SAD Lamp Database

SAD lamp questions, answered with test data

Answered with the numbers in this database. They update as I test more products.

What makes a SAD lamp different from a normal lamp?

Mostly how much light it puts at your eyes from close range, and how much of that light reaches the body clock. The median lamp I tested delivers 4,125 lux at 1 ft, and 3,430 lux of melanopic EDI (m-EDI), the measure of light that drives the circadian system. Glare and flicker matter too, because you sit close to it every morning.

How bright does a SAD lamp need to be?

Measure it in melanopic EDI (m-EDI, also called melanopic lux), not plain lux. Lux weights light by how bright it looks to you. m-EDI weights it by how strongly it reaches the body clock, which is what light therapy works through. Lamps with the same lux rating differ by up to 2.4 times in m-EDI, so lux alone can badly mislead you. Working back from the trials where light therapy helped, the dose is about 140,000 m-EDI minutes a day, for example 4,700 m-EDI for 30 minutes. Of the 57 lamps I measured, 19 deliver that in 30 minutes at 1 ft. Weaker lamps can get there with longer sessions, up to about 2 hours, though 1 can't even at 1 ft. Over 60, plan on roughly a third more. The old rule of thumb, 10,000 lux at the eyes, is met by only 15 of 57 lamps at 1 ft.

How close should you sit to a SAD lamp?

Moving from 1 ft to 2 ft cuts the light at your eyes by a median of 72% across the lamps I measured at both distances. Only 4 of 44 still deliver a 30-minute dose (about 4,700 m-EDI) at 2 ft, so most people need to sit closer or longer. Each lamp's page shows both distances.

Do SAD lamps give off UV or help with vitamin D?

No. The skin makes vitamin D from UVB light (290 to 315 nm), and SAD lamps are built to filter out UV, so they do not raise vitamin D. NIH vitamin D fact sheet. For a lamp that does emit UVB, see my Sperti vitamin D lamp review.

Can a SAD lamp cause headaches or eye strain?

Glare and flicker are the two measurable culprits, and lamps differ a lot on both. Of the 55 lamps with a glare measurement, 18 score low (under 100) and 9 score high (over 300). Filter by glare and flicker risk above to find the gentler lamps.

Do SAD lamps flicker?

Some do. Of 57 lamps, 48 show no flicker risk, 2 low risk and 4 high risk at full power. Another 3 are fine at full power but flicker when dimmed. Flicker you cannot see can still bother sensitive people, so I measure it with a flicker meter rather than by eye.

Which SAD lamp should I buy?

This database is the raw data. For my picks and how I chose them, read the best SAD lamps.

Full test results: all 57 SAD lamps

Every lamp measured at 1 ft. Sorted by melanopic EDI. 56 are still for sale; 1 are discontinued and kept for reference. Last updated October 14, 2026.

  • Median melanopic EDI across all 57 lamps is 3,430 lux at 1 ft. The highest is the Alaska Northern Lights Aurora LightPad Mini at 38,240 m-EDI lux.
  • Only 15 of 57 lamps reach 10,000 photopic lux at 1 ft, the classic SAD therapy guideline.
  • 48 of 57 lamps show no flicker risk; 4 show high flicker risk.
  • The lowest measured glare is the Sunrise Sensations DayBright at 33.

Want my recommendations instead of raw data? Read the best SAD lamps of 2026. How I test: my testing standards.

Lampm-EDI (1 ft)Lux (1 ft)GlareCCTCRI ReFlicker riskPrice
Aurora LightPad MiniAlaska Northern Lights38,24041,6951,7166300K81None$$$$$
BioBulbSOLshine31,70528,690n/a7600K94None$$$
Aurora LightPad MaxAlaska Northern Lights29,27030,8403956600K78None$$$$$
LangleyCircadian Optics26,56028,0501125800K98None$$$
Langham MaxCircadian Optics26,56028,0501125800K98None$$$
PhotoVitesSOLshine21,01021,4553,0226250K96None$$$$$
LanghamCircadian Optics13,59014,0901625700K95None$$$
Full Spectrum + InfraredBlockBlueLight11,68512,6951,7885600K97When dimmed$$$$$
NorthStarAlaska Northern Lights10,14517,665814350K71High$$$$$
Duo FloorVerilux HappyLight9,88511,2454314900K88None$$$
Day-Light SkyCarex9,70014,7801854250K79High$$$
LampuCircadian Optics8,4559,7702375942K80None$$
Day-Light ClassicCarex7,92012,4701104050K79High$$$
Day-Light EliteCarex7,67012,330704150K80None$$$
TL 95Beurer7,2857,425466150K95None$$$
Sky Portal 2.1Chroma6,2155,285517400K86None$$$$
AuraTheralite6,05011,3401383050K81High$$
Aura QiTheralite5,98511,9601463050K80None$$
CM022Lastar4,8655,220695950K96None$$
LattisCircadian Optics4,4754,9152456184K83None$$
HaloLumie4,2856,6881093850K84None$$$$
TL 50Beurer4,0654,370625650K94None$$
Vitamin LLumie3,8255,815924050K79None$$
HaloVerilux HappyLight3,6954,7551055150K80None$$
Duo DeskVerilux HappyLight3,6604,1452165550K95None$$
Sky Portal MiniChroma3,5353,4602235550K83None$$$$
OriginalTheralite3,5256,7951863200K79None$
LoraCircadian Optics3,5054,0104056300K80None$$
LuxeVerilux HappyLight3,4304,125785450K84None$$
Touch PlusVerilux HappyLight3,4154,1951055119K85None$$
Lumos 2.0Circadian Optics3,3903,7404406400K82None$$
Lumi PlusVerilux HappyLight3,3103,9551285550K82None$
LucentVerilux HappyLight3,2254,1251145255K77None$
LumineCircadian Optics3,1703,7701425750K80None$
CM021Lastar3,0153,230435950K97None$$
TL 35Beurer2,9752,7251847500K92None$$
LeoCircadian Optics · Discontinued2,8703,1502426300K82None$
LuxyCircadian Optics2,8253,3254496100K81None$
AlbaVerilux HappyLight2,7453,2151035300K86None$
CM003Lastar2,6653,145886250K73None$
CM020BLastar2,6352,8301237000K79None$
CM020Lastar2,6202,9451016650K77None$
DayBrightSunrise Sensations2,6103,310336650K68None$$$
CM020ALastar2,5752,9251276450K78None$
HaloTheralite2,5404,9801563016K81None$$
GlowTheralite2,5053,8601454103K79When dimmed$
MiniLumie2,4153,8651023950K78None$$
MiniVerilux HappyLight2,2903,360n/a4300K82Low$
TL 20Beurer2,0752,3101096450K75None$$
CM019Lastar1,8952,070606950K80None$$
TL 30Beurer1,8491,912516900K84None$
CM018Lastar1,7651,980936650K78None$
CM018BLastar1,6951,910906450K79None$
CM011Lastar1,6651,705626340K96None$
BrightBoxSunrise Sensations1,5252,010406150K68None$$
CompactVerilux HappyLight1,4601,765836900K68Low$$
RadianceTheralite1,0252,1253662950K79When dimmed$$