Are you worried about Vitamin D deficiency or seasonal affective disorder? Are you looking for a cheaper alternative to the Sperti Vitamin D Lamp?
In this guide, I’ll show you how to build your own vitamin D lamp step by step!
Here is the finished product:
Since this setup also emits a lot of UVA, it should also be able to function as a tanning lamp for those of you looking for that.
Why Did I Build This?
I live in Michigan, so the sun and temperature are too low for vitamin D production for several months of the year.
Why not use the Sperti lamp? I was curious to see if I could build something similar for a lower price.
Testing the DIY Light
I finally got my hands on a UV spectrometer, so let’s review its actual output and compare it to the Sperti.
Spectral Output
Measuring at around 15 inches from the lamp, similar to the distance you’d use the Sperti, here’s the result:
Spikey like a fluorescent! Let’s look more closely at the UV portion now:
Here, we can see that the DIY with the Arcadia bulbs puts out quite a bit more UVA than UVB. The DIY lamp I made is around 15% UVB and 85% UVA, pretty accurate to the advertised ratios. Meanwhile, the Sperti is closer to 42% UVB and 56% UVA, making it more targeted for vitamin D and less for tanning.
So the Sperti is a bit more “purpose” built than my DIY lamp for vitamin D. However, the DIY lamp is cheaper and clearly still works. The DIY UV ratio is also a bit more “sunlike” because it’s closer to the UVA:UVB ratio of natural sunlight.
Testing Flicker
This isn’t really a “visual” device, but for fun I checked the flicker. It looks like there is some 120 Hz flicker here, which is nothing I’d be too concerned about, especially given the use case.
Does UVA Affect Vitamin D Production?
Kind of.
In this study, in which 75 participants total finished. The researchers compared vitamin D production in 4 groups.
UVB only, UVA only, UVB+UVA, and a control.
It was observed that almost no differences were seen in the full-spectrum UVA+UVB group compared to the UVB-only group.
The full spectrum group actually had a higher mean change in serum D3 than UVB only.
They do note that under longer duration times (≥9 min) UVA may decrease pre-vitamin D3 production. Which is fine; UVA does act as a D3 modulator in nature.
So I don’t think there’s anything to worry about here. It’s likely a good thing as UVA is helpful for nitric oxide production, blood flow, and increasing endorphins.
The Parts You’ll Need to Build It
First, review the parts you’ll want to pick to build our lamp.
Testing and Choosing Your Bulbs
For my original build, I purchased four 14% UVB Arcadia fluorescent lights, which, as you saw in the beginning, worked great! However, I’ve since tested several others, so let’s go over how they compare so you can maybe choose something different if you’d like.
I purchased several UVB bulbs for this test:
- Arcadia 6%
- Arcadia 12%
- Arcadia 14%
- Reptisun 5.0
- Reptisun 10.0
- AgroMax
All the fluorescent bulbs were 2 ft versions. I also put the data from the Sperti, the Mitolux, and the DIY build in for comparison. All measurements were taken at 12 inches.
Here is an interactive graph of the data: (disable the DIY lamp to see everything scale more)
You can see that the AgroMax is putting out some serious juice! Comparing it to the Sperti, it actually looks like the same spectrum, just way more power.
This makes sense since the AgroMax is a T5HO bulb, which is a much more recent fluorescent technology than the bulbs used in the Sperti.
At relative strengths, though, the AgroMax is still putting out more shorter wavelength UVB than the Sperti. This will make it likely more effective, but also perhaps a bit less safe as well.
The MitoLux lamp is an LED-based system, so you can see that this peaks at around 295nm, which is optimal for the production of vitamin D without any “unnecessary” UVA. This device also features a dynamic infrared cycle to help with healing and protection from the UV, pretty cool!
But anyway, the Arcadia 14% that I originally bought still seems to be a good option if you don’t mind the extra UVA present in this type of light.
Arcadia 14%
AgroMax
Grow Light Fixtures
The fixture I used in this project was a 4-foot 4-bulb version explicitly built for 54w fluorescent T5-HO bulbs. However, you can also get one-bulb or two-bulb versions if you want to try something less powerful.
You can also find a 2-foot version as well. Here are some to check out, but you might have to look on your own if these aren’t available, they’re all mostly the same thing.
4 Bulb 4-foot Fixture
4 Bulb 2-foot Fixture
It comes with four bulbs we won’t need, so you can recycle them. I’ve been unable to find a fixture without lights.
The Protective Screen
This setup’s possible downside is that it doesn’t have a protective grate, which is nice because fluorescent UVB bulbs utilize mercury. You don’t want to break these bulbs.
If you live alone and aren’t worried about anyone breaking it, you can always skip this part.
The best option I’ve been able to come up with is attaching a metal wire mesh to the front.
1/2 Inch Galvanized Welded Wire Mesh
This mesh is quite stiff and will work well to protect the lights.
