Orb Table Lamp - Clear Glass, Black Shade, Polished Nickel Elstead

Orb is a table lamp from Elstead Lighting's own range, made in England. The base is a clear glass orb narrowing towards the top, with a polished nickel rod running through its centre; the foot and the collar under the shade are in the same metal. A drum shade in black faux linen completes it.

Size and placement

The lamp is 67 cm tall and the shade is 36 cm across — compare that with the depth of the sideboard, console or side table it will stand on, so the shade does not overhang the edge. It weighs 2.38 kg.

It runs from a plug, so there is nothing to install beyond a socket within reach of the cable, and it is switched with an inline switch on the cable. It is a Class I fitting, so the plug has an earth pin and needs an earthed socket.

Bulb and light

There is one E27 lampholder for a bulb of up to 60 W, and no bulb is included. The maker recommends a clear E27 A60 LED of 8 W giving 800 lm at 3000 K — as much light as an old 60 W bulb, in warm white.

Black fabric lets very little light through, so the shade sends it out of its openings, down onto the surface and up onto the wall and ceiling, while the shade itself stays dark. That makes this a lamp for lighting a surface and creating a pool of light rather than for brightening a whole room. The fitting works with dimmable lamps: dimming needs a bulb sold as dimmable and a dimmer, which for a plug-in lamp means an inline or plug-in one.

Construction and variants

The body combines steel and glass, and the shade is faux linen. The maker describes the form as classic with a modern twist: the traditional shape of a shaded lamp, but on a clear base that shows its construction. The spare shade carries the maker's code LS3018, and the same model also comes with a white shade. It is intended for indoor use and assigned to office use.