Action LED lamp with Qi function
Picture: André Reinhardt
Desk lamps with integrated Qi charging stations are now available at prices starting at 20 euros – but are they good for something? We took a closer look at the model of the “Action” discounter as part of an everyday test.
In addition to being able to charge compatible smartphones and wearables wirelessly, the simply named “LED lamp” also has various convenience functions. The color temperature and brightness can be regulated and the head can be tilted and swiveled (depending on the version). But are the 250 LM offered sufficient for office work?
When the lamp charges the cell phone
Action LED lamp with Qi function
Picture: André Reinhardt
Hybrids made from desk lamps and Qi charging stations are no longer exotic office utensils, they are designed by numerous more or less well-known manufacturers and have found a home in many workplaces. The combination is quite clever, because there is no need to search for a smartphone charging cable and the mobile device can be easily supplied with electricity during work.
Since the cell phone gets a regular place in this way, it can always be found quickly. You can also fill the battery of other Qi-compatible products, such as corresponding smartwatches or wireless headphones.
The lamp charges smartphones and wearables
Picture: André Reinhardt
The LED desk lamp from Action costs 19.95 euros and is therefore one of the cheapest items of this type. It is available in two designs, one with a round head and deformable neck and one with an elongated head and swiveling neck.
In this report, we refer to the angular design, which fits well in modern office spaces. Due to the futuristic look with a solid, rigid neck made of metal, the lamp can only be tilted and not rotated. Both versions can be purchased in the colors white and black.
What does the Action LED lamp offer?
The loading area of the Action LED Lamp
Picture: André Reinhardt
Thanks to the generous pad with an area of 9.7 cm x 9.1 cm, even lavish phablets can be easily placed on the inductive part of the lamp. There are four touch-sensitive controls at the front: two buttons for brightness, one for color temperature and one for switching on / off. The brightness can be adjusted in eight levels, for the color temperature three levels between 3000K and 6000K (cold white, warmer white, warm white) must suffice. The controls respond reliably, but slightly larger fields would have provided more accuracy.
We found the small indicator LED above the buttons to be particularly useful. This glows permanently blue when there is no Qi-compatible device on the lamp, flashes blue when a device is being charged and glows red when the cell phone or wearable is fully charged.
But how long does it take for the lamp to bring a smartphone battery from 0 to 100 percent? 1 A at 5 V and 1.1 A at 9 V are output wirelessly. These are not record values, which is why a Samsung Galaxy S10 with a 3400 mAh battery had to spend about 3.5 hours on the loading surface.
The action LED lamp in everyday life
The LEDs of the Action LED Lamp
Picture: André Reinhardt
A power of 250 LM / 5 W sounds sobering, so is the lamp too dark? Small and medium-sized desks should be easy to illuminate. In our case, the lamp did its job on a piece of furniture 1.35 meters long and 0.60 meters deep. At night, what was offered was sufficient.
Problems could arise with sprawling desks. With the steplessly tiltable lamp head, the surface to be illuminated can be finely adjusted. The detachable cable of the Action LED Lamp enables easy replacement in the event of a defect. However, the lamp’s slip resistance could be higher and a timer function is missing.
Warm white above, cold white below
Picture: André Reinhardt
The processing quality of the discounter article is okay. The metal lamp neck in particular makes a robust impression. The rest of the lamp uses plastic, which is not of absolutely high quality, but also inspires confidence. In addition to the Galaxy S10, the desk lamp also easily charged the Galaxy Buds wireless headphones via the charging case. The Qi feature should also work with Apple devices.
Conclusion on the Action LED Lamp
The desk lamp in her profession
Picture: André Reinhardt
Is it worth buying the action item? That depends on your requirements. Do not go wrong if it is to be the cheapest possible lamp with a medium luminous efficacy. Only minor details, such as the somewhat less than optimal slip resistance and the small controls, could prove to be annoying. The Qi charging speed is quite slow, but it usually doesn’t look better with similarly costing alternatives. So you have to be patient to save.
What about the competing products? If you invest 22.95 euros, Real will give you the Monzana LED desk lamp. This has a brightness of 430 LM / 8 W. However, the color temperature cannot be regulated and there are only three brightness levels.
Saturn offers the Terratec ChargeAIR Light for 25 euros. Here 800 lux and an additional USB port (type C 3.1) are offered. Since the power is given as 5 W, the actual light output should be on a level with the action counterpart. Brightness and color temperature (four levels) are adjustable.
In another report, we tested even more articles from Action.