Are Cordless Lamps Safer for Homes with Pets and Young Children?

If you share your home with a curious puppy, a cat that climbs everything, or a toddler who investigates everything with their hands, you've probably looked at a lamp and wondered what could go wrong. A cordless lamp removes one obvious hazard, the mains cable, but it doesn't remove every risk. Here's an honest look at what changes and what doesn't.

The Problem with Mains Cables

Pets explore with their mouths, and the vet charity PDSA warns that chewing electrical cables is one of the ways pets can create danger in the home, alongside knocking over candles. A cable also gives a lamp a handle: a tug on the cord can pull the whole lamp off a table or shelf. Children can do the same.

What a Cordless Lamp Changes

• No mains cable on the lamp itself, so there's nothing for a pet to chew or tug on
• Nothing trailing across the floor, which also helps with trips for people and animals
• No naked flame, which matters if you currently use candles. PDSA advises never leaving naked flames unattended or within reach of pets, and a warm LED glow gives a similar mood with no flame

What a Cordless Lamp Doesn't Change

• The charging cable and charger still exist. North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue advises against leaving electrical items charging where pets are left unattended, since animals may chew the cables
• A lamp can still be knocked over. A cat leaping onto a shelf can topple anything that isn't stable
• The battery is still inside. If a lamp is cracked, damaged or the casing is split, stop using it and keep it away from children and pets
• Very young children put things in their mouths. Follow the age guidance on the product and keep lamps out of reach of babies and toddlers

No lamp is chew-proof or pet-proof, and none of this replaces supervision.

Cordless Lamps to Consider

• Classic is a bar-style touch lamp with a simple upright shape
• Plate is a Nordic-style touch lamp with a minimal design
• Domo is a mushroom-style lamp with a rounded top and a 4000mAh battery
• Poise is IP-rated and waterproof, with 12 to 24 hours of runtime depending on brightness

Check each product page for the size and base before you choose, and think about where it will sit.

Practical Tips

• Place lamps well back from the edge of a table, shelf or windowsill
• Choose a spot your pet can't easily jump to, or somewhere out of children's reach
• Charge the lamp when you're home and can keep an eye on it, in a room the pets don't have access to
• Unplug the charger afterwards and put the cable away
• Check the lamp from time to time for cracks or damage

Final Thought

A cordless lamp takes away the mains cable, which is a real improvement in a home with pets or children. It's still worth placing it sensibly, charging it carefully and keeping an eye on it, because no lamp makes a home completely risk-free.

Browse the full range of cordless, rechargeable table lamps at Aesthix Lume and find one that suits your home.