Floor lamp vs table lamp

A floor lamp brings its own height. That means it can put light above eye level, bounce it off a ceiling, or reach over a sofa - things a lamp sitting on a side table cannot do. It also means it can be bigger, which is why the highest-output lamps in any catalog stand on the floor.

A table lamp puts a pool of light at the height you sit. That is the right height for reading, for a nightstand and for making a corner of a room feel occupied. It needs a surface, and the surface it needs is usually one you were already using for something else.

The honest answer for most rooms is one of each: a floor lamp for the room, a table lamp for the chair. The interesting question is which one to buy first, and that depends on whether the room is dark or merely unfriendly.

1. Is the room dark, or just unlit where you sit? A dark room needs output and height, which is a floor lamp. An unlit chair needs a pool of light beside it, which is a table lamp.
2. Is there a surface? No side table means no table lamp, and buying a side table to hold a lamp is an expensive way to light a corner.
3. Where is the outlet? Floor lamps need a cord run you can live with. A lamp two feet from a socket is tidy; one across a doorway is a trip hazard - outlet planning covers the routing.
4. Who else lives there? A tall lamp with a narrow base and a toddler or a large dog is a decision you make once.
5. Do you want to choose the bulb? Some lamps have their LED built in, which fixes the color and the output for the life of the lamp. A socket lamp keeps that decision open.

Brightech Sky torchiere - the floor lamp pick. 2,190 lumens at 3000K aimed at the ceiling, with a touch dimmer on the pole. One of these in a corner lights a whole living room from a single outlet, which is what a floor lamp is for and what no table lamp can do.
Cons: the LED is integrated, so the color is fixed for the life of the lamp; no CRI published; and bounced light is soft rather than good for reading.

Brightech Eden tripod - for choosing your own bulb. A socket lamp, so the output, color temperature and CRI are entirely your decision - fit a CRI 95 bulb and this is the best light quality on the page.
Cons: nothing is published about output because that depends on the bulb you buy; a tripod base takes more floor than a straight pole.

Fenmzee bedside lamp - the table lamp pick. Three touch levels, a 3000K bulb included, USB-A and USB-C and a pass-through outlet. On a nightstand the charging is half the reason to buy it, and the touch dimmer means no fumbling for a switch at 2am.
Cons: no lumen figure published; the three levels are fixed steps rather than smooth dimming.

Dreamholder lamps, 2-pack - for two matching nightstands. A pair of socket lamps with three USB ports and an outlet each, so both sides of a bed get the same light and the same charging.
Cons: a rocker switch with one brightness, so no dimming at all; nothing published about output because the bulb is yours to choose.

A floor lamp behind you. Light over your shoulder onto a page is right; a bright pole in your peripheral vision while you watch television is not. Placement rules are in floor lamp placement.

A table lamp as a room light. It will not be one, however bright the bulb. Shades aim light sideways and down at seated height by design.

An open-top shade at eye level. If you can see the bulb from the sofa, use a frosted bulb or a taller shade - clear vs frosted bulbs covers which to buy.

Forgetting the switch is on the floor. A floor lamp on a plain switch means bending down every night. Look for a foot pedal, a touch pole, or put it on a plug-in dimmer or a smart plug.