Long Distance Friendship Lamps: The Top 5 Wi-Fi & Touch Models We Freaking LOVE!
Long distance friendship lamps were made for LDR couples.
Also known as touch lamps, these devices are a great solution for anyone separated by a large distance, such as best friends or family.
Being apart from someone you love can be torture. You want to feel as connected as possible, but the distance has other ideas.
What if you could 'flip the bird' to the distance with the touch of a lamp.
Would you do it?
Because we definitely would.
How do friendship lamps work?
Friendship lamps are two or more lamps that can connect to each other over the internet. Once they are able to communicate together (usually with a unique identification number), tapping one of the lamps will light up the other!
This is an amazing yet subtle way to let your partner know that you're thinking about them.
NOTE FROM LOLO & NATE: Unfortunately, what we have found on other websites is misinformation when it comes to product selection.
A lot of these sites show lamps that don’t actually have the capability of connecting to each other. They also don't mention this when writing about them.
It's important to make sure what you're getting will work the way you want them to.
In order to help you, we've found the top 5 friendship lamps available today and put together a guide to making sure you get exactly what you're looking for.
Long Distance Friendship Lamps We Love
Classic Design Friendship Lamps by Filimin
These long distance friendship lamps by Filimin are the original touch lamps.
They have continued to update and refine the technology in their products so you can be safe in the knowledge that they will work and they will last!
One feature we love is that you can choose the lamps to cycle through a wide range of colors or instead you can choose a specific color for your partner.
The setup process is very simple and will easily connect to your wifi.
To note, a 2.4GHz connection is needed, which is the most common wifi connection that people use.
To save energy, they have a default setting that will fade the light after 1.5 hours. But you can also customize it to different time settings.
What's crazy is that these friendship lamps have over 900 verified reviews on UncommonGoods.com! Have a look through a few of them and you'll see just how much LDR couples love them and how they're helping to make the distance feel that much smaller.
Classic Design Friendship Lamp Specs
Friendship Lamps by FriendLamps.com
These touch lamps from FriendLamps.com are a beautiful way to stay connected. They are a very stylish design that incorporates a wooden base, which will suit almost any room in your house or apartment.
When activated, the lamps pulse the same colour for a few minutes, before slowly dimming over the next 30 minutes.
Talking about colors, one very cool feature of these lamps is that you can choose almost any color imaginable because of the LED technology they have built in. If you and your partner have 'our color' just like 'our song', you can use it!
FriendLamps.com have included a handy guide, so they are very easy to set up.
To power them, all you need is a USB port. You'll never have to worry about travel adapters, which is a great benefit for those couples in international long distance relationships.
Visit their official site at FriendLamps.com to find out more. They also run discounts from time to time so be sure to see if one is running!
Friendship Lamps Specs
Modern Design Friendship Lamps by Filimin
Everything we've come to love about Filimin's friendship lamps have now been bundled together in a new minimalist design.
The modern design of these lamps helps them not only to stand out but to also suit the layout of anywhere you install them.
Like with their other products, connecting the lamps is a seamless experience and you'll have no problem putting them in any location with their strong signal.
There are hundreds of colors available, allowing you to have a unique level of personalization.
Being assembled by hand means there is a high level of build quality, which helps to ensure they'll last a long time. Even if you do have issues, which is very rare based on their reviews. But they do have a 12 month warranty to give you peace of mind.
If you like this sleek and modern design, they're exclusively available through Amazon.
Modern Design Friendship Lamps Specs
Mid-Century Design Friendship Lamps by Filimin
Yep, this is a third (and final, for now) friendship lamp design from the amazing team at Filimin.
This design named 'mid-century' uses their trusted touch lamp technology, but adds a more of a fashionable touch using high quality materials such as wood and aluminum.
When the LED lamp lights up, the design gives off a unique pattern due to how the wood is spaced apart.
Just like their other models you have a huge array of colors to choose from, an easy setup process and the all important 12 month warranty
If the mid-century design is what you're after, be sure to pick them up quickly because they are currently only available through UncommonGoods.com.
Mid-Century Friendship Lamps Specs
Long Distance Touch Lamps by Tactus
Tactus are another group that have created stunning long distance friendship lamps. Like the others, two or more of them can connect to each other, making it perfect for LDR couples, and even families.
