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Floor lamp types explained: which kind lights your room best?

Madeleine Bright

October 19, 2026

Brightech Trilage floor lamp with three linen drum shades arching over a woman sitting on a rug

Start with where you want the light: up, down, out over a sofa, or in several spots.

Floor lamps differ most in where they send the light. An uplight (often called a torchiere) aims at the ceiling and lights the whole room. A reading lamp aims down at a page. An arc lamp reaches out over a sofa. A multi-head or tree lamp splits light across several spots. A drum shade lamp glows up and down to warm a corner, and an empire shade tapers its glow down and out. Pick the type first, then the style.

Uplight (torchiere): for rooms with no ceiling light

An uplight points its light at the ceiling, which spreads it softly across the whole room. It is the closest thing to adding a ceiling fixture without an electrician. Brightech's Sky is the best seller here, at 2,190 lumens on a 10 inch base.

Black Brightech Sky LED torchiere floor lamp washing light up the wall of a dark grey room next to a black stool — Sky Floor Lamp, Black

Brightech Sky Floor Lamp, Black product photo — Sky Floor Lamp, Black

Cream Brightech Sky LED torchiere floor lamp behind a wooden desk with an open notebook and a blue mug — Sky Floor Lamp, Cream

Brightech Sky Floor Lamp, Cream product photo — Sky Floor Lamp, Cream

Reading lamp: light on the page

A reading lamp has a shade that points down, often on an arm you can move. It lights your book, not your face. The Leaf (swing arm, 1,150 lumens, built-in dimmer) and the Swoop (pivoting shade on a curved arm) are the two to compare. For more, see our guide to reading lamps.

Silver Brightech Leaf floor lamp with its swing arm extended over a desk and a leather office chair — Leaf Floor Lamp, Silver

Brightech Leaf Floor Lamp, Silver product photo — Leaf Floor Lamp, Silver

Black Brightech Swoop floor lamp with a brass arm angled over a woman reading in an armchair — Swoop Floor Lamp, Black

Brightech Swoop Floor Lamp, Black product photo — Swoop Floor Lamp, Black

Arc lamp: light over the sofa

An arc lamp carries the shade out over seating from a base set to the side, ideal when there is no side table or outlet beside the sofa. The Olivia reaches 57 inches. See our arc floor lamp comparison for reach and clearance.

Chrome Brightech Olivia arc floor lamp reaching its globe shade over a cream sectional sofa — Olivia Arc Floor Lamp, Chrome

Brightech Olivia Arc Floor Lamp, Chrome product photo — Olivia Arc Floor Lamp, Chrome

Multi-head and tree lamps: several spots from one plug

A multi-head lamp lets you point light in more than one direction at once. The Trilage has three adjustable arms and turns on one, two or three lights, so one lamp can light a chair, a side table and a corner. The Jacob has three shades that each swivel 360 degrees, so you can aim one at a reading chair, one at a desk and one at the ceiling, from a 65 inch lamp with an 11 inch base.

Black Brightech Trilage floor lamp with three linen shades arching over a cream sofa — Trilage Floor Lamp, Black

Brightech Trilage Floor Lamp, Black product photo — Trilage Floor Lamp, Black

Nickel Brightech Jacob floor lamp with three lit swiveling shades beside a white sofa — Jacob Lamp, Nickel

Brightech Jacob Lamp, Nickel product photo — Jacob Lamp, Nickel

Drum shade lamp: a warm corner glow

A lamp with an open fabric drum shade sends light both up and down, filling a corner evenly without glare. The Montage Modern, one of Brightech's best sellers, holds its linen drum out beside a chair or sofa arm at 60 inches tall. The Estelle (brass, scalloped cotton shade) and the Carter (walnut finish, linen shade) are the classic picks. The shade is the part to measure: 14.75, 17.7 and 19 inches across.

Cream Brightech Montage Modern floor lamp with a gold-lined drum shade glowing in a living room with leather sofas — Montage Modern Floor Lamp, Cream Gold Shade

Brightech Montage Modern Floor Lamp, Cream Gold Shade product photo — Montage Modern Floor Lamp, Cream Gold Shade

Brightech Estelle floor lamp with a scalloped ivory shade and brass stem lit beside a bookshelf and a boucle chair — Estelle Floor Lamp

Brightech Estelle Floor Lamp product photo — Estelle Floor Lamp

Brightech Carter floor lamp with a walnut finish stem and linen drum shade beside a black lounge chair and bookshelf — Carter Floor Lamp

Brightech Carter Floor Lamp product photo — Carter Floor Lamp

Empire shade lamp: a tailored, tapered glow

An empire shade is narrower at the top than at the bottom, so it sends more of its light down and out and less up to the ceiling, with a softer, more traditional outline than a straight drum. The Lea pairs a fluted shade with a slim stem, 62 inches tall, and its included bulb switches between five color temperatures, from warm 2700K to daylight 5000K. The Forge sets an oversized natural fabric empire shade on a black tripod base, at 52 inches, with the same five-setting bulb.

Lit Brightech Lea floor lamp with a fluted empire shade on a slim black tripod stem beside a white armchair — Lea Floor Lamp

Brightech Lea Floor Lamp product photo — Lea Floor Lamp

Lit Brightech Forge floor lamp with an oversized fabric empire shade on a black tripod base beside a curved sofa — Forge Floor Lamp

Brightech Forge Floor Lamp product photo — Forge Floor Lamp

Floor lamp types compared

Swipe sideways to see every type.

Type	Uplight	Reading lamp	Arc lamp	Multi-head / tree	Drum shade	Empire shade
Light goes	Up to the ceiling	Down, aimed	Down over seating	Several directions	Up and down	Down and out
Lights the whole room?	Yes	No	Partly	Partly	Partly	Partly
Good for reading?	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Somewhat	Somewhat
Floor space	Small	Small	Large	Medium to large	Medium	Small to medium
Brightech picks	Sky	Leaf, Swoop	Olivia, Logan, Mason	Trilage, Jacob	Montage Modern, Estelle, Carter	Lea, Forge

Frequently asked questions

What is a torchiere floor lamp?

A torchiere is a floor lamp that points its light up at the ceiling. The light bounces back down and spreads across the room, which makes it the best type for rooms with no overhead fixture. The Brightech Sky is an example.

What type of floor lamp gives the most light?

An uplight spreads light the widest because it uses the ceiling as a reflector. For raw output, look at lumens: Brightech's Sky gives 2,190 lumens, compared with 800 for a typical standard bulb.

What kind of floor lamp is best for reading?

One with a shade that points down and can be aimed, set at about shoulder height when you are seated. The Brightech Leaf is built for this: its head sits low on purpose and its arm swings out over a chair or bed.

What is a tree floor lamp?

A floor lamp with more than one light head on a single pole, so you can light several spots from one outlet. The Brightech Trilage has three adjustable arms, and the Jacob has three shades that each swivel 360 degrees.

What is an empire lampshade?

A shade that is narrower at the top than at the bottom. It directs more light down and out than a straight drum and gives a lamp a more tailored, traditional look. The Brightech Lea and Forge use empire-style shades.

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