The flashlights I bought came with very bright bulbs, so I asked if those bulbs would be good for night reading. Two people said no, one said they were for warming candles (I can read but asked about other uses), and one said yes, they're pretty bright. So yes, they're bright enough for nighttime reading, if You don't want super bright light reflecting off your reading. Well, here's the weird part. They're labeled 25 watts but I have to believe they're the equivalent of a 25 watt incandescent bulb and here's why. The bulbs that came with my lights are super bright and are rated at 6 watts, which is 40 watts from an incandescent bulb. So if these were indeed 25w LEDs they could be used to land 747s at LAX. They should be closer to 3-4 watts. Anyway, people seem to like to warm candles (which I don't get either. I just light mine with a match), but now you know you can read in front of them at night, too. Here they are in my lamps, bright enough. (I'm waiting for the paint to dry on my bookshelves, which is why they haven't been framed yet). I really wanted 2 or 3 watts but couldn't find them anywhere for a reasonable price and thought they were even weaker than they are. They are still bright enough to read at night.