Daylight Company Duo Lamp Review

Using two daylight bulbs and with a clamp instead if a base, this new light offers lots of flexibility for the stitcher. I have been looking at daylight lamps for awhile. I was intrigued by the low price (under $100), the two bulbs, and that it is made to attach to your stand.

Features

Its construction is unique, the two tube bulbs on the Duo Lamp are not in shades, although the top of the bulbs has an opaque covering.

Each bulb is independently mounted so they can be moved apart, ultimately going to a straight line about 20″ long. This allows the stitcher to light clearly a larger area of the project. So many other lights I have tried don’t do this and I often feel as if I have to move the needlepoint to awkward positions to use the light.

There is not a switch, per se, on the light, you turn on each bulb by tapping on the end of it. There are three levels of daylight-corrected light from each bulb.

The lamp is mounted on a flexible neck, that is attractively covered in white tubing.

The base is a clamp that is loosened and tightened by rotating the base of the neck. This allows folks with poor hand-strength to open it easily and allows the user to adjust where it is placed.

Testing & Pros

I tested the lamp doing a variety of tasks under a variety of lighting conditions.

TEST 1: I used the lamp for ripping out threads at night. I could see the stitching much better than doing the same task under a regular lamp. I found the light to be colder and more blue than the incandescent lights in the adjoining room. This is correct, however, because daylight has a blue tinge.

TEST 2: I tested and compared the lamp stitching in daylight near a window. I used the lamp at several different settings, stitched with it combined with incandescent light, and with daylight alone.

In terms of color, I could see no difference between the lamp and the colors in daylight alone. I could see a slight difference when only the incandescent light was used.

During the day I found that higher strengths of the lamp did not affect my ability to stitch much. I did find that having the light on made stitching easier.

I found that the light was helpful for all stitching tasks. It made stitching more comfortable and less fatiguing. I liked that I could adjust the lighting level so that close work, such as ripping out, could easily have brighter light.

While I don’t work on larger pieces most of the time, the duo function and spread gave good light over a wide area.

Once I knew how the clamp worked I found it very easy to adjust and place. I really liked this mechanism. The adjustable neck easily allowed me further to fine tune the light’s location.

It’s now a permanent addition to my stand.

Cons

I only have a few minor quibbles with the Duo lamp. My biggest problem is that I did not like the connection between the lamp and the cord. It was a straight-line connection with no lock or securing piece. Once plugged in it seemed fine, but it sits close enough to my stand to make me uncomfortable.

Depending on the construction of your stand, it may take a bit to find a good location. Because the lamp is heavy, it needs to be centered on the stand or to be placed where it acts as a counterbalance to the weight of the needlework. Otherwise your stand may fall down. I saw it placed on the top of the central pole of metal stands. I placed mine at the far end of the horizontal pole of my K’s Stainless Steel Stand. I have had no problems with this placement. The neck is long and flexible enough for this not to be a problem and the more distant location of the light will not interfere with your stitching,

Another concern I have is flickering. When I used the lamp at night it didn’t bother me. However during the day I felt there was a flicker. Because the high-speed flickering of some lights can cause headaches, I suggest you test this lamp of this might be a problem for you.

Conclusions

I really liked this light and found it provided good light for many stitching tasks and would work in many locations. Many needlework shops are carrying the lamp, so it’s definitely worth checking out.

Please Note: I was provided with this lamp for the purposes of an unbiased review.