Carex Day-Light Sky Bright Sunlight Therapy Lamp, 10000 LUX Therapy Lamp at 12 Inches, LED Bright White Light with Adjustable Height and Brightness Levels for Mood

I am aware that I have been suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder for many years. Some years seem to be worse than others. This last summer I spent more time outside in the early morning hours than normal and I really got a feel for how beneficial that early morning bright light can be to ones mood and overall health and well-being. As the summer wore on and the days began to shorten, I began to notice very quickly the effect of decreased light. It soon became fall and every morning when I awoke and went for my early morning run or walk it was dark and just barely becoming light by the time I came home. I started feeling really strongly like I would benefit from one of these lights, so I began researching them. I deliberated for two or three weeks, and by this time I was really starting to feel markedly more depressed than I had been all summer. My mood had really changed in that short period of time. So, I decided that I had better get one of these things quickly. I was almost sold on one of the Phillips blue light models, but then when I looked into the research that the blue light can damage the eyes and just decided that it was not worth the risk. So, I eliminated that...now how do I choose from all of these models? Well, I happened upon the Day-light Sky and was impressed my the specifications. I went to the company's website and did a little more checking around and ultimately decided to give it a try, even though it was more expensive than many of the other models. I figured that if I didn't like it, I could return it. Well, it is now about five months later and I can confidently give the Day-Light Sky a 5-star rating. It is effective! I could tell a difference the very first day of use. I started using it in early September. I set it up on my kitchen table every night before bed. It is too large for me to keep set up all of the time so I store it in a closet during the day. The cord is detachable from the unit, so I just keep that plugged in and hidden underneath the table, so it is super-easy to take out at night and plug in. I have to admit that initially I was suprised by how large it is. I did read many of the reviews and the dimensions, but I wasn't really visualizing correctly how large it would be. Ultimately, it didn't make any difference to me, but I had to devise a way to store it because I live in a small home. It is important to set the unit up at the propper distance and angle. When I first started using it, I measured the distance from my face to the light just to get a feel for how to set it up. Now it is easy since I have been doing it every day. The light itself is not harsh. It is very bright, but not headache inducing bright. I rented a light box several years back and it was so bright that I would get headaches from it. This unit has a nice cover that seems to diffuse the brightness a bit. I use the light on the high setting for about 15-30 minutes. Sometimes I forget and get caught up reading something and go over the recommended time. This does not really seem to make much of a difference since I am using it so early in the morning. Many times I will switch over to the low setting after I have had it on high for 15-20 minutes. It is a really nice task light and I can see how it would be really good for crafters (kind of like a verilux crafters light but much larger). So far the light works perfectly. I would imagine that I will have to replace the bulbs at some point. It is very stable and has a substantial base...it won't tip over. It has really made an amazing difference in my mood this winter and I would highly, highly recommend this particular model to anyone who is interested in invesing in a really good light. I can now face fall and winter confidently because of this light. It sounds silly, I know...but it is true :)

I noted that I was in the dumps after the sky turned grey for a couple of weeks - mostly because of the contrast to a prior spade of sunny days that left me very happy and content with life. I knew about SAD and the lamps, decided to try because my sister recommended, and settled on this one because of the additional task lamp function and general normality of looks. After a short and intense struggle with my insurance (BCBS Horizon NJ- they don't tell me whether I am covered because they can't find me an in-network supplier, which may not even be a legal loophole for them) got it on my own even though it is obviously incredibly expensive. It came today. Looks are fine. It looks like a thing your doc would have you stare at while you wait, but in a better (bluish) color. fits behind my laptop on my desk, but you have to figure an extra inch to the base because of the cable sticking out. The plug is three-prong, which also is a bit annoying. First I read the thing that came with it. The news are you can't use it with retinal dystrophy or macular degeneration which I didn't know yet.There's also a bunch of medications you shouldn't be on like St Johns Wort, so check before you buy. I then uncurled the lamp from shipping position, which I found you shouldn't do until you are ready to screw on the base. I plugged it in, and both bulbs lit up but one was loose, lying inside on the plastic screen. I disassembled the lamp (which by the way I really didn't like because I think that's enough money to ask for a working lamp). It was an easy fix that also allowed me take out the infamous rubber bands and bricks. I highly recommend having your forceps with you when you wrest out the rubber bricks. It says in the instructions where they are, and that you can take them out if you happen to have to go in there anyway. The bulbs are held in place by a pair of poorly designed metal clamps. Every time I adjust the head now, one bulb rattles disconcertingly against its clamp, which cannot be good for the bulb. But it works. Screwing the base on was a piece of cake for an Ikea-girl like me (the holes align! Yey!) and I went for my first session. It is a nice light - I am finicky about light - but hurt my eyes a tad, even though I wasn't looking into it but at my screen under it. I was wishing for my sunglasses. After the 30 min I used it on and off as my task light, and the kids did too. VERY bright still, had a to do a lot of dusting off the screen, and the kids who sit lower than me and got more light were a bit stunned. Did it work? I didn't expect it to yet- but yes, it totally did. Before I had my session I was desperately trying to just stay awake and to think of how to get a bit more comfortable- another coffee? ignore the kids and lie down on the couch? After, I was good in a normal way. Instead of dying of fatigue I shoveled snow and did the laundry, did homework with the kids, made lunch, cleaned the kitchen, got firewood, couple errand calls, cleaned the kids room. and the kids..cooked dinner...shoveled the drive way again, more firewood, clean up, finally got a Christmas present for the husband....the stuff I had to do and was glad to get done. So far so good. The whopper: I am STILL awake and it is almost 10 pm! I usually scuttle off to bed as soon as I can, glad to lie down at 7 pm if I can ( I get up around 5 am). Instead I was able to pack the kids off and baby my poor husband who came home exhausted and a bit sick, and write this review. The double whopper: I can bear the sound of the fireplace fan in our tiny living room, which usually drives me NUTS when I am tired. I have been running around the house with earplugs for the last few months and still had to leave the room because of the sound when I got too tired. So this is great for me. I know no excitement over a new toy and no placebo could carry me though that! I will update. Update: this thing works like a charm and the effect by far exceeds my expectations! Somewhere between happy and content at all times, too much energy to sit around for coffee. Will not make up for too little sleep but totally does take out insane carb cravings. Only little niggle: I think it does flicker somewhat. But you know: oh well.

