Finally found a desk lamp that doesn't glare on my monitor | Home Office And Spaces - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals

Jessica Fisher · 2026-07-04T12:30:06.916941+00:00

Picked up this $30 gooseneck lamp from IKEA last weekend and aimed it at the wall behind my screen instead of my desk. The bounce light is so much easier on my eyes during those late afternoon Zoom calls. Anyone else try indirect lighting in their setup?

scott.alex2mo ago

Tried something similar with a floor lamp I already had. Pointed it at a white poster board taped to the wall behind my monitor and the difference was huge. Actually helped my eyes stop feeling so tired after a full day of staring at screens.

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jesse_smith102mo ago

Man that wall bounce trick is a game changer once you try it... I used one of those $10 clamp lights from Target with a 60 watt LED bulb and pointed it at the ceiling in the corner. My eyes used to feel gritty and tired by 2pm but now they last way longer. It's crazy how just changing where the light hits makes everything feel less harsh on your face and screen.

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jana5092mo ago

Respectfully gotta disagree with @scott.alex on the wall bounce thing... I tried that for a week and my eyes actually felt worse. The light coming off the wall was still too bright and scattered in weird ways that made me squint more than before. I found that using a direct but shielded lamp like a small architect light with a dark shade works way better for me since it cuts the harsh beam while still lighting up my keyboard. The key for me was getting the bulb wattage low enough that it barely glows, just enough to see without washing out the monitor. Bouncing off a wall might work for some people but it always gave me a dull headache by the end of the day no matter what angle I tried.

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