Best sunset lamp 2024: Our favourite ambience-altering lamps

The best sunset lamps (or sunset projection lamps) offer circular, golden hues that can really elevate the aesthetics of a room to another level. Many have the option to set timers so you can give yourself a warming wake-up, as well as options for alternative colour modes perfect for a party or any other moods you want to evoke.

Since our homely spaces have become even more important – as a place of work for many in recent years, on top of the rest and relaxation haven they were before – creating an environment where you can thrive should be a priority. Sunset lamps can do exactly that for a pretty affordable price. If heavenly glows in your interiors sounds appealing, no matter your motive, read on below for a brief buying guide about what exactly to look out for, as well as our favourite options on the market at the moment.

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Best sunset lamps: At a glance

• Best sunset lamp on a budget: Bedee Sunset Lamp | £19
• Best-value sunset lamp: Lullabala Sunset Lamp | £26
• Most stylish sunset lamp: Govee Lyra Smart LED Floor Lamp | £150
• Best mini sunset lamp: MISSUKISS Astronaut Projector | £16

What are sunset lamps?

Essentially, these are lamps that typically emit a circular light reminiscent of that bright burning ball in the sky: the sun. An LED light is covered by glass or another transparent material that has a gradient in it, causing the circle shape to emerge in a deep orange colour reminiscent of sunset. This is often faced towards a wall for optimal sunset-style lighting to get the best effect, where the greater the distance from the wall the lamp is the larger the sunset appears, and is considered part of the wider light therapy family that also includes SAD lamps. Many lamps do more than this, though, while some might offer sunset hues instead of the more defined circular sun shape – it’s all a matter of preference.

What features should I look out for?

Besides the aforementioned sunset-style lighting, sunset lamps tend to have different modes that light can produce. It could be a sizzling strobe or a calm fading effect – it will all depend on the particular lamp.

You will also find that many lamps state their colour temperature range – usually on the Kelvin (K) temperature scale. Here, a lower number such as 3000K means a softer and more yellow-toned light, while a higher number around 5000K or 6000K indicates a whiter and brighter light. For sunset lovers, you’ll want to see a low number as part of that scale. Far more common, though, is simply a description of the number of colours the light can produce and the levels of brightness they can change between, which is more self-explanatory.

There are some rarer but incredibly fun features that you may not have considered too, such as linking the lamp with your phone to make the lights dance with music or a microphone input. Likewise, some lamps can be controlled hands-free via a virtual assistant, which can be both handy and impressive.

In terms of build, you may want a larger lamp for a living room or be content with a small table-size option; the latter is generally more common. Most are corded with a standard plug or a USB output, though there are a few battery-powered options available as well.

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How much should I spend?

This is all related to how much you want your lamp to do and, of course, what you’re willing to spend. The cheapest lamps will cost around £10 or less and will largely have one circular sunset in a single shade without any other bells and whistles. Spend a little extra, around £15 to £20, and you’ll find more colours, modes and features such as music control available to you.

Over £25 and you start to see full colour ranges in the millions alongside a full breadth of brightness levels and all the features and modes you could desire – that often includes connections to Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa for hands-free lighting control. The most expensive options, ranging from £40 to hundreds of pounds, are usually dearer because of an unusual design befitting a more modern home, alongside a wider variety of display modes and customisation features. The more you spend, the better built the lamps tend to be and therefore, the longer they’ll last – though there isn’t much change between those £15 and £50.

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The best sunset lamps you can buy in 2023

1. Bedee Sunset Lamp: Best budget sunset lamp

Price: £19 | Buy now from OnBuy

At under £10, this Bedee Sunset Lamp is simply incredible value for money. You’re getting a deep red-coloured sunset that is both incredibly soothing and stunning in one go. With its 1.2m long USB cable and 180-degree head, you’ve got a decent range of movement to position that circular glow exactly where you want it – but consider a USB hub or an extension lead with USB sockets if that isn’t enough. It all comes back to that price, though: the Bedee lamp might not be feature-loaded but it is selling for a cheap price (and even cheaper when you catch it at the right time – we’ve seen it go as low as £7!)

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 10.5 x 10.5 x 28cm; Rotation: 180 degrees; Dimmable? No; Sync with music? No; App/smart remote? No; Alexa/Google Assistant connected? No; Battery or corded: Corded; Weight: 490g

• Also consider: QASIMOF Sunset Lamp | £13

Buy now from OnBuy

2.  Sunset Lamp: Best 360 degree sunset lamp on a budget

Price: £16 | Buy now from Amazon

With its 360-degree light head, you’ll definitely get that selfie glowing at just the right angle with this sunset lamp from Nellsi. It’s one of the most physically adaptable choices on this list: not only does the light head adjust, but so do the height and angle of the base it sits upon. All three legs of the light stand can be bent and moved into the desired position, whether low or high, while remaining suitably stable.