Excellent lamp. Easy to use. I gave 4 + because I don't know YET about the results. I am optimistic. Just a little assembly, easy. Too soon to assess the effect on mood. I am working on doing this consistently. It's hard to know if you are 12" away from the lamp. I use a ruler. It would be nice if they provided a tool of some kind. Otherwise, use the ruler and you would get used to that over time. I am not yet. A beautiful lamp for your desk,fairly large but a good size without taking up too much room. You need a good size desk though (or some other area), in my opinion. I was very hopeful to read the reviews. This sounds dumb, but I want to be sure the up-switch (filled in circle) is the light therapy. I think it is. Put in a call because I could not find on their website.. The task light is a great feature (it must be in the other direction, an open circle!) It is very bright also. May just be my eyes! I went through the whole "session" using the wrong switch!! I am sure most everyone would not have this problem

Date Purchased: 12/1/2015 Date Received: 12/4/2015 In-Use Date: 12/6/2015 Review Type: Standard Amazon Price The Need ------------- For years I've had pretty bad cases of what was sometimes called "winter blues" but is now recognized to be Seasonal Affect Disorder. It started (or was noticed) when I was a fairly young kid and continues to this day. I've tried many things over the years but recently I had a distant relative come to visit and it turns out she also has dealt with this. She told me that she had been using light therapy for the last 2 years and that it had made a tremendous impact in her mood and energy levels. I've looked in to light therapy many times before but whenever I went looking for a light it always seemed like it was every quack and con-man offering one and never anything that resembled respected medical and scientific information. This time, after talking with her and now feeling that at least in theory the therapy was valid, I was determined to understand more about these lights and what was really behind them. Perhaps this time was also different because I had been dealing with coral and plant grow lights for a couple of years so now had a decent grasp on LUX, color ranges, wavelengths, etc. Whatever the reason, with this knowledge in hand this time it was clearer that when a lamp manufacturer or company was promoting their product with anything under 10k LUX and without specific testing of output, color temp and UV blocking as "light therapy" they were basically preying upon a mostly uninformed marketplace. Products that cost $50-$100 are simply not equivalent to professionally researched, built and tested products no matter how they try to market themselves. The Research ------------------- After a good deal of research I decided upon the Carex Day-Light Sky unit. I preferred the non-clinical look of it compared to some of the other Carex models and other brands. As I intended to use this in my home office area, I liked being able to use it for a task-light when not being used for light therapy purposes. It was well reviewed by consumers and was noted in reliable research. It wasn't until I received the box that I became aware that the unit is built like a tank. As per some of the questions asked about the product, anyone thinking of suspending this light above their heads better have a good idea of what they are doing in mounting it due to the potential damage to your wall, light...and skull. I read through the manual and all online information I could find in order to get valid information about the use of the product. Contrary to a lot of the information suggested in the questions above and online in general the unit is intended be used 1) approximately 1 ft from your face 2) the light should be directly in front of you, not off to the side and 3) the light should be shining down from slightly above your eyes. The receptors that are most impacted by this light are along the lower portion of your eye socket so light that is entering your eye from or below horizontal will be less beneficial than if the light is used as the manufacturer suggests. This is why the unit is built as it is, with the light emitting from the panel sitting above your eye height and down at a slight angle towards you. The research behind light therapy shows that the intensity of the light is what has proven to be effective as light therapy, which is why the 10k LUX is so important. If you are receiving light that is less intense it simply does not have the same effect on your body. It should also be noted that light intensity follows the inverse square law. This means that when the the manufacturer suggests that you sit 1 ft from light, thinking that you can sit 2 ft away and still receive half the intensity is incorrect; at 2 ft away you are receiving 25% of the original light intensity. And that again takes you to a level of intensity that is unlikely to have much, if any, of the desired effect for S.A.D. The Effect -------------- I started with 20 minutes per day for about the first week just to make sure there were no ill side-effects, especially with the wide variety of medications I am prescribed. As I did not notice anything of issue, I went up to 30 minutes. By this point I believed I was feeling some of the effects but couldn't be sure due to the mood issues from S.A.D. and/or a placebo effect. However by the end of the second week there was absolutely no doubt that the therapy was working. I undertook this therapy in December, usually one of the worst times of year for my condition, and for the first time in a number of years I actually managed to keep some momentum through December and in to this year. It's been about a decade since the last time that happened. In order to make sure that this was not due to something other than the light or that this would be a short-term effect I have waited to write a review. As we entered spring and the time change, I tapered off of the light usage as I was able to get more natural light. Now, 8 months from when I started using it, I can firmly state that this therapy not only helped me through winter but that due to my other health issues there are times I am unable to spend significant time in sunlight and a couple of doses from this light are enough to make a difference. I expect to resume more regular use of the light again as we head in to late fall and the time changes, providing less natural light exposure each day. Lastly, I mentioned that the product is built like a tank. This is a very well built product. No skimping on "lightweight" parts either in the physical build or as far as I can tell in the electronics that control the lighting. I see zero flicker. The lights come on and turn off instantly. There is no sound and only a little heat produced by the light. The arm and adjustments that hold the light have virtually zero play in them. I wish more products were built like this one. I give this product a hearty 5 five stars! I hope it can help you as much as it has helped me. Since I purchase most items on on-line. I rely heavily on the feedback of other people when making my own choices. Therefore I view leaving straightforward and useful reviews as a RESPONSIBILITY and take it quite seriously. I am NOT paid to give reviews, nor do I have ANY relationship with any seller. These are my own opinions, based on my own experiences and my own or a member of my household's use of this product. I hope you find this review helpful. If you agree, please click the YES below so that I know I have helped you. If I left out any information you could use for your own purchase decision please leave a comment and I will respond as quickly as possible. Thank you.

