When you’re a geek who loves living in a cave, you can never have enough lamps. The two main factors for me in choosing a lamp are dimmability and energy conservation, and the OxyLED L120 delivers on both fronts.
I recently reviewed another LED desk lamp and the first difference I noticed when taking the OxyLED out of its box is that the OxyLED is a lot more futuristic and machine like, than the more organic TaoTronics. This is neither good nor bad in my opinion, just a stark contrast in the design aesthetic.
The OxyLED L20 has the exact features I would expect from a desk lamp–an on-off switch and a dimmer with five levels of brightness. What I wasn’t expecting was a USB power port. Having a power port for charging my phone or tablet right there was a very nice bonus since all of my computers USB ports are usually always full. Another really neat feature that will probably appeal to a lot of people is that the warmth of the light output can be changed with five different settings. The lamp can go from a very warm glow to a nice cool daylight. As I mentioned before I actually prefer the daylight of LED lamps, so I won’t use this feature myself, but for those that are normally turned off by the cold “harsh” light usually associated with LED, this may be a deal maker.
The OxyLED lamp also uses only 9W but does not specify the lumen output. Just like the TaoTronics lamp, full brightness is actually too bright for me which means the output is probably plenty for most users. The construction of the lamp provides a nice soft, diffuse light.
I really loved the gooseneck of the TaoTronics lamp so was a little skeptical about the OxyLED’s ability to change position. While the gooseneck is much easier to move around, the OxyLED had a surprisingly unlimited range of motion. The lamp head itself can move 270 degrees, including closing completely for when you aren’t using it and want it out-of-the-way. The lamp neck can also turn 360 degrees, and there is a pivot point on the lamp head that also allows for 360 degrees of swiveling.
The OxyLED L20 sells for $47.99. This is slightly higher than the TaoTronics, but the addition of the charging port and light color choices will make the few dollars worth it to a lot of buyers. Personally, I’ll be using the OxyLED on my computer desk where I need the charging port, and I’ll be using the TaoTronics on my work table where I’m currently crafting foam armor.
Note: OxyLED provided a lamp for review purposes.