But, there are a few key areas where they differ from others:
- Eco-friendly: Tactus uses sustainable plywood to make the housing of their friendship lamps.
- Customizable: A laser cutter is used to make the housing. While the hearts look amazing, this means you can pick any design you like!
- Remote control: These lamps use a remote to adjust colors, brightness and light modes like flash, strobe fade and smooth options.
As the company is based in the Ukraine, these friendship lamps use a European power plug, so you will need an adapter if you or your partner is in North America, Australia, Japan etc.
Something else Tactus offers is gift wrapping! To find out more, see their listing on Etsy.
Long Distance Touch Lamps Specs
BONUS: DIY Friendship Lamps
If you like to build gifts rather than buy, then you're in luck! Patrick Blessi, a developer/engineer, has not only created his own friendship lamps, he has also posted the instructions online.
It is worth noting that because of Patrick's professional background he's well equiped with the right skills to be fiddling with these gadgets.
In terms of costs, for parts and tools, plus the time needed to put them together, you may be better off purchasing rather than building.
Not to mention it is a fairly technical process!
What To Think About Before Buying Friendship Lamps
It’s important that you take everything into consideration when it comes to buying friendship lamps.
Here we highlight a few key points to think about, so you can choose the best lamp for you and your partner.
Power adapters: Long distance relationships can span continents. If this is the case then you want to make sure you’re getting the right power adapters.
The friendship lamp might not have a power socket that matches one or either location. So you may need to purchase an adaptor.
Wifi connection: The lamps above will require a good internet connection.
Compatibility is also important. There are two wifi bands, 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz and not all lamps connect to both bands. It’s important to check what band you and your partner are using to make sure they'll work!
Usage: If you’re in two difficult time zones you might not be able to get a lot of use out of them.
There are also other circumstances to consider as well such as accommodation and job role. If your partner is in the army then a touch lamp might not be very suitable for them.
Budget: As with any purchase, you have to make sure you can afford it. These lamps contain plenty of technology with some high-quality materials.
They are also handmade and therefore aren’t going to be the cheapest lamps that you can buy. They are still very affordable but you need to work out whether or not they are going to be right for you.
Style: Trying to pick friendship lamps that will look great in two different locations and rooms can be tough!
Pay attention to your partner's style and room on video chat. This will help you choose one that will best fit their situation.
Our Favorite Long Distance Friendship Lamps
While we really like all five options, there are two that really stand out and that we couldn't split. They are Filimin's Classic Friendship Lamp and the friendship lamp from FriendLamps.com.
You can't go wrong picking either of these two options, but we will say there are some benefits of each for LDR couples in different situations.
Filimin Classic Friendship Lamps
Filimin are the OGs (original) when it comes to friendship lamps. With over 900 reviews of their classic design, they are dependable and the leaders in the space.
If you and your partner live in North America then it's worth investing in these lamps as you wont need an adaptor.
But if one of you is in another region, adaptors are very cheap and the classic design will still work effectively.
Check them and the amazing customer reviews on UncommonGoods.com.
FriendLamps.com Touch Lamps
While FriendLamps.com is fairly new, they've created a fantastic product that is being used by people all over the world.
If you and your partner are in different regions, there is no need for an adaptor as these touch lamps are USB powered, which might save you a few headaches.
They also offer promotions from time to time so you may be able to pick up these lamps at a discounted price.
Final Comments on Filimin
One area where Filimin, as a company, stands out is the work they do within their local community.
Not only do they make an industry leading product, they are also great people.
"We wanted Filimin to add beauty to the world not just as a product but in how it is created. With this in mind, we teamed up with Wichita Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) to assemble Filimins."
John & Venessa, the founders of Filimin
Participants in WIN are women survivors of physical and/or emotional abuse. Filimin is doing an amazing job, helping these women to take control and get back on their feet.
Watch the video below to see how this initiative is changing the lives of many women!
Now it's Your Turn!
Which of these friendship lamps do you like best? Thankfully there are some great options to stay connected. If you have any questions or worries about the right lamp for you, get in contact or use the comments section below. We're here to help!
