Light

The Sky Portal Mini is really one of the best and only battery powered SAD lamps, but it’s also a little bit more than that, let’s take a look! The Overview A premium, travel-friendly SAD lamp that doubles as a warm evening light. It’s flicker-free, USB-C rechargeable, and even powers your phone — but at roughly $250, it’s best suited for those who value portability and quality over price. Pros Cons Use code OYB10 for 10% off! The Sky Portal Mini First off, in the box you get: The lamp, a diffuser, tripod, soft carry pouch, and a USB-C charging cable + transformer. I tested the Mini to have a 200 minute run time on full brightness which is great, and it can be used…

The Bedtime Bulb v2 by Restful is out! (for pre-order anyway) And we’re gonna take a close look at what it’s got to offer. The Overview The Bedtime Bulb combines LED efficiency with incandescent warmth, delivering high-CRI, full-spectrum infrared light. At max brightness, it emits soft light with minimal blue light, transitioning to a warm, amber glow when dimmed, mimicking firelight. Nearly flicker-free, it has slight flickering at the lowest settings, barely noticeable. Its classic frosted design radiates light in all directions, making it ideal for a cozy, sleep-friendly ambiance. Pros Cons The Bedtime Bulb v2 The idea behind this bulb is that it combines an LED and an incandescent light. Similar to the NIRA bulb we reviewed, except this one is actually good… This…

Alright, in this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at the Northern Light Technologies lamps and how they compare to all the other SAD lamps we’ve tested thus far. The Lamps Northern Light Technology is a Canadian SAD lamp company that has been around for a while, and its more industrial design choices indeed show this. For this review, I got my hands on every model they sell, nothing left out! Something to note: These all utilize tube lights, except the Luxor models, which actually use E26 light bulbs. This means, however, that they don’t emit perfectly diffused light, unlike many of the LED panel-based SAD lamps available. The actual light sources themselves appear something like this during use: The benefit of this approach is…

I ran across VivaRays, which sells “UV-transmitting” prescription glasses, as well as their blue blocker products. Very interesting! However, since there is no real data or measurements on the website about the type of light allowed through, I purchased some for myself to test. Let’s take a look at the results! The Overview VivaRays offer a solid range of magnetic blue blockers, and their lenses performed well in our tests. While their UVA claims are overstated, they do transmit more UVA than standard lenses. If you wear prescription glasses and want a UVA-friendly option with attachable blue blockers, these are the top pick. Use code OYB10 for 10% off! The 4-in-1 VivaRays VivaRays sells individual blue blockers, as well as 2-in-1, 3-in-1, and 4-in-1 options,…

I think the right word is disappointed, but I could use many others. NIRA isn’t a bad product per se, but its marketing is full of lies and misleading claims. Since I’ve been asked a few times now, let’s examine the science of NIRA in depth. What is NIRA? NIRA is a new lighting company that mainly sells “Near-infrared enhanced” LEDs, but it also sells DC-powered lights. Since NIRA’s main selling point is its light spectrum, I’m going to examine a couple of its normal light bulbs. Let’s Examine NIRA’s Spectrum Let’s start with the biggest lie I’ve ever seen in the lighting industry: NIRA emits full-spectrum light all the way out to 3000nm! Here is their marketing promo, which can be seen on this…

Alright, I finally bought and tested the Sky Portal from Chroma! The 2.1 version, anyway. Let’s dive into the build, spectral testing, and usability, and see how it stacks up. The Overview The Sky Portal 2.1 is a uniquely designed monitor light that stands out for its spectral output, which pairs exceptionally well with screens to reduce eye strain. Its warm amber mode is a standout feature, making evening work much more comfortable without disrupting circadian rhythms. Plus, it’s completely flicker-free, ensuring a smooth and comfortable lighting experience. That said, for the price, it could be a bit brighter, and the build quality leaves some room for improvement. The rear-mounted controls, while functional, can be a bit inconvenient to access. Despite these minor drawbacks, the…

I finally got my hands on some European SAD lamps from Beurer! In this article, we’ll test their lux output, flicker and how they compare feature-wise. The Lamps Beurer offers some decent SAD lamp options that are widely available in the European market. However a few, like the TL 85, I was not able to get my hands on. Here are the models I was able to get: Let’s jump right into our test results! Testing the Beurer Lamps As usual, we put these lamps through our usual round of testing so you can see exactly what you’re getting and how they’ll compare to each other and other options out there. Testing Lux The first thing I did was place each lamp 1 foot in…

Mal-illumination plagues us all, and the folks behind SOLshine want to help solve that. Let’s look at their offerings in-depth to see what we’re getting. The Overview The Photovites lamp and bioBulb use SunLike diodes to provide high-quality, flicker-free, full-spectrum light that supports circadian health and mood, along with healthy infrared light for added sunlight-like benefits. Though pricey, they’re among the few 2-in-1 products available, making SOL a top choice for this category. Use code OYB10 for 10% off! What is SOLshine? The SOLshine founders worked with the late original pioneer of light, John Ott, and have now come full circle to provide some truly excellent full-spectrum light products to help solve some of the issues with current offerings. This is a very small company…

I’ve been meaning to test this “full spectrum” SAD lamp from BlockBlueLight, and now that I have it, I am not disappointed! In this article, we’ll review all the specs, test results, and my thoughts after using it, so let’s jump in! The Overview This SAD lamp offers outstanding performance and unique specs, combining SunLike full-spectrum visible light with healthy infrared output, making it a versatile SAD lamp and infrared light therapy panel. While it excels in effectiveness and build quality, its high glare and flicker when dimmed may be uncomfortable for those sensitive to bright light. Despite the premium price, it’s a top choice for those seeking unmatched full-spectrum and infrared benefits. Pros Cons Get 10% off through link! The Lamp This is an…

The Better than Sunshine lamp from Mitolux is one of the most exciting new vitamin D lamps to hit the market! Of course, as usual, we checked the UVB and infrared output with our lab-grade spectrometers, so you know exactly what you’re getting! I also tested my vitamin D results, which were not what I expected… jump to those here. Let’s jump right in! The Overview The Mito Lux is designed to mimic natural sunlight exposure, emitting infrared before and after UVB. While it offers a well-thought-out design with a proximity sensor for safety and multiple modes for different skin types, my month-long test only resulted in a modest 1.5 ng/mL increase in vitamin D. It may still provide some benefit for those looking to…