Zafferano Poldina Pro: the portable lamp that brings summer into your home
3/10/2023
Translation: machine translated
It's not that easy to light a dining table skilfully. Especially outdoors. The Poldina Pro table lamp from the Italian brand Zafferano masters this task. And it also has a major advantage.
The first time I consciously noticed the Poldina was in Italy. In the catering trade there, the table lamp is almost as widespread as funny names for dishes on menus translated into German. The "Scampi alla griglia", which has become "They flee to the grid", provides a short laugh, the Poldina Pro will give you pleasure for longer.
The special feature of the lamp is that it doesn't need electricity. At least not while it's on the table. This is because its slim body contains a rechargeable battery with a capacity of over 16 watt hours. This is enough for at least nine hours of lighting. In my test, the lamp even lasted 12 hours. Definitely long enough to light the way home late at night, even for guests with a lot of sitting meat.
Once the Poldina Pro is empty, it needs a good six hours before it is fully operational again. Special multiple charging stations are therefore sometimes used in the catering industry. These have space for six lamps and still only occupy one socket.
Source: Martin Jungfer
Smarter than expected: how the Poldina Pro works
The technology behind these charging stations is the same as the one in the box. The Poldina Pro is placed on a base and then charged via the contacts in the base of the lamp. At two watts and a voltage of 5 volts, the lamp delivers 185 to 203 lumens of light output.
Thanks to its rechargeable battery, the Poldina Pro can be placed on the table without a cable. It has no openings for cables. It also has no buttons to spoil the design. To switch it on or off, simply touch the top of the lamp head. Repeated tapping changes the brightness in three stages. If you leave your finger there for longer, it is even infinitely dimmable. The range extends from 2200 to 3000 Kelvin. These are colour temperatures in the "warm white" range. It took me a few attempts before I was able to operate the lamp properly. Nevertheless, I never missed a button or rotary control.
Source: Martin Jungfer
If manufacturer Zafferano had paid attention in their basic Marketing course, they would have marketed their Poldina Pro as "smart". This is because it remembers the last light level selected using the touch sensor when it is switched off until the next time it is used. Speaking of use: if a summer thunderstorm soaks the outdoor table, it won't harm the lamp - the IP65 standard protects it from dust and water jets from all directions.
Design: A lamp with roots from Murano
I only learnt about the clever functions of the Poldina Pro described above after I bought it. The biggest have-
want factor was initially the design. "Modern and timeless" - that's often said so quickly. Here it is one hundred per cent true for me. Federico de Majo is responsible for the design of the Poldina Pro. He comes from a family that once had a glassworks in Murano near Venice. In 2001, he founded his own brand, Zafferano, where he is chief designer.
The Poldina Pro looks like the modern granddaughter of the glass artworks from Murano (I don't mean the tourist rubbish). Instead of glass, it is made of die-cast aluminium. The powder coating is available in different colours. There is a suitable colour for every interior design style.
The lampshade is not entirely cylindrical, but a truncated cone. It contains LEDs arranged in a ring. They emit a little light upwards and a lot of light downwards onto the table surface. A polycarbonate diffuser ensures even distribution.
Source: Martin Jungfer
Finding the right place on the table
The base is not too big at ten by ten centimetres. This makes it easy to place the lamp on the table. However, it is best not to place the lamp in the centre, or at least not in a line of sight between guests. The lampshade can then get in the way. If there are more than four people at the table, two lamps placed at the edge of the table are a good idea. Because most of the total weight of 940 grams is in the base, it is also stable there.
Source: Martin Jungfer
Processing and sustainability: a lamp for a lifetime
I was absolutely impressed by the build quality of the Poldina Pro. The powder coating is flawless and the construction is stable. Zafferano only uses black plastic or a white cable with a mains plug for the charging station. Design enthusiasts are therefore best advised to postpone the act of charging to a dark corner.
Source: Martin Jungfer
The Poldina Pro has a timeless design. To ensure that it will still be in use in five or ten years' time, you can get spare parts from Zafferano if required: charging plate, base, lampshade and battery. The battery might actually need replacing at some point. I have tested this for you. First I unscrew the head. I then use a Phillips screwdriver to remove two screws in the lamp head, then the diffuser. There are three more screws underneath, which I remove - and then I can unplug and replace the battery.
Source: Martin Jungfer
If you want to know more about this, there is also a corresponding video.
Conclusion
With the Poldina Pro, you are probably buying a lamp for at least half a lifetime. With the rechargeable battery and long runtime, there are many possible uses: from dinner on the terrace or balcony to a picnic or barbecue at the lake.
I discovered the lamp in the Italian summer. Nevertheless, it cuts a fine figure all year round, even in the home. It can illuminate a festive table or - thanks to the dimming levels - create a pleasant lighting mood on a chest of drawers.
The good availability of spare parts or alternative lampshades is a plus in terms of sustainability. Above all, however, it is exemplary that the battery can be easily replaced if it runs out after too many charging cycles.
Do you have any questions about the Poldina Pro that my article couldn't answer? Let me know in the comments so that I can answer them too.
Cover photo: Martin Jungfer
Martin Jungfer
Head of Content
Martin.Jungfer@digitecgalaxus.chJournalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
