#HTE

Task Lamp with a Difference: The Herston Self-Balancing Desk Lamp

In last week’s “Currently Crowdfunding: Notable Campaigns of the Week” we printed a brief mention of the Herston self-balancing desk lamp, but it’s such a kick-ass design that we want to take a closer look at it here. A task lamp is one of the most important things you can have on your desk, and the Herston, by industrial designers Oliver and Greta Chambers, is a clear improvement over what came before.

Ever since design school I’ve always owned your standard drafting table swing-arm lamp. The problem with these is that the springs and plastic joint-tightening knobs always wear out, and in short order the lamp is no longer capable of providing its chief service, which is putting light exactly where you want it. On top of that, the cheap stamped metal and plastic parts don’t feel particularly nice in the hand.

In contrast, the Chambers’ design is made from oak or walnut, and the metal parts are brass (and cast-iron for the precision counterweights). Conductive joints mean the ugly power cables are hidden, and the base rotates smoothly on ball bearings.

At £260 (about USD $340) for the Early Birds, the Herston isn’t cheap, but you get what you pay for, and the campaign has already been successfully Kickstarted. There are still nine days left if you’d like to get in on it. Once it goes to market, it will retail for £450 (about USD $586), so the Kickstarter price is a pretty good discount.