Found a $5 desk lamp at Goodwill that completely fixed my eye strain

I was getting headaches every day after work at my desk in Minneapolis. Thought it was the monitor or my posture. Then I stopped by Goodwill near my office and grabbed this old banker's lamp for 5 bucks. The shade directs light exactly where I need it and kills the glare on my screen. No more headaches. Has anyone else had good luck with thrifted lighting?

3 comments

3 Comments

daniel_martin20d ago

Huh, I actually had the opposite experience. I tried a desk lamp from a thrift store once and it just made things worse. The warm light from those old bulbs can actually increase eye strain if you're doing detailed work. Plus the shade might not be adjustable enough. I ended up getting a simple LED desk lamp from Target that has a dimmer and a flexible neck for about 15 bucks. That worked way better for me.

alicehernandez19d ago

Yo @daniel_martin, I read somewhere that warm bulbs actually help your eyes relax more than harsh cool light.

felix_black19d ago

@daniel_martin I get what you're saying about the warm bulbs, but you can just swap them out for an LED bulb for cheap. The real magic with those old banker lamps is the glass shade. That green glass throws a narrow cone of light that cuts screen glare way better than most modern lamps I've tried. I actually snagged a similar one for 4 bucks at a garage sale in St Paul and it killed my headaches too. Make sure the bulb is around 3000K and you're golden. The build quality on those old metal lamps is usually way better than anything new at that price point.