Summary
Effective against sleep disorders and depressive states, the light therapy lamp is also the ideal decorative object to make your home brighter with a natural look. Follow the guide: the testers of the Max2kdo team give you their opinion in this comparison to help you choose the best light therapy lamp for you!
The 2 best models of the moment are the Beurer TL 90 – 10,000 lux lamp and the Philips HF3430/01 Intense Blue Light (effects identical to 10,000 lux)
Best light therapy lamp: our top 3
Light therapy lamp: what is it for?
As a natural energizer, daylight has inspired light therapy, literally light therapy. Indeed, scientists and health professionals have recognized the damage that a lack of natural light can cause to the psychological sphere, including seasonal depression, disruptions of the sleep cycle or mental, physical and hormonal rhythms.
Although light therapy lamps were first used in the Nordic countries to compensate for the lack of natural light, particularly during the winter season, they became more widespread in Europe when their effectiveness in treating circadian rhythm disorders (cardiac, hormonal, etc.), but also and above all depression and insomnia was no longer to be proven. Since then, the effectiveness of this treatment has been proven for new applications: lethargic states, attention and concentration disorders, anxiety, overeating, mood disorders…
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Light therapy lamp: how does it work?
The principle here is to expose the eyes to a light close to daylight in terms of colour and intensity in order to regenerate the internal energy. In fact, natural light helps the body to understand that daylight is coming and to stop the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone. Better awakened and charged with energy, the body is ready for activity much more easily. It is, after all, a bodily activation process.
The vast majority of light therapy lamps emit white light, reproducing as much as possible that of the sun. But new blue light devices have appeared in recent years, intended more for nomadic use, although many sedentary people use them. Indeed, the blue light, very well captured by our eye (which does not require a very strong light intensity), makes waking up even softer, without aggression.
This light therapy lamp treatment also has a strong effect on mood, hence its interest in curing depressive disorders. But you don’t need to have any health problems to feel the benefits of a light therapy lamp on a daily basis, quite the contrary: regular use is preventive against small drops in diet in winter, but also the rest of the year.
Since its advent, other more advanced technologies have appeared, such as light therapy sensory glasses, but the light therapy lamp remains the mainstay of this type of treatment.
Be careful, however: this treatment is not suitable for everyone, and is especially to be avoided for people suffering from certain eye or psychological problems. Thus, patients with retinal diseases or bipolar disorders should avoid using this therapy. In general, prevention is better than cure and you should seek advice from your doctor before investing in a light therapy lamp, no matter how beneficial and non-aggressive this type of therapy may be.
When to use your light therapy lamp?
The ideal time to fully experience the benefits of the light therapy lamp is in the morning, after waking up. The most recommended uses: exposure of fairly high intensity between half an hour and an hour at breakfast time, or all morning at the office with low to medium intensity.
Attention: it is necessary to limit the exposure time and change the intensity of the light, either by moving to a longer distance from the lamp or by using the dimmer if it is equipped with one, because it is the intersection of the duration/intensity parameters that determines the effectiveness of the treatment. Yes, more is not necessarily better. The stronger the intensity of the light, the more exposure should be limited (to half an hour or an hour for maximum intensity).
Choosing the right light therapy lamp
The shape
Round or abstract accent lamps, ceiling or wall lights – there is no shortage of design types. Opt for one of the last two if there are several of you, preferably in a place where several of you can share, such as the kitchen. There’s nothing better for morale than a light treatment at breakfast with the family to get the day off to a good start!
Bedside or desk lamps are more for personal use: ideal for working or reading while recharging your mental batteries.
It’s up to you to choose according to the use you intend to make of it and the aesthetic result you want.
Finally, another format is widely acclaimed by doctors and wellness specialists: the alarm clock with integrated light therapy lamp, also known as a dawn simulator alarm clock. The operation is simple, but clever: a few minutes before the bell rings, the lamp is activated gently and gradually to simulate a daybreak and put the body in a good chemical disposition for awakening. This way, the alarm clock is gentler and better experienced, the body is less tired and the mood is better than with a conventional alarm clock.
The power
The unit of measurement for light intensity is lux. As an indication, standard artificial lighting in the home emits 50 to 100 lux while direct sunlight is around 120,000 lux. The body’s activation process is fully triggered around 10,000 lux for a real therapeutic impact, between 200 and 500 with blue light. You therefore need a lamp with a power of at least this level. It is best to opt for a lamp with a dimmable dimmer. If you prefer a stand-alone setting, there are also programmed or random variable intensity settings.
