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 supplement sun exposure, with the added perk of red/infrared light therapy. However, based on my experience, expectations for vitamin D production should be tempered until more testing is done.
Pros
Cons
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The Mitolux Vitamin D Lamp
The Mitolux is a vitamin D lamp with a unique twist. Unlike traditional broadband fluorescent UV lamps, it utilizes 295nm narrowband UVB LEDs for a more precise and efficient effect. (in theory)
But that’s not all—it also mimics the Sun by incorporating healthy doses of red and infrared light before and after UVB exposure, improving its safety. This comes in the form of 590nm, 630nm, 830nm, and 850nm LEDs that can help prepare and heal your skin during a session.
This is a perfect pairing for anyone who wants to produce vitamin D without worrying about irradiating their skin with UVA or getting a tan.
The Mitolux feels like a quality product! It weighs 3 lbs, has an all-metal and glass body, and features an onboard fan to keep the electronics cool during use.
Using the Mitolux
To use the Mitolux, select a “mode” and press the power button.
Ten power levels are available depending on your skin type and tolerance to UVB light. There is also a red/infrared-only mode. A small proximity sensor on the front will beep and warn you when you get too close (13 inches) while using the UVB mode.
The back of the Mitolux includes a table with the recommended modes for each skin type.
If you’re unfamiliar with skin types, here’s a chart:
To give you an idea of the area, this lamp lights up 15 inches away; it’s pretty decent!
Session Durations
So, how long are the UVB sessions?
P1: 3 min
P2: 4 min
P3: 5 min
P4: 7 min
P5: 8 min
P6: 9 min
P7: 10 min
P8: 12 min
P9: 13 min
P10: 15 min
Infrared runs the entire session. However, UV is only turned on in the middle of each session. Below is a graph of the emissions for each UV mode:
I’m not sure what’s going on with P5 here…
The Glasses
The Mitolux comes with two pairs of glasses that completely block UVB. The amber pair lets most of the infrared through, while the black pair cuts down on it quite a bit.
Here’s an example of what they block from the Mitolux:
Testing the Mitolux
Here is where I tested the actual spectral output using our spectrometer!
Spectral Output
Below is a nice colored graph of the Mitolux’s spectrum.
Just as advertised, you can see that 295nm UVB diodes are present here. We also see those amber/red and infrared diodes.
Here’s an average from 15 inches away:
It doesn’t look like a lot of UV light, does it? Let’s look a little closer at that, though…
UV Output
Believe it or not, the Mitolux has a maximum light intensity similar to the Sperti lamp. However, unlike the Sperti, it only puts out UVB.
According to this 2017 study, diodes between 290 and 300nm seem the most effective at producing vitamin D in human skin. Since the Mitolux is primarily this type of UV without all the extra UVA, I can see this being “safer” than the Sperti. More bang for your buck, let’s say.
Again, this is theory for me, because I didn’t get a huge increase.
Infrared Output
Selecting H on the Mitolux turns on the infrared-only mode, which runs for 10 minutes. Mitolux recommends using this mode at a distance of 6-12 inches.
Here’s a close-up of the spectrum of just the infrared portion at 6 inches:
Here is a chart showing the total irradiance in mW/cm2 from 1-12 inches:
This is a decent output and should be enough light to be effective anywhere in this range.
Flicker Testing
I was curious about any flicker, so I tested this as well.
There’s a small amount of high-frequency flicker here, but not much.
Vitamin D Testing
Finally, let’s talk about my test results… they’re not good.
Mitolux recommends using the lamp for 6 weeks before testing, but I only did 30 days because I wanted to directly compare the results to my DIY test.
However, I did use the lamp almost every day, while Mitolux recommends every other day, so maybe that makes up for it!
I’m a skin. type 3, so I followed their schedule for that, here is my exact schedule (I missed a few days)
Unfortunately, my vitamin D levels only went up 1.5ng/mL over that 30-day period, here are my test results:
This is in stark contrast to the results I got from my DIY vitamin D lamp, in which I increased my levels by 16.2ng/mL over a 30-day period.
