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Long Distance Friendship Lamp
Long Distance Friendship Lamp
Long Distance Friendship Lamp
Long Distance Friendship Lamp

The Invisible String that Connects Us

5 stars out of 5
Alex in Christchurch

Hello from WI, USA to CHCH, NZ!

Long Distance Friendship Lamp

Light up loved ones' lives—across town or the whole country—with 2 or more of these in-sync lamps.

Limited-Time Offer

$99.00 - $198.00

Keeps family connected Beautiful design Easy setup Heartwarming gift Fun interaction Real-time communication Customizable colors

Uncommon Perks

Delivery dates vary, select an item for an arrival estimate

If your gift will arrive late, let them know it's on the way – and worth the wait.

Independent Maker

Made in USA

What Makes It Uncommon

Long Distance Love

Light up a loved one's life—across town or across the country—with two or more of these in-sync lamps. When you turn one on with a simple touch of your hand, its mate emits the same ambient glow, no matter where it is and who is on the other end: Parent or grandparent, niece or nephew, or long-distance significant other. Each person sets up their lamp via Wi-Fi, then reaches out and touches the lamp whenever they want to let their loved one know they're thinking of them. With every touch, the lamp cycles through a rainbow of colors, one at a time. You can also assign each loved one a color so that when they tap their lamp, yours lights up with their special hue. (Our Friendship Frame works th esame way.) Designed by John Harrison and Vanessa Whalen. Assembled in Kansas.

Learn how to set up your lamp.

created by

John Harrison and Vanessa Whalen

“I see magic everywhere I look, but making something--then I get to touch the magic.”

When John Harrison and Vanessa Whalen first met, John was Associate Professor of Violin at Wichita State University and Vanessa was a pianist accompanying his students. Instantly friends, they did not start dating until many years later. By then, John had developed a second career as an electrical and computer engineer and Vanessa was a psychotherapist in private practice. John proposed to Vanessa on Christmas morning 2014 and their first touch lamps were also gifted that year. The two built them in their basement to connect John's family members spread out across the US and Canada. John now works with nonprofits to assemble the lamps while contributing back to the community. By marrying Vanessa, John also gained two sons, Brendan and Sean. The family now enjoys a blended household of dogs, as well as a small school of goldfish. John and Vanessa also founded a startup which develops mobile apps for kids to help them learn about and manage their feelings.

Usually ships within 24 hours.

See all shipping options and costs

Customers can order lamps individually and sync them the same way they'd sync lamps ordered in a set.

Shipping outside of the U.S.? You will be quoted a specific delivery timeframe at checkout, based on your destination country and the available shipping methods. See International FAQ for more info.

Sadly, we are unable to ship to APO, FPO, or DPO addresses at this time. We are working towards a solution that will allow us to resume this type of shipping.

Need to return? Free returns are accepted forever—no time limits. Within 30 days of delivery, refunds to the original payment method will be available. After 30 days, refunds will be processed to a digital gift card. See our return policy for more details.

Made from

electrical components, acrylic, led bulb, #7 other (o) plastic

Measurements

4.75" L x 4.75" W x 8" H

Notes

Sold individually or in pairs (make your choice in the pull-down quantity menu). Requires power (100-240V AC) and WPA, WPA2, WEP, or open Wi-Fi connection. Does not work with captive portals such as found at public Wi-Fi locations or with WPA Enterprise used in some academic and corporate environments.

Requires a 2.4 GHz connection; does not work with a 5 GHz connection.

Lamp illumination timer has a default setting to fade off in 1.5 hours but can be set to fade off in 30 minutes, 1.5 hours, 8 hours or 24 hours.

One-step set-up requires access to your home router.

PLEASE NOTE: This item is built to U.S. electronics specifications and may need additional modifications or converters to be used in countries other than the U.S. and Canada.

Item ID

43038

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Also by John Harrison and Vanessa Whalen

similar categories
Keeps family connected Beautiful design Easy setup Heartwarming gift Fun interaction Real-time communication Customizable colors

People love the Long Distance Friendship Lamp for its ability to keep loved ones connected in a heartwarming and fun way, allowing for real-time communication through beautiful and customizable designs.

AI generated summary

  • 5 stars out of 5

    We all LOVE these friendship lamps! I tell everyone about them. We rel…

    • Alex in Christchurch
    • Christchurch, NZ

    read full review

  • 5 stars out of 5

    My daughter bought these for me for Mother's Day before she went to co…

    • CID
    • Port Washington, WI

    read full review

  • 5 stars out of 5

    My sister and I live across the country from one another and purchased…

    • Lini
    • Undisclosed

    read full review

4.73
4.73 stars out of 5
based on 1136 reviews
96%
of respondents would
recommend this to a friend
5 stars
968 users rating this 5 stars
4 stars
101 users rating this 4 stars
3 stars
22 users rating this 3 stars
2 stars
17 users rating this 2 stars
1 star
28 users rating this 1 star
  • 4 stars out of 5
  • Spectrum
  • verified buyer
  • verified reviewer
  • California
  • Submitted as an incentivized review

Love it but needs an off switch

This has been a great addition in how we communicate long distance without needing to text or use something that actively needs a response by opening a message and replying. However the shortest fade time currently is half an hour and there isn't a way of turning it off or chanign the color without going into the app and adjusting the selected color, retapping the lamp, and then changing it back if you only temporarily want a color. And I don't want to spam color if I'm using the random setting since it would light up my friends' unecessarily so I generally wish the lamp had a few more features so it could also function as a normal as well.

