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

Overall a great light for those dark and grey winter days in the Pacific Northwest. Note, this is a large light and needs space. Positives: Excellent size, easy to use, solid stand, impactful luminosity Preferences: The base is large and requires a good amount of space. it would be great if the light would not only pivot vertically, but the ability to rotate left and right would improve adaptability for those who have less space. I use this on my desk at my office and because of its size and inability to move left or right, I have to move the entire unit to use it. Overall I gave it five stars for ease of set up and use. Large lighting area, effectiveness and quality.

I did quite a bit of research before ordering this specific day-light. I am a Dr. Mercola fan, so I went to his website first for some advice on whether these lights work at all and how to compare them. This one fit the criteria (full spectrum, white light, 10k LUX, strong UV filter, etc.) I live in the midwest and the winter has been brutal, many gray days and my mood began to sink. I've known for years that I have Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D.) but never treated it, I just accepted the low moods and lack of energy whenever the sun disappeared for days/weeks. I have used this lamp every day for 20 days now, as soon as I wake up, for 30 minutes. I started noticing the positive affects within the first week. NO KIDDING. I felt an increase in my energy level but more importantly, I didn't feel down, my mood has definitely elevated. I would describe it as bursts of positivity throughout the day. I come home from a long day of work and am still in a good mood, I have more energy and drive to make dinner, run errands, play with the dog, etc. before, I would come home and basically collapse. Features I like: 1) the size of the light itself. iIt is bigger than my head and so is the sun. lol. I've seen small portable lights but this feel more substantial and if I move and shift in front of it, I don't worry about not reaping the benefits of the direct light. 2) the adjustable height and angle. I can sit at a table and get just the right height and angle in front of me. 3) it is sturdy, doesn't wobble and seems like it will stand up to time 4) it is quiet, there is absolutely no noise. 5) quick to get to full lumens. 6) the open space under it is a perfect place to prop my morning book or magazine. I set my timer for 30 minutes, read, and drink my coffee. 7) worth the price. If you are willing to invest $200 (lights can cost anywhere from $75-300, you get what you pay for), I believe this model is best-in-class.

I have used light-boxes in the past with little benefit. Reading more carefully, I find that although less expensive boxes claim therapeutic levels of light output, one would need to be 6 inches or so from the screen to benefit or, alternatively, be willing to spend a longer time sitting before the screen. I now understand that 12-14 inches of distance makes treatment quicker and more practical. That's what you get with Carex. Thirty minutes is just about right to check my email, read a chapter in a book, or listen to a favorite podcast while receiving treatment. Then, I'm off to my usual daily activities, feeling energized. I recommend Carex highly. This has also helped to regulate my sleep cycle by affording a better, more productive, morning which leads to a more active day overall and well-earned sleep at night. I live in the Pacific Northwest, where days grow shorter, and rain is common for at least 6 months of the year, so my light box serves me well and contributes to my overall health.

Seems to work well with placement on table and good lighting. Downside is that it takes up a fair amount of space and does not seem all that well made.

My current PCP doesn’t have enough history with me to understand how well I know my chronic issues and didn’t believe that my Circadian Rhythm delayed-phase sleep disorder, which stress may aggravate, is not a psychosomatic issue. So, on my own, I looked up more current treatments (I was last treated for it 25 yrs ago with mild sleeping pills and sleep hygiene training) and found the clinical guidelines for light therapy. No drugs needed! Given that my system is under major stress with my current severe health crisis, I didn’t want to try and work it out slowly with disciplined sleep hygiene regimen, but wanted a quicker treatment that would be minimally taxing. I highly recommend light therapy and the manufacturer posts the specific clinical guidelines for the five or six types of sleep disorders in adults and children that light therapy actually works for. I’ve been using my lamp as consistently as I can between hospital stays and appointments and can say that it works for me. There is no cure for my sleep disorder, only the ability to reset and then maintain until life circumstances throws it off again. The light is affordable, doesn’t require prescription, and helps my mood. Because of my health issues, maintaining a more positive frame of mind is difficult and I’m under lifting restrictions so the lamp placement isn’t optimum, but still works. You’ll need a sturdy base , I use a side table and when I can move it, a well-designed sturdy bed laptop tray. This design has the largest surface, but is slightly top-heavy and solid, so weight might be an issue when someone is in recovery or under lifting restrictions as I am temporarily. My only wish is for a dimmer. Because of my current limitations, a dimmer would make the regular light setting work better for me as a reading light. As it is, I use a light colored pillow case to cover and that works.

