Fatboy's Edison lamps all share the same simple bulb shape, inspired by Thomas Edison, but they come in a surprising range of sizes. This guide walks through each one, from the smallest to the tallest, and explains where it works best, inside the house, out in the garden or moving between the two.
The small ones: Mini and Petit
At just 15cm, Edison the Mini is the smallest of the family, and it comes as a set of three. Their warm white light gives a cosy glow, and Fatboy suggests a dining table, windowsill or balcony as natural spots for them. They're tough enough to handle a little rain, and a magnetic snap connector charges all three at once.
We like the Minis lined down the middle of a long table, or spaced along a deep windowsill so the glow reads from outside too. Because they come as a trio, they also work well split up: one on a bedside table, one in the bathroom, one in the hall.
Edison the Petit is the cordless table lamp you carry from room to room. You pull the little red Fatboy tag to switch it on, and it's steplessly dimmable, so you can take it from reading light to soft background glow. It's the one to pick up and take with you: from the kitchen counter at teatime to the sofa in the evening.
Table lamps with more presence: Medium, Ambiance and Trans-parents
Edison the Medium is a generous table lamp with a subtle white finish that suits any interior, and it's tough enough to bring light outside too. It has a polyethylene shade. Indoors it sits happily on a sideboard or console; on a summer evening, carry it out to the garden table.
Edison the Ambiance is a cordless table lamp with a more colourful character. Its rounded shape, glossy finish and soft pastel tones make it a playful choice for a bedroom, a child's room or a reading corner, and it's dimmable for winding down.
Edison Trans-parents is the statement piece: a large, transparent polycarbonate table lamp with a dimmable E27 LED bulb inside that gives a warm, retro glow. It's designed to be the centrepiece of a room, so give it space on a hall table or a living room console rather than squeezing it in among other objects. We'd treat this one as an indoor lamp.
The floor lamps: Grand and Giant
Edison the Grand is an oversized floor lamp that's super solid, which makes it suitable inside or out. Three light intensity settings let you go from bright to low. Indoors it fills an empty corner of a living room; outside it can stand by a bench or at the edge of a terrace.
Edison the Giant is the biggest of the family: a 182cm floor lamp, minimal in design and striking simply because of its size. You can use it indoors or out, and you twist the label to choose one of three light settings, from cooler white to warm yellow. It's a lamp for high ceilings, open-plan spaces, a big patio or a garden party where you want one bold light source rather than lots of small ones.
Mixing sizes for indoor and outdoor schemes
The Edison family is at its best when you combine sizes. A few ideas that work:
- Garden table: the three Minis down the middle, with the Medium at one end for extra light.
- Terrace or patio: the Grand or Giant as the main light, with a Mini or two on low walls or steps.
- Living room: Trans-parents on a console as the focal point, plus a Petit you can move to wherever you're sitting.
- Bedroom: the Ambiance on a bedside table, dimmed right down at night.
Warm light tends to feel more welcoming outdoors after dark, so use the warmer settings on the Giant when you're entertaining and save the cooler white for when you need to see what you're doing. Layering a tall light with a few small, low ones also gives a garden more depth than a single source.
Which Edison should you choose?
If you want one lamp to carry around the house, start with the Petit. For a dining table or balcony, the Mini set is hard to beat. For an indoor centrepiece, go for Trans-parents. And if you have a large room or garden to light, the Grand and Giant are the ones to look at, with the Giant the tallest of them all.
You can see every size side by side in our Fatboy lighting collection, or browse the Fatboy outdoor lighting edit if the garden is your priority. If you'd like help choosing, visit us in the shop in Somerset or get in touch with the team.