Adhesive Zip Tie Mounts
You’ll need something like this to attach the mesh to the light fixture.
Building the Vitamin D Lamp
Okay, now let’s put it all together!
Preparing the Light Fixture
Here’s what you’ll need to do with the fixture.
- Remove the blue protective film from the reflective trays; this is pretty easy.
- Fit the trays into each other. They come a bit loose, but once you do, you’ll figure out how they fit together.
- Clean up any smudges.
Installing the Bulbs
Now, carefully pull the bulbs out and install them one by one. These are bi-pin lights, so the connectors on either side are installed vertically into the fixture.
You may have to push the light fixture connecter out on one end to get the light pins to fit into the slot.
Once it’s in the slot on both ends and is pushed down all the way, you can spin it to the right to lock the light into place.
Now repeat for all four lights!
Mounting it on the Wall
To mount the light on your wall of choice, you’ll want to start by installing a hook or screw of some kind into a stud at around 70″ off the floor.
Next, you’ll hang the light using one of the hooks it came with.
I also attached the bottom to the wall using a couple of 3M sticky pads.
Here’s what the finished product will look like:
Not bad!
Installing the Protective Grate
Now for the protective grate, should you want it…
You’ll need tin snips for this part!
Cut off a 49″-long section of the mesh and flatten it so it’s easier to work with.
Next, place the mesh against the panel and bend the top portion over. It’s pretty stiff and rigid mesh, so this isn’t the most effortless process.
Once you have the top done, you can move on to the sides.
The trick here is to bend the sides just a bit near the top so that you know where to bend it down.
Once you have a reference point, remove the mesh and bring it to a flat surface with an edge (like a table or counter). Using that edge, bend the mesh down on both sides. This way’s much easier than trying to do it on the lamp.
Once it’s all bent to shape, you can cut out the corner sections that aren’t needed.
And that’s about it! It’s a little bit of a pain, but once it’s done, it’s done.
Stick your zip tie mounts onto the light and start zipping the mesh into place!
UVB LED Options
Several studies have shown that UVB between 293-295nm is the most effective at triggering the production of Vitamin D. However, natural sunlight has almost no light in this frequency range, so I have concerns about trying to emulate this.
It’s not easy to find UVB LED products on the market just yet, but here are some of the options I’ve found so far:
MitoLux Vitamin D Lamp
Pros
Cons
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Chroma D-Light
It is by far the most expensive Vitamin D light on the market, but it is probably the most legitimate, safe, and effective way to get vitamin D.
The combination of red and Near-IR combined with narrowband 297nm UVB LEDs make this a powerhouse.
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How to Use Your Vitamin D Lamp
Okay, so it’s built and mounted, and you’re ready to stand naked in front of it.
But how far away? And for how long?
The Warm-up Period
When first turned on, the lamps aren’t evenly lit; they take a few minutes to warm up fully.
So, wait until they are uniformly lit to use the lamp.
How Far Away Should You Stand
I currently use my lamp at a distance of around 14-16 inches.
I’d start at two feet for safety.
How Long Should You Use the Light
How you react to ultraviolet radiation depends on your situation.
Getting my vitamin D from 23 ng/dL to 39.2 took about a month, and on average, I spent about 10 minutes per day in front of my lamp 5-6 days a week.
The time it takes to develop erythema will vary depending on your skin type, diet, genetics, and other factors.
For those who don’t know, erythema is just a reddening of the skin. If your skin is getting very red, you’ve been standing too close for too long.
It’s as simple as that.
Didn’t get red at all? Feel free to increase the time or stand a little closer. Only change one variable at a time so you know what is and isn’t working for you.
The Best Time for UV Exposure
The best time to use this would be in the middle of the day, preferably after some infrared exposure, as infrared is protective against UV damage.
For most, the best routine would be to use infrared light therapy in the morning, followed by a UV light session when they get home.
You don’t really want to expose your skin to UV first thing in the morning because it’s very unnatural. This might harm your skin and potentially cause problems with circadian timing and hormone rhythmicity.
Alright, that’s it!
Conclusion
I’ve personally used the Sperti, and I can confidently say that my DIY sun lamp feels much better.
It feels warm and powerful, like the sunlight. I’m so fond of standing underneath when I can.
Hopefully, this has inspired you to build your own!
As a Seattle area northern latitude resident, physician, and avid researcher, I like to keep my D3 levels between 70-90 ng/ml by blood test (after a month of supplementation). Over 100 is okay by me, even if it freaks out the mainstream allopaths.
Hi Dr. Carl! Thanks for chiming in. Yeah I think most people will find they feel a lot better with higher than average levels. I certainly do.
Have you compared your diy lamp to the Sperti tanning lamp 75% uva 25% uvb? I cannot find any information on testing of their tanning lamp and increase in vit d levels.
Hi Lauri! Actually I haven’t tested that one yet! I’ve thought about it… It’ll show up here somewhere one day if/when I do!