When choosing a floor lamp, you should consider factors like the size of your space, your current decor, and how bright you want it to be. The Brightech Carter Floor Lamp almost seems too good to be true. Most floor lamps retail for hundreds of dollars, but this modern product costs less than $100. To see if this affordable floor lamp is truly a hidden home decor gem, we tested it out over the course of several weeks and evaluated its setup, design, and brightness. Here’s what we found.
Setup: Easy, but pay attention to the lampshade
When we first received the package for the Brightech Carter Floor Lamp, our first thought was, “Oh no, does it not come with a lampshade?” The box is so small (20 x 20.5 x 5.5 inches to be exact) and we couldn’t imagine how a lampshade could possibly be inside it. We actually went back and checked the online listing to see if it was only the base. Rest assured, there’s both a base and lampshade inside the small box. Brightech pulls this off by sending the lampshade disassembled—we found two metal hoops and a rolled-up piece of fabric inside the package. It’s actually quite easy to put the shade together, as the fabric has little plastic clips along the edges that snap onto the hoops. However, a word to the wise: Make sure the hoop with spokes is arranged in a concave way. The instructions are sparse, and we ended up putting it together backward the first time, which makes the shade look weird and awkward with the spokes jutting out the bottom. (If you look at the product’s reviews, you’ll find that this is actually a common mistake. Luckily, it’s easy to fix by unclipping the hoop and flipping it over.) Beyond that, we simply screwed together the various pole pieces, which already had the wire threaded through them, and screwed the pole into the base. The lamp comes with a 9.5-watt LED light bulb, which is supposed to last up to 20 years, and once we put the shade in place and screwed in the bulb, we were done. The whole setup process took about 10 minutes, and that’s including the time it took to correct our mistake assembling the lampshade.
Design: Classic and simple
There’s nothing especially noteworthy about the appearance of the Brightech Carter Floor Lamp. It’s simple and plain, but we think that works to its advantage. Because it’s a classic style, it will mesh well with just about any decor—it’s marketed as mid-century modern, but it matched our more rustic, farmhouse decor perfectly. It would even fit in with modern, contemporary, or traditional styles. Here’s what you can expect from this floor lamp: The 11-inch base is a metallic silver, and it’s quite heavy and sturdy. The bottom few inches of the pole are silver like the base, and then it turns into the wood. The pole is made up of three wooden segments, each of which is separated by a little silver disc, and the finish is described as “maple,” which is dark with red undertones. We did find that there are small gaps between the wood and metal discs, but it’s not that noticeable once the piece is assembled. At the top of the pole, there’s another metal segment that leads up to the shade, and we had issues trying to get this piece to screw in straight. It juts off at the slightest angle, but after a few days of use, we stopped seeing it. As for the shade, it’s a classic cylindrical drum that’s 10 inches high and 19 inches across and covered with an off-white, linen-style material. There’s a silver pull chain hanging down to turn the lamp on and off, and the lamp’s electrical cord is a plain translucent grayish silver. The cord measures 79 inches from the base, so you can place the lamp pretty far from an outlet if needed. It’s also compatible with smart home devices, but you’ll need to purchase a smart plug separately. One thing we especially liked about the Brightech Carter Floor Lamp is its height. At 65 inches tall, it’s quite a bit larger than your average floor lamp. Because the room where we placed it has extremely high ceilings, the extra height made it fit the space better. Looking for a different type of lamp? Browse our guide to the best home lamps.
Brightness: Soft, warm light
The Brightech Carter Floor Lamp isn’t the brightest lamp ever. It’s designed more for gentle, ambiance lighting than for task lighting, and we liked that it gives off a warm, soft glow. The included power-saving LED bulb gives off a 3,000 kelvin warm white light at a brightness of 800 lumens—equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent bulb. If you prefer to switch out the bulb, it can’t exceed 150 watts. Essentially, if you’re looking for a light to read under, this isn’t it. However, if you’re just aiming to brighten up a small room at night, the Brightech Carter Floor Lamp will do the trick. Need a bulb to go with your new lamp? See our guide to the best light bulbs.
Price: Surprisingly affordable
One of the major appeals of the Brightech Carter Floor Lamp is that it retails for around $85. Many floor lamps cost well over $100, so this low price definitely caught our eyes! To be honest, we expected this lamp might be low-quality or poorly made since it was so inexpensive, but overall, we were pleasantly surprised at the caliber of materials and sturdy build. Even the DIY lampshade looks high-end!
Competition: It depends on your style
Stone & Beam Deco Metal Frame Living Room Standing Floor Lamp: If you have more of a farmhouse or even industrial style, you might like the appearance of the Stone & Beam Deco Floor Lamp, which we also tested. This lamp has a black metal base with four spokes, and though it’s shorter than the Brightech Carter Lamp, it has a similar DIY shade and gives off the same type of warm, soft glow. However, it’s more expensive than the Brightech model, retailing for around $120. Greyleigh Fishel Utility Floor Lamp: For a better task light, we tested this floor lamp from Greyleigh, which is a more functional option. It comes in a variety of metallic finishes, and instead of a standard lampshade, it has a height-adjustable metal shade that directs light straight down. It’s great for reading and costs around $150. Our only real complaint is that the cord hangs down and is a bit unsightly. Check out our guide to the best floor lamps you can buy today. We were skeptical when we first began testing the Brightech Carter Floor Lamp, thanks to its too-good-to-be-true price and small packaging, but this lamp exceeded expectations at every turn. Its classic design is sturdy and would fit in with any decor, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better floor lamp at this low price.
