"A bit of a cylinder, a Christmas bauble, and a petri dish," are the words designer Lex Pott uses to describe the Portable LED Lamp he designed for IKEA's PS 2026 collection. On paper, it doesn't sound like it should work, but oh, it does. Falling somewhere between a street lamp silhouette and an exposed bulb, it's sleek and modern, and comes in three punchy colorways: a vibrant green and blue, blue and burgundy, and red and burgundy.
The battery-operated portable lamp has three dimming settings and stretches 22cm high, so it's perfect for placing on a shelf, desk, or dinner table without obstructing your view. It would even work to add a bit of extra glow to your kitchen counter, as its glass and metal make-up would be very easy to clean. Honestly, the biggest question is which colorway you'd pick.
Lex says he found inspiration from the last IKEA PS Collection, which was launched almost 10 years ago. "The common denominator was explicit exploration, experimentation," he says. It included now iconic designs — including the Railway Lamp, which came in a steel cage — and provided Lex "the freedom to think openly and use that heritage and legacy towards new openings."
One of the best things about a portable lamp is that they often have dimmable settings, giving you absolute authority over ambience. This one comes with three levels — 100%, 30%, and 10%. It’s durable, as the LED lamp is battery-operated and easily rechargeable. One review says, "Perfection in size and luminosity."
While IKEA's PS 2026 Portable LED Lamp is a winner in my eyes, if you're looking for something a bit more unique (that's not also all over your TikTok FYP), below I've sourced some equally kaleidoscopic portable table lamps to shop.
Staying truer to IKEA’s primary palette, the Lexon table lamp is funky and functional. The clever rotatable and detachable magnetic head allows the lamp to shine in any direction. If you’re looking for soft ambience, the lamp projects warm white and cold white light; but if you’re looking for something atmospheric, choose from one of the seven LED colors. The lamp itself also comes in a range of colors.
Designed to find joy in little moments, this motion-controlled Tilt LED Portable Lamp by Ed Heritage brings a contemporary edge. The planetary bulb balances on the tilt to softly brighten your room. Fabulous physics are indeed at play — the motion of tilting is the switch: Tilt the lamp forward using the wooden handle to turn it on, and backward to turn it off. This burnt orange ash is gorgeous, but they also have a black ash design.
Illuminate with style with this brass opal disk by houseof. It has elements of the IKEA lamp — both dish and bauble — but this simply cuts out the cylindrical middleman, so the lamp casts a glow from a much lower angle. The brass reflects the light to create an atmospheric soft elegance that radiates through the home.
This portable orb-like lamp is inspired by traditional oil lamps. The elliptical glass shade offers a warm glow in true Scandinavian style. Many reviews rave about this buy, with one writing, "Whoever designed this object deserves an award."
This MADE lamp features an egg-shaped glowy bulb that sits on top of the gorgeous brown terrazzo base. It is practical and dimmable with one simple touch. So far, it has one five-star review that says, "It's very cute, looks great on the mantlepiece, and the recharge lasts ages."
The brushed brass displays a warm white globe in the most elegant lamp yet. This burnished minimalist design is easy to style, as it goes well with terracotta tones or an earthy palette for a timeless look.
IKEA’s PS 2026 collection has pleasantly surprised the design world, proving that true creative innovation is still possible. As part of the collection, Lex Potts also designed a twisting floor uplighter — the three-in-one lamp that functions as an uplighter, a spotlight, and a reading lamp, which is as carefully crafted as its portable cousin.
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