A Rechargeable Lamp for Absolute Flexibility

Ingo Maurer Presents the Mobile Design Classic “b.bulb”

Flashback to the year 1966: the career of lighting designer Ingo Maurer began with the “Bulb” — a homage to the light bulb. Now the company presents a contemporary version of the design classic — the “b.bulb”. The rechargeable lamp corresponds to the mega trend of flexibility and is a battery version of the iconic lamp.

A dimmable LED lamp to go

Whether from the bedroom to the living room or from the terrace to a picnic in the countryside. The mobile Ingo Maurer luminaire follows its owner to any place. Not only its rechargeable battery, but also the unbreakable glass head and the splash protection make the lamp flexible. Like the original from 1966, the 20 cm high “b.bulb” is made of precious materials such as a chrome-plated aluminium base and a glass body. In contrast to the “Bulb”, the glass body is matt and thus provides a warm, soft light. With the “Dimm to warm” technology, the rechargeable lamp adapts to any lighting situation. Thanks to efficient LED technology, the battery lasts up to 10 hours at full power.

During production, Ingo Maurer’s team also takes the environmental aspect into account. “We attach great importance to sustainability in our new products. Recycling and varietal purity therefore play an increasingly important role”, explains Claude Maurer, Managing Director of Ingo Maurer. Thus, the rechargeable lamp can be almost completely dismantled into its components and recycled.

Based on the first “Bulb” from 1966, further designs of the iconic design lamp were developed over the years. Photo © Constantin Mirbach

Timeless design classic lamp — Over 50 years of “Bulb”

It all started with the “Bulb” from 1966. It was the starting signal for Ingo Maurer’s work as a product designer. The oversized homage to the light bulb was created in Venice. “My father liked to tell about this moment of inspiration: After a fantastic meal and a bottle of red wine he lay on the bed in his cheap hotel room. Above him hovered a naked 15-watt light bulb. Its beauty touched him. He immediately fell in love with this mixture of poetry and technology — a love that would stay with him all his life”, Claude Maurer describes the magical moment. He developed the idea of elevating the light bulb, went to Murano and had a glass and a base made there. The result was an icon of the Pop Art era.

Already in 1969 the oversized light bulb was included in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Time and again different glasses, sizes and colours as well as special editions with handmade insect models completed the series. The Giant Bulb, which also came onto the market in the 1960s, was also particularly popular. The original “Bulb” table lamp from 1966 is still produced with mouth blown Murano crystal glass.