Top 5 compared
The best book lights
Keep reading after lights out, with a soft pool of light on the page and none on the pillow next to you.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How this works
The top 5 at a glance
A book light is a small rechargeable lamp that lights the page you’re reading and very little else, so you can read in bed while someone beside you sleeps. A clip-on light grips the cover of a book or the edge of an e-reader, its head arched over the pages on a bendable neck; a neck light rests around your shoulders and shines down from just under your chin.
Clip lights fold small for a bag and suit one book at a time; neck lights leave both hands free, which suits heavy hardcovers, long sessions and knitting. Every light here charges over USB-C. The hours makers quote are at the lowest setting, so a light rated for 80 hours may give closer to 10 on full.
What matters
- Amber light for late nights, cool white for small print.
- A sleep timer, if you tend to nod off reading.
- A padded clip that holds without marking the cover.
#1Gritin 19 LED Rechargeable Book Light
$10–$20
A wide, horizontal head with 19 LEDs in a row spreads light across both pages of an open book, so you aren’t nudging the lamp each time you turn a page. Amber, mixed and white settings and stepless dimming from 10 to 100% cover everything from a sleeping partner to fine print. There’s no sleep timer, but the even spread of light makes up for it.
What owners say: A very good book light in owners’ eyes, with several brightness levels and a charge that runs for ages. The range of light colours, the low weight and a clip that grips firmly all go down well, and its looks win fans.
A closer look: Clip it to the back cover of a paperback or the edge of an e-reader and bend the gooseneck so the head sits just above the top of the page. Four indicator lights show the charge left, and it charges fully in about two hours. The gooseneck also folds down small, so it packs into a bag for trips.
- 19 LEDs, wide head
- Lights both pages evenly
- Four charge indicator lights
- Charges in about two hours
- Folds small for trips
Best for: Paperbacks and e-readers alike
- Style
- Clip-on, padded clip, gooseneck
- Light colours
- 3, 1800–6000K
- Brightness
- Stepless, 10–100%
- Battery (maker’s hours)
- 1200 mAh, 12–90 hours
- Sleep timer
- No
- Weight
- 71 g (2.5 oz)
#2Glocusent 26 LED Rechargeable Book Light
$10–$20
Glocusent’s take on the wide clip light puts 26 LEDs in two rows across a wide head, so an open book is lit edge to edge without a shadow down the middle. Five colour settings from 1800K amber to 6000K white, with stepless tuning in between, give the widest choice of light colour here.
What owners say: Owners like the spread of colour and brightness settings, which lets them set the light just how they want it, and say it runs a long time between charges. They describe it as a pretty little reading lamp that’s light and practical.
A closer look: Pick from the five set steps or fine-tune the colour and brightness steplessly in between. At its lowest there’s just enough light for the page beside a sleeping partner, and on full it doubles as a small lamp in a power outage, as Glocusent suggests.
- 26 LEDs in two rows
- No shadow down the middle
- Doubles as an outage lamp
- Bookmark and USB-C cable included
Best for: Getting the light colour just right
- Style
- Clip-on, padded clip, gooseneck
- Light colours
- 5, 1800–6000K
- Brightness
- 5 levels + stepless
- Battery (maker’s hours)
- 1200 mAh, 12–90 hours
- Sleep timer
- No
- Weight
- 78 g (2.8 oz)
#3Gritin Neck Reading Light
$10–$20
Worn around the neck, it lights the page from just under your chin, so it works with anything from a heavy hardcover to a magazine and both hands stay free. It has four colours from 2000K amber up to 6000K white, and a 30-minute timer that switches it off if you drift off mid-chapter.
What owners say: Comfortable around the neck and a great light for reading at night, by owners’ accounts, with brightness and tone that change in a moment. The battery’s staying power impresses them most.
A closer look: Hold the power button to start the 30-minute timer, which is handy on nights you’re likely to fall asleep reading. The soft silicone band is shaped to sit around the neck without pressing, so it stays comfortable over pyjamas or a sweater. Knitters and anyone mending by hand get the same benefit as readers: light on the work and two free hands.
