You can shop for Himalayan salt lamps  on our website. But before you buy you might want to read our guide below.

Top 5 things to look for in a Himalayan salt lamp.

So you've decided that you'd like to buy a Himalayan salt lamp, maybe you want one for it's health benefits, or maybe you just like the warm glow they give. No matter your reason, there are several things you need to know before you decide on which salt lamp you will be buying. Here is our must-read 2018 salt lamp buying guide. 

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1. The rock salt quality of your lamp.

Yes, you heard that right, not all salt is made equal, or rather mined equal. The Himalayan salt used in making your salt lamp, and for that matter, ALL Himalayan salt actually doesn't come directly from the Himalayan mountains! It comes from the foothills of the Himalaya's in northern Pakistan.

Himalayan salt comes in different grades, A+ Grade Himalayan rock salt is the purest form (the same form that is crushed directly and used in cooking). We use A+ Grade rock salt to make our lamps for the purest Himalayan salt lamp experience. 

There is a lot more to Himalayan salt than meets the eye:

• the shade of colour (pink, orange, red)
• the clearness of the rock
• the number of cracks
• all vary from lamp to lamp. 

This makes each lamp truly unique. For instance, the reason the salt is pinkish is because of trace amounts of iron oxide, in other words, rust! Read our what is himalayan salt page to learn more about the unique properties of this salt and what to look out for.

2. Is it New Zealand safety approved?

This might seem to be a boring part of the buying process, but it is absolutely critical! The electrical parts of salt lamps are sourced from China. Not all lamps on the market are compliant to New Zealand safety standards. At the Salt Lamp Shop, we value safety and have every component of our lamps tested, approved and certified to be compliant to New Zealand electrical safety standards. 

How can you tell this? The electrical fittings, including the power cord, the bulb holder, the plug and the dimmer are all marked with RCM stamps of approval. In short, this basically means that our lamps are 100% compliant and safe to use.

Always check with your seller if your Salt Lamp is compliant to safety standards. If you'e like to know the nitty-gritty details check out our salt lamp safety standards and compliance page. 

3. Does size matter - for your salt lamp?

Himalayan salt lamps vary in sizes all the way from 1kg up to 20kg. Each salt lamp will be unique in shape, some might be more oval and others might be rounder. The shape can't be controlled, however you CAN choose the weight. So what are the major differences?

• A larger lamp will have a more powerful bulb inside and illuminate a larger area, like a living room.
• Smaller lamps are better used in bedrooms, bathrooms or other small areas as night lights, or to create nice dim lighting effect. 

Buying tip: If you need a lamp for a wide office, living room, dining room or big kitchen, go for lamps that are 5+ kg. For bedrooms and bathrooms, go for 2-3kg lamps.

Apart from the size of the room, larger lamps have stronger health benefits because they emit more negative ion's and clear more dust, pollen and particles from the air. Although small lamps will purify the air in a small room just fine as well. Read our article on the science behind the curative health benefits of himalayan salt lamps to learn more about the health benefits that Himalayan salt lamps offer.

4. What's the best colour for your lamp?

In the market today you will find several kind's of Himalayan salt lamps. The most popular are the the natural shaped Himalayan salt lamps that range in colour from light pink to bright red, some are white! The colouring comes from the amount of trace minerals in the salt. The more trace minerals a piece of rock salt has the redder it will be. 

1. Red Lamps: The redder the lamp is, the darker it is and less light penetrates through it. This makes red salt lamps heat up more quickly as well. Apart from this they emit fewer negative ion's which are responsible for neutralising harmful positive radiation.  This is why getting a red or orange lamp is not recommended.
2. White Lamps: There are also very light pink lamps or even white Himalayan salt lamps on the market. These lamps contain more sodium chloride and less of the trace minerals. These lamps let most of the light through which makes them the brightest and best option if lighting is what you're looking for.
3. Pink/Orange: The most popular and ideal type of salt lamps though, range from a bright pink to light orange colour. These lamps are ideal as they emit the wonderful warm glow of Himalayan rock salt, which has been proven to give mental stress relief. They also make great night lights, not too dim and not too bright.
   
   

5. Which base is best, wooden, marble, none?

When you get your lamp you will likely be placing it on either a wooden surface, a stone surface, a glass surface or even a carpet. Our lamps use the highest quality rosewood for wooden bases, rosewood is dense, striated and expensive, but it makes a great sturdy base to support to the lamp. As well as our authentic polished marble and onyx bases, which are even stronger. Depending on where you plan to put your lamp, some lamp bases will be more suitable than others. Lamps can also come with small rubber pegs instead of a base as well. Before continuing check out our Instagram account pictures of different base types (upcoming).

Wooden surface

If you plan to put your lamp on a wooden surface like a desk or wooden table, than any base will do just fine, wooden , marble, onyx or pegs.

Glass surface

If you plan to put your lamp on a glass surface, a wooden base would be ideal, as the marble and onyx bases will be loud when making direct contact with the glass, and the marble base may be scratched from the glass (the reverse is not true, our marble and onyx bases cannot scratch your glass table). 

Marble or lime stone tiles

If you are going to place your lamp on marble or lime stone tiles, it is best to use wooden bases or pegs, as marble on marble can create scratches on both the tiles and your lamp base.

Carpet or rug

If you plan to put it on the floor on your carpet or on a rug, any base is fine apart from pegs, because pegs will be a little unstable on the soft surface compared to a proper base.

That's it for out 2018 guide!

That's all we have to share on what to look out for when buying your salt lamp. We hope this guide has been entertaining and enlightening for you. We are a family owned business and proud to be shipping quality lamps New Zealand wide (for free). All of our lamps are hand crafted with diligence and love so you can have an authentic Himalayan salt lamp experience.