Beurer Portable Natural Light Lamp for Home, Office and Travels, TL30

I live in the Seattle area, where gloomy weather is far too often, so I experience depression throughout the year. I have wanted one of these daylight lamps for years now and was excited when I found this. I immediately read through the instructions that came with it and found an ideal spot for it to sit. What really shocked me about the lamp was how incredibly bright it is! (It's super helpful for spotting cobwebs on a white ceiling, btw!) However, what shocked me about the instructions was the distance you are told to have the lamp from your eyes! It's a matter of a few inches! The directions also say to not stare at the light, but to look directly at it briefly every few moments. The first couple of times I used the lamp I followed their directions. But, because my arms tired keeping the lamp that close to my eyes for 30 minutes, I decided to do some basic online research and now I have the lamp placed on my bedside stand. I found out that such lamps can be used with closed eyes and still reap the benefits. So, I set my alarm for 30 minutes prior to my waking time and turn on the light with my face directly in front of it. So far, I feel like it does help to lift my mood! It IS summer right now, so I look forward to having this when the weather takes a dive and the daily gloom begins! So, I feel like this lamp is good for the price.

I don't suffer from SAD, however I don't get out due to my poor health and get vitamin D naturally so I like this light for that reason. I like that this is light weight and thin. I hope it doesn't start flickering with age as I know some do but so far mine is working fine.

This light really brighten the mood on those darker days for me. It comes with an adapter and plugs in to turn on. There is a stand which you can pose either vertically or horizontally. There is also a soft case to keep it in. It is about the size of an iPad so you can carry it just about anywhere with these.

This is a certified medical daylight therapy lamp from Beurer, which according to information on the packaging, is the leading health care brand in Europe and has been in business for over 95 years. They make medical and well-being devices like blood pressure monitors, thermometers, scales, oximeters, heating pads, humidifiers and massagers, which they typically launch in Europe before bringing to the American market. The daylight lamp is German-designed and German-engineered, and made in China. It's about the size of a standard tablet, and the build quality is stunning. An unpadded felt travel bag with a velcro closure is also included. I would suggest holding on to the bubble wrap envelope from the original packaging for added protection if you're traveling with it. When lighted, the frame gets warm, but the light itself and back side of the device remain cool. The illumination is very even over the entire surface of the light. There is a separate hard plastic stand that can be snapped on anywhere along the edge of the frame to position the lamp either horizontally or vertically. This provides maximum flexibility to adjust both position and angle of the lamp, and is the most efficient design for a portable lamp optimized for travel. There is supposed to be a way to store the stand in a slot on the back of the device when not in use, but I haven't quite figured it out yet. This LED light device is designed to simulate daylight with the intended results being to reduce the negative effects of winter blues, jet lag, shift work or seasonal time changes. From the manufacturer's website we learn that "daylight affects the interaction between the body's melatonin and serotonin hormones and can therefore impact our biorhythm. In winter and on dark days, this can interfere with our inner balance and negatively affect general well-being". Its light intensity is approximately 10,000 Lux (natural spectrum daylight from a distance of approximately four inches) and it's UV-free. The desired end result is to create a sense of well-being, to boost your mood and energy level, similar to what you would expect by getting out of the house or the office to get some sunlight or enhance your exposure to daylight on a cloudy day. The original advertising I saw for this lamp mentioned Vitamin D, but there is nothing in the manual or on the Beurer that mentions increasing Vitamin D levels, so I cannot address that. The one thing I struggled with, silly as this might sound, is turning it on. There is a small green rubberized power button almost flush with the edge near the upper right corner. When I tried depressing it with the pad of my fingertip, the light would turn on and then off as soon as I lifted my finger. I couldn't get it to stay on. I wasn't sure whether I had a defective unit or it was simply operator error. I watched a few videos and eventually contacted the Beurer North American customer service department, located in Hollywood, FL, but I still couldn't get the light to stay on. A few days later I finally figured out that the tiny button must be clicked on and off with an up and down movement of my fingernail. I had been pressing on it horizontally with the padded part of my fingertip, but you need to hear that click to engage the light. Perhaps that could be explained more clearly in the instruction manual beyond the wording "switch on". I find that if I look at the light directly, my eyes start to feel strained. I think it's best to just continue with whatever task is at hand within range of the light rather than stare at it. There is a caution in the manual that staring directly at the light for extended periods of time could cause overstimulation of the retina, although they do suggest looking briefly at the light periodically. The suggested range for placement of the lamp is approximately four inches to eight inches away. Use it for shorter times, the closer it's positioned to you, between 30 minutes to two hours. A more detailed chart is given in the instruction manual. The suggested protocol is to use it for at least seven consecutive days, starting with shorter periods of exposure and working up to two hours per day between the hours of 6 AM and 8 PM. There is a caution that eye aches and mild headaches might occur initially, but will subside with continued use. As far as mood elevation goes, it's hard to tell if it is truly mood-enhancing - perhaps over time. I used it for the first time the day after a particularly stressful and disappointing interaction with a contractor. I was still feeling mentally and physically drained. But I also treated myself to a lengthy phone chat with a good friend who listened empathetically as I vented my frustration, so it's hard to sort out which did more to restore my spirits. I'm wondering if this type of light can be used for indoor herb gardens or sprouting at the end of the process in lieu of exposure to daylight through a kitchen window. I will ask that of Beurer customer service. Whether this is the right device for you is a personal decision. In truth, I'm a little leery of any exposure to light that makes my eyes feel strained, even if it's only temporary. But that's just me. If you suffer from some form of seasonal affective disorder or you are desk-bound at work, this daylight lamp might have great appeal. Also keep in mind that this is an LED light, so when the lamp finally stops working - which should be years and years from now - that's its end of life. There are no replaceable parts, no bulbs to be changed out. But the quality of the device is noticeably refined and built to a high standard, so I would expect it to last a very long time - and Beurer's North American customer service department was very supportive.

I live in the Midwest, which, let's face it, is basically winter for about 6 months out of the year. When the days get naturally shorter, and most of them are gray days at that, I often get a nasty case of the winter blues. This is the first year that I'm not dreading the cold weather! This lamp is UV-free, so you don't have to worry about premature signs of aging during use. It's roughly the size of a tablet, so it's perfect for traveling. It also comes with a detachable kickstand travel bag for easy transport. Speaking of travel, this lamp also helps with jet lag and other upsets to your circadian rhythms. I must emphasize, please make sure you read the instructions. They tell you how to safely use this lamp, including not staring at it directly for too long, and how far you should sit from it, and how long you should use it each day. If you get the winter blues each year like I do, you need one of these! Don't hesitate!