I wanted to like this product. As a light therapy device, it meets the recommended criteria of 10,000 LUX at a reasonable specified distance, height adjustable, overhead angled light, zero/low UV, non-LED bulbs (LED potentially unsafe at that strength), glare and flicker-free, and a large light box (to ensure you are still in the treatment zone if you move your head). Unfortunately, it is of poor quality and the Carex customer service is terrible. The light worked great for about 4 days, then one bulb died. I carefully followed the instructions provided to remove the plastic cover and remove the bulb. It was challenging to remove the plastic cover and then I was unable to remove the dead bulb. It was stuck and I feared breaking glass if I used any more force. I was able to remove one of the other bulbs, so I know I was doing it correctly. Over the course of an entire week, I tried calling Carex customer service several times a day during their business hours. No answer on their consumer customer service line and no one returned my voicemail messages. After may attempts, I finally reached a customer service rep on their medical professional line. She said she was brand new at the job and the only thing she could do was offer to email me the same instruction manual I already had. I asked to speak to a technical support person and she said she would get back to me. It's been several more days and no word. Still no return calls from my other voicemail messages. I then finally again reached a rep at their medical professional line. The next woman couldn't provide help either. I asked about their warranty and the woman would not provide any concrete information. If it wasn't for Amazon's return policy, I would be out several hundred dollars. Fortunately, this product died within the 30 day return window with Amazon. I had hoped to get some trouble shooting help from the manufacturer, but customer service was terrible. I would have just replaced the dead bulb if I could have removed the old bulb. I would have retuned the unit for a new one if I trusted Carex would stand by their product should it become defective outside the Amazon 30 day return window. I don't know of another manufacturer of light therapy boxes that meets the recommended tech specs by the research. Hopefully another manufacturer will improve on the design and build quality and stand behind their products with a clear warranty and excellent customer service. As an added "bonus", I am unable to disassemble the giant device to fit back into it's original packaging. Plastic components snapped together in the initial assembly, but now there is not a way to take them apart. So I will be shipping this product back in a larger box I will go out to buy and hope for the best. Terrible.

I have suffered from SAD for about 10 years. Ever since I moved from the East Coast to Wisconsin, I suffer from depression starting at around early October lasting until April-ish. I have tried pretty much everything I could think of, except for prescription psychotropic medication. I've done supplements, herbal supplements, homeopathy, consistent exercise throughout the entire winter, dietary changes (several different types over the years, and even a Philips GoLite Blue. The blue light never worked, no matter how consistent I was. NOTHING worked. I should note that I was never dangerously depressed, but just "blah" from Fall to Spring. I finally caved and saw my GP and discussed my depression. Though he initially wanted to put me on prescription medications, I expressed my concerns and that I'd be willing to try ANYTHING first prior to prescription medications, if he could think of anything. He mentioned to give light therapy a try. I got a prescription for a light box, and contacted my durable medical equipment provider. It didn't work out with insurance and I wasn't able to get it through them, but I did learn of what they were going to give to me with a doctor's order, and I tracked it down on Amazon. I ended up purchasing this privately because I was starting to feel the depression coming on. I literally felt AMAZING within about 3 days. The following week, I really noticed the change when I was driving with the sunroom open on a sunny day, and found that I was actually smiling for no reason, just smiling taking in the beauty of the day and weather! I haven't felt that good in years! Since then, I've used it since 9/21/16, about 2 months. I notice that when I take several days off, I feel my mood shift. I also noticed that it reset my sleep pattern literally within 2 days. I don't need an alarm clock to wake up now. If I use my lamp at 5AM, I literally awaken at 5AM whether I want to or not. This is great for consistency for work, but bad on weekends when I want to sleep in. Also bad for nights I stay up late for something, because I'm up at 5AM regardless! Stay up to 1AM playing video games, I'm up at 5AM! Kinda sucks, but I can't fault the machine for that... It's also large, and you will need a sturdy place to keep it because it's heavy too. But it needs to be big I believe to work effectively. I wish it had less plastic around the base and more metal. It's already heavy, so I could deal with a little more if it were all metal. I also wish it used LEDs instead of old-school florescent lights. But maybe LEDs wouldn't be as effective? My blue light was small and LED (still bright though), but it wasn't effective... I would HIGHLY recommend this for Seasonal Affective Disorder/Major Depression. This literally saved my life and marriage, and I'm finding life up north bearable now, versus dreading it every Fall. Avoid the smaller lamps, and those gimmick blue lights. They do nothing.

Really big but seems to be effective.