HD Original Table Light
Switch it on at your desk or by your bed, and small print is sharp straight away.
You see every detail in full-spectrum daylight you set to suit you, with up to 12x more light on your page than a 60W bulb.
Delivered in 2-3 working days by DHL 90 days to try it at home
Heavyweight / Black
You see every detail in full-spectrum daylight you set to suit you, with up to 12x more light on your page than a 60W bulb.
- 99.4%keep theirs for the difference it makes.
- 500+UK opticians recommend a Serious Light.
- 5-yearwarranty, backed by forty years of making lights.
A handwritten letter or a sewing pattern is easy to read at your table.
Fine stitches and the contours on a map take less effort to see, so you can keep going for longer.
Read a medicine label at a glance.
You get up to 12x more light on your page than a 60W bulb.
Sort a jigsaw by colour at night.
The HD Original scores 98 out of 100 for colour accuracy, where daylight scores 100.
Focus the light on your sewing.
Turn the ring to take the beam from 33cm for a paperback to 61cm for a broadsheet.
Work for hours under steady light.
Most LEDs flicker too fast for you to see, but the HD Original has zero flicker.
Set exactly the light your work needs.
Your eyes are individual, and so is what you are trying to see. You bring the head exactly where you need it, shape the beam and set the brightness, and the HD Original stays just as you left it.
Shape the beamShown in Black
Drag to turnScroll or pinch to zoom
Is it your eyes or your light?
It is often the light, because by 60 your eyes need about three times the light they did at 20. The HD Original gives you all of that, in the full spectrum of daylight, so fine print is clear at your table.
See what ordinary light leaves behind.
An ordinary LED only looks white. It starts with a blue chip, so its light carries a spike of blue and too little of the other colours, especially red. The HD Original's Daylight Wavelength Technology™ starts with a purple chip instead and fills those gaps, so you get the full spectrum of daylight at your desk or bedside.
That is why reading by a window on a clear morning is so easy, and the HD Original gives you that light at any hour. Colours look true and fine detail is easier to pick out.
| Measurement | The HD Original | The ordinary LED we measured |
|---|---|---|
| Colour fidelity (Rf) | 98 | 83 |
| Colour gamut (Rg) | 101 | 97 |
| Deep-red rendering (R9) | 92 | 40 |
| Colour temperature | 4,193 K | 7,648 K |
Its light engine was measured on 27 November 2023 on an Everfine SFIM-300 at 500 mm, sample HD Wide Beam (S-1). The ordinary LED was measured on 29 October 2018 on the same instrument, at 20 inches.
Daylight scores 100 for colour accuracy. On deep reds, the HD Original scores 92 and the ordinary LED we measured scores 40.
Every HD Original is built by hand and looked after for years.
More people choose the HD Original than any other Serious Light. Every one is hand-built in our Aylesbury workshop, around fifty a day, by a team that has made nothing but lights for over forty years.
In 2025/26 our team repaired or upgraded 1,350 Serious Lights, so yours will be looked after for years.
How we stand behind your light
The warranty covers your light and its light engine for five years, and the arm is guaranteed for life.
After the warranty, call us and we will tell you whether we can repair it and what it would cost.
What the warranty covers0800 032 9366Opticians say the right light matters as much as the right glasses.
Serious Lights have been chosen for operating theatres and the British Museum, where true colour and fine detail matter most.
- Over a millionlights sold in 93 countries
Scroll to read the recommendations. When this area is focused, use the left and right arrow keys to move between opticians, or Home and End to reach the first and last.
“Lighting has a huge impact on our ability to see. Serious Readers lights are well designed, simple to use, and provide accurate colour and detail representation.”
“Serious Lights are among the best I have come across. They provide natural, high quality light that improves comfort and clarity, easily adjusted to direct light exactly where needed.”
“Having the right light is equally as important as having the right glasses for a task.”
Serious Numbers
Tap or click any figure to see what it means for you.
- Light engine
- 7.2W LEDIt is the LED and lens that make your light. At 7.2 watts it costs pennies a week to run, and you can replace it at home.
- Lux at 50cm
- 3,600 to 7,200Lux is the amount of light that reaches your page, measured 50cm from the head. The narrower you set the beam, the higher it goes.
- Lumens
- 630Lumens are all the light the lamp gives out, and the lens gathers it into a beam, so it reaches your work rather than the ceiling.
- CRI
- 98The Colour Rendering Index measures how true colours look under a light, out of 100, where daylight is the perfect score.
- Colour temperature
- 4,000KIt describes how warm or cool the white looks. At 4,000K your light is a neutral white, between the yellow of a warm bulb and the blue of a cool one.
- Spread of light
- 33 to 61cm (13 to 24in)It is the width of the circle of light, which you set by turning the ring on the head.
