These viral rechargeable bulbs are a genius way to get rid of unsightly cords and offer lighting without outlets

The battery-powered bulbs eradicate the need for cords and allow you to introduce lighting to awkward places

bedside ceramic lamp with cream base and shade, wooden bedside table and floral wallpaper
(Image credit: Original BTC)

Like most design buffs, I believe overhead lights should be off-bounds when looking to create beautiful interiors. In my home, I’ve used at least a couple of lamps per room for gentle low-level lighting which is far more calming and aesthetically pleasing than ceiling lights. The downside, however, is that having lots of lamps dotted around also means lots of unsightly cables on show which I’m always keen to hide behind strategically placed furniture (and that's ensuring you have enough free outlets to power them all in the first place)

Luckily, there’s a clever solution that’s having a bit of a moment across social media right now, and for good reason. It’s a clever rechargeable USB bulb that you can use for your lamps to eradicate the need for cords completely. The added benefit of this idea, whether used as living room lighting or in the bedroom, is that the USB bulb is also practical if you don’t have enough power outlets for all your beautiful side lights, meaning no more need for ugly extension cables, either!

a modern bedside table in a bedroom

(Image credit: ND Studios)

I recently spotted this genius lighting trend on Instagram where the cord of a lamp was hidden in its base and a USB bulb like this one from Amazon was used, making the lamp not only more aesthetically pleasing without the cable, but also portable. With a USB bulb, you can move your lamps around the house, from shelf to mantlepiece to sideboard, without having to worry about finding a power outlet or trailing extension cables around the room. 

It’s a great purchase if you’re going down the path of making your own lamp at home, too. In one of his recent social media posts, interior designer Nate Berkus taught us his vase-to-lamp hack: how to make our own lamps from a vase, a shade, and a lamp kit by drilling a hole at the bottom of the chosen base (a vase) to pull the cord through. With a USB bulb you can skip the drilling, therefore not compromising the base from ever being used again for anything else other than a lamp. This means you can still use the lamp base as a vase later on.

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A bedside lamp with a wicker base and a neutral beige shade

(Image credit: Lights & Lamps)

When choosing your USB bulb, be mindful of what color light you pick, as it can make a difference to how your interior looks and feels. ‘Always choose bulbs with a warm tone rather than stark white and always LEDs, which have improved so much in recent years,’ says Charlie Bowles, lighting expert at Original BTC. 

‘When it comes to choice of bulb, ideally, all your lights should be controlled separately and on dimmers, so you can switch off your bright task lighting when it’s time to sit down and relax,’ he adds. You can find USB chargeable bulbs that are dimmable, and with a warm yellow light, especially suited for bedroom lighting, that will work perfectly for turning on the lamps and relaxing in their calming glow in the evenings.  

Raluca Racasan
News writer

Raluca is Digital News Writer for Livingetc.com and passionate about all things interior and living beautifully. Coming from a background writing and styling shoots for fashion magazines such as Marie Claire Raluca’s love for design started at a very young age when her family’s favourite weekend activity was moving the furniture around the house ‘for fun’. Always happiest in creative environments in her spare time she loves designing mindful spaces and doing colour consultations. She finds the best inspiration in art, nature, and the way we live, and thinks that a home should serve our mental and emotional wellbeing as well as our lifestyle.