These 4 SAD lamp deals will brighten up your winter
by https://www.creativebloq.com/author/beren-neale · Creative Bloq- Copy link
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I've been through enough UK winters to know that things can get dark – and I don't just mean the incessant torment of existence (who's with me?!)
I mean working from home in a home office that is actually a spare room. And a spare room with crap light to boot. But there's a bit of tech for that, and over the last month or so I've been working with a SAD lamp right next to me. And it's had a massive positive impact on my day.
So I looked around and found the best SAD lamps from the best manufacturers in the US, all of which are on Amazon. As I explain below, you really can't go wrong with any of these, and as long as they're emitting 10,000 lux of brightness, you're only really paying more for the design and features of the lamp. For me, I really like the idea of having a magic pyramid on my desk!
Verilux HappyLight: $39.99 at Amazon
This is the cheapest of the four SAD lamps here, but it absolutely does the job. It gives you the 10,000 lux that you need to smile, while also being a UV-free LED (which is standard). For $40, this is an easy recommendation.
Theralite Halo Light: $55.99 at Amazon
With a more standard desk lamp aesthetic, the Halo lamp also offers wired and wireless phone charging features. I'm not the biggest fan of the design, but for $56, it's still a tempting bit of kit.
Northern Light Technologies Luxor Mini: $166 at Amazon
This is where the design of the SAD lamp comes into play – and the price tag goes UP! Foe me, this is definitely the most visually pleasing of all the four SAD lamps on the list. But then having a bit of futuristic ancient Egypt on hand is a bit of me.
Langham Clinical Light: $149.99 at Amazon
The Clinical Light also boasts a striking design, and this and the Max version are both quite tall (18 and 22 inches). I feel like this might be too big to sit on your desk, but if you've got a spot for it to live, it will make you smile in return.
How Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) lamps work
In a nutshell, SAD lamps mimic morning sunlight to balance internal body clocks. As their light enters our eyes it stimulates retinal cells. These cells then send signals to the brain to decrease melatonin (the sleepy hormone) and increase serotonin (the neurotransmitter that regulates happiness and energy). And this isn't all just vibes-based. Clinical trials confirm light therapy treats winter depression. I've had one for the last month, and I have absolutely felt the benefits.
For SAD lamps to be effective, they need to be able to pump out 10,000 lux of brightness from a normal sitting distances. All the lamps on this list achieve that. What's most interesting is that the more expensive lamps offer zero additional mood benefit. Budget boxes with certified output match luxury models, so you're just paying for design aesthetics and features (which admittedly are important).
A note on the light temperature – therapeutic lamps emit cool white light, so you won't be getting lovely honey-warm light with these. Blue wavelengths stimulate circadian photoreceptors in the retina. Warm white bulbs lack that blue spectrum and fail to trigger the internal wakefulness response, so keep that in mind before you click 'buy'.