It has to be said that when it comes to choosing a desk lamp, halogen lighting is truly fit for purpose. Having made such a bold statement, it also has to be said that, whilst halogen lamps do indeed have many advantages, this form of illumination is surrounded by many myths, which this article aims to dispel.
First things first, halogen bulbs are what is know as incandescent bulbs, as are ordinary light bulbs. In basic terms, a thin wire filament is caused to glow by passing an electric current through it; oxygen is kept out by the glass bulb, which is why the filament does not just burn up.
In halogen lamps, the filament is housed within a glass envelope and surrounded by a mixture of inert gas and halogen. The result is that the filament burns brighter, hotter and for longer. The downside of this is an increased running temperature, which means that halogen lamps should not longer be the first choice for inset ceiling and wall lights. This is because they back into a small enclosed space, which makes them a potential fire hazard.
Another character that some people see as a disadvantage is the lack of the rosy glow that comes from traditional light bulbs. When it comes to task lighting, however, a rosy glow is far less essential than clear illumination.
And this, of course, is the crux of the matter – the characteristics of light produced by halogen lamps are very different from the light we have grown used to. It is not cozy, it is not soft focus, it is not good general illumination; it is clean, it is white, it is directable – it is ideal task lighting.
Halogen light is bright and white, not only making colors appear brighter but also reducing eyestrain, which specifically explains why halogen lamps have become so popular as reading lights and desk lights.
Because of the brightness, halogen lamps must be shaded. The Benefit of a shaded halogen lamp is that you can use the shade to direct the light where you need it. In the case of a halogen desk lamp, the illumination falls onto your paperwork and is not dissipated around the rest of the room.
The most regularly cited advantage of halogen lights is their long life. The fact is, if you turned on your halogen desk lamp today and left it on, day and night, it would run significantly longer than a standard light bulb before failing. And amazingly, it would do all of that on just 20% of the energy used by a standard bulb.
So there you have it – the truth about halogen lighting. These lamps may not be the definitive answer to all your lighting needs but when it comes to desk lamps they really are the light of choice.