Cyclone table lamp black Nordlux

The Cyclone is a classic desk lamp from Nordlux: a round base and a black lacquered, glossy bell shade on a chrome arm with a flexible section just under the shade. The inside of the shade is pale, so the light leaves in one direction — wherever the shade is turned.

How much room it takes on a surface

The lamp stands 33 cm high and measures 14 cm horizontally — a little more than a sheet of A4 stood on end, so it fits a bedside table and hides no monitor on a desk. The shade is 11 cm across and 14 cm tall, and the arm is a thin tube 1.4 cm in diameter.

The whole lamp weighs 0.95 kg. That weight sits in the base and counters the forward-leaning shade, so the lamp can be moved with one hand without holding the base down.

Aiming the light

The shade turns and tilts, and the flexible part of the arm changes the angle without twisting the whole lamp. The manufacturer describes it as a lamp for directional light and intends it for a desk or a bedside table: the beam can be put on a book, on a keyboard, or bounced off a wall.

The bulb it needs

There is one lampholder, with an E14 base, for which the manufacturer gives a 15 W limit — the ceiling for the bulb, not the lamp's own consumption. No bulb is included, so the colour and the brightness are yours to choose; a bedside lamp is usually given warm light around 2700 K.

The switch sits on the cable, within reach without touching the shade. The cable is sheathed in black plastic and the manufacturer states that it is not replaceable — if it is damaged it cannot be swapped out at home. The lamp is class II, so it needs no earthed socket.