How to Make a Redstone Lamp in Minecraft

Guide Java Bedrock

Quick answer: Craft a redstone lamp with a glowstone block surrounded by 4 redstone dust. It shines at light level 15 whenever powered - the switchable light behind daylight-sensor street lamps and hidden base lighting.

What you need

Glowstone x1
Redstone dust x4
Crafting table

Step by step

Get a glowstone block: mine glowstone in the Nether and craft 4 glowstone dust back into a block.
Craft the lamp: glowstone in the center with redstone dust above, below, left and right.
Power it: any adjacent power source works - lever, button, redstone torch, powered dust, repeater, observer or daylight detector.
Light 15 on demand: an active lamp produces block light level 15, the maximum, same as glowstone - but only while powered.
Automate it: pair a lamp with an inverted daylight detector for street lights that switch on at dusk by themselves.
Mind the off-delay: lamps switch off with a short lag - 4 ticks (0.2s) in Java, 6 ticks (0.3s) in Bedrock - which matters in fast pulse circuits.
Build with it: a redstone lamp is an opaque solid block, so it blocks skylight and can carry redstone dust on top, lit or not.
Hide it anywhere: flush in floors, ceilings and walls, it looks like a clean modern light fixture - the go-to for base interiors.

Java vs Bedrock

Recipe and light level are the same in Java and Bedrock; only the switch-off delay differs (4 ticks in Java, 6 in Bedrock).

Versions: Added in 1.2.1 (12w07a), the update that also raised the build height to 256.

Frequently asked questions

How do you power a redstone lamp?

Any redstone power touching it works: a lever or button on the lamp, redstone dust running into it, a repeater or torch beside it, or an inverted daylight detector for automatic night lighting.

How much light does a redstone lamp give?

Light level 15 while powered - the brightest block light in the game, equal to glowstone, sea lanterns and beacons. Unpowered it gives no light at all.

Redstone lamp vs glowstone - which is better?

Glowstone is permanent light you cannot switch. Redstone lamps cost 4 extra redstone but toggle with any circuit, so use glowstone for always-on areas and lamps for anything you want to control or automate.