- Dimmable
- Yes, steplessStepless means the thumbwheel dims it smoothly to any level you like, rather than in a few fixed steps.
- Height
- 71cm or 68cmIt stands 71cm on the Heavyweight base and 68cm on the Lightweight, and the arm bends to bring the head down to your work.
- Weight
- 4.5kg or 2.2kgThe heavier base keeps the light steadier, and the lighter one is easier to move between rooms.
- Cable length
- 2.8m (9.2ft)That is the length from your light to the plug, which gives you plenty of choice about where it stands.
Full specifications
Light quality
- Light on your page
- 3,600 to 7,200 lux at 50cm, depending on the beam
- Against a 60W bulb
- Up to 12x more light on your page than a 60W bulb
- Width of the beam
- 33 to 61cm (13 to 24in), from a paperback to a broadsheet
- Lumens
- 630
- Colour of the light
- 98 on the CRI scale, 4,000K
- Flicker
- None, so the light stays steady
- Light engine
- 7.2W LED, replaceable
Control
- Beam
- Narrow to wide, with the ring on the head
- Brightness
- Stepless thumbwheel, from low to full
- Memory
- Keeps your brightness, even when you switch off at the wall
- Slow start
- Comes up gently every time you switch on
- Snooze timer
- Switches off after 30 minutes, when you choose
- Head
- Swivels 350° and tilts 120°
- Flexible arm
- Bends to bring the light close to what you are doing
Power
- Power
- Mains
- Cable
- 2.8 metres (9.2ft)
Size and base
- Base
- Heavyweight, 20cm (8in) across, or Lightweight, 18cm (7in) across
- Height
- 71cm (28in) on the Heavyweight base, 68cm (27in) on the Lightweight
- Weight
- 4.5kg (10lb) on the Heavyweight base, 2.2kg (5lb) on the Lightweight
- Finish
- Black, or Heritage White with a nickel arm
After you buy
- Warranty
- 5 years on the light and its light engine
- Arm guarantee
- For life
- Home trial
- 90 days
- Returns
- Free, and we collect from any UK mainland address
- After the warranty
- Repairs where possible, quoted before any work
Not sure which light is right for you?
Answer five quick questions and we will recommend a model.
People usually ask us a few things before they choose their table light.
If you would rather talk it through, call our team in Aylesbury.
0800 032 9366What makes it different from an ordinary reading lamp?
It gives you the full spectrum of daylight and scores 98 out of 100 for colour accuracy, so colours look true and similar shades are easy to tell apart. It puts up to 12x more light on your page than a 60W bulb, so small print is sharper. And you set the beam and the brightness to suit your eyes and whatever you are doing.
Will I really notice the difference?
Most people notice it the first time they switch it on, because small print is easier to make out straight away.
Is it a lot of money for a lamp?
It is, because the specialist components in a single HD Original cost more to make than many complete lamps sell for. And you can still try it at home for 90 days before you decide, with free collection from a UK mainland address if it is not right for you.
How the home trial worksWill it help if my room is already bright?
It can. A ceiling light spreads its light around the whole room, so little of it reaches your desk. The HD Original puts full-spectrum daylight straight onto your book or your work.
How long will it last?
It is made to last for years. The five-year warranty covers your light and its light engine, and the arm is guaranteed for life.
Can I use it away from a socket?
The HD Original runs from the mains with a 2.8m cable, so it needs a socket within reach. If you want a light you can use away from a socket, the HD Pro has an optional battery.
When will it arrive?
We usually deliver it within 2 to 3 working days to a UK mainland address, fully assembled and ready to plug in. Non-mainland UK addresses usually take 3 to 5 working days. Outside the UK, add your address at the checkout to see the delivery charge.
Will it be too bright, or light up the whole room?
No, because you can narrow the beam with the ring and dim it with the wheel, so you choose exactly how much light you have and where it goes.
Try the HD Original
at home for 90 days.
Use it for your reading, sewing, painting and everything else you love doing. Adjust the beam and brightness, then decide whether it makes the difference you need.
If it is not right, contact us within your trial period to arrange a return and refund. We collect free on the UK mainland.
Choose your HD OriginalYour home trial, explained
You pay when you order, and your 90 days start on the day your light arrives. Keep the box while you decide. We refund to the card or account you paid with.
Added to your basket
High Definition Original Table Light
Get even more from your HD Original.
-
Service pack
A spare light engine worth £89.99 and a cable tidy.
£55.00
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Service pack
A spare light engine worth £89.99 and a cable tidy.
£55.00
-
Beam diffuser
Spread your light wider, with an easy-turn handle.
£9.99
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Beam diffuser
Spread your light wider, with an easy-turn handle.
£9.99
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Extended warranty
Extend your cover from five years up to ten.
£34.99