Safety standards
Bright light therapy lamps must meet certain medical standards and certifications in order to be marketed as a product of therapeutic use, in the interest of safety: they must not generate UV radiation that is harmful to the skin, for example.
The price
Globally, the price of a light therapy lamp varies widely depending on its size and performance, from about 50 € for the entry-level to 300 €, 500 for the largest and / or advanced models. Some lamps are not expensive (from 50€) but they are less efficient and require a prolonged use.
Consumption
Pay particular attention to the energy consumption index of your lamp, because the daily use of a very energy-intensive device can quickly raise its rating!
The best light therapy lamp in 2019: the comparison
Max2kdo compares for you the 6 best portable light therapy lamps on the market in 2019:
 Duronic SADV1 Light Therapy Lamp 10,000 Lumens
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 Beurer TL 70 Light therapy lamp
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 Top Life 10000 lux light therapy lamp
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 Terraillon Connected Light Therapy Lamp
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 Aourow 10,000 lux light therapy lamp
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 (Bonus) Philips – HF3510/01 – Alarm clock with light therapy light
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The Mx2kdo assessment of the best light therapy lamps: the opinion of our testers
Duronic SADV1 Light Therapy Lamp 10,000 Lumens
Medically certified 93/42/EEC, this model with a power of 10,000 lux is efficient and well-designed: delivered with a folding base and wall mountings, it can be installed just about anywhere. In terms of dimensions, we are dealing with a medium format: a little less than 2 kg, 48 cm high and 34 wide. Its design is simple and very sober, a little less aesthetic than some models proposed by the competition, but the Duronic SADV1 light therapy lamp compensates by its quality of manufacture and its solidity, always a plus when you have small children or animals at home, likely to make it fall accidentally. In addition, it has a switch: no need to unplug and plug it back in each time.
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| The plusses | The – |
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Our opinion: the rated criteria
| Performance | 4.5 / 5 stars |
| Design | 2 / 5 stars |
| Consumption | 3.5 / 5 stars |
| Awards | 4 / 5 stars |
| Solidity and quality of workmanship | 4.5 / 5 stars |
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Beurer TL 70 Light therapy lamp
Clearly, the Beurer TL 70 is one of our favourites in this comparison top: with its elegant round design, how could you not have a soft spot for this light therapy lamp with a diameter of 33 cm and a weight of less than 1 kg? And that’s not its only advantage, far from it: 3-year guarantee with 10,000 lux of power, it has 10 adjustable light intensity levels, 5 processing modes (times programmed by digital timer, from 15 to 120 minutes) and even a memory function to record the last level of brightness used.
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| The plusses | The – |
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Our opinion: the rated criteria
| Performance | 5 / 5 stars |
| Design | 4.5 / 5 stars |
| Consumption | 4.5 / 5 stars |
| Awards | 2.5 / 5 stars |
| Solidity and quality of workmanship | 4 / 5 stars |
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Top Life 10000 lux light therapy lamp
Labelled 93/42/EEC, the Top Life light therapy lamp has proven and attested medical effectiveness. On the other hand, its look based on that of a shelf is not the most flattering and its adjustable support could be optimized in terms of ergonomics. Nevertheless, this 400 g model has the advantage of being compact with an ultra-thin slice (dimensions: 27.5 x 16 x 1.7 cm), easily transportable while providing sufficient light surface for versatile use.
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| The plusses | The – |
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Our opinion: the rated criteria
| Performance | 4.5 / 5 stars |
| Design | 2.5 / 5 stars |
| Consumption | 3.5 / 5 stars |
| Awards | 3.5 / 5 stars |
| Solidity and quality of workmanship | 3.5 / 5 stars |
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Terraillon Homni Connected Light Therapy Lamp
This top-of-the-range intelligent bedside lamp named Homni is connected to a saphic coaching application that allows you to better manage your sleep: sleep and wake-up programs, sleep environment analysis, sleep sensor, cardiac coherence... In addition, this lamp has a wide range of colors to compose its own luminous ambiance, 2 USB charging ports for phone/tablet and an integrated Bluetooth stereo speaker! With its ultra-design look, the Homni lamp is not only an effective therapeutic equipment, but also a perfect decorative object! Of course, such a level of service raises the bill, although the rate is still correct because the application is included in the package. However, its pocket size may not always be practical, especially since the light intensity is not very strong, as the lamp is not designed for remote use.
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| The plusses | The – |
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Our opinion: the rated criteria
| Performance | 5 / 5 stars |
| Design | 4 / 5 stars |
| Consumption | 3.5 / 5 stars |
| Awards | 2 / 5 stars |
| Solidity and quality of workmanship | 5 / 5 stars |
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Aourow 10,000 lux light therapy lamp (26.4 x 18.6 x 7 cm)
What we love about this 700g lamp is its double function of white and blue light: if the white is too aggressive, we switch to blue! Practical, efficient and versatile, this model is also energy-efficient and has an average service life of 35,000 hours.
