flexibility & Precision Inspired by the construction crane and drawing board the CSYS Task can be adjusted effortlessly in three axes to allow exact, stable positioning. Setting the LED head close to the working area allows focused illumination, whilst raising it creates a wide, even pool of light. The mechanics are designed with precision to ensure a smooth accurate movement and positioning. Light Distribution The CSYS Task light produces a bright, clear and even pool of warm, white light. The spread and intensity of light can be controlled within your working area. Unwanted spill is eliminated and its optical design minimises hot-spots and the opportunity for glare. In addition, the refined and compact structure of the light source means that it is not obtrusive when positioned in your line of sight. Bright LED Light Constant acceleration in LED development poses a real challenge for manufacturers to keep up and best implement these new technologies. The fully dimmable CSYS Task is designed around the latest generation of high power warm white LEDs. Heat Pipe Technology Heat pipe technology was developed for use in satellites and is now most commonly used to help cool microprocessors. The primary role of a heat pipe is to conduct heat away from its source. The heat pipe within the CSYS Task conducts heat away from the LEDs and distributes it evenly over the length of the heat sink. It uses no external pumps or extra energy to cool the LEDs and is instrumental in keeping the CSYS Task running brightly and efficiently for 37+ years. LED Sustainability Effective temperature control is essential to prevent early life failure as it is proven that excessive temperatures reduce the performance of LEDs leading to a shorter life span, reduced efficiency and disturbance in colour. The cooler the LED, the longer the life. To achieve maximum efficiency, a heat sink must utilise the entire surface area to discharge heat. Incorporating the heat sink within the CSYS as a structural element of the product, utilises its entire surface area to discharge heat evenly. The LEDs in the CSYS Task are run at just 30 degrees above room temperature to give a 160,000+ hours life and stable performance. The CSYS Task is 5 times more energy efficient than a comparable halogen bulb. The above is what the good people at Jake Dyson specify concerning their amazing LED task lamps (table lamps, desk lights, etc). You can purchase the CSYS Task range at Sparks Electrical in White or Black.

Here at Sparks Direct we like a great desk lamp: this range of fittings is essential, but that doesn't mean they have to be simply functional. We think they can also be beautiful, in their own way. Today we're looking at our five favourites from the store. Please note: some of these may no longer be available via Sparks; all our stylish table lamps can be found here.The Novel Maldon Desk Lamp Kicking off with the Maldon, we picked this one because - well, honestly, we just like the novel design of this light: a chrome semicircle with an adjustable lamp almost, but not quite, at its apex. The Flos Kelvin LED Light Antonio Citterio's Kelvin desk lamp, designed exclusively for Flos Lighting, is famous for its accurate colour rendition and simple controls: simply touch the back of the head and the LED lamp instantly comes on! The Small Wonder: The Artemide Tolomeo Mini A miniaturised version of the classic lamp, the Tolomeo Mini, the brainchild of Michele de Lucchi, might look familiar: Luxo, the mascot of the movie giant Pixar, was based on its bigger brother! The Unassuming but Eco-Friendly Mento The Mento is a simple but flexible LED lamp from Nordlux with a 3W LED lamp that is energy-saving but incredibly effective. The Tiny but Wonderful Micro Flexi Finally, the Micro Flexi in black or white is an oddball entry in our Top 5: it's not quite a table lamp, as such, but it clips onto the edge of the desk in an unobstrusive way that provides task lighting. Clip it onto the desk and forget about it: that's the mark of a great desk lamp.

Asthenopia, known colloquially as "eye strain," is a major problem for the modern workforce that routinely spends up to 8 hours a day in front of a computer screen. It's so bad, in fact, that it's known as part of something called "Computer Vision Syndrome." It's terrible, but thankfully there are ways to combat this or at least alleviate some of the more unpleasant effects. What is Eye Strain? When you concentrate on a visually intense task, such as continuously focusing on a computer monitor, the ciliary muscle - a ring of muscle inside the eye - tightens, becoming irritated and uncomfortable. Over time, serious eye strain can cause further problems from headaches to longer-term conditions such as myopia - shortsightedness. The colour temperature of a computer monitor is known to cause eye strain to some degree, and software is available to help reduce its effect. But the fact is, backlit monitors aren't helping. So in an office environment (even if you're one of the lucky ones working from home), what is there to be done? Reducing Eye Strain in the Office We've covered some general office lighting tips in our home office post, and most of them apply here, too. The first and most important thing to do is reduce the amount of glare reaching your eyes. Glare being caused by looking directly at a light source, there's not much to be done about the computer, but diffused or shielded light will direct it away from your eyes. Alternately, mount the light so it's a little bit above eye level. If you have the option, use a desk lamps to provide directed high-quality task lighting to complement the general overhead light. And if all else fails, or you don't have room for a desk lamp, follow the "20-20-20" rule: every 20 minutes, focus on something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Or close your eyes, which has a similar effect. Just try not to let your boss see you in case they think you've fallen asleep. Image by Cali2Okie (Creative Commons)

