Gantri review: beautiful, 3D-printed designer lamps for under $200

I always thought the beautiful lighting pieces I saw in home magazines and airy, minimalist design studios were the stuff of dreams and unattainable aspirations.

Though undeniably stylish and unique, they’re usually produced in limited quantities and extremely expensive. Because I have to pay rent every month, I make the executive decision to pass on my favorite architecturally-inspired masterpiece — but oh, do I wish I could bring it home with me.

Gantri is an online startup that makes buying cool, independently designed lamps more accessible and affordable. It serves as both a platform for designers to launch their products online and a marketplace for shoppers to discover independent designers from around the world and buy beautiful, functional lighting pieces.

How Gantri’s lamps are made

First, designers apply to join Gantri’s Create platform and submit their concepts. If accepted, they turn their concept into a 3D model using Gantri’s design guide and pre-modeled components. Once the design is finalized, it lands in the hands of Gantri engineers, who produce the lamps at a 3D printing factory in San Leandro, California.

They’re made using a custom blend of PLA, a thermoplastic usually derived from a renewable resource such as corn or sugar cane starch. Gantri uses natural corn starch to create its PLA, resulting in a more sustainable manufacturing process and light yet durable final product.

Gantri handles all the assembly, photoshoots, shipping, and customer service, while the original designer receives a royalty on sales.

The designers and their designs

Since all the designers are given the same basic set of tools to create their lamps, it’s striking and impressive how different each one turns out. Their designs are creative and eye-catching, ranging from the sharp elegance of an iceberg (that also doubles as a media stand) to smooth odes to the Art Deco era. On each individual product page, you can learn about the inspiration behind a design, which personally helped me appreciate it even more and made my final decision easier.

You can also click on the designer profile to find their other work on Gantri and beyond. Gantri features industrial designers, product designers, art directors and managers, and architects from all over, including Barcelona, Milan, New York, Chicago, London, and Chiasso, Switzerland.

What the lamps are like

When I received a lamp from Gantri for review, my first impression was that it was surprisingly light given its size and look. But it’s not a cheap type of light weight. The thickness and texture of the material, as well as the sharp attention to detail paid to all components of the lamp, showed that thoughtful work went into producing the lamp. Each comes with a pre-installed lightbulb and a dimmer.

Gantri’s lamps, which range from $98 to $188 each, are certainly more expensive than anything from a mass retailer. Compared to what you’ll find at a boutique or independent design studio for something similar, however, they’re not expensive at all. You’re ultimately paying a great price for an original design, durable and sustainable construction, and a convenient shopping experience.

We tried and reviewed four lamps from Gantri. See them in action and learn more about each one below.