It helps me to wake up In the morning.
Winter is fine at the beginning, but gets old by February. Helps to keep me out of bad mood when cloudy and don't have time to get outside.
I absolutely love this light! I have noticed a difference in my energy levels and mood right from the first use. I live in an area where the winters are long and dark and this lamp helped me make it through. I think it would be a great addition to anyone's daily routine.
Short Version
This is the best SAD lamp on the market as of 2026. If anything is made in the future that is better than this, then it will likely be made by this same company: Day-Light. It works perfectly, it has real and lasting effects, it looks amazing, and it is easy to use.
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Long Version
I looked at essentially every single SAD lamp that is currently available on the market and I singled out this one as the best. Go look at the website optimizeyourbiology.com if you would like to know why (I am not affiliated with them at all, Derek Antosiek just has the most comprehensive testing of almost every SAD lamp available).
Use The Lamp Correctly
The light overall is incredible. It absolutely has great positive effects WHEN YOU USE IT CORRECTLY. This is a medical grade device whose benefits have been clinically tested. I do not want to see any reviews after this one claiming that the device does not work as advertised. If that is your experience, then you are either using it incorrectly, or you have unrealistic expectations of the effects (the light will not magically make you an energetic and productive person).
For specifically in the morning: no it cannot be next to you, no it cannot be under you, no it cannot be across the room while you do something. It needs to be in front of you, about a foot away from your eyes, and ideally the light is centered at your eye level and angled slightly down. So read the instructions carefully and implement them correctly and consistently.
The primary bodily system this light works off of is your circadian rhythm. I would encourage everyone to look up a couple of videos that explain your circadian rhythm‘s relationship to light exposure. This will give you a good understanding of why the light works the way it does. Andrew Huberman has a great video on this that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
Why I Like This Lamp
As for why I specifically love this light. I use this for about 30 minutes in the morning at the maximum brightness setting, and then I have it mounted above my computer monitor where it is on at the lowest or second lowest setting during daylight hours.
My use in the morning has been very effective in stabilizing my circadian rhythm. The effects of this that are the most noticeable are mood, energy levels, and sleep routine.
Mood
Since starting using the light, I feel considerably more like myself and much less irritable throughout the day. This is particularly noticeable on dark and rainy days where I might normally feel quite down.
Energy
The other effect has been my energy levels. Whereas before my energy levels were fairly erratic with dips and peaks throughout the day, my energy levels now are good, and most importantly consistent. Rather than bouncing between a 4 and a 10 like I was before (with 10 being on top of the world and 1 being almost asleep), I am now at a very nice 7-8 the entire day.
Sleep
Even with a consistent sleep schedule and good sleep hygiene, I very often found myself feeling very groggy in the mornings for over an hour after waking. Now, after using the lamp every morning, I wake up feeling much better and more awake.
Construction
The lamp not only works amazingly, but it is also built very well. The whole thing looks very sleek and modern. The base works very well and the adjustment is a great feature. If you see other reviews saying that the light slides down the stand under it own weight, then they are using it wrong. The vertical adjustment clicks into place as you raise it so that it stays at that position. When you move it all the way up to the top, the mechanism releases so that you can actually move it back down again.
I must admit that the light is also very sturdy. In the process of mounting the light above my monitor, I did accidentally drop it from head height a couple of times. I was immediately very concerned, but the light still works exactly how it did when I first opened it up.
I’ve been using my Elite lamp for several weeks and it seems to have lessened my seasonal mood dips. The unit itself is very functional, not too large or heavy, and easily adjustable. The control buttons on the right side are easy to set. I’m thoroughly pleased with it and look forward to more benefits with continued use.
Overpriced but high quality product. Surprised it is so plasticy given the price.
Enjoying this lamp very much! It's nice and portable. I move it around the house. Feels very good especially in tough Michigan weather where sunlight is hard to get. Extremely easy to assemble and operate. Very pleased with this purchase.
At this time, we could only give it a 3-star rating because there hasn't been any notable changes. The purchase was for my husband who experiences Seasonal Affective Disorder during the winter and early spring months. We hope he will be able to feel the benefits soon.
large screen a plus, clunky switch on the side, easy assembly
It arrived on time, and it works - bright as heck!
Sturdy, but light enough that I can easily move it to where I need it. I’ve only had it one week, but it seems to be lifting my mood already.
The only thing to make this better is to put an actual timer on it so it’ll turn on by itself in the morning!
Way too big. Too expensive to send back. Never been used
I started to feel more energy during the day after just a few 30-minute morning sessions! I'm now able to wake to my alarm without feeling completely drowsy. I look forward to my "me time" every morning! ❤️
Love the light but most of the time the on/off button does not work
When I received the lamp, I left it unused in a ventilated room for two weeks to air out since it had an intense odor. I just moved it into a different room and now that entire room stinks - I haven't even used the lamp yet! What the f*** is going on?!
EDIT: Support reached out informing me my unit is defective and will be exchanging for another one. Will report back.
Brightness is as expected. The stand isn't great as the weight of the light panel does not allow the light panel to stay in the uppermost positions.
After about a week of use, I am really enjoying this light. It’s cold and gray in my state this time of year and I always struggle mentally. This light has helped to start my mornings. I like to read by it or occasionally do my work with it on. I can feel a difference. Nothing is a miracle cure, but it certainly helps.
This light helps me wake up in the morning and get going despite the darkness of winter mornings. I am also falling in to a parasympathetic state more easily in the evening. I am sleeping better and my cognition has improved. I am a perimenopausal elementary school teacher. Life is ROUGH. This helps.
The Day-Light Therapy Lamp has been outgassing for 2 weeks. The room it is in is saturated with a plastic smell? Is this to be expected? It is troubling? Was there an issue with manufacturing the lamp? Have other customers cited this problem? Catherine
Great light, but on/off controls do not always actuate correctly. That said, the quality of light is perfect as a daylight replacement on those dark winter days and/or in windowless rooms. My cats also approve and are often found “sunning” themselves near the lamps.
It is fine, the size of a desktop monitor, and the specification of use being it needs to be on, in front of your face for 15-60 minutes every day around the same time for best results makes it very inconvenient for me. Looking to sell mine or return it because I can't integrate it into my day.
