Buying desk or study lamps can be almost as personal as choosing a pair of glasses. This is because of all of the lamps that you could possibly purchase these lamps must be easy on your eyes. The type of study or desk lamp that is best for you is probably dependent on your reading and study habits and also how good your eyes are.
For example a lot of the study lamps and desk lamps that are available on the market come with halogen bulbs in them. However halogen bulbs, which are the brightest bulbs you can buy are not the ideal type of light for everybody. For one thing halogen bulbs are so bright that they can cause contrast and glare to be a problem when you are studying print. This can be very tiring on the eyes and even cause you to see spots of green and red if the glare on the page has enough contrast. This is not good for your retinas over the long term and subjecting yourself to this type of eye strain could cut your study time in half. Also some people find that the halogen lamp has a subtle, barely discernible flicker that also strains the eyes.
Yet another problem with study lamps that have the halogen bulbs is that the light is very concentrated and is only really good for shining on one page of a book and not necessarily the contents of your entire desk. However proponents of the halogen lamp say that having a lamp like this helps you focus on studying and helps to visually black out other distractions.
If you find that the glare of halogen bulbs is hard on your eyes then there are thousands of study and desk lamps on the market that take ordinary incandescent bulbs, or energy saving bulbs. If you like a really bright light when you study but don't like halogen bulbs, you can also try using a full spectrum light bulb in your desk or study lamp. That way you get the brightness of daylight without the headaches that can be caused by halogen light.
Desk and study lamps that use regular bulbs come in a variety styles. The design element that seems to mostly define a study lamp or desk lamp is the bendable neck or adjustable arm that is usually made out of plastic or metal. This helps you focus the light where you need it most, however unlike halogen lamps, these more old fashioned lamps also have a bit of a soft glow that helps light up the rest of the room.
Not all desk lamps or study lamps have adjustable arms. One very classic style that can be found in almost every lighting or hardware store has a squat, curved neck. Usually an oblong shade, made of brass or green glass, sheds light on the surface of the desk. This type of study or desk lamp is reminiscent of something that belongs in crime writer Raymond Chandler's office and definitely has a classic air about it.
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Plants are shaped by cultivation and men by education. .. We are born weak, we need strength; we are born totally unprovided, we need aid; we are born stupid, we need judgment. Everything we do not have at our birth and which we need when we are grown is given us by education.
(Jean Jacques Rousseau, Emile, On Philosophy of Education)
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