This $30 Mini Lamp Brings Me So Much Joy
I can’t deny that anything miniature gives me so much joy. A tiny spoon that requires six scoops to amount to a teaspoon of sugar? Love it. A bud vase that holds one flower? Need. It should come as no surprise, then, that stumbling upon this miniature mushroom lamp at the MoMA Design Store resulted in a flurry of excitement and a spontaneous — but necessary — purchase. Now that it’s been in my home for a few months, I’m still so glad I pulled out my credit card.
The Lexon Mina LED Portable Light blends mid-century modern and Scandinavian design into a goes-with-anything lamp that comes in 13 colors and three sizes — the silver mini version that I have is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
Lexon Mina Small Bedside Lamp
Amazon
$29.90
What’s So Great About the Lexon Mina LED Portable Light?
Well, for starters, it’s possibly the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. The Lexon Mina LED Portable Light takes cues from mid-century modern and Scandinavian design with its nature-inspired silhouette, aluminum base, and perfectly minimal structure, nodding to classics like Giancarlo Mattioli’s Nesso table lamp and Verner Panton’s Flowerpot and Panthella lamps. Designers Manuela Simonelli and Andrea Quaglio point out that every detail of the Mina lamp is “carefully studied and important,” from the “subtly softened base that detaches it from the floor,” to the lampshade that “seems to be suspended in equilibrium on the metal cone that supports it.”
Mid-century inspired lamps are classic for a reason — they’re simple, elegant, and work with pretty much any style of decor, either blending in with items from a similar era or offering a sleek, modern moment amid more traditional furnishings.
Measuring around three inches tall, the Mina lamp fits easily in the palm of my hand, but should you desire a larger lamp and more light, there are also medium and large versions that are about an inch or two taller. Its teensy size, combined with the USB-recharging functionality, makes it highly portable.
Even though it’s not going to replace a task light or desk lamp, I frequently move it around my apartment wherever I might need more light. I switch it on for a more concentrated light to read in bed, it illuminates my journal as I write on my couch, and it adds a gentle glow on the dining table during dinner. It holds a two-hour charge, so I imagine it would also be perfect for a “bedside” lamp while camping, or as a tiny task light on an office desk. Because my Mina lamp primarily lives on my nightstand, I usually leave it plugged in — that way it’s always fully charged the next time I’m ready to use it elsewhere.
Aside from its irresistibly miniature stature, my second favorite feature of this lamp is the adjustable brightness and hue. As someone who adjusts the temperature and brightness of my lights throughout the day, I greatly appreciate that there are two temperature settings (one warm, and one that skews more daylight) and a brightness range that can be changed easily with the bottom power button. I love a warm, dim light in the evening, but during the bright daylight hours a cooler-toned light is less disorienting to the eye, and while the full brightness of this lamp is often too much for a reading light, I just press and hold the button for a less intense glow.
If you’re like me and need this lamp, here’s the scoop: While the MoMA Design Store sells a concise selection of four colorways, Amazon actually carries 13 different colors (plus free Prime shipping, of course). I’m partial to the goes-with-anything silver one I have, but I’ve also got my eye on the glossy black, bronze, and hunter green colors to illuminate every last corner of my apartment — I just can’t get enough of these cuties.
Buy: Lexon Mina LED Portable Light, $29.90
Further Reading
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