Inside: Full review of the Ikea Ranarp Lamp; including details about the Ranarp light bulb wattage, sconce version and the desk lamp, as well as the floor lamp version of the Ranarp.
It is incredibly rare for me to write an entire blog post dedicated to just ONE thing – but I feel as if this one thing is worthy. I have to get this off my chest. I feel like it’s one of those unspoken things that designers and bloggers know that we just have to admit. I’m talking about why the IKEA Ranarp Lamp is truly one of the best and more versatile lamps Ikea has ever produced.
It’s no secret that I love Ikea – I’ve written about it A LOT. You can check out my top tips for visiting Ikea here, my review of our Ikea Vimle Sofa here, a review of the Ikea Havsta Cabinet here. I joke with my husband that he lives with a walking, talking human version of the Ikea catalogue.
Why The Ranarp Lamp is the Best
I actually wrote a post about this way back in 2014 – which was the year the RANARP first hit store shelves in IKEA stores across North America. But it was just a stream of pretty pictures of the Ranarp and I thought it made more sense to explain to you why it’s a great lamp and go into details on some of it’s features.
Available colours for the Ranarp Lamp
When it first came out, the ranarp lamp was only available in the white colour. It’s a brushed metal with a lovely soft finish and it creates a beautiful glow.
Update: Since this blog was first published, the Ranarp is now being produced and sold in a gunmetal black colour which is also lovely. Note with this version, the light it casts tends to be much more yellow in tone.
Styles of Ranarp Lamp
Again, this is a situation where the line has changed and evolved as Ikea has adapted its catalogue. When it first was released, the ranarp was available in a wall sconce, a desk lamp and standing lamp.
Now, there is a larger hanging version and the standing lamp has been slightly redesigned.
The cord on the Ranarp (and other design features)
But let’s talk about why everyone really loves this lamp and what makes it a truly stand out product – the cord on the Ranarp was one of the first ever, affordable, fabric covered cords that didn’t look cheap or badly done. The beautiful white and grey weaving makes this lamp look totally high end and let’s you leave an exposed cord without being too concerned about aesthetics.
The Lightbulb Wattage of a Ranarp
Here’s where things might get sticky for you if you have a large space to light – at least with the wall sconce and desk lamp, the ranarp takes a standard chandelier bulb. This means the wattage is about 50 watts only. So it’s best to use it for simple task lighting.
The wattage on the floor lamp version and the newer hanging version is higher.
Where you can buy a Ranarp Lamp if you don’t live near an Ikea
At the time, we didn’t have a bricks and mortar store and you couldn’t order lighting online from the website. I ended up getting my brother to buy a set and mail them to me! Since then, I have made the incredible discovery that certain IKEA products are available on Amazon. WHAT?! Yeah. Now you can get an RANARP on Amazon if you don’t live near to an IKEA. Le sigh. How I wish I had known that four years ago.
Reasons the RANARP is one of the best lamps around? Well, where do I begin? When it first came out there were only three styles and it only came in white; the wall sconce, the desk lamp and the hanging fixture.
Ranarp fits almost every decor style
I loved the wall sconce option because it blended in with the wall and it was one of the first affordable options with a covered cord. I mean, who doesn’t love a good covered lamp cord??!
Then the interplay between the matte white and the gold accents. Be still my neutral loving heart. I realize I’m talking about a 4-year old lamp design. But at the time, it was like nothing we’d seen before. I think it inspired many lamps after it. Here it is against a matte black wall… <3 <3 <3
Anyway, bloggers took to this lamp like moths to the flame, like me to a cupcake or a power tool or whatever… It became the quintessential blogger lamp. And that’s a-okay. I ended up hanging ours in our super tiny guest bedroom... against a white and patterned wall.
Accessible, affordable, damn pretty looking. RANARP. Such a fun word to say. Such a lovely lamp to own.
