I Tested ALL 10 of the HappyLight SAD Lamps!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ค. 2024
- My Favorite HappyLights:
👉 Duo Desk:
Amazon: amzn.to/3OFWVER
Verilux: shrsl.com/49o6m
👉 Duo Floor:
Amazon: amzn.to/3YkkXsl
Verilux: shrsl.com/48vme
👉 Halo:
Amazon: amzn.to/44WkxL0
Verilux: shrsl.com/49o79
👉 Luxe:
Amazn: amzn.to/3OpSKeT
Verilux: shrsl.com/48vmb
💡 Best SAD Lamps:
optimizeyourbiology.com/best-...
We've also tested the lux and circadian light from many other popular light therapy lamps. if you're interested, you can find the data for those in our database here:
💡 Light Therapy Lamp Database:
optimizeyourbiology.com/light...
HappyLights Review Article:
optimizeyourbiology.com/best-...
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:40 - Testing Method
1:01 - Lux
1:57 - Circadian Light
3:21 - Color Temperature
3:57 - Flourescent vs. LED
4:31 - Verilux vs. Circadian Optics
5:06 - Color Rendering
6:34 - Flicker Rate
8:07 - Glare Rating
9:28 - My Favorites HappyLights
9:46 - Duo Desk
10:20 - Duo Floor
10:54 - Luxe vs. Halo
11:11 - Halo
12:11 - Luxe
13:17 - DIY Light Therapy Lamp
Disclaimer: Some of these links go to one of my websites and some are affiliate links where I'll earn a small commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you.
✅ For business inquiries contact me at derek@optimizeyourbiology.com
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☀Check out my running list of the Best SAD Lamps here!☀
optimizeyourbiology.com/best-sad-light-therapy-lamps
I don't get how you only have 75 views. This is the only place I could find that actually TESTED the lux output of any therapy lights. It's crazy that we let them get away with saying 10,000 lux without specifying a distance.
It really is quite an annoying buzz word isn't it? We're a relatively new channel with very few videos so TH-cam doesn't think we exist lol
But thank you for the comment! We'll keep testing things!
It's up to 6900 views, but I completely agree. Based on the amount of work this guy put in, I would call this a hidden gem.
Genuinely appreciate your website and thorough testing you've done! Thanks for filling a niche in the interwebs.
Hey thanks! I appreciate your appreciation 😁 🙏
Thank you for testing all of them!!
You’re welcome! Thanks for watching 😁
Yes! This is perfect timing. I was just looking at getting a new lamp to keep near my desk in the basement and this is going to help me so much. Seems like the floor model is going to be a great choice.
Glad you found it helpful 😁 This sucker is bright! It’s definitely going to help with the coming winter blues.
Oh wow love how thorough you are on this!
Thank you! Hope it was helpful.
What a GREAT review! Thank you so much for being so thorough!
You're very welcome! :D
The only thorough and test driven review. Amazing. Thanks for this. You just saved me money buying an inferior light from another brand
You’re welcome! I’m glad you found it useful!
Very helpful. Thank you!
You're very welcome!
Thank you so much for doing the research.
You're welcome, my pleasure!
Awesome video! Thanks!!!
You’re very welcome!
Thank you for this video. I had an old Happylight from around 2013 that I changed the bulb out but it wasn't really helping. I looked over your running list and decided to go with the duo desk. I am astounded at the difference from my old light.
You're welcome! Glad to hear that, that's a nice lamp indeed!
Great video! Happy Light seems like my choice, but also interested to see what you have coming out.
Thank you.
Thank you! Stay tuned, hopefully the DIY light I'm working on will be worth it :D
Hi, thank you for a very awesome and informative video of SAD lamps. I also really liked the lightning and brightness of your video, can I ask what lightning setup do you have while recording?
Hey thanks! In this video I’ve got a 5600K GVM softbox lighting me up to the front right, a couple of BR30 halogens in the back, and a 7000K fluorescent tube light shining from above in the back :)
I may have also had one of my DIY full spectrum chandeliers on during this but I can’t recall haha
I purchased the Halo and it is amazing how much energized I feel… wake up refreshed. I moved from a tropical country to Canada and I only wished I had bought it years ago
Glad to hear that! It's pretty amazing what a difference light can make in our day to day.
Hi Derek, I appreciate your efforts on this topic; your website is fantastic as well, covering a wide array of subjects. After reading, I'm considering the Happylight Luxe.
Quick question: if used for a few hours daily instead of the recommended 20-30 minutes, would there be any adverse effects? I currently use a cheaper light for extended periods (7 am to 5 pm) and find it effective.
Good question! The one thing these lamps warn of is "mania". This is more likely when a persons circadian rhythm is quite off and they use a SAD lamp for long periods of time.
I'd say as long as you feel comfortable using it , the amount of time it's used for doesn't matter!
I have owned two Sunboxes and a Sun Visor for the use of SAD. I am
interested to see what you are working on. I am in the market for another one as I gave mine away to my daughter. Ty for the review 😊
Thanks for the comment 😄
I’m hoping it turns out well! That video will hopefully be out by November, still waiting on some parts…
Which do you think you're going to purchase? All this information just confuses me
Would love to hear your thoughts and research on the effects of screen time at night / using blue like glasses / and turning on the NightShift on the iPhone
That’s something I’ve been a bit lazy about making videos on 😅
I’ll try to get some good video content out on that in the future!
In the mean time though I do have some pretty thorough articles and guides on my website on these topics!
Dude, you are a cool human. I dont know how I found myself here but this is fascinating
Haha welcome to the channel, and thank you!
Thank you, I am only interested in the floor lamp model for dual use with reading. My concern is the durability of the lamp. Several Amazon critical reviews say the same thing: the power cord inside the inner workings of the lamp easily becomes disconnected inside the lamp when adjusting the height of the lamp, and the only real workaround appears to be using electrical tape to make the connection better. It appears to be a fundamental design flaw in the lamp.
I’ve seen those reviews as well. Putting it together was kind of a pain, as the cord doesn’t seem to be quite long enough.
However I personally didn’t have any issues with the cord disconnecting during my usage. Taping would be pretty easy and top part moves quite a bit so you may find you don’t actually need to adjust the actual height all that much.
@@optimizeyourbiology Thank you. I will consider it. Overall, I am not sure about the durability of the brand. Plus I am not strong at all, and I am somewhat concerned about being able to put the lamp together by myself. A number of critical reviews mentioned difficulty with properly tightening the base.
@@inhaleexhale That's a valid concern! It definitely wasn't the easiest thing to put together. There are probably better options out there I just haven't tested any other floor models at this time so I can't say for sure which would be a good choice.
Thank you SO much for doing this! I want to buy one of these - used one about 10 years ago for SAD, and it was very helpful. There are so many on the market now, didn't know where to start! I don't want to spend more than I have to, but also don't want to throw money away on a shoddy, less effective product. I'll watch your other videos!
QUESTION: I"m concerned about the high level of blue light in these, though as we are all overloaded with blue light already. Wouldn't I want a more balanced blue/red spectrum? Is there a brand/model you would recommend that has this?
Have you ever thought about looking at red lights? I'm curious about the Ruby Lux IR bulb and their red LED - both seem to be great bang for the buck. Also would be curious re: Red Light Man - he seems like a good guy.
Look forward to your light!
You're welcome :) And good question!
I'm not personally too concerned about blue light in the morning hours, however you're correct, there should be more balance.
I actually tend to use fuller spectrum lights in my house that contain more red light and the blue spike is less pronounced. At my desk I also utilize infrared lights to fill in that end of the spectrum more.
You can find out more on ways to do that here if you'd like:
optimizeyourbiology.com/how-to-mimic-sunlight
Otherwise you can always go with a lower color temperature light, you can sort our database for this, but Carex Classic and Sky are on the lower end and are pretty nice lights!
Hello 👋😀
Can you review the olly therapy light please? Thanks
Hey Kevin! Not sure it's worth it's own video, but I'll think about it! We have tested it however and you can see the data on our database!
optimizeyourbiology.com/light-therapy-lamp-database
How does the Phillips blu Golite compare!?
I’m not sure! They’ve been discontinued as far as I can tell.
What is your measurements on incondescent light bulbs? I remember falling asleep with a 100w full spectrum light bulb in a lamp without a shade. When i woke up i was freaking out thinking i slept in, it looked like daylight coming in the window.
You can find some measurements of incandescents and halogens in our Light Bulb Database: optimizeyourbiology.com/light-bulb-database
These tungsten filament bulbs emit a nearly perfect CRI and look very natural when compared to sunlight, so that's probably why it felt that way! A 100w incandescent is also quite bright.
The older sunrise alarm clocks used to use these!
If you place the floor lamp so that light comes from above, will the user feel less glare or would it be more or less the same? And thank you so much for all your videos. It's so helpful and I'm glad to have found your channel before actually purchasing a SAD lamp.
You’re welcome! Glad you found me :)
In my experience yes! Bright light always feels less harsh from above than from below. That’s how I prefer to use all my SAD lamps if I can help it.
Luckily that’s quite easy to achieve with floor model!
having tried both lamps and glasses would you say glasses are as effective?
I’d say it depends on the person and the situation. Some people need a LOT more light and some need less, for the same effect. And only you know which camp you fall into.
Glasses will always put out less light than a good lamp.
I’m personally pretty sensitive to light, and so I find that even a little bit is capable of aligning my circadian rhythm and preventing mood disorders. I LIKE a lot of light, I feel much better in more light, but my minimum is pretty low, so glasses work just fine for me.
But they also serve two different purposes, regardless of your sensitivity threshold, if you simply don’t have time to sit near a lamp or other bright light source in the morning, light therapy glasses can be a lifesaver because that early morning light signal is crucial for circadian alignment.
So for raw output and effectiveness, technically a lamp wins ever time (although there are some that are dimmer than the Luminette at reasonable distances of 1ft) but glasses win the convenience game, so it’s a matter of what fits best into your lifestyle and personal needs.
@@optimizeyourbiology thanks this is helpful
Have you made your own lights yet? I would love to get one that projects a bright light to the celing.
BTW, I used your affiliate link to buy a duo floor. Thanks for all the work you put into the analysis.
I did! We're just about to upload the video actually.
Thanks for doing these great videos!!! Still hesitating between the Duo Desk, Luxe and Circadian Optics Lumos 2.0 Light. Will probably go with a Verilux. Maybe that's a stupid question (I'm truly ignorant in this domain), but I'm curious : why would we want more blue light (in the circadian light spectrum / coverage) if we get so much from our computers already? I know it's naturally present in the natural sun light, but why would I pick the Duo Desk to get a bluer light, if I get too much already? Thank you!
Great question! The first thing we have to consider is that it's the shorter wavelength blue/turquoise/green light that sets our circadian rhythm. The sun puts out TONS of this kind of light, far more than our screens ever will (think 100x or more).
So we need this kind light to function properly, hence using a powerful lamp. However as you've pointed out, screens can emit a very unnatural spectrum of light, since they're just plain RGB (red, green blue) LEDs. Which means there's a very large spike of blue light. You can see what that looks like in this article: optimizeyourbiology.com/best-blue-light-glasses.
If you compare this spectrum to sunlight or even to a higher CRI light like the Duo Desk, you'll see that they emit a very different kind of light overall. The blue is more balanced with the other colors.
If you're still hesitant to avoid more blue light however, and some people seem to just be more sensitive to it in general, I'd recommend checking out a warmer toned light.
In our Database you can sort by CCT, the lower the number, the less blue light there will be relative to the other colors: optimizeyourbiology.com/light-therapy-lamp-database
You can also check the "Spectrum" image to see this change visually! It's worth keeping in mind however that the many of the HappyLights have a color temperature changing feature they call HappyHue, so the Duo Desk for example can become warmer as well as cooler according to your preference!
Hope that helps :)
Super interesting. It's a fascinating topic! Yes that helps a lot! Thank you for taking the time to answer in such great depth. Funnilly, I received a newsletter from an astrologer this morning sharing that there is more blue light in the sunrise, and that therefore, watching it helps to wake up / set our circadian rhythm.
My Qi Gong teacher recommends "sunning" for 3 minutes a few times a day. This is done with eyes closed, letting the sun come through the eye lids and in the pineal gland (and whole body). This is done to increase serotonine and lower adrenalin, to sleep better, dream better, heal better. ❤ Will try this with the lamp too 😁
@@racheljutras8290 You're very welcome! The sunrise is certainly worth viewing for those reasons!
And to your other comment, I also enjoy that practice. Dr.William Bates actually recommended this to his patients and also called it Sunning, the difference being it recommended swaying the head and gazing back and forth so that the bright light moved across your vision from left to right.
I've always found that quite relaxing.
@@optimizeyourbiology Wow, that's awesome that you also enjoy sunning! ☺Will check out Dr William Bates!
hiti!! my understanding was that you would need a light with lux "between ~ 1000 and 10000" if you want it to effectively entrain the SC. ...is that even true? what would the circadian light equivalent be? thanks so much!!
The Circadian Light metric is technically used to determine the CS score (circadian stimulus) given to a light source. The LHRC has established a CS of >0.3 for at least 30 minutes is required for minimal circadian stimulation.
CS is a proxy for circadian activation determined by light sources and how well they suppress melatonin. So a light source that achieves a CS of 0.3 would suppress melatonin by around 30% if used in the evening.
You really don’t need THAT much light to activate the circadian system. Testing for reduction of SAD and symptoms such as that report that much higher levels are needed to reduce those, however the 10,000 lux limit itself is rather arbitrary and the levels needed vary from person to person.
With all that being said, it’s really not that complicated. I think the vast majority of SAD lamps achieve lux and CLA levels that are more than adequate. But everyone is different!
I personally feel better with a bluer light and a lot of lux, but I also prefer a lower glare of around 100 lux per square inch as well, as going much higher than that starts to get a little uncomfortable.
Hopefully that wasn’t too much info 😅
@optimizeyourbiology - You mentioned developing your own SAD light. Do you have any update on this?
I did! It's a DIY project at present, but I love them.
Here's the article: optimizeyourbiology.com/diy-full-spectrum-sad-lamp
And there will be a video on this in the coming week.
@@optimizeyourbiology That looks awesome, I look forward to seeing the video! Thank you for the quick response
Do you recommend the glasses or lamp for effectiveness?
The lamps will be more effective if your close to them for a while. The advantage to the glasses is that you don't have to be in one spot, and they'll still work. So a lot of people like that convenience.
So to summarize, if you want this to improve your mood and sleep during the dark winters then the circadian light is the most important thing. therefore the Duo Floor is the best option?
Yup! The Duo Floor is definitely the most effective HappyLight model.
Weird question… is it ok to close your eyes during your light session or will that impact its efficiency? I was thinking the floor lamp model would be great to have the light above my head but can I just relax and close my eyes?
It will lower it's impact as the eyelids do filter quite a bit of light.
However!... it should still work just fine. Sunrise alarm clocks have been shown to work in clinical studies and those are only peaking at around 250 lux and participants had their eyes closed.
In fact, I often meditate with my eyes closed in front of bright light first thing in the morning. So i'd say you're more than safe to close your eyes!
I noticed that in the absence of sun rays, it is difficult for me to get up in the morning. So i'm looking for an option that imitates the sun's rays in the morning. Well, more precisely, it would turn on at a set time. can you advice something?
I feel that! I suppose it depends. If by "mimic the morning sunlight" and "turn on at a set time" you mean smart lighting, then i'd suggest philips hue, though it will be difficult to get "sunlight level" lumens out of that setup without spending BIG bucks.
If you instead mean full spectrum light at fairly bright levels, I'd recommend taking a look at my guide on how to mimic sunlight:
optimizeyourbiology.com/how-to-mimic-sunlight
That goes into many ideas and techniques you can utilize to increase the amount of full spectrum light in your home or office during the day.
For example I'm currently in the process of installing an 8 socket string light across the apex of the ceiling in my living area. This will hold 8 7-in-1 light bulb splitters, which will each have around 7 Philips Ultra Definition 8w bulbs. This will total around 45,000 lumens and I expect it to feel quite nice :D
You can also put these on outlet timers or even get a mechanical style light therapy lamp like the Carex Classic or Sky to automate the time those turn on.
What you think about tl20 ?
Haven’t tested it yet but it’s on my list!
Hi. The video has sound but just a black screen? Also, I’m interested in your light. Do you know roughly when that will be available?
Hi there! I'm thinking that must be one your end, everything is looking good for me!
I just uploaded my DIY SAD lamp video here: th-cam.com/video/0L4fPp9aSjY/w-d-xo.html
@@optimizeyourbiology
Ok ya that was weird. Nothing but sound (but only on your video) yesterday. Today it’s normal. Thanks for the link but I thought you were going to be selling a light. I don’t think I can make my own.
@@Sharetheroad3333 I would love to at some point! As of right now, it's just a DIY project, unfortunately.
@@optimizeyourbiology
Thank you. Do you have a video for how to most effectively use light therapy?
I want it to help with sleep and mood. Thanks.
@@Sharetheroad3333 I don't currently but that's a good idea! I'll have to work on one!
Slayy you ate that
Would red light therapy do just the same thing and even better for you?
No red light doesn’t activate the circadian system. Two completely different types of light therapy.
How about the Lumi Plus or Touch Plus
They're both okay! You can see how they compare to the Luxe in our database:
optimizeyourbiology.com/light-therapy-lamp-database
They both have lower CLA and higher Glare than the Luxe, hence my preference for it.
Can you please tell me what you think of the Sperti lamp? I have extremely low levels of vitamin D I HAVE Multiple Sclerosis and I cannot take vitamin D supplements and in winter I am very sick from D deficiency I can’t even get out of bed 😢 I have heard that the Sperti lamp was the best because it is the only FDA approved lamp that guarantees that it raises the D levels and you only need to use it for 1 to 5 minutes a day which is best for me because I have very fair skin. Can you please help me? Which one would you recommend for me? Thank you 😊
The Sperti is indeed the only officially FDA approved consumer vitamin D lamp, so if you need one it's a good choice! I did build my own which also works according to my testing.
You can look up how to build it here:
optimizeyourbiology.com/diy-vitamin-d-sun-lamp
Super easy!
@@optimizeyourbiology I was wondering if you are selling your new lamps you made?
I’m afraid shipping it fully built would be too risky for the lights to be installed. So it’s better to just order the fixture and bulbs yourself and install them at home. It’s quite easy! It’s just a fixture, and 4 bulbs that twist into place, can’t mess it up really.
any alexa enabled ones out there?
Good question! Not that I know of... the only hope would be to use one of the analog switch lamps like for example the Carex Classic and Sky, or the Alaska Northern Light NorthStar (review on those soon) and put it on a smart switch.
This way you could turn it off and on with alexa, but the capacitive touch lamps won't work like that unfortunately.
I thought Verilux Happy Lights contain blue light. Isn't this bad?
Not quite so simple. No SAD lamp would be effective without blue light. It's the short wavelength blue light that wakes us up in the morning and throughout the day.
Once you approach the NearUV and UV range, around 380-400nm perhaps there's some cause for concern? But the blue light in these lamps is predominantly 460nm, not something I'm really concerned about. Besides, the Sun contains far more blue light than you'll even get from one of these lamps!
@@optimizeyourbiology Thank you for clarifying. One other quick question: Do these models use bulbs or LED? I cannot find an answer.
Do you have your own lights nowb
Working on a DIY lamp now...taking longer than I thought
Anyone using a beurer lamp?
It's difficult to get ahold of them in the US but I'm trying.
With everything going LED, it should be mandated that all LEDs should be flicker free. Not these cheap converters that flicker at a high rate, its garbage. Tons of monitors are now flicker free, they need to make all LED light bulbs and these happy lights flicker free as well
I couldn’t agree more!
It’s just lazy design, I’ve tested cheap garbage that doesn’t flicker at all, seems like most companies just don’t even think about it and the ones that have zero flicker end up doing so on accident haha
I'm going to probably be the only person who says "what did he say?". You give a lot of information, none of which I understand. Would you be so kind as to just tell me which of these is the best and I'll be very grateful 😊.
Haha I tried! I do have an article as well where I give my favorites:
optimizeyourbiology.com/best-verilux-happylight-lamps
But it kinda depends. The Luxe is a pretty good all around option!
Okay, lol. I officially consider myself thick headed. I don't get out of the house, perhaps 2 times a month. I get no sun. I need something that helps me naturally make vitamin D. In layman's terms, which lamp would you pick if you were me 😊
Couldn’t get past the annoying background “music” (not really music).
Sorry about that! We’ll try to make that less intrusive next time.
All of the data and findings are in the linked article as well.
Unfortunately this guy talks too much before even shows anything.
Ah good old internet criticism. I wish it felt constructive but it's just looks like you're having a bad day. I go over lux graphs at 1:30, not a terribly long time... but if that's too much to sit through, I get it, that's why TH-cam has "chapters."
It's quite brilliant, you can skip to exactly which part you're interested in, don't even have to wait for me to get there!