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| The plusses | The – |
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Our opinion: the rated criteria
| Performance | 4.5 / 5 stars |
| Design | 3.5 / 5 stars |
| Consumption | 5 / 5 stars |
| Awards | 3.5 / 5 stars |
| Solidity and quality of workmanship | 5 / 5 stars |
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(Bonus) Philips – HF3510/01 – Awakening Light
This Philips model is not just a bedside lamp, but also a dawn alarm clock specially designed to reproduce the light of a sunrise to gently wake up the body. This adorable pocket model (9.2 x 19.9 x 14.6 cm) has a dimmer switch, an alarm clock function with 3 natural sounds or FM radio.
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| The plusses | The – |
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Our opinion: the rated criteria
| Performance | 4 / 5 stars |
| Design | 5 / 5 stars |
| Consumption | 4 / 5 stars |
| Awards | 3 / 5 stars |
| Solidity and quality of workmanship | 3.5 / 5 stars |
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Our selection of the best light therapy lamps: the technical characteristics
Duronic SADV1 Light Therapy Lamp 10,000 Lumens
- Intensity: 10,000 lux
- Accessory pack: base + wall mountings
- Dimensions of the device 34 x 47.5 x 9 cm
- Weight: 1 kg
- Medically certified 93/42/EEC
- UV-free
- Switch
Beurer TL 70 Light therapy lamp
- LED technology
- Intensity: 10,000 lux
- 10 intensity levels
- Timer 5 levels of treatment: from 15 to 120 minutes
- Certified UV-free medical product
- Dimensions: 335 x 335 x 150 mm
- Weight: 980 g
- Luminous surface: 33 cm in diameter
- 3 year warranty
- Energy saving auto shutdown
- LED battery status display
- Inverter memory function for storing the last settings
- Accessory pack: AC adapter
Top Life 10000 lux light therapy lamp: the cheapest model
- LED technology
- Intensity: 10,000 lux
- Cable: 2.5 m
- UV-free
- CE medical marking (Directive 93/42/EEC)
- Class I medical device
- Power: 12 W
- Outside dimensions: 27.5 x 16 x 1.7 cm
- Weight: 400 g
- Accessory pack: AC adapter
Terraillon Connected Light Therapy Lamp
- LED display
- Alarm clock
- Dimensions (LxWxH): 11 x 11 x 15.5 cm
- Free mobile application Wellness Coach – Sleep
- Accessory pack: AC adapter, dot sensor, user manual
- 2 USB ports to charge smartphone and tablet
- 16 million colours to create its luminous atmosphere
- Built-in Bluetooth stereo speakers (2x3W)
- Tactile Interfaces
- Collaboration of the European Sleep Centre
- Cardiac Coherence Program
- 12 on-board sounds
Aourow 10,000 lux light therapy lamp – an economical model
- LED technology
- Intensity: 10,000 lux
- White light/blue light function
- UV-free
- Accessory pack: AC adapter
- Dimensions: 26.4 x 18.6 x 7 cm
- Weight: 700 g
- Average life: 35,000 H
- Power: 28 W
- Energy label: A+++
(Bonus) Philips – HF3510/01 – Alarm clock with light therapy light
- Power: 16.5 W
- Intensity: 20 settings from 0 to 300 lux
- Bedside lamp function
- Dawn and Dusk Simulator 30 min
- 3 natural sounds and FM radio with snooze alarm snooze function
- Dimensions: 9.2 x 19.9 x 14.6 cm
- Weight: 812 g
- Material: glass
- Cord: 150 cm
- UV-free
Light Therapy Lamp: The Tip
You are not the only one who gets depressed in winter: indoor plants also suffer from a lack of light. Light therapy lamps are just as effective on plants: think about using yours to revitalize your plants!
Best light therapy lamp: why trust us?
Thank you for reading our comparison guide! Because we know that it is not always easy to make the best choice without trying, each of our recommendations is the result of a long analysis of consumer opinions on flagship and little-known products on the market, of price and technical characteristics comparisons, but also and above all of tests by a team of men and women constantly renewed in order to maintain real objectivity.
All the purchasing criteria are scrutinized for the realization of our comparative guides: budget, level of range, functional and practical aspects, design, pack and accessories, safety… All this in order to help you choose the products best suited to your needs, desires and constraints on a daily basis, at the best price!