- Remembers your last setting
- Soft silicone neck band
- Suits hardcovers and magazines
- Handy for knitting and mending
- USB-C cable included
Best for: Reading in bed hands-free
- Style
- Neck
- Light colours
- 4, 2000–6000K
- Brightness
- 5 steps + stepless
- Battery (maker’s hours)
- 1000 mAh, 80+ hours
- Sleep timer
- 30 min
- Weight
- 122 g (4.3 oz)
#4Glocusent Neck Reading Light
$20–$30
Each of its two arms has its own switch, so you can light just one side, and the narrow 90° beam keeps the light on your book rather than on the pillow next to you. Yellow 3000K, warm white 4000K and cool white 6000K settings cover reading, knitting and close repair work.
What owners say: Owners say the brightness is just right for what they use it for, and that the battery keeps its charge for a long while between uses. They find it practical for everyday use, like the range of settings and how light it is, and think it’s fair value.
Heads up: Glocusent asks for a full charge before the first use and no more than six hours on the charger at a time, so don’t leave it plugged in overnight.
A closer look: Bend the supple arms so the heads point slightly inward and down at the page, whatever angle suits you. With both arms on high, Glocusent puts the runtime at 8 to 10 hours, so one arm on low is the setting that stretches a charge the furthest.
- Each arm switched separately
- Narrow 90° beam
- Keeps light off the pillow
- Supple, bendable arms
- Suits knitting and close repairs
Best for: Two-sided light for reading and crafts
- Style
- Neck
- Light colours
- 3, 3000–6000K
- Brightness
- 3 levels per arm
- Battery (maker’s hours)
- 1000 mAh, up to 80 hours
- Sleep timer
- No
- Weight
- 137 g (4.8 oz)
#5Gritin Compact Rechargeable Book Light
$10–$20
A small, flat bar of a light with a honeycomb shade over its seven LEDs to soften the glare, and the same amber, mixed and white settings as Gritin’s bigger clip light, at a lower price. The head turns and tilts and the clip swivels through 215°, so the light lands on the page from almost any angle.
What owners say: Owners say a charge lasts so long they rarely need to plug it in, and that the light settings and swivelling head put the light right where they want it. They like how compact it is and are happy with what it cost.
A closer look: Short presses on the brightness button jump straight to one of five set levels, quicker in the dark than holding it down to dim. It remembers the colour and brightness you last used, and a power indicator shows how charging is going. It’s small enough to tuck into a bag beside the book.
- Honeycomb shade softens glare
- Clip swivels through 215°
- Head turns 90° each way
- Remembers your last setting
Best for: Trips and weekends away
- Style
- Clip-on, compact (no pad stated)
- Light colours
- 3, 1800–6000K
- Brightness
- 5 steps + stepless
- Battery (maker’s hours)
- 600 mAh, 10–80 hours
- Sleep timer
- No
- Weight
- 46 g (1.6 oz)
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Gritin 19 LED | #2Glocusent 26 LED | #3Gritin neck light | #4Glocusent neck light | #5Gritin compact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Runner-up | Best neck light | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.4 |
| Price | $10–$20 | $10–$20 | $10–$20 | $20–$30 | $10–$20 |
| Style | Clip-on, padded clip, gooseneck | Clip-on, padded clip, gooseneck | Neck | Neck | Clip-on, compact (no pad stated) |
| Light colours | 3, 1800–6000K | 5, 1800–6000K | 4, 2000–6000K | 3, 3000–6000K | 3, 1800–6000K |
| Brightness | Stepless, 10–100% | 5 levels + stepless | 5 steps + stepless | 3 levels per arm | 5 steps + stepless |
| Battery (maker’s hours) | 1200 mAh, 12–90 hours | 1200 mAh, 12–90 hours | 1000 mAh, 80+ hours | 1000 mAh, up to 80 hours | 600 mAh, 10–80 hours |
| Sleep timer | No | No | 30 min | No | No |
| Weight | 71 g (2.5 oz) | 78 g (2.8 oz) | 122 g (4.3 oz) | 137 g (4.8 oz) | 46 g (1.6 oz) |
| Best for | Paperbacks and e-readers alike | Getting the light colour just right | Reading in bed hands-free | Two-sided light for reading and crafts | Trips and weekends away |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
Photos are illustrative, some computer-generated. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. It costs you nothing extra. How we pick · How this works.