When it comes to your home’s lighting, one great option that provides not only function but brings in a decorative touch are table lamps.
Table lamps are made of many different materials: glass, metal, clay, and even wood. With all of these different materials comes a variety of pros and cons. We wanted share our in-depth look at two of the most common (and similar) lamp base materials, porcelain and ceramic, and talk about the benefits of having one verse the other.
The Material Breakdown
Very similar to tile, porcelain verse ceramic lamps offer alternative benefits based on the type of material. First, let’s look at the difference in these two materials.
Porcelain
Porcelain is a refined clay, made up of various minerals including feldspar. This combination of materials fuses when fired at high heats (around 2,300 degrees), making it extremely dense and durable. Due to this high firing process, porcelain has a low water absorption rate (less than 0.5%), and thus making it less likely for mold and mildew to form. Its durable construction also means that this material will be less likely to receive chips or cracks, and can withstand typical damage.
Ceramic
Ceramic is made up of clay, typically terracotta, and kiln-fired at low temperatures (if you consider 1,800 to 2,000 degrees low). The material itself is durable, yet less than porcelain, making it easier to damage and more prone to cracks and chips. Ceramic also can vary on imperfections, such as bubbles, bumps, and other blemishes in the material. Ceramics are also more porous than porcelain, meaning that it is more susceptible to absorbing water.
So Which one is Better?
A lot of what determines which lamp material is ‘better’ depends on you and your specific needs. It’s a personal preference, but we would like to point out some key differences in the two lamp base options.
If durability is key, then porcelain is a better option due to its durability. Porcelain is a lovely style option for a lamp base, it can be seen in more classic homes and now more than ever it has been added to minimalist and transitional home décor.
Porcelain is also less porous than ceramic. This refined material makes it impervious to water, which when dealing with electricity and lamps, might be a good factor when choosing one or the other. Porcelain also provides a high-quality look and feel, being manufactured free of blemishes and marks that would show up in ceramics.
Ultimately, porcelain is a better material for many applications, lamps included. That is why we carry a wide variety of porcelain lamps at Oriental Lamp Shade. You will not only get a beautiful lamp for your home, but one that is superior in quality and material.
Search our selection of lamps today and find one to best suit your home.
