DupeHaven

Edition No. 03 · By the DupeHaven editors

The Arco Question: Styling the Arc Floor Lamp at Every Budget

The Flos Arco has hung over dining tables since 1962. Here is how it compares with two arc floor lamps at a fraction of the price, and how to place one so it works.

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Silver arc floor lamp with a polished chrome dome shade and a white marble block base, curving over a round oak dining table.

In 1962, the brothers Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni designed a lamp for Flos that lights a table like a ceiling lamp, without a single hole in the ceiling. They took the idea from a street lamp. A steel arc rises from a block of Carrara marble and hangs the light about eight feet away, with room to serve dinner underneath. The marble base has a hole so that two people can slide a broom handle through it and carry it.

More than sixty years later, the Arco is still in production, and it is still the lamp most people picture when they hear the words "arc lamp". The question is whether you need the original to get the effect. Below, we compare it with two arc lamps that take the same idea in their own direction.

The curated selection

The Splurge

Flos Arco LED Floor Lamp

MOHD

$2,453.91 (was $2,726.56)

The original, designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1962. A solid Carrara marble base, a telescopic stainless steel arc and an adjustable aluminum shade. This version uses a built-in LED with a dimmer.

Details: 94.5" H · Reach up to 86.6" · 28W LED, 2700K, CRI 93 · Dimmable · Base weighs about 140 lb

Trade-off: The highest price by far, and the base is very heavy. MOHD ships from Italy, so check the plug type, delivery cost and any import duty at checkout.

View at MOHD

The Balanced Choice

AllModern Joan 84" H Arched Floor Lamp

Wayfair

$378 (was $424.80)

A tall antique brass arc on a genuine black marble base, finished with an off-white cotton drum shade. The soft fabric shade gives a warmer, gentler light than a metal dome.

Details: 84" H x 69.5" D · 40.7 lb · Foot switch · Bulb included · 4.7 out of 5 (933 reviews)

Trade-off: It can feel large in a small room, and you need two people to put it together. The bulb included is a CFL, so swap it for a warm LED. No warranty, but returns within 30 days.

View at Wayfair

The Save

AllModern Felice 73.5" Arched Floor Lamp

AllModern

$189 (was $259)

A slim steel arc on a round base, with a neutral linen drum shade. It suits a reading corner or the end of a sofa, where a full-size arc would be too much.

Details: 73.5" H x 11" W x 48" D · Round base · Linen drum shade · 4.6 out of 5 (3,161 reviews)

Trade-off: Shorter, with a smaller reach, so it lights a chair or one end of a sofa, not a dining table.

View at AllModern

Prices change often, so always check the shop before you buy.

Styling notes

  • Measure the reach first. An arc lamp needs space for the base, the arc and the shade. Measure from where the base will stand to the middle of the table or seat you want to light, then check it against the lamp's reach.
  • Over a dining table, keep the bottom of the shade about 30 to 36 inches above the tabletop. People can see each other across the table, and the light still falls where you eat.
  • Over a sofa, set the shade high enough that people can stand up without hitting it. Place the base behind or beside the end of the sofa, not where people walk.
  • Give it the room. An arc lamp is the main piece in a room. Keep other lamps simple and low, and avoid a second large curve, such as a round mirror, on the same wall.
  • Use warm light. Choose a warm white of about 2700K. The Arco LED is already 2700K. For the other two, a 2700K LED bulb gives the same soft glow.
  • Respect the weight. Marble bases are heavy. Move them with two people, never lift the lamp by its arc, and put felt pads under the base to protect wooden floors.

Which one should you choose?

Choose the Splurge if you want the original design, with the full reach over a dining table.

Choose the Balanced Choice if you want a tall arc with a soft fabric shade for less than a sixth of the price.

Choose the Save if you want a reading light with a graceful curve for under $200.