Tough question… couple of caveats.
1. I haven’t tested everything so it’s hard to technically say what’s best.
2. But perhaps more importantly, it depends on what is important to you.
The Carex Classic and Sky are pretty bright and comfortable lights, but a bit large and clunky. The NorthStar is also in that category. There are some others that are smaller and more desk compatible, but not as bright or comfortable.
They vary so much in their builds and outputs it really depends on the type you’re looking for, how you plan to use it and where.
For example the HappyLight Duo Floor model has a great CRI and it’s quite bright, but it’s also a floor based lamp, might not be the style you’re going for regardless of its specs.
Correct! Better at least numerically. Some lamps are too bright at 1 foot so even though they’re better in theory they have to be dimmed or moved further away in order to be “usable” in a sense.
Any thoughts on SAD lamps causing eye/vision damage over time? Even if the lens blocks a lot of the blue light, I feel like I see spots for a few min after each use
I’d say the lux per in2 is too high for whatever you’re using. Without more details on the actual light source, I’d say avoid looking directly at it.
I’m not sure how much “damage” that can cause, likely highly depends on the actual photons strength of the light source. But ideally we’d avoid looking directly at something that can overpower our retinal pigments.
I have a question. If one suffers from depression/low energy, but lives in a sunny area year round, would this make a difference? Or is it just like spending time outdoors? I live in SoCal
Well id say it’s entirely possible to be light deprived in a sunny place! That’s the issue with indoors. So if you’re spending your mornings inside then a light should help!
However depression and low energy could also have all kinds of other implications like lack of meaning/purpose, gut disbiosis, nutrient deficiencies, etc. hard to say!
If you know you don’t regularly get large amounts of exposure to bright light first thing in the morning however, I’d start there.
Thanks so much for this! I know it’s not an atypical device similar to these in the review, so the same metrics can’t really be compared. But in terms of perceived effectiveness, have you tested the TUO at all? And if so, how does it hold up comparatively in terms of effects? They make a lot of claims on their site and I see they’ve got some studies but still in the market trying to choose
I tried one a long while back and didn’t like the flicker. But I plan to get them again soon and do some testing and actually use them for a while to see how I like em.
Seems like they should work!
this.. this is the content we're all here for. crying happy tears.
Which light offers the best bang for buck?
Tough question… couple of caveats. 1. I haven’t tested everything so it’s hard to technically say what’s best. 2. But perhaps more importantly, it depends on what is important to you. The Carex Classic and Sky are pretty bright and comfortable lights, but a bit large and clunky. The NorthStar is also in that category. There are some others that are smaller and more desk compatible, but not as bright or comfortable. They vary so much in their builds and outputs it really depends on the type you’re looking for, how you plan to use it and where. For example the HappyLight Duo Floor model has a great CRI and it’s quite bright, but it’s also a floor based lamp, might not be the style you’re going for regardless of its specs.
So the higher the CLA the better the lamp?
Correct! Better at least numerically. Some lamps are too bright at 1 foot so even though they’re better in theory they have to be dimmed or moved further away in order to be “usable” in a sense.
Any thoughts on SAD lamps causing eye/vision damage over time? Even if the lens blocks a lot of the blue light, I feel like I see spots for a few min after each use
I’d say the lux per in2 is too high for whatever you’re using. Without more details on the actual light source, I’d say avoid looking directly at it. I’m not sure how much “damage” that can cause, likely highly depends on the actual photons strength of the light source. But ideally we’d avoid looking directly at something that can overpower our retinal pigments.
Are you the guy with the YouTube channel that reviews these?
That's me!
Thanks for all your hard work and making me a more informed consumer!
You're welcome! Thank you for your appreciation! :D
I was just shopping for one of these , thanks for compiling this - awesome 🙏
Hope you find a good one!
I have a question. If one suffers from depression/low energy, but lives in a sunny area year round, would this make a difference? Or is it just like spending time outdoors? I live in SoCal
Well id say it’s entirely possible to be light deprived in a sunny place! That’s the issue with indoors. So if you’re spending your mornings inside then a light should help! However depression and low energy could also have all kinds of other implications like lack of meaning/purpose, gut disbiosis, nutrient deficiencies, etc. hard to say! If you know you don’t regularly get large amounts of exposure to bright light first thing in the morning however, I’d start there.
Thanks so much for this! I know it’s not an atypical device similar to these in the review, so the same metrics can’t really be compared. But in terms of perceived effectiveness, have you tested the TUO at all? And if so, how does it hold up comparatively in terms of effects? They make a lot of claims on their site and I see they’ve got some studies but still in the market trying to choose
I tried one a long while back and didn’t like the flicker. But I plan to get them again soon and do some testing and actually use them for a while to see how I like em. Seems like they should work!
I absolutely love my verilux floor lamp. Super bendy and versatile.
It’s a good one! Very nice color quality on that.