La Redoute is selling a lookalike version of M&S's sellout Kirsten table lamp – it's now half the price on sale

If you’ve had your eye on the viral and incredibly popular M&S Kirsten table lamp but haven’t been able to get your hands on it as it is currently sold out (yet again), we have some good news! La Redoute has come out with a lookalike alternative which is currently on sale for half the price of the Kirsten lamp.

The M&S Kirsten table lamp has been a lighting trend in its own right ever since it launched back in 2023. By autumn 2023, it had already sold out five times and even though the brand has added new colourways and built a whole Kirsten range of lighting and home accessories based on the success of the Kirsten table lamp, M&S still struggles to keep up with the demand and keep the core design in stock.

That’s why La Redoute’s Checkerboard Ceramic Table Lamp with its nearly identical design is such a welcome find. Especially given the fact that it’s now selling for almost half the price of the popular M&S design which retails for £49.50 – with an RRP of £39, the La Redoute lamp is on sale with 30% off, selling for £27.30. Is that a good deal or what?!

Why is the M&S Kirsten lamp so popular?

Many of us at Ideal Home are pretty obsessed with the M&S Kirsten table lamp. So much so that some of us have even taken the plunge and invested in one on the occasion of it being available, Sarah Handley, Ideal Home’s Section Editor for Renovation, being one.

‘I have the lamp in yellow in my bedroom and I love it. It’s small enough that it doesn’t take up too much space on my bedside table, but still gives off a decent amount of light, which is perfect for the bedtime routine when I’m winding down. I’m a big fan of eclectic interiors, so the coloured pattern appealed to my quirky tastes, adding a fresh pop of colour to my room, without feeling too dominant in the space.’

And this formula of quirky and different but not too over the top is what has earned the Kirsten lamp such an extensive fanbase. It also started Marks & Spencer’s enormous success in lighting design, paving the way for other bestselling M&S lighting such as the Amie table lamp.

How the La Redoute lamp compares to the original

Despite the two lamps being a close match, there are some slight differences. Firstly, the M&S Kirsten lamp is available in several colourways to choose from – on a good day when it’s not sold out, there are green, blue, red and yellow variations to pick from. Meanwhile, the La Redoute version comes only in one colour which the brand describes as green but to us is more of a blue teal shade.

The lamp shade is essentially the same on both designs – a white fabric shade with a scalloped edge with a contrasting trim. The ceramic base, however, differs as La Redoute has opted for a more precise chequerboard pattern, while M&S has chosen a checked design that looks almost hand-painted.

Lastly, there is a slight difference in the size – in fact, it’s the La Redoute lamp that is slightly larger when it comes to height even though it’s only by a couple of centimetres. And this actually works in its advantage as Rebecca Knight, Digital Deputy Editor at Ideal Home, points out the Kirsten’s size as its one slightly disappointing feature.

‘I persuaded my mum to buy the lamp when it was on sale,’ she says. ‘We disagreed about whether she should buy the blue or red one to match her blue living room, she bought both with the intention of sending one back, but she loved them so much that she kept them both. She paired the blue with her blue colour-drenched living room, and used the red one to add an extra layer of pattern and texture to her bedroom. My only criticism is that they are smaller than they look on the website, but that's why they look so good in kitchens and on bedside tables.’

But we bet that the La Redoute lamp will look great in those very spots, too.