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In this guide
IKEA lists the FORSÅ work lamp in the US as article 601.467.64, nickel plated, for $39.99 on September 11, 2026. It is a 14 inch steel lamp with a 6 inch round base, a 5 inch shade and an arm that IKEA describes as adjustable at both the arm and the head. The bulb is sold separately, and the listing recommends an E12 chandelier LED in opal white. For scale, IKEA's clamp-on TERTIAL work lamp is $19.99 on the same site.
The listing is short on numbers beyond those four dimensions and a 40 W maximum, so a good part of this review is about what a buyer has to supply or look up: the bulb, the switch location and the reach of the arm. What IKEA does state is the material stack, the cord length, the package weight and a Proposition 65 warning, and those are enough to settle whether the lamp belongs on a desk, a nightstand or nowhere.
Our verdict
The FORSÅ is a $39.99 steel desk lamp bought for its shape and its adjustable arm, with the light source left to the buyer; it makes sense for a desk that needs a directed reading light and a lamp that will not look dated, and it makes less sense for anyone counting lumens per dollar or hoping for a warranty.
- A good fit for
- A reader or desk worker who wants a compact metal lamp on a weighted 6 inch base that can be aimed at a page or a keyboard, and who is happy to add an E12 LED bulb and live within a 40 W limit.
- We would skip it if
- You want a bulb in the box, a USB port, a dimmer or a touch switch, a clamp mount that keeps the desk surface clear, or a cord longer than 5 feet 11 inches.
Reasons to consider it
- Steel construction with nickel plating and an acrylic coating, and a 5 lb 10 oz package that suggests a base heavy enough to hold an extended arm
- Adjustable arm and shade for directed light; a 5 inch shade and 14 inch height keep the footprint small
- Standard E12 bulb recommendation, so brightness, color temperature and dimming come from the bulb you choose, with a 40 W ceiling
The compromises
- No bulb included; IKEA's matching SOLHETTA E12 800 lm LED adds $7.99 for a two-pack
- The cord is 5 feet 11 inches, and the listing does not say where the switch is or whether there is one on the lamp at all
- No warranty term is stated on the listing, and a California Proposition 65 lead warning does
What we have not verified: No switch location, arm reach, maximum shade height or lamp weight is published, so those remain unknown; nothing was handled, the assembly PDF was not read, and the review count and rating were seen on the listing only.
The things in this guide
A closer look at the products, who they may suit, and what to check before buying.
FORSÅ Work Lamp
At $39.99 the FORSÅ gives a steel arm and shade on a 6 inch base, and the E12 recommendation means the bulb choice sets the brightness and warmth.
Before you buy: the bulb is extra, the cord stops just short of six feet, and the page names no warranty and no switch.
Price checked September 11, 2026. Retailer prices can change.Four dimensions, one wattage and a cord just under six feet
IKEA's measurement table for the FORSÅ lists a height of 14 inches, a base diameter of 6 inches, a shade diameter of 5 inches and a cord length of 5 feet 11 inches. The single electrical figure is a 40 W maximum. There is no arm length, no maximum reach with the arm extended and no figure for how high the shade can be raised above the desk, so the 14 inch height should be read as a folded or resting dimension, not the working envelope.
The packed lamp measures 13 1/2 by 7 1/4 by 3 3/4 inches and weighs 5 lb 10 oz, which for a lamp with a 5 inch shade points to a base that carries most of that mass. A 6 inch base on a 24 inch deep desk uses little space, and a cord of 5 feet 11 inches reaches a floor outlet from a standard 29 inch desk with a foot or so to spare, but it will not cross a room. Anything about the switch, its type or its position, is absent from the listing.
The bulb is your problem, and that is mostly fine
IKEA states that the light bulb is sold separately and that IKEA recommends an LED bulb E12 chandelier in opal white. The upsell on the page is SOLHETTA, an E12 800 lumen dimmable globe in a two-pack for $7.99, which brings the working cost of the lamp to $47.98 with a spare bulb in the drawer. The 40 W maximum is generous for an LED, since an 800 lumen E12 LED draws a fraction of that, and it leaves room for a brighter or warmer bulb than the one IKEA suggests.
The E12 base is the small candelabra size rather than the E26 medium base used on the TERTIAL and on most US table lamps, so a bulb from the kitchen drawer will probably not fit. That narrows the choice a little but not badly; E12 LEDs are common and come in dimmable and non-dimmable forms. Because dimming depends on the bulb and on a dimmer somewhere in the circuit, a person after to turn the light down needs a dimmable bulb and either a plug-in dimmer or a compatible smart bulb, since the lamp itself is not described as dimmable.
Steel, nickel, acrylic and two warnings
The material line is steel, nickel plated, with an acrylic coating, and the care notes are a wipe with a mild cleaner followed by a dry cloth. IKEA describes the lamp as a classic-style work lamp in steel with an adjustable arm and shade for reading by a desk, bed or sofa, and it is designed by IKEA of Sweden. A nickel finish over steel is a reasonable choice for a lamp that gets handled at the shade several times a day, since fingerprints wipe off and there is no paint to chip.
Two notes on the listing deserve a read. The first is a California Proposition 65 warning that the product can expose the user to lead, a common disclosure on plated metal goods that does not say where the lead is. The second is that special waste handling may be required at end of life, with a pointer to local authorities. Neither is unusual for a plated lamp, but a buyer who avoids Proposition 65 goods on principle has the information up front.
Price, the missing warranty and the return window
At $39.99 the FORSÅ costs twice the $19.99 TERTIAL, and the difference is the format: a weighted base that sits anywhere on the desk against a clamp that needs an edge, a nickel finish against powder-coated gray, and an E12 socket with a 40 W ceiling against an E26 socket capped at 13 W. Add the SOLHETTA two-pack and the FORSÅ lands at $47.98 before tax. That is still inexpensive for a steel lamp, but it is a lamp bought for its form.
No warranty is stated on the listing, and IKEA's US warranty summary does not name lighting among its covered categories, so the buyer's protection is the return policy printed on the page: 365 days for a full refund, with an asterisk pointing to conditions. The listing shows a 4.7 rating from 2,133 reviews, which says the lamp has been on sale for a long time and that most buyers were satisfied, without saying anything about how the arm joints hold up after years of adjustment.
When to skip it
Skip the FORSÅ if the desk surface is already crowded; a 6 inch base takes real space, and the $19.99 TERTIAL clamps to an edge and leaves the top clear. Pass on it when you want an integrated LED, a USB port, a touch dimmer or a color-temperature switch, because the FORSÅ is a socket, an arm and a shade and delegates all of that to the bulb.
It is also the wrong lamp for a large desk where the light must reach across a drafting surface, since IKEA gives no arm reach and the resting height is 14 inches. And a buyer who expects a manufacturer warranty on a lamp will not find one stated; IKEA's year-long return term is the safety net, and it depends on returning the lamp in a condition IKEA accepts.
How we put this together
Built from the product pages and listings below, without test scores or results we have not measured. Specifications and prices change, so check the original page for the exact model, current price, delivery, and returns.
- IKEA: FORSÅ work lamp, nickel plated (601.467.64) (opens in a new tab)
- IKEA: TERTIAL work lamp, dark gray (203.554.34) (opens in a new tab)
