Posted by Vividify Editorial
on October 18, 2026
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Poul Henningsen's three-shade pendant comes in more versions than most people expect, and the names alone (PH 3/3, PH 3½-3, PH 3½-3 Metal) do not tell you much about how each one behaves in a room. This comparison sets the four current versions side by side: what the shades are made of, how big and heavy each lamp is, where the light goes, and which rooms suit which finish.
One system, four interpretations
Henningsen developed the three-shade system with Louis Poulsen in 1925 to 1926, after his lamp won a gold medal at the Paris Exposition. The principle has not changed since. Every shade curve is drawn on a logarithmic spiral, so the angle of reflection stays constant and the bare bulb is hidden from normal viewing positions. Light is caught, softened and redirected before it reaches the room, which is why a PH pendant reads as glare-free even with a clear bulb inside.
The numbers in the name describe the shades. The first figure refers to the top shade size group, the second to the lower shades. So the PH 3/3 Pendant has a 30 cm top shade over lower shades from the 3 group, while the PH 3½-3 Pendant widens the top shade to 35 cm and keeps the same lower shades. If you want the full logic behind the naming, our guide to how the PH three-shade system works and what the numbers mean walks through every size.
The bigger difference between the versions, though, is material. Glass shades glow and throw light sideways into the room. Metal shades stay opaque and send their light downward. That single choice decides more about how the lamp will feel at home than the 45 mm gap in width.
The four versions at a glance
| PH 3/3 | PH 3½-3 | PH 3½-3 Metal | PH 3/3 Pale Rose | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size (W x H) | 285 x 300 mm | 330 x 307 mm | 330 x 307 mm | 285 x 307 mm |
| Shades | Soft-touch black aluminium, white opal three-layer glass, or both combined | Mouth-blown white opal three-layer glass | Spun aluminium in white, red, green or yellow with white rolled edge | Mouth-blown four-layered pale rose glass, white sandblasted underside |
| Suspension | Matt black powder-coated aluminium | Black metallised, brass metallised or high-lustre chrome-plated brass | Silk-matt brown, copper-plated brass | Brushed, untreated brass |
| Weight | 2.8 kg metal, 3.5 kg metal/opal, 4.1 kg opal | 4.1–4.3 kg | 2.9 kg | 5.6 kg |
| Cord | 4 m black textile | 3 m fabric | 3 m white fabric | 4 m white textile |
| Light source | E27, max 60 W | E27, max 70 W | E27, max 70 W | E27, max 70 W |
| Light pattern | Glows from the side (glass) or down only (metal) | Soft all-round glow | Directed downward | Warm, tinted glow |
| Designer | Poul Henningsen, three-shade system 1925–1926, made by Louis Poulsen | |||
| Best for | Hallways, stairwells, living rooms; graphic black over a table | Rooms seen from many angles, dining tables, kitchen islands | Dining tables, islands and desks; a colour accent | Bedrooms, dressing areas, intimate dining corners |
PH 3/3: the original proportions in three finishes
The PH 3/3 is the most compact of the group at 285 mm wide and 300 mm high, and it is the only one offered in three shade configurations. All-black soft-touch aluminium (with a white inner side) is the most graphic: from a distance it reads as a crisp dark silhouette, and the light falls in a defined pool below. All white opal glass, at 4.1 kg, turns the whole lamp into a softly lit object. The mixed version, black metal with opal glass, sits between the two at 3.5 kg and is the one that shows the layered construction most clearly.
Because the glass versions glow evenly from every angle, the PH 3/3 works well hung higher than a dining pendant normally would: in a stairwell, a hallway or the middle of a living room, where people walk around and under it. It also has the lowest wattage limit of the four (max 60 W), which suits its role as a softer ambient light. The 4 m cord gives room for tall ceilings.
PH 3½-3: all opal glass, a little wider
The PH 3½-3 is rendered entirely in mouth-blown, three-layer opal glass. The glass is glossy on top and sandblasted matte underneath, so the profile stays sharp while the light below is diffused. At 330 mm wide it has more presence than the PH 3/3 without becoming as large as the PH 5, and the choice of suspension finish (black metallised, brass metallised or high-lustre chrome) lets you tune it to the room's hardware.
This is the version to choose when the lamp will be seen from many sides. Over a dining table it lights the surface and the faces around it at the same time, and in an open-plan kitchen it looks finished from the sofa as well as from the counter. Allow for the weight: at 4.1 to 4.3 kg it needs a properly fixed ceiling point. Hang it 50–60 cm above a table top.
PH 3½-3 Metal: colour and a downward beam
The PH 3½-3 Metal Pendant shares the glass version's 330 x 307 mm outline but behaves quite differently. Louis Poulsen introduced it for Henningsen's 120th birthday, reviving the coloured metal variants of the three-shade system that appeared in the company's catalogues in the late 1920s and 1930s. The spun aluminium shades are pressed at Louis Poulsen's own factory in Vejen, Denmark, finished with a white rolled edge and a white inner side, and hung from a silk-matt brown, copper-plated brass suspension.
Because the shades are opaque, all the light goes down. That makes the Metal version the most practical of the four for task light: hung 50–60 cm above a dining table, kitchen island or desk, it puts a bright, even pool on the surface and leaves the ceiling quiet. At 2.9 kg it is also the lightest of the larger lamps. White recedes into a bright room, while red, green or yellow turns the pendant into the focal point of the space. When it is switched off, the colour remains, which is worth considering in a room you use mainly by day.
PH 3/3 Pale Rose: tinted glass and brass
The PH 3/3 Pale Rose Pendant takes the PH 3/3 proportions and filters them through mouth-blown, four-layered pale rose glass with a white sandblasted underside for even distribution. Henningsen paid as much attention to the colour of light as to its direction, and the blush glass gives a warm, almost candlelit tone that flatters skin and food. Each shade varies slightly from the next, as mouth-blown glass does.
The brass is brushed and left untreated, with fine hairlines, so it will deepen over time. At 5.6 kg it is the heaviest of the four by a clear margin. It suits a bedroom, a dressing area or a small dining corner, and it sits well against muted plaster, pale wood and other brass details. In a compact flat it can carry a whole room on its own.
How to choose
- You want ambient light in a hall, stairwell or living room: the PH 3/3 in opal glass, hung high.
- The lamp will be seen from every side, over a table or island: the PH 3½-3 in opal glass.
- You want focused light on a surface, or a strong colour: the PH 3½-3 Metal.
- You want a graphic, dark silhouette: the PH 3/3 in black metal, or black with opal for a lighter look.
- You want warmth and atmosphere more than brightness: the PH 3/3 Pale Rose.
Size matters less here than material. The 45 mm between the PH 3/3 and PH 3½-3 is noticeable over a large table, but the decision between glowing glass and directional metal will shape the room far more. If none of these fits your ceiling height or table, browse the full range of pendant lamps, including the larger PH 5.