Grand Brass Lamp Parts, LLCAnswer
Sep 04, 2026 - 07:09 AM
A 3-way lamp socket is designed to work with a 3-way light bulb, allowing the lamp to provide three different levels of light output.
Unlike a standard on-off socket, a 3-way socket has an additional electrical contact that works with the separate circuits in a compatible 3-way bulb. Each turn of the socket switch cycles through Low → Medium → High → Off.
For example, a traditional 50/100/150-watt 3-way bulb provides approximately 50 watts, 100 watts, and 150 watts of light output depending on the switch position.
Most 3-way lamp sockets use a standard E26 medium base, but a 3-way-compatible bulb is required to obtain all three light levels.
