According to the NIMH (National Institute for Mental Health), light therapy lamps or sun lamps are usually much brighter compared to your regular lamp and deliver 10,000 lux light, which is around 20 times more than your standard indoor lighting. These lights are designed in a way to mimic outdoor light and exposure to the light for just around 20-60 minutes daily can help to ease the symptoms of SAD and enhance your mood greatly.
However, before buying a sun lamp, you must consider a few important factors. You must select a lamp that emits light of 10,000 lux intensity, which is ideal for the treatment of SAD and you must also ensure that the lamp filters out the UV rays, which can be damaging to your eyes. In our article, we will be discussing the 3 best sun lamps for the treatment of SAD.
Top 3 Reviews of Sun Lamps
Carex Day-Light Sky Bright Light Therapy Lamp
Manufactured by Uplift Technologies, the Carex Day-Light Sky is one of the largest-sized sun lamps available for less than $150. The lamp is equipped with a UV-filtered 55W fluorescent bulbs that deliver a warm and natural light. The lamp has 2 brightness settings – high, which is ideal for therapy sessions and soft light, suitable for daily use.
The Carex Day-Light Sky delivers around 10,000 lux light at around 12 inches distance and a luminous intensity of around 1,165. Since the lamp is quite bright even at a distance of around 12 inches, you can sit far from it. The lamp also offers superior light coverage since both the size of the lamp, as well as the bulbs are much bigger compared to other sun lamps in the same category.
The wide coverage of the Day-Light Sky helps to minimize the discomfort due to the heat output. The lamp can be adjusted vertically and you can also adjust the angle of the light up or down as your desire. Also, when the bulbs burn out, they are easy to replace. Overall, the Carex Day-Light Sky is an excellent light therapy lamp for its brightness, adjustability, coverage, color temperature and cost-effective price.
Features
- 10,000 lux light
- 2 settings
- Lightbox made of high-impact polycarbonate
- Lens filters 99.3% UV rays
- Glare-free and flicker-free lamp
- High-efficiency ballasts
- Clinically tested and recommended by experts
Advantages
- 10,000 lux light at 12 inches distance.
- The lamp offers 2 settings — 10,000 lux glare-free therapeutic light and the other setting is task lighting that is glare-free.
- Large area coverage.
- Flicker-free and glare-free lamp distributes light uniformly.
- High-efficiency ballasts help to eliminate flicker.
- Lamp lens filter up to 99.3% of UV rays which are very harmful.
Drawbacks
- The lamp does not have timer settings.
- Large size lamp that occupies a lot of space.
Buy It Here
You can buy the Carex Day-Light Sky Therapy Lamp on Amazon.
Nature Bright Sun Touch Plus Light & Ion Therapy Lamp
The Nature Bright Sun Touch Plus Lamp is one of the most popular sun lamps amongst online buyers. The lamp delivers 10,000 lux brightness with a reach of 7 inches. This means that to receive the full benefit of the therapy light, you must sit quite close to it. The lamp is a fairly large-sized lamp and offers reasonably good coverage.
The Sun Touch Therapy Lamp offers negative ion therapy, which is an experimental therapeutic treatment for SAD that uses high voltage in order to ionize the air molecules. The Sun Touch Lamp has a single brightness setting; however, it has 4 timers and you can set it for 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes as required, without exceeding the limit. The lamp is not adjustable and you cannot angle it downward. And, because of the shape of the lamp, the light shines at a 15o upward angle, which lets the light reach you at a comfortable angle.
The sleek, slim and upright design of the lamp allows you to keep it on your bedside table, countertop or desk making it ideal for home and office use. Overall, the Nature Bright Sun Touch Plus Lamp a great value buy. It offers good coverage, brightness that is above average and the best part is that it costs less than $50.
Features
- 10,000 lux light therapy plus an in-built negative ionizer
- Releases 4.5 x 10^14 negative ions/second
- 4 timer settings – 15-, 30-, 45- and 60-minute intervals
- Emits UV-free light at 8,000 kelvin
- Upright, slim design
- Recommended by the New York State Psychiatry Institute and the Columbia Department of Psychiatry
Advantages
- Affordable.
- Offers good coverage.
- Has 4 timer settings, so that you can get the exact amount of light required.
- Slim, upright design, allows the lamp to fit in neatly on your bedside table, countertop or desk making it ideal for use at home or at work.
Drawbacks
- Cannot be adjusted.
- Gets quite hot.
- Reach of the lamp is quite less (10,000 lux has a reach of 7” only).
Buy It Here
You can buy the Nature Bright Sun Touch Plus Light & Ion Therapy Lamp on Amazon
Circadian Optics Lumine
The Circadian Optics Lumine is a great therapy lamp that you can use in your office while you work. The sleek and minimalist design of the lamp and its angle makes it look like a picture frame rather than a light therapy lamp. The size of the lamp is so small that it will fit easily on your desk and it is not too bright that it will bother your co-workers.
The Circadian Optics Lumine produces 10,000 lux light; however, its reach at that brightness is only up to 6” from the lamp and you may have to spend a longer time for the light therapy to be effective. The lamp has 3 brightness settings, which can be changed by simply touching the sensor on the front of the lamp very lightly. However, the angle of the lamp is not adjustable.
The Circadian Optics Lumine makes use of very small-sized LED bulbs, so you cannot replace them when they burn out; however, they have a lifespan of around 50,000 working hours. The small and compact size, the minimalist design and the affordable price makes the Circadian Optics Lumine a great option for office use.
Features
- 10,000 lux brightness
- Delivers full-spectrum, UV-free white light
- 3 brightness levels
- One-touch adjustable settings
- LED bulbs offering 50,000 hours of lifespan
- 2-year warranty on lamp and adapter
Advantages
- Modern and sleek lamp with a minimalist picture frame design that is ideal for a modern home or office.
- Compact and portable.
- Ideal to take along when you travel.
- Affordable price.
Drawbacks
- Brightness offered by the lamp is average.
- Coverage area is quite small.
- The luminous intensity is quite low.
Buy It Here
You can buy the Circadian Optics Lumine on Amazon.
Today, light therapy is recommended as the most popular option for the treatment of SAD and there have been studies that reveal that light therapy can indeed alleviate the symptoms of SAD. But before you rush out to buy a sun lamp, do take some time, do your research and evaluate the various options of lamps, models and brands available and then make your decision to buy one that’s right for you.