NOTE: An update is posted below this review.ORIGINAL REVIEW, POSTED SEPTEMBER 10, 2012
I can't judge how well this light serves its purpose until winter comes. For now I'll give my initial impressions, with an update to follow.
What you're paying for breaks down to the following:
1)One 26 watt 10,000 hour Natural Spectrum bulb. [Replacement bulbs currently $14.95.]
2)A base for the bulb, with a cord. The on/off switch is on the cord.
3)A diffuser that fits onto the base, to soften and spread the light from the bulb.
That's it. Pretty basic. If you already have a light fixture that can accommodate this kind of bulb, you could save yourself some bucks and just buy a Natural Spectrum bulb.
On the other hand, there are some advantages to this little HappyLight. It's compact, easy to move around, and doesn't take up much space. You can fit it onto just about any surface, even a cluttered one. It's lightweight, so you could even take it to work with you and bring it home in the evening. The diffuser is nice to have, so you're not blinded by a bare bulb, and it makes the unit aesthetically pleasing.
As for the light itself, proceed with caution until you find the right level of use for you. Read all of the instructions carefully. Learn from my mistake and save yourself some misery.
The instructions say to pretest your sensitivity by starting with 10 minutes in front of the lamp. If you feel any discomfort, you're supposed to discontinue use and consult a doctor. After the pretest I didn't feel any discomfort, so later that day I used the light again for a little longer while reading. That night I did not sleep AT ALL! Not a wink. I had had no caffeine or other stimulants that day, so it was the HappyLight that caused the wakefulness.
Right now I'm using the HappyLight for just a short period every day -maybe 15 to 20 minutes. It's a good idea to increase the time gradually as stated in the instructions. Then if you feel any agitation you can cut back on usage.
I do find that the light makes me more energetic, but so far I don't detect a change in mood. I live in the PNW, where winters are dark and drippy, so I'm hoping for improved mood in the dead of winter. I'll update my review and possibly adjust my rating in a few months.
UPDATE, DECEMBER 29, 2012
It's now the dead of winter, and the final verdict on this light is that I cannot use it for more than 20 minutes in one day. I usually cannot use it for two days in a row. Every other day works pretty well. I've tried several times working up to 25 or 30 minutes in a day, and I have spent some restless nights. I've been very careful to use the HappyLight early in the day, so it won't interfere with my sleep patterns, but any use over 20 minutes keeps me awake for hours after I go to bed. No matter how tired I am, I just can't fall asleep. I should reiterate that I do not use caffeine or other stimulants, so there are no other factors contributing to wakefulness.
So, twenty minutes is my limit, which may explain why the light does nothing for my mood. The instructions say to use it for one to two hours per day, and it may take that amount to provide the "happiness" benefit. Clearly I'm more sensitive to this light than other people, but the only way to find out if you're sensitive is to give it a try.
I've been suffering from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) for over 10 years now, and it gets worse with each passing winter. However, I am not clinically depressed. For people who ARE seriously depressed, the HappyLight could make a big difference. That energizing, motivating effect might be just what you need to help you get out of bed and get through your daily routine.
I'm staying with my original rating of three stars, for what little benefit I'm able to get from the light.
First, it illuminates the room beautifully so I am able to see the grain of the wood I am working with and it helps cut off any glare from the varnish or sanding I am doing. I have been so happy during my work sessions downstairs I kind of feel like the Shoemaker's elves. I'm not sure if it's the light that is improving my dispostition or just the fact that I can now better see (without glare.) Either way, it's a win-win situation.
In addition, it is highly portable and provides an intense, yet not-too-direct source of lighting. I simply move it around to shed light on whatever portion of wood that I am working on. In the meantime I am getting a full dose of much-needed Vitamin D without having to leave my man cave.
I plan on buying another of these lights to take to my worksite once the rain starts. It has been an exceptionally sunny summer here in the Portland area, but I know that it won't last much longer. The HappyLight is my new favorite thing. How did I ever survive all these years without it?
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I have used several light devices over the years, with good results at home. I had thought of getting one for my desk at the office, but resisted it, due to price concerns.This unit is basic, and just what I was looking for, in my....ahem....not always "happy" office. I am in a cube , with very limited natural light in the winter it is really depressing you come to work in the dark, you leave in the dark, blah, blah, blah.
I think it took about 3 days of use and I DID feel a bit more energy, and a BETTER mood. People in the office were amused, and a few wanted to give it a try.
The HappyLight was allowed to go "on vacation" to several other desks, and people liked it well enough to get one for themselves! That alone speaks well for the product, I think.
As an aside, many people are low on vitamin D, and lamps of this nature can help with that, too.
I think it helps with concentration, and one's mood in general.
Verilux is a top brand, and is trusted for quality this might be the perfect gift for someome who is hard to buy for, or better yet for yourself. Like the song says, ..."Don't Worry Be Happy".