  • 5 stars out of 5
  • Alex in Christchurch
  • verified reviewer
  • Christchurch, NZ

The Invisible String that Connects Us

We all LOVE these friendship lamps! I tell everyone about them. We relocated from the USA to NZ and bought these for my family as gifts before we left. There are four lamps total in our group and throughout the day, everyone is touching the lamp to let everyone know we are all thinking of each other. It has helped all of us feel closer even though we are on the other side of the world. It has been especially helpful for our toddler to have a visual that we are missed, loved, and being thought of. Such a simple -tap- of the lamp and we can connect to people thousands of miles away. To hear our toddler exclaim "grandpa/grandma/uncle is thinking of us!" truly warms my heart. I highly recommend this product for families (birth or chosen) who are any distance apart. The app/set up might be a little intimidating for some people who are not as comfortable with set up but I was able to walk through the steps with my parents while on the other side of side of the world and things went smoothly.

  • 5 stars out of 5
  • CID
  • Port Washington, WI

My favorite gift ever!

My daughter bought these for me for Mother's Day before she went to college. We use them all the time! She's now in grad school, and we continue to use them to feel connected. Love these lamps!

  • 5 stars out of 5
  • Lini
  • Undisclosed

Years of Smiles

My sister and I live across the country from one another and purchased these when they first came out maybe 12 years ago? They have brought joy, laughter (light up wars), and the sweet reminder that the other is being thought about. I never would have thought something like this "novelty" item would last as it has, but I am nothing but pleased it has lasted and I hope we get more years of enjoyment (I hope writing this review didn't jinx it!).

  • 5 stars out of 5
  • Kim from Alabama
  • Pike Road, Alabama

Keep in touch with elderly parents

I bought a set several years ago and it's still working to this day. It has been a way for my mom and me to check in on each other each day even if we don't have time to chat. If it doesn't light up with her color for a day, I start to worry. Only negative is that my Wi-Fi is sometimes spotty and I lose connection but that's just a very minor inconvenience for the value the friendship lamps have brought!

  • 5 stars out of 5
  • Xi_3
  • verified reviewer
  • Vancouver WA

Great to keep in "touch"

Got this for my long distance friends and it is amazing that we can communicate so simply over the US! Follow the instructions to the letter and you will have no issues setting up multiple lamps!

  • 5 stars out of 5
  • B the Teacher
  • verified reviewer
  • Kerhonkson, NY

Keeping Family Close

I purchased the first lamps when my children moved out. I gave one to my mom, son and daughter. My sister saw this and loved it. This year I bought one for each of my siblings and a nephew who moved 5 hours away from home. It keeps us connected even though we have busy schedules. What is really nice is the fact that you can choose the color, how long the lamp stay lit when a member taps their lamp, as well as the ability to set a sleep times so it doesn't wake you in the middle of the night! I would highly recommend these lamps for those who like to keep in touch with family, but don't always have the time to call everyone.

  • 5 stars out of 5
  • Matt the Brilliant Buyer
  • verified reviewer
  • Mesa AZ

Great way to stay connected!

I bought this for my parents who live in another state. It was easy to get it started and we've had such fun tapping the lamp to change the color. It warms my heart and makes me smile when they do the same. Easy way for my teen son to say "Hi" to his grandparents.

  • 5 stars out of 5
  • Just A Little Lonely
  • Denver, Colorado

A Thoughtful and Meaningful Gift

I live several states away from my family and it has been a big adjustment. These lamps are the perfect way to just say "I'm thinking of you" " I love you" "I miss you". It is one of my favorite gifts that I've ever bought.

  • 5 stars out of 5
  • Tim
  • San Diego, CA

These are so much greater than just a couple of lights.

I have my father a set of these when he had cancer. I am disabled and lived 450 miles away from him, so I couldn't be there a lot while he was sick. He loved them & used them as much as he possibly could for the last seven months of his life. He even used them when he was unable to speak. We (including my mother) talked about how we touched the light with intention, thinking "I'm thinking of you, I love you" & mentally sending all of the best wishes to them. My mother is now in assisted living & she took the light with her. We continue to thoughtfully message each other through the light many times each day. Every time I talk to her she mentions how much it means to her. We now have a set of the wooden ones for my wife's mother. They are a huge benefit to both of our families and were a godsend during my father's last few months of life.

customer photos

Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.

photos from reviews

  • Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.
  • Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.
  • Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.
  • Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.
  • Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.
  • Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.
  • Long Distance Friendship Lamp from Uncommon Goods. Customer submitted image.
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