A table lamp earns its place on a surface by doing two things well: giving useful light and looking good when it is switched off. Most lamps manage one. The LED ones we have pulled together here manage both, which is a harder brief than it sounds. The technology has genuinely caught up now. The colour temperature options are better, the dimming is smoother, and the designs have stopped looking like they are trying to hide the fact that there is no bulb to change. What we look for is warmth in the light itself, a base with real presence, and proportions that work on a bedside table or a desk without overwhelming either. We have also thought about cord length, touch controls, and whether the thing actually stays put when you reach past it in the dark. These are the LED table lamps we would clear space for without hesitation.