Should You Put A Floor Lamp In The Nursery?

Should you put a floor lamp in the nursery? For many expecting mothers and their partners, creating the baby’s nursery can be a very exciting part of pregnancy. Designing a room specifically for your sweet newborn is a productive and fun way to pass the time as you await your new arrival. 

Designing a nursery and shopping for furniture, decor, and other necessities may lead you to wonder about the safety of particular items, and whether or not you should purchase them for the baby’s room. 

In this post, we’ll be discussing the safety concerns around floor lamps, the pros and cons of putting a floor lamp in the nursery, and some great lighting alternatives that have the same effect without any risk. 

If you’re in the trenches of nursery decorating or currently pinning everything to your Nursery Pinterest board, read on! We’ve got all the information you need to build a safe and cozy place for your baby (and likely, you as well) to rest. 

Safety Concerns of a Floor Lamp in the Nursery 

The main concern of putting a floor lamp in the nursery comes when the baby is more mobile; once they are rolling, crawling, and scooting, floor lamps can be a real danger. 

Babies are very curious and will want to explore anything within eyesight, particularly if it’s on the floor and easily accessible with their little hands. 

This is when a floor lamp can pose a great threat to your child’s safety; whether they reach out and grab the power cord, bump the lamp itself or the base, or unplug the lamp and touch the electrical socket. 

Any of these scenarios are extremely dangerous and essential to avoid, particularly in a nursery. This room should be childproofed as much as possible, even when the baby is a newborn.

It’s much easier to avoid any danger or safety risks altogether, rather than waiting until the baby is mobile to make safety adjustments as you see fit. 

Pros of a Floor Lamp in the Nursery

There are some benefits to having a floor lamp in the nursery, so let’s discuss those first. 

Floor lamps make it easier to control the room’s lighting

An overhead light is undoubtedly a safer option than a floor lamp, but turning it on means flooding the entire room with light! 

When your baby is sleeping and you need to sneak into the room for something, turning on the overhead light is an invitation for your baby to wake up and cry (unless you are one of the lucky few whose newborn sleeps through everything!). 

Floor lamps make it easier to sneak in, turn on a soft lamp, and sneak out without disturbing the baby.

Floor lamps are functional and the installation is simple

Need a quick check for a dark room that doesn’t have overhead lighting? Or a room that needs a vibe check? A floor lamp is an easy solution.

News flash — babies don’t take well to bright white lights after spending 9 months in a cozy, dark place. If your nursery needs light fixture upgrades, floor lamps can be an easy solution with instant gratification. 

They come in a wide range of sizes, styles, and prices, so there’s no doubt you can find exactly what you’re looking for. 

Once you get it home, all you have to do is plug it in. No installation, no electrical wiring to worry about… just find a soft lightbulb and you’re in business!

Related post: Best Nursery Glider for Small Spaces

Cons of a Floor Lamp in the Nursery

It’s important to understand the risks associated with having a floor lamp in the nursery, so let’s highlight what those are and why they should be avoided. 

Floor lamps are a tipping hazard

Many of us have accidentally bumped into a floor lamp at some point and watched it wobble back and forth, holding our breath or rushing out to steady it. Imagine that panic, and include your baby nearby. 

No, thank you! 

Floor lamps can tip easily if bumped into, even by a crawling baby and their playful hands.

If the baby is unsupervised, the danger only increases because no one is around to help them to safety or prevent them from touching the lamp in the first place.

Floor lamps are plugged into electrical sockets 

With a floor lamp comes a power cord that needs to be plugged into the wall in order to be turned on. Power cords can be very tempting for babies; they’re interesting to look at, they’re at eye level, and they look fun to grab! 

Messing around with power cords is dangerous, especially if they are plugged into an electrical socket. Discovering a cord can lead to discovering the outlet it’s plugged into, and the danger of electrocution becomes a possibility. 

Floor lamps don’t work in every room

If your nursery is small or has sloping ceilings, a floor lamp may not function properly in that space. 

If you’re struggling to fit a changing table, crib, and glider into the nursery space, a floor lamp may be out of the question. 

Safe Alternatives to Floor Lamps in the Nursery

If your nursery doesn’t have an overhead light, you’ll have to get creative in how you install warm lighting into your baby’s space without sacrificing safety. 

Here are a few of our favorite safe alternatives to floor lamps.

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Wall sconces

Wall sconces (click to view this budget-friendly option on Amazon) are an excellent alternative to floor lamps. Like floor lamps, they can be very easy to install. Some sconces do require hardwiring, but you can find plug-in options as well.

Another benefit of a wall sconce is you can select where you want to hang them, as opposed to an overhead light. 

Many sconces have dimmers, which help you control the brightness in the room at any given time. 

Table lamps

Table lamps are the most traditional alternative to floor lamps. Plus, they are affordable, stylish, and versatile enough to fit any nursery theme. 

You can set a table lamp on the changing table, side table, or dresser to effectively light some of the room without causing too much commotion. 

Nightlights

Fellow parents will tell you, nightlights aren’t just for toddlers and kids! Parents benefit from a nightlight just as much, if not more so, while trying to quietly leave a child’s bedroom. Avoid stubbing your toe in the dark and risk waking the baby? Sign us up!

The Hatch nightlight is a popular option for a nursery, and it doubles as a sound machine, too. You can adjust the brightness and color shades to reflect the ambiance of the room.

A more affordable nightlight solution is the Himalayan Glow salt lamp, complete with a dimmer switch for total control of the warm, orange glow in any room.  

Fairy lights

Calm, twinkling fairy lights are an easy-to-install alternative to any floor lamp you’ve been eyeing. You can string them up on one wall, or loop them near the ceiling all the way around the room. Or even put them in a decorative jar or vase to make a “night light.”

Be sure to never allow your child to play with any kind of string lights. And avoid hanging them near the crib so your baby can not come into contact with them. 

Related post: Want to make the room brighter? Consider hanging a mirror in the nursery!

Final Thoughts – Should you put a floor lamp in the nursery?

While we can all mostly agree that floor lamps are better off not in a nursery, the true danger doesn’t come until your baby is mobile and exploring the world. 

While you could baby-proof a floor lamp if you really wanted to, the risks of putting your child in danger outweigh the reward, regardless of how cute the lamp may be. 

Try to focus on other elements of the nursery that won’t require babyproofing, like paint colors, wallpaper, bedding, and finding the perfect, comfortable glider. Happy shopping!

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