Mules are obviously better so you don’t have the spotlight effect and have to aim your head like an owl to light up what you’re reading.
But mules spread the light mighty thin, and you need more total brightness to get the same intensity at the page.
But to me, a “book light” isn’t just the doodad you clip to the book’s cover or whatnot, but can also be the doodad you clamp to a table, headboard, etc., as a sort of portable lamp but which is aimed at the book vs geared towards lighting up the room.
Hell, I’ve got a free-standing “book lamp” on its own that stands about 5’ high and angles down at what you’re reading.
Short of an aspheric lens, it’s the smoothest beam you’ll get. Not even a wide-angle TIR lens gives as smooth a beam as heavily-diffused diffusion film.
I recently bought this Glocusent book light and received it today. As far as clip on book lights, this one checks all of my boxes as a nice little task light.
3 preset color temps: 1800K, 3400K and 6000K.
5 preset outputs. 5-25 lumens though, so not the dimmest or brightest.
Good price.
Wide head and beam.
USB-C rechargeable.
Stands on it’s own as long as the neck isn’t too far back.
