Herman Miller just announced a new addition to the Thrive collection of ergonomic office furniture and supplies. The Luxo 360 is an LED task lamp that is designed to be easy on the eyes (and not just because it’s pretty). The 360 has a flat, circular head shape that allows movement up and down to the preferred height as well as around in a full circle to shine anywhere on the worker’s desk. The light provided is bright and covers a large surface area rather than just illuminating a small circle of space.

At the same time, the spring balanced arm keeps the light shining down on the work surface no matter what height and direction the arm is moved to. Ensuring that the lamp head remains stubbornly horizontal instead of tipped at an angle means nearby coworkers won’t have to deal with unwanted glare. This is especially important in an era where low dividers, glass cubicle tiles, and benching are becoming the new norm in many “open office” layouts. The lamp also gives a nod to the trend toward smaller total work areas with its minimalist footprint. This design represents a departure from the standard articulated arm which can make a task lamp seem to be all knees and elbows in a small cubicle.

The 360 comes in silver, black and white and is covered by a 5 year warranty (including the 4 dimmable LEDs). Unlike incandescent bulbs which can “blow out” at any time, these LEDs are guaranteed for a full 45,000 hours of non-stop use. That’s actually an interesting claim since the lamp will shut itself off automatically after nine hours – on the assumption that this is the average length of a workday + lunch hour. So, if you want to burn the midnight oil, you’ll need to switch the lamp back on for another round!