This was very confusing to put together because (as my sister eventually figured out) there were extra pieces included for shipping that prevented me from screwing the sections of the pole together. The directions did not help with this--they just said something like "connect the parts." Now that the lamp is assembled it works fine, although you can see all the wiring/mechanics from across the room or when you stand up, so it's kind of ugly, not like it looks in the pictures. The remote does adjust the brightness and temperature of the light and turn it off, but it often will not turn on the light and I have to use the foot switch. I do like that the remote is magnetic and clings to the pole.