In light of the energy bill increases coming up later this year, here are some lighting tips for saving both energy and money.On one hand, the use of LED lamps drastically reduces the amount of energy one uses at home.On the other hand, there are quite a few things one can do in order to save energy and money, thus reducing the energy bills considerably. Why are the Energy Bills Going up in 2022?By now, everyone knows that, due to a multitude of reasons both nationally and internationally, energy prices are rising, and there's a further rise in energy bills expected later this year.Ofgem put out a press release saying that the price cap will increase by £693 from April, and most homeowners and renters are quite worried about the upcoming winter.The energy crisis is an ongoing shortage of energy across the world, both in the UK and in Europe, and it affects our country very much.Here are the main reasons the energy bills are going up in 2022:The energy crisis: as countries began to recover from the pandemic, demand for gas started to increase and, unfortunately, it could not be met due to a shortage in supply - thus the gas price increased in 2021. This problem was made worse by the renewable sources (wind and solar) which produce less power, and by the cold weather during winter months which forces people to turn their heating up. Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatened supplies and drove up the prices even further since Russia is one of the world's largest producers of oil and gas. Energy companies went bust: some of the energy suppliers in the UK went out of business due to the increase in gas prices. British consumers who had to move from failed energy suppliers are paying more per month because so many energy providers went out of business.The "energy price cap" was introduced in January 2019 by Ofgem because of concerns that many people were paying too much for their energy.Ofgem caps the maximum amount energy suppliers can charge for their energy.This energy cap can is reviewed twice a year, but recently Ofgem decided to review it every three months so that the market may be stabilised.The change, Ofgem says, allows energy companies to adjust bills more quickly in response to the prices they are charged by wholesale suppliers.The record increase in global gas prices - up to 54% - caused not only worries among homeowners but also an increase in energy bills. Buy Ascoli Spots at Sparks6 Lighting Tips for Saving Energy and MoneyAs we are approaching the last half of the year and the long winter nights are coming, especially with the increase in the energy bills, we need to be aware of some things we can do to reduce these bills.There are some simple lighting tips - tips which relate to reducing energy and money spent on lighting - that help us save energy and money. Switch off the lights when you're not using them or you leave the room. This is the simplest tip but the one most easy to forget. If you leave the room, make sure you turn off the light or the lights; don't think that you'll be back in a few minutes - simply switch it off. And make sure you switch off ALL the lights, both the ceiling lights, the wall lights, and the floor lamps or table lamps. It is estimated that you can save as much as £20-40 per year just by switching off the lights.Switch to LED lamps everywhere. You may be surprised to find out that some of your wall lamps, ceiling lights, or table lamps may still use a halogen lamp or an incandescent lamp. We have been advising all our customers to switch to LED wherever possible; now this advice is a must! Even the picture lights which use a special lamp can be switched to LED lamps to reduce energy consumption and save on energy bills.Reduce the number of light fittings that are ON. If you have the ceiling light on, you may not need the table lamp on also; similarly, if you have the table lamp on, why leave the ceiling light on? Though you may use LED lamps in all your light fittings, the energy consumption of these light fittings add up, so it is advisable to reduce the number of light fittings you use. Install a time delay switch for light fittings in the hallway or corridor. A time delay switch allows the light to be on for a set amount of time, after which the light is turned off automatically. This is for corporate areas such as staircases, hallways, etc. A time lag switch can help you save energy and money, thus reducing your energy bills. Use PIR sensors or Timers for outdoor lights. We advise purchasing outdoor lights with PIR (presence detector) and/or using timers for the outdoor light fittings. It is quite a waste of energy and money to leave the front door light on the whole night, no matter how energy-saving the light bulb may be. Why not install a PIR wall lamp or a PIR flood light as security lights outdoor? These will turn on only when presence is detected, and they will be off the rest of the time, thus saving energy and money. Consider using transparent shades and clean the shades. Table lamps and pendant lights offer nice, diffused light, and we love the ambience they create. However, if the shade is quite dark, there needs to be a higher wattage lamp being used, which costs more. Why not switch to a more transparent shade to save more energy and money off your bills? And don't forget to clean your lamp shads regularly so that light may shine bright and not be blocked by dust and other impurities. Buy Slim CCT LED FloodlightConclusion and ReferencesThere are many more specific tips on reducing the lighting bill at home, and there is a long list of tips on reducing energy at the office or in commercial environments.However, the above six tips are the simplest tips for reducing the lighting bill, and we all can do them without investing too much.At Sparks, we offer a wide range of LED lamps and LED lights to help you reduce energy consumption.To see them for yourself, visit us either online or at our lighting showroom in North London. Further references on the energy crisis and reducing your lighting bill:BBC article on the energy crisis: what is the energy price cap, how might the bills go up, the energy price cap forecast, using smart meters, the fuel bill breakdown, and how this affects us; also, how to get help with the bills. Tips on saving energy and lighting - reducing the lighting bills.Ofgem press release: Price cap to increase by £693 from April.Energy Saving Trust article on, Why are energy bills going up?Factcheck: why are the energy bills going up? (via channel 4)Bright ideas to save energy and money (via energy label).