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Having lived in sunny locations most of my life, I frankly thought SAD Syndrome was one of the silliest "disorders" I had ever heard of...until I moved north for a year due to work. The hills/mountains blocked the sunshine resulting in a late sunrise and early sunset. Combined with snow and what felt like a never-ending series of grey days, I soon became melancholy, constantly fatigued and downright "blah".After several weeks, it became so bad my spouse suggested I take a little break and go visit friends/family in Florida. Within days, I felt like my normal self and was back into a normal rhythm and function. Upon my return, all was well for a short period of time but soon I was deep into another "funk"...this time worse than the last. My sleep cycle was off, my energy level flatlined and productivity was dismal. I went back to Florida for the holidays and viola...back to normal. When I returned, it was the same story...no energy, moody, low productivity, poor sleep cycle. It was then an old-timer neighbor told me I had "cabin fever" and my spouse suggested it was SAD Syndrome.
By the end of a 3rd trip, even I was convinced and had to eat crow...that silly sounding acronym was absolutely ruining my life. By that point, I simply couldn't afford to keep traveling back and forth. Unfortunately, these lights didn't exist back then...job or no job...I relocated back to a sunny destination vowing never to return to the dark, cold "north".
Now, not only did I learn a very valuable lesson about scoffing at what I clearly did not understand but I began to realize that it impacted me more than I realized. Even today, living in sunny Florida, I'm subject to reduced productivity during the rainy season. Day after day after day of overcast skies tend to make me slow and sleepy...nothing like the experience while living up north but sufficient to lower productivity so when this came up, I jumped at the opportunity to try it out.
When it arrived, I was thrilled by the small footprint and downright astonished by the brightness! My goodness this thing is bright! I own a floor lamp designed for crafting by the same company (it's been going strong for at least a decade!) but that is nowhere near as bright as this tiny little thing. In fact, it's so bright that I must place it in a location behind me so as to not be blinding while working.
All in all, a powerfully bright little lamp with a small footprint.
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I have been interested in SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and noticed that I have a mild case of this. I think a lot of us have our metabolism slow down during the winter. I suspect it is a hibernation reflex that many animals have too. I used to think the hibernation was about bears that go to sleep for a very long time, but there seems to be a kind of milder hibernation where you slow down your metabolism and still function. Our society seems to put pressure on us to function at the same level regardless of which season we are in, working the same number of hours, or even more hours during Xmas rush and similar holiday events. This seems to lead to a mild depression or a kind of winter blues. I find, too, that something similar happens even in the summer when I spend too much time in front of the computer and do not go out as much as I should.I found that when I got the Verilux Happy Light that I plugged it in and could feel my brain revving up in a good way. I could even feel it producing some new chemicals, as if some of the brain's chemical synthesis is light dependent. I theorize that there is something about the bluish white light that helps the brain to synthesize whatever it needs here. The change was not a dramatic one, but a noticeable one. It was definitely a mood lift and was valued.
In terms of products that claim to do something similar. I found the Go Lite also seems to work about as well. I like the Go Lite having a digital timer to regulate the dose and give a useful measured dose of the bluish light. I gave my Go Lite to my brother who feels it and needs it, because his allergies sometimes prevent him from going out in the summer around here (otherwise a pollen hay fever attack). He finds that he does about two to three times a day.
The Verilux Happy Light has a small advantage over the Go Lite. The Go Lite uses an array of LEDs that are a little harsher to look it (you are not supposed to look at them). The Verilux Happy Light has a white plastic casing around the light that softens the bulb inside. It is still very bright and it is still worth not looking at it directly, but if you do, it is easier on the eyes. The Verilux Happy Light is therefore more suitable for keeping it on for a longer period of time.
I also like that the Verilux Happy Light (at last!) is a relatively small size. It is easier to fit on my desk (a little off to the side) than some of the bigger and bulkier ones. The Go Lite is also smaller (it is smaller than the Verilux Happy Light but has almost the same footprint), because it was designed to be portable, for people who want the benefit of light therapy while traveling. The Verilux Happy Light, while having about the same footprint on a table, is a bit thick and about 2.5 times taller than the Go Lite. As far as being travel size, it is passable, but not really designed for this purpose. I do not know if the bulb is meant to be bumped around in a suitcase either. When I shake the unit, the bulb does wobble a little. However, the Verilux Happy Light is easy to plug and unplug, and move from room to room.
Although this is somewhat unrelated to its main purpose, I did find, as a bonus, that the Verilux Happy Light serves as a decent indoor lighting for my small digital camera. It normally does very poorly indoors, but the Verilux Happy Light seems to give enough light to take some decent pictures. I am not sure if this would be something useful for a professional photographer (who probably has some better equipment for this purpose), but it allows me to take some interior photos that I have not been able to do before. I only did a few test shots so far. I may update this review when I do some more serious photo shooting.
Update: Two things. One is that it did help me on a serious photo shoot to get some indoor pictures. The light from the unit is ambient and only mildly directed forward, so it took some time to learn how to position it for optimal lighting. But it worked for me and helped me a lot. I consider this to be a very nice surprise bonus. Two is that when I turned off the unit that my brain had to calm down in a way. The light is a bit stimulating. I would recommend that people who use it try the light in 15 minute doses like the Go Lite is set up by timer to do and maybe consider one hour max (the flier that came with the unit said a two hour maximum, but also encouraged people to find the setting that works best for them). It may be useful to try longer times, but I have a feeling that the smaller doses are probably enough.
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