Laughable fail. Light pivots side to side instead of up and down as shown. How this product made it to shipping is beyond comprehension

I purchased this lamp in November of 2013 for $123.12. My physician recommeded a atural light to help my mood and generally make me feel better. I was a bit sceptic, but my husband wanted to give it a try. Since he is a very patient man, I took the hint and purchased the lamp. For seven years, through four homes, and an east to west coast move, this lamp has kept going. I decided to write this review when I came into Amazon to get a new bulb and saw the "you last ordered this in 2013" message on the item. I was amazed that it really had been that long, hence the review. Why was I amazed? The first might be the fact that this is only the third replacement bulb we have purchased in those seven years. Your next comment/thought might be, "she probably only uses it for a few hours a week." And you would be wrong. Other than during moving, the thing has been turned on since 2013, yes always. As you can see from the picture the lamp still looks brand new (other than some cat hair). And you can see from the background that this lighting fixture has a Rufus the Cat seal of approval. He wins the race as to which cat sleeps near/under it. I feel it helps my general health and is a great desk lamp. Due to its wide lighting surface and frosted pane?, it is also great as an office task lamp and as an office nightlight for my wheelchair. It is heavy (but I do have some limitations) which also means it is sturdy. I would not exactly call it beautiful, but it is adjustable and gives a concentrated pool of light that does not light up half the house (the picture shows the high light setting).. So yes, Rufus the Cat and I (also my husband) approve.

My office recently moved. I went from a large office, I shared with another co-worker, that had two large windows, to a large room with cubicles and no windows. I felt the loss of my old office/windows within the first week. I read several reviews on different types of day lights, and I actually purchased a cheaper one before purchasing the Day-Light Sky. While the cheaper one produced a lot of "light", it didn't improve my mood at all. After about two days of using this product both as a therapy and task lamp, I noticed a marked improvement. I didn't get that weird sleepy/non-sleepy feeling throughout the day and my mood was lifting and not so glum. At first I thought it was maybe a placebo, ya know, I think it should help, so it does. However, about a week ago, the computer at my desk started acting up and I've had to move to a different cubicle to work. That area is much darker than my area and after the second day, I noticed I was getting really tired again and my mood was more depressed. I thought about moving my Day-Light Sky to the temporary desk, but it was such a pain to drop the cord behind the cube wall to plug it in, I just decided to wait it out. I may have to rethink that theory. I use the therapy aspect twice a day for about 30 minutes each session. I tilt the head of the lamp up and flip the switch up. It feels so good that I wish I could go longer. It reminds me of when I had my window and the sun would shine in on my face. After the 30 minutes are up, I tilt the head down to a normal task lamp position and flip the switch all the way down. It takes a little adjustment period to go from the therapy to the task because the light is so bright. If you are looking for a great therapy/task lamp, I would highly recommend the Day-Light Sky. I've had several co-workers comment on the lamp. It's rather large, so be sure to have enough space on your desk before you order it. It's also rather heavy (for a lamp), but I find that comforting; it's not likely to get knocked over.

The high and low intensity light settings have no visible difference so i'm not sure if it's working correctly. When i called CS they said you'll just know by how it affects me, which is really ridiculous test of whether a product works correctly or not.