The best kids’ lamps for bedrooms and playrooms

Comforting night lights, cool character lamps and quirky designs to add a touch of personality to the bedside all feature on our list of the best kids’ lights

A kid’s room is a wonderful place, one for playing, learning and best of all, dreaming. So when it comes to designing a child's bedroom, the smallest details can make all the difference.

One item that’ll serve both decorative and practical purposes is a bedside light, so picking a good one is important. If the child you’re buying for has trouble nodding off, or doesn’t like the dark, a nightlight that gives off a low glow will ensure they’re comforted if they wake up in the middle of the night. If they’re older or a bit of a bookworm, look for a brighter bedside lamp or desk lamp, as one that’s designed to be a nightlight may strain their eyes.

After that, it’s all down to budget and personal taste. Whether your kid likes superheroes, dinosaurs, cute creatures or Lego (on second thoughts, don’t they all?) you’re sure to find something to suit on our list of the cutest and quirkiest kids’ lamps.

For more bedroom ideas, make sure you head over to our feature too. 

1. Aloka Robot Children's Multi coloured LED Night Light

A colourful friendly face to comfort kids in the night

Specifications

Best for: Light and colour modes
Power: Mains and battery
Size: 20cm x 15cm x 6cm

Reasons to buy

+
 Smiley robot design (others available)
+
 Lots of dimming and colour modes 

Reasons to avoid

-
 Not very large 

This mesmerising night light would make a cute and comforting feature in any child’s bedroom. The friendly robot lights up in bright white for bedtime stories or, with a press of the sleep button, dims and eventually turns off after one hour. You can also turn him any colour you like using the remote, or press the rainbow button to gently cycle through each colour on a relaxing loop.

2. little home at John Lewis Dino Was Here Children's Table Lamp

A quirky lamp for dino-lovers that’s bright enough to read by

Specifications

Best for: Design
Power: Mains
Size: 23cm x 43cm

Reasons to buy

+
 Great for dinosaur-mad kids  
+
 Quirky but minimal, just as good for grown-ups! 

Reasons to avoid

-
 Quite large 

Just as appealing for an adult space as for a child’s room, this quirky dinosaur lamp is distinctive and instantly recognisable but still minimal enough to last them a few years. It’s not too difficult to put together, or as fussy as some novelty lamps, but the effect is outstanding — it’s quite large for a child’s lamp, so it makes a real statement on the bedside table, and gives off a warm glow that’s bright enough to see you through story time. 

3. Lightstax Starter

This light block building set stimulates their imagination and sees them off to sleep

Specifications

Best for: Encouraging creativity
Power: Battery
Size: 24.3cm x 7.3cm x 29.2cm

Reasons to buy

+
 Great for creative play 
+
 Compatible with Lego bricks 

Reasons to avoid

-
 Not very bright 

This Lightstax building set is a toy and a nightlight in one, and makes a fantastic gift. During the day, the stackable light-up blocks give them a way to express their creativity, while at night they give off a gentle reassuring glow, with a handy 15-minute timeout feature that fades the light when they nod off. Not only does this fun, Lego-compatible set offer a safe way for them to have a say in their own decor, but the pride from building something of their very own is a wonderful gift to give. Highly recommended for children three years and older. Psssst! If they are Lego lovers, you might like these Lego storage ideas, too.

4. 3D Light Fx Spiderman

This 3D-effect lamp means your kids can be watched over by their favourite superhero

Specifications

Best for: Space saving
Power: Battery
Size: 17.5cm x 20cm x 24cm

Reasons to buy

+
 Convenient for small rooms  
+
 Very cool 3D effect; lots of characters in range 

Reasons to avoid

-
 Decal is quite fiddly to apply 

If your child’s room doesn’t have space for a bedside table (or even if it does!) this wall-mounted character light is an excellent alternative, and as it’s battery-operated, it’s not restricted to being placed near plug points either. Using a clever crack-effect decal, the 3D lamp makes it look as if Spidey is bursting through the wall, very cool for a Marvel superheroes-themed room, although there are lots of other characters to choose from too! 

5. Mathmos Space Projector

Fun for all the family, this investment projector is nothing short of mesmeric

Specifications

Best for: Investment
Power: Mains
Size: 24cm x 5cm x 24cm

Reasons to buy

+
 Mesmerising lava effect, and lots of others available 
+
 A real investment that can be enjoyed for years 

Reasons to avoid

-
 Quite expensive 

It’s not a bedroom lamp in the strictest sense, nor is it just for kids! This projector lamp from Lava Lamp originators Mathmos is, however, nothing short of amazing. It projects a colourful moving image — in this case, of relaxing flowing lava — onto the wall or ceiling, and is just as good for creating ambience at an evening get-together as helping your child to relax before bed. There’s a wide range of other moving and static effect slides available to buy, too, so they certainly won’t get bored. 

6. Itian Multi-Function Mini Pig

This little piggy will see your baby or toddler off to sleep with soothing lights and sounds

Specifications

Best for: Little ones
Power: Mains and battery
Size: 17.5cm x 7.5cm x 19cm

Reasons to buy

+
 Projector, speaker and lamp in one 
+
 Remote control included 

Reasons to avoid

-
 Build is a little flimsy 

When it comes to small people who have difficulty nodding off, this multi-talented little piggy can offer a helping hand. Not just a lamp, but a projector and speaker too, it creates a sensory haven for babies and toddlers that allows them to drop off — choose from four calming scenes that project onto the ceiling, or plug in your device to play soothing lullabies through the speaker. When they’re snoozing, you can shut it down with the remote control so as not to disturb. 

More kids' room buys:

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