5 Best Small Reading Lights of 2023

Picture this: you’re reading an impactful novel, a historical textbook, or an educational book late at night. Though you want to continue, you can’t. It’s late, you’re tired, and you don’t want to keep anybody awake with a large overhead light. This is where the best reading lights come in!

All bookworms have been there, and it can be frustrating. But luckily, for avid readers, this shouldn’t stop you from enjoying a book. Nowadays, you can purchase small reading lights that illuminate your book and your book only, ensuring nobody is disturbed by your light and that you can continue reading. 

Though these reading lights themselves are simple to operate, choosing one isn’t. Because it’s such a valuable gadget for bookworms, the market is flooded with many options. However, today, this all changes. 

In this post, we’ll detail the best reading lights in compact and small sizes. All options are small, compact, and have many special features. Here’s what you need to know: 

The Top 1 in Best Reading Lights

ProsCons
Includes a compact, small, and portable design that’s built for traveling bookwormsWhen pressing the buttons on the device, it can sometimes make a loud clicking noise
It has a built-in charging port that can be used with a power bank, phone charger, or laptop
The product has 3 color temperatures and 5 brightness levels

Glocusent, known as the Book Light Expert, has dominated the market since its establishment. The company itself is on a mission to provide bookworms with lighting options that improve reading comfort. And it’s certainly something they’ve achieved. 

The Travel-sized reading light is smaller than your hand. Despite this, it comes with a bunch of high-quality features. With this light, readers can enjoy five brightness settings, three color modes to reduce eye strain, and, most significantly, adjustment options on the light head and clip.

It doesn’t stop there, either. What makes this one of the best small reading lights is that it’s rechargeable and has a long-lasting battery. When the 500mAh battery is fully charged, you can get between 8 to 80 hours of light. 

The Runner-up in Best Reading Lights

ProsCons
It has a built-in charger that only takes 1.5 hours of charging for 8 hours of lightIt only includes one color temperature with two brightness options
The light is sold in six color ways, including black, blue, green, pink, white, and yellowThe battery life isn’t good compared to other options
Includes a flexible neck for optimal adjustability

Moving further down the list of the best book lights for reading is this rechargeable bookmark option by DEWENWILS. The consumer electronics company was founded in 2016, and since then, they’ve developed around 200 electronics. 

It was only a matter of time until DEWENWILS joined the small reading lights industry. With their knowledge in the lighting sector, they’ve managed to create a bookmark-style reading light. 

If you’re a true bookworm, you’ll love this. It doesn’t only provide reading light, but it also doubles up as a bookmark. Therefore, it’s incredibly compact, small, and perfectly sized for travel or home use. 

Including this, it also has a bunch of other features. Readers can enjoy its recharge ability, adjustability, brightness level options, and excellent product guarantee to ensure optimal satisfaction. 

The Third Place in Best Reading Lights

ProsCons
Portable, lightweight, and can easily be transported while travelingYou can only purchase this as a battery-powered device, which may use a lot of batteries
Bright, advanced LED technology that can last upwards of 25 hours
Includes a convenient, flexible neck and a built-in clip that can attach to any book surface

You may want something more like a lamp. In that case, let me introduce you to the affordable, small and bright reading light from Energizer. The Missouri-based company is public (traded as NYSE: ENR) and was founded over 126 years ago, making it a highly reliable option. 

The brand’s name isn’t the only thing to get excited about. Unlike the others mentioned above, it has a long, flexible head, which is perfect for all types of books. 

In total, the runtime of the reading light is 25 hours. This, alongside the advanced LED technology, cost-effectiveness, and compact design, makes it one of the best book lights for reading. 

But wait. There’s more. Including the above, it comes with two lighting options, Wide and Narrow, allowing complete flexibility regarding lighting.

Mighty Bright Rechargeable Flexible Reading Light

ProsCons
The product is lightweight, portable, and can be used for multiple purposesOnly includes one color temperature, which is 3,000K
It offers continuous dimming, so you can get the brightness you wantThe light is expensive compared to other options
A fully-charged device can have 60 hours of light

Similarly to the Energize option above, Might Bright has a long-necked flexible reading light that bookworms love. But although it appears similar to the Energize book light above, it’s much different. 

Think about the Might Bright light as an upgraded version of the Energize one above. Instead of only 25 hours of light, this comes with 60. That is one of many upgrades, too. The light can be purchased in multiple colorways, has various dimming features, and includes top-quality CRI LEDs.

Not only that, but the overall quality is better. However, it does come at a cost. With these extra features, the Might Bright is slightly more expensive than the Energize option but undoubtedly worth it. 

Glocusent Lightweight Reading Light

ProsCons
Includes an eye-caring amber mode that’s perfect for readingOver time, the anti-slip pad located on the device can get loose due to usage
The battery can include up to 80 hours of light in low mode
It’s extremely lightweight and includes a flexible gooseneck

The last honorable mention is another option from Glocusent. It’s a company that specializes in book lighting, so it’s only normal they have multiple products that are considered the best book lights for reading. 

Unlike the small, click-on bookmark option above, this includes a long, flexible neck-like design. Overall, the price, design, and features are perfectly aligned. 

Considering its affordability, you still get premium lighting features. For instance, it’s rechargeable, has over 80 hours of battery life, includes three color modes, can be purchased in multiple colorways, and, most importantly, it’s small and compact. 

In the End

After reading the above, you should have a fundamental understanding of the best book lights for reading. Hopefully, this should have narrowed done the vast options available. Each option mentioned throughout this post is high-quality, reasonably priced, and includes a compact-like design, making it perfect for traveling by plane, train, or even car.

However, we must give special consideration to the Glocusent Bookmark Rechargeable Reading Light, as this is the top pick. Overall, it has all the necessary features small reading lights should have. It’s compact, rechargeable, and has multiple color temperatures and brightness levels.

With these lights, you can say goodbye to disturbing others while reading at night and hello to being able to read all night long, wherever you are.