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Rechargeable Lamps: The Complete Buying Guide
Battery life, brightness, weather rating and charging logistics — everything we check before we put a cordless lamp on a client’s restaurant table. Written by the studio that specifies them for a living.
The Basics
What a rechargeable lamp actually is.
A rechargeable lamp is a self-contained light: LED, dimmer and lithium battery in one body, charged on a base or by USB. No cable to the wall, so it moves with the room — from table to terrace, from dinner service to a late bar.
For hospitality that changes the arithmetic. You light a table without an electrician, without a socket, and without a trailing cable across a walkway. For a home it means a reading light on the balcony, or a lamp on the dinner table that comes back inside when the evening cools.
How to Choose
Six things that decide whether you buy well.
Battery life
Read the number at the level you will actually use. A lamp quoted at 9 hours full-power often runs 24 on the low setting — which is where a restaurant keeps it.
Brightness & colour
Look for a warm colour temperature (2200–2700K). Cold light flattens food and faces; warm light is what makes a table look like somewhere you want to sit.
IP rating
IP20 indoor, IP52 covered outdoor, IP65 open terrace and rain. This single number decides whether the lamp survives its first summer outside.
Charging
A single lamp charges on a small base. A venue needs multi-charging bases so the whole set goes on at closing and comes off ready.
Dimming
At least three levels, ideally stepless. Dimming is not a luxury — it is how you stretch runtime and how the room changes character after 10pm.
Build & service
Aluminium and polycarbonate survive real service. More important: whether replacement batteries and spare parts exist five years from now.
For Venues
How many do you need, and how do you charge them?
One lamp per table, plus 15–20% spares. The spares matter more than they sound: when a lamp runs flat mid-service the floor staff swap it in seconds instead of leaving a table dark.
Charging is the part most venues underestimate. Six or eight lamps on individual pucks is chaos behind the bar. A multi-charging base makes it one movement at closing — every lamp on, every lamp ready before the first booking.
Popular Models
The lamps we specify most often.
These are the models that come back on our own project specifications — chosen for runtime, light quality and because parts still exist years later.
Poldina Pro
The reference cordless table lamp — dimmable, 9+ hours, 17 colours.
Zafferano
Poldina Micro
The slimmest of the family — for narrow café and bar tables.
Zafferano
Pina Pro
Glass-shaded classic form with a modern LED core.
Zafferano
Ofelia
Discreet and quiet — terraces and calm dining rooms.
Imagilights
Bullit
Outdoor Tebur® family — rugged, up to 94 hours.
Zafferano
Sister Light Wi-Fi
App-controlled — set every lamp in the room from one phone.
Questions
What buyers ask us most.
How long does the battery last on a rechargeable lamp?
It depends on the level. At full brightness most table lamps give 6–9 hours; on the low setting — the usual choice on a restaurant table — they comfortably reach 20–24 hours. Outdoor models such as the Tebur® family run up to 94 hours.
Can they stay outside in the rain?
Only those rated for it. IP65 means protection from dust and water jets, so the lamp can live on an uncovered terrace. IP20 or IP52 is for indoor or covered use. Always check the rating before buying.
How long do they take to charge?
Typically 6–8 hours for a full charge — one night. For venues we specify multi-charging bases that take 6 or more lamps at once, so staff can drop the whole set on at closing.
How many lamps does my restaurant need?
The working rule is one lamp per table plus 15–20% spares. The spares are not a luxury: they let you swap in a fresh lamp the moment one runs flat mid-service, so no table is ever left dark.
Is the battery replaceable?
On quality models, yes. The battery is a consumable and loses capacity after a few hundred charge cycles. As an authorised dealer we stock replacement batteries and handle service — which is why a branded lamp costs less over five years than a cheap one with no support.
Are they bright enough to read a menu?
Yes. Lamps in this class deliver roughly 150–260 lumens at full output, comfortably enough to read a menu across a table. In practice most restaurants run them at 30–50%, where the light is more flattering and the runtime far longer.
What is the difference between Poldina Pro and Poldina Micro?
Same design language, two sizes. The Poldina Pro (38 cm tall) is the full version for dining tables and consoles. The Poldina Micro (27.5 cm, 7 cm base) was made for narrow bar and café tables where every centimetre counts.
Do you ship across Greece?
Yes, across Greece and the islands. Trade orders from 10 units carry volume pricing — send us the venue and table count and we reply with price and lead time within one business day.
Your Venue
Not sure which lamp fits your space?
Tell us the venue and the number of tables. We reply with a recommendation, volume pricing and lead time within one business day.