Why would anyone need a therapy lamp? Well, because many of us don’t get enough sunlight and this isn’t good for us.
It can cause Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and reduce the amount of serotonin (a naturally occurring “happy” chemical in the body) available to us.
A therapy lamp from our 5 best light therapy lamps can help you combat these effects by simulating sunlight at home and making you feel better.
Theralite Aura Bright Light Therapy Lamp
EDITOR’S CHOICE
This desk light is perfect for brightening your mood while you’re working.
Carex Day-Light Classic Plus Bright Light Therapy Lamp
BEST VALUE CHOICE
This lightweight and fun therapy lamp can give you an energy boost.
Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light
TOP RATED CHOICE
This therapy light incorporates a gentle alarm clock that can wake you up as though the sun is rising inside.
Theralite Aura Bright Light Therapy Lamp
This Theralite Aura light is brilliant.
It stands easily on a desk and you can adjust the angle of the head as well as its height to get the perfect light for you.
You can also choose between four different intensities of light, so it can adapt to your needs throughout the day.
If you want a boost to your energy levels during the working day, you can’t go wrong.
QUICK FACT
If you use a therapy lamp like this, you want the light to reach your eyes but you don’t need to shine the light into your eyes that might cause eye strain.
1. Reasonably priced
2. Up to 10,000 Lux of brightness, perfect for the office
3. Can help improve your well being
1. It’s a big light – so not always suitable for small spaces
2. The shade can become loose if you keep adjusting the tilt angle
3. The power button is super sensitive – it’s too easy to turn on and off
Carex Day-Light Classic Plus Bright Light Therapy Lamp
This Carex Day-Light lamp was built specifically to assist people suffering from SAD.
It’s very lightweight and can easily move from room to room with you if you want it to.
You should be about a foot away from the light to get the maximum benefit from this light.
It’s great for helping you sleep, like great bed linen can, and we felt that it also helped us to concentrate better too..
QUICK FACT
It might be a little more expensive than some therapy lamps but this light comes with a 5-year warranty which offers real peace of mind.
1. Completely glare-free LED light therapy
2. Blocks 99% of all UV rays
3. Can adjust height and angle of tilt
1. It has a large footprint which can dominate a smaller table
2. The stand is a bit rickety
3. Requires fairly regular replacement bulbs
Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light, Colored Sunrise and Sunset Simulation
Why not start the day in the warm glow of sunlight with this clever alarm and therapy light in one from Philips SmartSleep?
This is natural living indoors.
It can be set to mimic the gradual increasing intensity of sunrise in your bedroom and the light slowly begins 30 minutes before the alarm comes on, so that you awaken gently rather than startled and out of sorts.
QUICK FACT
Not only does this therapy light double as an alarm clock but it also doubles as an FM radio – we like to tune into some gentle music and then set it for sunset too.
1. 90 day money back satisfaction guarantee
2. 8-hour battery backup for alarm functions
3. Has an alarm and a radio built in
1. The clock face can’t be dimmed
2. The buttons are small and awkwardly placed except the snooze button which is too easy to hit
3. The instructions are a bit complicated
Philips GoLite BLU Energy Light Therapy Lamp
Not everyone gets on with white light for their therapy.
This Philips GoLite light is blue and it’s meant to give you the same feeling as you get laying out under the sun on a hot summer’s day but without any glare.
They say it’s as effective as any white light for SAD, sleep disorders, etc. and we certainly felt our spirits liften when testing it.
QUICK FACT
This is the lightest lamp in our tests and it weighs just over 1lb. and that means it’s very easy to slip into a bag and take anywhere with you.
1. If you don’t like white light – blue can be just as helpful
2. It filters out all UV rays to keep your eyes safe
3. 5 different intensity settings
1. It’s quite expensive
2. Not very intuitive to learn to use
3. There’s no USB charging option
Circadian Optics Light Therapy Lamp
If you want something that looks like it might have been on the Starship Enterprise or guest-starring in the latest Blade Runner movie – this is it, the Circadian Optics Light Therapy Lamp.
It’s super sleek and doesn’t take up much room on the table.
It has a one-touch approach to operation and it is without a doubt one of the easiest therapy lamps to use that we’ve tested.
QUICK FACT
The LED bulbs are unlikely to need replacing very often as they last much longer than other types of bulb.
1. Slimline and won’t dominate space
2. Easy one touch use that won’t get confusing
3. Up to 10,000 Lux output
1. Power adapter gets very hot when plugged in for long periods
2. May need to keep this light closer than others to get the full benefit
3. No USB and no battery operation
