The Best Craft Light for 2022

I’ve been on the hunt for the ultimate craft light for what feels like an eternity. I’ve tried all the different options, from anglepoises to flimsy clip-on lamps to bulky floor lamps that take up half my studio. I’ve even dabbled in those trendy “daylight” bulbs that promise to give you the same lighting as the outdoors, but all they did was give me a headache. Having had enough of subpar craft lighting, I was ready to find the one that truly reignited my passion for crafting. That’s why I decided to embark on a mission to find the best craft light out there.

In this quick, straight-to-the-point guide I will tell you exactly what to look for when choosing a craft light for whatever it is you love to create.

Ultimately I chose the Neatfi XL Bifocals magnifying light – a purchase I’m especially pleased with. It has made the world of difference for me. I’d even go so far as to say it’s taken my craft skills to the next level. Now I can really see what I’m doing up close in detail (thanks to the magnifier), even if it’s the only light source in the room. The photo below was taken at night in a totally dark room of my Neatfi Bifocals magnifying light.

Choose a good craft light and it won’t matter how poor your surrounding lighting conditions are. Evening or late-night crafting projects are as easy (and eye-strain-free) as working in daylight.

	Neatfi XL Bifocals
	Neatfi Bifocals magnifying light
	Neatfi XL Craft Light
	Dimunt LED Floor Lamp

Extra Contents:

• Handy Diopter Magnification Converter
• Other Worthy Mentions

And the bifocal feature is a total bonus, with the 5 Diopter lens for distant vision and the 20 Diopter lens for close-up work.

But what really sold me was the 1,600 lumens of bright, glare-free light. It’s perfect for reading small prints or working on delicate projects, and the color temperature of 5600K-6000K is just right. Plus, it’ll last up to 100,000 hours and doesn’t get hot, which is a major plus.

And the dimmable feature is a godsend. I can adjust the brightness level by 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% depending on my task, which is a must-have for anyone looking for the perfect lighting for various projects. Plus, it comes with a 3-year warranty, so you know you are covered. All in all, I’d say this is the best craft light I’ve come across.

Pros:

• Extra large 7″ wide lens provides even spread of bright light over a large area
• Bifocal feature with 5 Diopter lens for distant vision and 20 Diopter lens for close-up work
• 1,600 lumens of bright, glare-free light ideal for reading small prints or working on delicate projects
• Color temperature of 5600K-6000K is just right
• Dimmable feature allows for adjustable brightness levels
• Lasts up to 100,000 hours and doesn’t get hot
• Comes with a 3-year warranty

Cons:

• More expensive than the next option, but you get what you pay for and it’s a better light.
• Maybe more than you actually need.

If you find a cheaper craft light that looks just as good, chances are the lumens, or brightness, just won’t be enough.

You’ll notice that this one has a clamp rather than a standard base. Clamps are ideal if you have a desk that you can clamp it to – but don’t worry if you don’t, you can easily get a compatible mounting bracket that will allow you to fix it flush to your desktop or even to a wall.

As you can see in the photo below, this light is designed for maximum flexibility. The clamp, or other means of fixing it, means you can pull it into the exact position you need and it will stay put. There’s no chance of it toppling over onto your work.

The 5-inch, 5-diopter magnifier, will make everything 225% larger for you. It’s ideal for detailed work, but if you need to zoom in further – miniature/model painters, knitters, crocheters, and beaders will love the built-in 20 diopter spot lens which will zoom in by 6x, which means the smallest of details will look 600% bigger.

The lamp’s also dimmable by pressing the power button you can adjust the brightness level to 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100%.

Though for most crafters this 5″ lens version is just perfect, I can crochet and knit – or rather see where to pick up my all too frequently dropped stitches, work on detailed hand-drawn illustrations, and work on my beadwork with ease, but if you really want to go bigger and even brighter, Neatfi XL Bifocals is the way to go.

Pros:

• High lumen count of 1,200
• Clamp or mounting bracket options for flexibility in placement
• 5-inch, 5-diopter magnifier and built-in 20 diopter spot lens for detailed work
• Dimmable with four brightness levels
• 7-inch lens version available with even higher lumen count of 1,600

Cons:

• May not be suitable depending on the type of craft you want to do

 A full three-year (3) warranty is included.

As with the Neatfi Bifocals Craft Light, the clamp can be replaced with a mounting bracket alternatively it can be converted to a floor light.

Pros:

• Extra-wide 20” shade provides good coverage for large workbenches or craft tables
• High lumen output of 2,200 lumens in 5600K-6000K daylight light is ideal for poor lighting conditions
• Dimmable from 100% to 75%, 50%, and 25% for adjustable brightness
• Can be turned off with a double click of the button
• Clamp can be replaced with a mounting bracket or converted to a floor light
• Designed to last for 20 years without a bulb change, and uses 80% less energy than a standard bulb
• Comes with a 3-year warranty

Cons:

• Doesn’t have a magnifier.
• Maybe larger than you need.

 A full three-year (3) warranty is included.

A control panel on the stem allows you to adjust the light from 100% right down to 10%, and you even have the option to change the lighting effect from a warm white to a cool white.

The gooseneck head is fully flexible allowing you to position the light precisely and there’s even a handy 60-minute timer to automatically switch the lamp off after one hour.

Pros:

• Only uses 15 watts LED, which is the equivalent of burning 100 watts of halogen.
• High Lumen Output with 1,000 lumens of light means it’s perfect for working in low light. The energy-saving light is designed to give you 50, 000+ hours of use, and save you up to 75% on your electricity bill -compared to the cost of using a standard light.
• Multiple Lighting Options

Cons:

• The lamp doesn’t have the lumen brightness that others have.

Diopter Magnification Converter

Diopter	Magnification
2	1.5X
3	1.5X
4	1.75X
5	2X
7	2.25X
8	2.75X
9	3.25X
20	6X

Other Ones We’ve Reviewed:

These are the products that didn’t quite make our top picks, but they’re still pretty good so you might like to take a look: