If you tend to feel a little flat during winter, you are definitely not alone. Owing to dark mornings and drawn-out evenings, it’s really no surprise this time of year can negatively impact how we feel. After all, in the UK, we see less than eight hours of sunlight on the “shortest” day of the year.
Should you notice your mood being altered by the changing seasons, seasonal affective disorder (commonly known as SAD) could be to blame. If that’s the case, it may be well worth your while investing in one of the best SAD lamps, as these devices use the benefits of a bright light to help lift your mood during the darker, drearier months.
“If your feelings are interfering with your everyday life, it could be a sign that you have depression,” explains Stephen Buckley, head of information at Mind. “If [those feelings] keep coming back at the same time of year, doctors might call this seasonal affective disorder”.
Ring a bell? Well, SAD lamps are here to make life a little brighter again. Often called therapy lights, SAD lamps are very bright lamps that you sit in front of, ideally in the morning and around lunchtime. As the bright light hits you, your brain will be cajoled into slowing down the production of melatonin (the hormone responsible for sleep) and instead start pumping out serotonin (the hormone in charge of how you feel). This will improve your sense of wellbeing and help boost your energy levels.
You need a light that ideally blasts out around 10,000 lux (lux is the measurement of brightness) but even 2,500 lux still has some effect. You then want to sit in front of it for around 30 minutes a day. After a week of consistent use, you should start to feel the positive effects.
Although they have a slightly different function, there’s also evidence wake-up lights and alarm clocks can ease SAD. For that reason, we’ve included a selection in this review. Before you embark on your light therapy journey, it’s important to check in with your GP, as light therapy is not suitable for everyone, including those on antipsychotic medication and people with certain skin and eye conditions.
How we tested
We appraised the lamps based on how practical they were to use, as this directly impacted how likely we were to consistently use them. We also looked at brightness levels, how they looked in our home, and quality. As well as all of this, we considered value for money. Keep reading to find out which ones brightened up our days.
The best SAD lamps for 2024 are:
- Best overall – Lumie task light therapy desk lamp: £199, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Beurer TL30 daylight therapy lamp: £29.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best light-up alarm clock – Beurer WL50 wake-up light: £63.97, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for ease of use – Lumie vitamin L SAD light: £62.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best feature lamp – Lumie halo light therapy lamp: £166.39, Amazon.co.uk
