How wide is the light housing? Would it be overkill as a book light?
878408
It is about 5 3/4 inches wide. Might be a little cumbersome as a book light.
590948
Yes, it's bright enough to read by, if it isn't located too far from the page. I have mine about 30" above my computer keyboard and it is quite bright. It gets on the hot-ish end of warm, but not so hot you can't touch it. And it uses batteries somewhat quickly, so I recommend either Enoloop rechargeables or the accessory power supply, depending on your placement needs. I think of this as wide-angle task lighting, not room lighting, so if you have dark corners, it helps a lot; for illuminating a dark room, not so much. HTH.
1462709
If you mean, how wide a beam does it project? It's very evenly done, not too much of a spotlight, not too wide, just right for reading with it over the shoulder (which is how I mounted mine). And because of the gooseneck, it can easily be adjusted... I love this light!
459425
Dear CVH, I checked to verify my memory, and I think the width of the jaws is wider than I originally intimated. It should have no trouble opening wide enough for 1/2 inch, but I still have reservations about its ability to effectively light bright enough. The nice thing about this lamp is that it would make a terrific light for reading, on a portable desk.
643569
This is a fantastic light. You could use it as a book light I think it maybe too heavy for a small book. It has two small lights on each head. Runs by battery and by a power cord. It is very bright and I have used it over the computer at church to see the dark computer area for the music to be projected from on to the wall. Reason I say it would be heavy for a small book is the bass of it is pretty heavy and it hooks on backwards unless you hook onto something else. The arms are very adjustable in any possition you want them in.
2229212
Yes. It goes from about 41" to about 54", so you could use it both as a reading light or a task light.
2091113
Average light - it has for 40W bulbs. In my view it is not enough for reading but good for watching TV or doing any other task
411855
I believe it will be sufficient. The light has four modes and each mode has 5 brightness settings So if you keep it on "reading" mode and with a #5 brightness that should do it. However if you are doing very tiny & close up work or have poor vision you might want to consider getting a magnifier workbench lamp with a clamp.
342843
I like this lamp a lot. I believe it will illuminate the whole paper, but there is some decrease of light as you get away from the center. But the I use a book holder that tilts the book and puts the book up pretty close to the light. The farther away the light is, the wider the spread. So if your husband puts the paper down on the kitchen table, it should provide fairly even illumination. If he holds the paper in his hands, this lamp might not be a good one for you. I haven't directly compared the light to a 100 watt bulb
456264
The entire length of the light is 11 1/2". I have never had any problems lighting up my page, but I mostly use it for my Kindle. You can just change the angle of light with the flexible neck and should have no problems.
550797
1 lamp should be enough for reading. IT's really bright. But if you wan to to cover the entire 5 ft space - get 2 of them.
880048
I think it's a great reading light. It's surprisingly bright for a smaller lamp. I have it on a timer to lite my house so I don't come in to darkness. It lights up my living room quite nicely.
1910859
My wife uses the light for reading (she has early stage Macular degeneration). She thinks the light should be fine for your application. The gooseneck is capable of a fairly wide range of vertical positions although it is a bit stiff (probably good) and the base is nice and heavy so that the light is stable in all positions. The quality if high and it assembles easily and quickly. I hope that helps you decide.Ed Getchell
1389123
No this light will not be right for that if the goal is only to light the book as this will easily light a cone that extends 10-15 feet in front of you while running/walking/working at night. It's very bright and works to light the area not spot in front of you.
382068
Would be good for this. It is maybe 15 inches high and maybe 8 inches across at the widest point. It is an LED light, so it is a soft light, rather and a powerful direct bulb. Although, would be cheaper and just as useful to buy a simple flashlight.
1414040
Its a great light; I think the softness of the light would be good for what you are looking to do.
2169239
Yes to both. It is a reading lamp, not a mini book light. The clip is too big for a book -- it would tear up the pages and likely not hold well. It needs to be clipped to something solid, like a bedframe.