With the remote, you can choose 16 different colour stylings, make brightness adjustments and choose alternative modes from strobe to fade. The setup just requires you to plug in the USB port to a power source.

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 20 x 4 x 11cm; Rotation: 360 degrees; Dimmable? Yes; Sync with music? Yes; App/smart remote? Both; Alexa/Google Assistant connected? No; Battery or corded: Corded; Weight: 300g

3. Lullabala Sunset Lamp: Best-value smart sunset lamp

Price: £28 | Buy now from Amazon

There are other smart sunset lamps around, but none that offers as much for this price. The Lullabala Sunset Lamp’s 16 million different colours can be selected via Bluetooth app or, even better, via Alexa/Google Assistant. You’ll need a smart speaker if you haven’t already got one to link up to your sunset lamp, but they’re a handy purchase in themselves.

Using the Smart Life app you can set sleep and wake-up plans to gradually dim or brighten within a corresponding time frame (0-2hrs). You can also synchronise your light with music via the app or switch to microphone/voice mode and play your favourite music out loud to make the light react that way. There are also various manual adjustments you can make, such as whether the light flashes or is static, or adjustments to brightness so you get exactly the right sunset for you. All in all, you get a lot for your money on this one, and we heartily recommend it.

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 3.4 x 10 x 27cm; Rotation: 180 degrees; Dimmable? Yes; Sync with music? Yes; App/smart remote? App; Alexa/Google Assistant connected? Yes; Battery or corded: Corded; Weight: 450g

4. Govee Lyra Smart LED Floor Lamp: The most stylish sunset lamp

Price: £150 | Buy now from Amazon

With its minimal design, the Govee Lyra Smart LED Floor Lamp is the most stylish sunset lamp we’ve encountered. The futuristic design may draw you in, but thankfully it also has the range of features to make it a joy to use.

There are 16 million total colours, between 2200K-6500K warm/cool whites, and 1500 lumens of brightness alongside over 64 effects such as “romantic” or even “Christmas” (you can imagine the colour scheme involved in that one). You can sync this floor lamp with music and enjoy a living room rave and change all the colours and effects using Amazon Alexa, too. Perhaps the most impressive aspect, however, is that you can draw your own custom colour effects on the app and share them with the Lyra community for others to use on their floor lamps.

The only call for caution is the price point. If you just want a simple circular sunset, get something cheaper, as this is much more expensive than the other models here. Plus, because of the Govee Lyra’s design, it doesn’t produce that typical sunset shape either – besides very specific positions – so it’s more of a bog-standard floor lamp than specifically a sunset one. But if you want more than one dimension for your new light fixture, you really do get a fantastic feature-filled package here.

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 20.5  x 15.5 x 42.4cm; Rotation: N/a; Dimmable? Yes; Sync with music? Yes; App/smart remote? App; Alexa/Google Assistant connected? Yes; Battery or corded: Corded; Weight: 2.79kg

5. Solla Sunset Lamp: Best floor sunset lamp

Price: £15 | Buy now from Amazon

Floor lamps in general can be a real statement piece in any room, so add in the ability to create stunning sunsets and this Solla lamp really excels. By having a taller lamp, your lighting can easily produce concentrated light in parts of the room others on this list can’t. There are three pipes making up the lamp neck – for a total height of 135cm – and each can be lengthened or shortened in a telescopic motion.

The Solla lamp’s neck provides 360 degrees of horizontal rotation alongside 180 degrees of vertical movement. Feature-wise, there’s nothing particularly fancy going on here: a static and deep orange hue is your only setting. But that’s all you really need to complete the vibe of a warm room – especially at a price this inexpensive.

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 15 x 15 x 135cm; Rotation: 360 degrees; Dimmable? No; Sync with music? No; App/smart remote? No; Alexa/Google Assistant connected? No; Battery or corded: Corded; Weight: 3.05kg

6. MISSUKISS Astronaut Projector: Best mini (and rechargeable) sunset lamp

Price: £17 | Buy now from Amazon

Aimed at younger children and ideal for those who prefer something on the smaller side, this 12cm tall Astronaut themed sunset lamp is a solid choice.

Stick it on your desk or bedside table, face it towards the nearest wall and you’re set for an atmospheric lamp perfect as a night light or something more. There are no cables restricting you here, as the Astronaut can float freely and light up your room using its battery. It also has a 360-degree head, so you can easily reposition the light. It will last a quoted four hours on a full charge, but you can get it back to full juice using a USB cable in about half the time should things go black. And it’s even waterproof – and therefore kid-proof.

Key specs – Dimensions (WDH): 4.8  x 2.7 x 12cm; Rotation: 360 degrees; Dimmable? No; Sync with music? No; App/smart remote? No; Alexa/Google Assistant connected? No; Battery or corded: Battery, rechargeable; Weight: 2.79kg