Grandma Bev
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The Lamp: The lamp has good ranges of both brightness and color. The base is nicely weighted and I feel the whole lamp is sturdy. The main lamp will swivel side to side and can fold all the way down to the pole. It will also rotate, which makes it so you can put it to whatever direction you want at almost any angle. The arm for the side light is very flexible and allows that light to be pointed whatever way you want. There are control buttons on the pole and it also comes with a remote control (2 AA batteries NOT included).
The handheld remote: My remote was already paired with the light, but they do have instructions on how to pair it if for some reason it wasn't paired. It does need 2 AA batteries that were NOT included.
The remote can be magnetically placed on the pole if you don't need it elsewhere. The remote has separate controls for the main light and the up light. You have a button for light color temperature and a button for brightness and a button for on and off for each lamp. There are also buttons for night mode and reading mode.
The buttons on the pole: It has 3 buttons on the pole. They are VERY touch sensitive. The top button is for on and off (short touch for main light, long touch for small light.) The second button down controls the main light (short touch for color temperature, long touch for brightness.) The bottom button controls the small light (short touch for color temperature, long touch for brightness.)
Using a smart plug: I bought this lamp to use with a smart plug and I'm happy to say that it does work with the plug! It keeps both the color temperature and brightness settings when you turn it on and off using the smart plug. Though when you turn it on using the smart plug there is a short delay before it actually turns on (you do not have that delay if you turn it on using the remote instead.)
Using a light switch: Well, I didn't test this, but a light switch would work exactly like using the smart plug. So, you'll see the same thing. It will hold the color temperature and brightness when switched off and back on, but will also have a short delay from when you turn on the switch to when the light actually lights (you do not have that delay if you turn it on using the remote instead.)
What I like: I like how bright it is and being able to set the warmness or coldness of the light. I didn't expect to care at all about the side light, but I love it's very flexible arm! I really like that it works with my smart plug (and holds the color temperature and brightness I set before turning it off) and don't mind the moment delay in it turning on.
What I don't like: I really wish they had a way, a light or something to tell you that you are at the brightest or in the middle or which color temperature you are at or near. the buttons just cycle you through everything. I end up having to go through all the brightness choices several times because I'm never sure I'm at the brightest until it switches to not being bright (same for color temperature). I also don't like the night mode and book mode buttons. I'd like them if you could press them a 2nd time and get back to the color temperature and brightness you had before going to night mode, but you can't. To get back to where you were you have to once again step through the color temperature and brightness levels.
To sum it up: I love this lamp! It's going to do exactly what i need, which is to light my tall ceiling. It has a nice, bright setting that will definitely do the trick and it works with my smart plug!