I don’t think I’m being hyperbolic when I say that the Lumiére lamp is the coolest one I’ve ever used. And I have a light on my nightstand that’s shaped like Obi-Wan Kenobi’s lightsaber, so you know it’s real.
The Lumiére wins out, however, due to its unique, clever design and flexibility. And I don’t just mean that the actual lamp bends and holds different shapes — which it does — but this is a single light that can do just about anything you need a light to do. It will fit in with any room in your house, and you might just end up taking it with you when you get up to do something. And that’ll be easy because it’s wireless and super portable.
It’s a really good device, is what I’m getting at.
The Lumiére consists of two basic parts: the base and the lamp. The base has all of the controls and houses the battery, and the lamp is a single panel containing 28 LEDs. But you don’t realize that it has that many bulbs when it’s on because it throws off uniform light regardless of the brightness setting.
The base’s controls are responsive and super easy to use. You have the on/off touch point on top of the base, and instead of a discreet button, the familiar power icon is molded into the body. It’s a cool little design choice that keeps the functionality intact without messing up the Lumiére’s cool profile.
Photo: Evan Killham/Cult of Mac
On the front of the base, you have the light-selection button and brightness controls, and like the power “switch,” they’re touch-sensitive. It has six brightness levels which you can choose by tapping one of the circles on the front, but it also feels really cool to slide your finger along that panel to adjust the intensity, so that’s how I always did it.
The Lumiére throws out three different “temperatures” of light between 3,000K and 6,000K. For those readers who aren’t professional photographers or professors of Optics, that means you can choose between warm, neutral, and cool white. Between those and the brightness settings, you have 18 different light options for a variety of uses. Creator Retina Light designed the gadget to provide glare-free illumination and avoid eye strain, and it’s succeeded admirably.
Simply put, you want this lamp. It’ll be a bit on the pricey side when it comes out in a couple months (Retina Light says the retail price will be $118), but considering all the ways you can use it, it’s a solid buy.
The Lumiére lamp is currently seeking funding on Indiegogo. Retina Light provided Cult of Mac with a free unit for this review.
Edit – Feb 8, 7:37 p.m.: Retina Light has moved its campaign to Indiegogo. We have replaced the link in the body of the text and will update if the Kickstarter drive is reinstated.
