Well, they are able to operate in some can lights with holes, non-IC fixtures, that have been venting hot air into ceilings and attics for years. However, with the recent push to air seal these holes, especially legislation in California requiring IC (insulation contact) housings, the room heat now rises to the highest point and stays there.
You can totally put them in upside down in a desk or standing lamp if that’s what the fixture calls for. There’s plenty of room for the air to move around there.
