Long-distance friendship lamps: Connect with far-flung friends, family and partners at the touch of a lamp
Feeling lost without your loved ones by your side? These are the best long-distance friendship lamps to keep in touch
Your life is filled with special people you want to keep in touch with, but maintaining those relationships can be difficult. Many of us work different schedules, live different lifestyles or exist in completely different time zones to our favourite people. What can help bridge the gap? Using a long-distance friendship lamp.
These touch lamps have grown in popularity over recent years and offer a subtle way to let your loved ones know that despite the miles between you, they’re still on your mind – and vice versa. And while a glowing orb won’t match up to an in-person visit, being able to drop these regular messages can really nourish your relationship. Plus, instead of having to painstakingly organise a video call or align sparse holiday time to see one another, a long-distance lamp lets you speak without requiring an instant reply or any scheduling dilemmas.
If this all sounds like the perfect way to let your family, friends and significant others know how much you care about them, then it might be time to think about purchasing a top tier long-distance lamp. Our buying guide below will help you learn more about these friendship lamps and how to choose the best option for your budget. Further down, you can find our favourite buys on the market right now.
READ NEXT: Sing your heart out with one of the best karaoke machines
How to choose a long-distance friendship lamp
What are friendship lamps?
In an age where friends, families and partners can often be spread across the world, friendship lamps offer a way to feel some lighthearted love from a distance. Also called touch lamps, these devices connect over Wi-Fi and – as you would expect – respond to touch: when one lamp is pressed, the other lights up. The person with the other connected lamp will see a light in whatever colour you sent over, which could have a coded meaning once your use becomes more regular. Since they connect over Wi-Fi, there is no maximum or minimum distance the lamps need to be apart – they could be set just in the next room or in a country 10,000 miles away.
READ NEXT: The best lava lamps to buy
Who are friendship lamps for?
These lamps are for anyone who wishes to feel greater connection with someone they are far apart from. You may want to keep connecting with your childhood friends after you’ve all flown the nest or maybe you are missing that best friend who now lives across the globe.
But don’t think ‘friendship lamp’ means these devices are just for your friends. It could be that you and your long-distance partner have busy work schedules and want a more creative way to feel close to one another. In fact, many relationships are increasingly built online rather than face to face, so a friendship lamp could be an extension of your communication with one another in a fun and more meaningful way than simply sending a text message.
Equally, staying in-touch with your family is another connection you may want to keep replenished. Perhaps you are a university student and both you and your parents are feeling a little lost with you out of the family home for the first time. Or, as is the case for many older, less mobile family members and disabled folks, going outside and seeing people can be a struggle, meaning connections via lamps like these are arguably even more important. Loneliness is on the rise and can be at fault for numerous health problems, so something as simple as a friendship lamp can help maintain and improve the mental and physical health of all involved.
How much should I pay?
Friendship lamps are quite expensive and since they are a relatively new product to the market, these prices do tend to vary quite substantially. Still, for two lamps – the least amount you will need to connect with friends and family over a long distance – you can expect to pay between £100 and £250 for a pair. Though, do be careful to read about your potential purchase in detail as often lamps on the cheaper end of the scale suggest they work “long-distance”, but end up having to be used on the same Wi-Fi to connect with one another.
READ NEXT: The best SAD lamps to buy
The best long-distance friendship lamps
1. LuvLink lamps: Best long-distance friendship lamp
Price: £130 (for two) | Buy now from Amazon
Weighing in at 300g, with a height of just 12cm, this lamp by LuvLink can be taken with you just about anywhere so you and your loved ones can always stay connected. Since it’s powered by USB, powering it won’t be a problem either: plug it into a portable charger and you’re good to go – so long as you’re connected to Wi-Fi.
The whole package is very easy to use, too. Simply tap to send your current colour to everyone in your group. These groups are set up via the LuvLink app (mobile or tablet) and can have as many lamps in them as you like – everyone can get involved. You can also set up other handy features like a sleeping schedule. With 17 possible colour options, all a single touch away, the LuvLink friendship lamp has all the customisability you need in a neat and tidy package.
Key specs – Material: Plastic; Power: Corded electric
2. Wooden Friendship Lamp: Best designed long-distance friendship lamp
Price: £240 for two | Buy now from Uncommon Goods
In terms of design, most long-distance friendship lamps are a little simple. So, when you set your eyes on a beauty like this option distributed by Uncommon Goods, it’s worth considering a purchase. Four layers of oak wood are joined by three aluminium pipes in an unusual but attractive stack that cradles the coloured light within.
To set it up, you just connect the bridge with your router via an Ethernet cable – you might want to buy an Ethernet cable with a long-run to facilitate this – and then plug the bridge into a socket. You can select automatic timers to switch it off, assign particular colours to friends in your groups and control a range of features via the Friendship Lamps website including being able to connect new lamps.
Designed and made in Kansas, America, you will need an adapter to use it on British shores. Still, it’s worth the inconvenience and the wait on delivery given how well made this lamp is.
Key specs – Material: Wood, aluminium; Power: Corded electric
3. Moon Lamp: Best value long-distance friendship lamp
Price: £115 (for two) | Buy now from My Moon Lamp
Out of all the options we’ve found, the Moon Lamp is the most affordable long-distance friendship lamp on sale right now. Being affordable doesn’t come at the expense of quality, though, with a sleek, cylindrical design housing a bright LED with seven colour options. Crucially, this option can be bought in any set combination from one individual lamp all the way to six, meaning you and a large group of friends or family can let each other know you are thinking of them. It’s pretty straightforward to set up too via a micro-USB cable and a Wi-Fi connection.
Key specs – Material: Plastic; Power: Rechargeable battery
4. Yicheng-ele Wi-Fi Friend Lamp: Best short-distance friendship lamp
Price: £100 (for two) | Buy now from Amazon
Now, this lamp by Yicheng-ele isn’t so much designed for long-distance as it is for short: it can only communicate with lamps on the same Wi-Fi. For some, this might be a drawback, but it might just be the best option for folks living under the same roof – perhaps for helping younger siblings form bonds with one another without using a mobile phone, or as an easy way to communicate to members of your household without having to scream the place down. It’s kind of complicated to set up and not as bright as other options on this list, but given it’s more than half the price of any other friendship lamps out there, this lamp is a great purchase for short-distance communication.
Key specs – Material: Plastic, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene; Power: Rechargeable battery
5. Glass Stained Lamp: Best long-distance friendship lamp for families
Price: £191 (for two) | Buy now from Uncommon Goods
If you want to share the love with your family members over a long distance, sending a coloured tap with this beautiful, stain-glass style lamp is a great way to say “I’m thinking of you”. It’s not real glass – that would be chaotic, especially if kids are trying to send messages to grandma – but the acrylic patterning mimics glass with the coloured light providing the staining. Since you can assign specific colours like the other product from Uncommon Goods, you’ll always know who’s sending you a little orb of affection. It is a little pricey, and requires a plug adapter too, but it still provides all the same quality features as the other UncommonGoods product on this list for a cheaper price.
Key specs – Material: Plastic, acrylic; Power: Corded electric