Obviously, I’d heard the buzz about Pooky's cult-favorite cordless table lamps. As an interiors editor, I’d tracked the beloved UK brand’s arrival stateside back in February – and its meteoric rise since. In just over a year, its playful, mix-and-match shades and sculptural bases have gone from insider secret to ubiquitous obsession.
I’d tested them before in stores but never actually taken one home – until recently, when I got my hands on the Smaller Marmaron Table Lamp. I picked out the classic combination of a gray marble base and a gloriously punchy black-and-white ikat shade.
I hailed a cab instead of my usual train simply because I couldn’t wait to get home and see the lighting idea in action. Where would it go? Would the legends be true? Would I finally retire my clunky plug-in lamps in favor of something sleeker, smarter, and cordless?
After living with this portable lamp in situ for a few months now, here are my honest thoughts on whether Pooky’s Smaller Marmaron Table Lamp is really worth the hype.
The Marmaron Table Lamp comes in two sizes – small (mine) and large – offering between nine and seventeen hours of cordless glow, depending on brightness. It fully charges in about five hours via USB and operates with a ludicrously good-looking gold remote. With more than 340 shade options to choose from, the world – or at least your lamp – is your oyster.
First Impressions
I have zero patience for complicated tech. I don’t read manuals, I refuse to download extra apps, and if something requires more than two cords, I’m out. So the fact that the Marmaron fit so seamlessly into my life speaks volumes.
If you’re new to Pooky, the cordless magic comes down to the brand’s Genesis Rechargeable Cell: a sleek, removable capsule with a clear on-off button and a discreet USB port. I popped the cell into the base, pressed the button (it lit up immediately), and placed the shade on top. The entire encounter took maybe 90 seconds.
You can tap the cell directly to turn it on or off, but the real thrill is the tiny gold remote. From across the room, you can adjust the brightness (lower settings stretch the charge to 17 hours) or even set a timer for 15, 30, or 60 minutes, which means you never have to remember to switch it off yourself.
After a few test runs – and the slightly humbling realization that I was lusting after a remote control – the real question was: where to put my new obsession?
Living With the Marmaron
Sure, I could have put my Marmaron on a desk or bookshelf – and, to be fair, it’s had brief stints on both in the month or so since entering my life – but I wanted to test the full promise of its cordless freedom. So I chose somewhere more unorthodox and maybe even a little precarious: my shoe rack. Necessary? Probably not. But I like to think my children deserve a little ambience, too.
And I think they enjoyed it. Most nights, as I gestured from my laptop toward the lamp with its gold remote, the soft, linen-diffused glow washed over rows of mostly black leather, transforming a purely functional storage zone into something approaching a vignette. I’ve mostly kept it on the lowest brightness, which might explain why I’ve only charged it twice in a month – impressive for what I’d call pretty heavy use.
For now, the shoe rack seems to be its spiritual home. But after my bathroom vanity light mysteriously gave out last week (no, not the bulbs), the Marmaron has been pulling double duty there. It’s been the perfect stand-in – casting a warm, moody glow that somehow makes my small bathroom feel elevated and serene.
Final Thoughts
My marble-and-ikat combo comes in at a cool $265 – not nothing, but fair given the materials, craftsmanship, and that glorious gold remote, which, in my opinion, is priceless. It has the weight – both visual and literal – of something substantial and enduring, not a placeholder piece (which, frankly, too many cordless lamps end up feeling like). Yet it still delivers all the flexibility I didn’t know I needed.
My apartment is small and always in flux – constantly rearranged depending on my mood, my guests, or my inability to commit to one layout. The Marmaron rolls with all of it, somehow making every configuration feel intentional, even when I’m phoning it in. (If future me can’t be bothered to get up after watching my nightly shows, the built-in timer has become my unofficial bedtime reminder – a rare act of technology I actually appreciate.)
Aesthetically, I’m convinced I’ve landed on my perfect pairing in the marble base and ikat shade. Still, the beauty of this lamp is that it doesn’t demand monogamy – there are hundreds of shades to mix, match, and swap like accessories. I’m already eyeing a few backups for future mood shifts – or, more likely, wardrobe changes. My Marmaron gets it.
Alternative Pooky Shades
Everyone needs a little black dress and a go-to pair of noir trousers – the same rule applies to lamps. Keep it simple and striking with black silk; it’s timeless, more than a little moody, and always in style.
For something with more bite, acclaimed British designer Matthew Williamson brings his signature maximalist flair to Pooky’s world with a warm, pleated leopard shade – a playful, patterned twist that scratches our collective itch for all things feline.
Another collaboration worth noting: Morris & Co. The brand’s heritage-inspired claret-and-gold snakeshead silk shade feels autumnal and rich, yet the softly scalloped border keeps it from feeling old or overly austere.
I landed on the living-room/closet/shoe-rack junction (in NYC, those zones tend to merge), but again, the real magic of this lamp is its portability. Believe me – it’s already making guest appearances all over the place.
And speaking of wandering light, have you ‘lampscaped’ your kitchen yet? Dive into the kitchen countertop lighting trend, cozying up our culinary endeavors.
