Best Reading Lights for Late-Night Book Binges

• Dual lights illuminate both pages equally
• Each light is easily adjustable
• Rechargeable USB-C battery

• Requires frequent readjusting

For the best old-school pick, the one that reminds me of burning through Scholastic Book Fair titles past my bedtime, I'm going with this rechargeable LED clip-on light from Vekkia.

It's got two separate lights that you can configure and maneuver any way you see fit, illuminating each page to your heart's content. Each one has three intensity settings, and the whole thing weighs less than two ounces.

I love that the battery is a simple one, chargeable via an included USB-C cable. It will last you anywhere from a couple weeks to a few months without charging, depending on how much you read and how intense you're shining the light. Take it from me, it's one of those devices you have to charge so infrequently you forget that it even needs charging.

• Nothing clipped to your book
• Better for your eyes than a clip-on reading light
• Comfortable and lightweight enough for all ages

• Not everyone wants a wearable

The new hotness (if such a thing exists when it comes to reading lamps) are these LED neck lights. My pick would be this model from Glocusent. It hangs around your neck while projecting a light from each end and comes in a number of bright (or garish, depending on how you look at it) hues. This approach means there's nothing to clip onto your book or adjust every couple dozen pages, and you aren't exposing your eyes as directly to the lights themselves while still getting the benefits of a lit-up page.

This last part is where these really come in handy. Between the design and the blue-light filter, these are meant to significantly reduce your eyestrain while reading at night. It's a comfortable solution—in many senses of the word—although if you read for long sessions and don't want a piece of plastic around your neck as you doze off to sleep, the next option may be more your speed.

• More compact than the traditional clip-on light
• Easy to travel with
• Comes in a variety of bright colors

• USB-A charging is a little outdated

For its size and simple controls, we have to award Glocusent's USB book light as our best reading light for kids. But it's not not for adults, and if you want something easy to use that fits in a backpack next to your paperback, I'd even recommend it to travelers of all ages.

There are only three buttons here. One turns it on and off, another adjusts the brightness, and the last changes the hue of the light. Pretty much anyone can get it down after one session.

The battery is designed like a USB drive, just plug it into a USB-A port and it will start charging. A little outdated, but at least you don't need an extra charging cable.

• Slips between your wall and headboard, no drilling required
• Lights up only your side of the bed
• Easy dial for dimming

• Doesn't work with slanted or hollow headboards

If you don't want something hanging around your neck or clipped onto your precious antique copy of The Claw of the Conciliator, you need a reading lamp. You can spend over $200 for a Philips Hue smart lamp, or you can make the actual smart choice and get this Solfres headboard lamp. It doesn't require any messy installation; just make sure you have the proper amount of space between your headboard and wall and lock it in.

If it fits your space, you'll never want to use another reading light again. To change the brightness, just rotate the dimmer dial. You'll get light on your pages (not in your eyes) and you won't even have to keep track of a device. It's always gonna be right there on your bed.

Here at Esquire, we've been poking, prodding, and stress-testing products for a long time, allowing us to recommend the best tech for your hard-earned money. With combined decades of expertise in testing home electronics, we know what our readers are really looking for: products they will want to use for years and years to come. From TVs to portable air conditioners to reading lights, the gadgets we choose are the ones we genuinely like using the most.