Either narrowband UVB doesn’t work as well as broadband UVB/UVA, or it doesn’t work very well for me, not sure
Overall Thoughts
I think this is a cool product. I love the attempt to make a more “natural” and safer vitamin D lamp by mimicking the solar cycle of infrared and UVB.
The build quality and programming are very well done! I’m just disappointed it didn’t seem to work for me 😔
I’d love to see if anyone else has done testing with this and what your results were!
MitoLux Vitamin D Lamp
Pros
Cons
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hello, searching for answers on the internet i can see peple have raised their D3 in blood with Sperti but nowhere is Mitolux results. are you planning on using it and having blood tests before and after. will it actually work though
I’m planning to do testing this winter yes! However, I’m quite positive it will work. The radiation spectrum and power are just about all you need to know and they are well within the vitamin D action spectrum.
I am so excited I just found your reviews as I was researching and comparing the Sperti to the Mitolux for my husband who suffers from Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis. We have a red light panel which we originally purchased for mitochondrial stimulation and inflammation reduction, but we think the UVA/B benefits on Vit D production as well as SAD symptoms (and all the effects that the shorter days of winter produce) would be a great addition for wintertime, when his condition significantly worsens every year. Do you think the Sperti (or your homemade version) would be better since it DOES emit more UVA than the Mitolux? I know some look for less UVA in order to reduce possible skin damage, but in my limited research it seems that for those with skin Psoriasis this may be part of what is actually beneficial.
Also, Sperti makes a Psoriasis lamp. Could you shed some light on this for me? (No pun intended haha). In my very limited layman’s research I am having trouble deciphering if this is actually different from their other lamp in its light spectrum output or if it is basically the same bulbs with the added benefit of using insurance to pay for it. (Ie. Red tape.) It does also seem smaller and I’m thinking this may be for the purpose of targeting specific psoriasis patches, however in my husband’s experience, full body sunshine is one of the only things that actually improves his patches as well as the arthritic component of his psoriasis.
Thank you so much for any thoughts you have on this!
Hi Christin! I have to admit I’m not super knowledgable on UV wavelengths and their effects on skin conditions like psoriasis. However UVA does seem to act as an endorphin modulator of sorts, this seems to be why a lot of people like tanning in the winter. So that could be one advantage of the Sperti or DIY panel over something like the MitoLux if “skin damage” doesn’t concern you.
As for the Sperti psoriasis lamp, good question! I’ve been meaning to buy their other lamps to test the actual output because yeah, there’s really no way to know what they mean without a spectral graph or actual measurements. I think it’s likely higher in UVB as this is typically whats used for psoriasis medically and smaller for targeted use as you’ve noted.
Has your husband ever tried a tanning bed to see if that helps his condition?
Hi Derek — love your site! Based on your articles, I’ve incorporated BioLights and more amber and red evening lighting around the house for the family. So thank you for reminding me on the importance of all this stuff.
I’ve also begun collecting all the parts to “simulate” (approximate) the sun in our home offices based on your “Sun” article: UVB reptile lamp, IR lamp. I also began using the small red/NIR panel on my desktop while I work and doing some mid-day UVB sessions on my previously dust-collecting Sperti. 🙂
All of this is to say that I’m trying to really engineer the best environment I can for our long, cold, sunless winters and have a few Qs…
Questions:
1. How does this Mitolux setup compare to having the above elements pinned to the wall in an office setting? I.E. Can I expect to generate some level of Vitamin D w/ the reptile 5% UVB lamp?
2. Or is it still important to get focused time close to a UVB lamp such as the Mitolux or Sperti?
3. Why is it OK to have the reptile UVB lamp up w/o goggles on in the background, but the Mitolux or Sperti require brief sessions w/ goggles?
Thank you so much!
Hi Tony! Wow good on ya! Hmmm let me see…
1. It’s hard to make a direct comparison without knowing the exact specification and distances involved. I don’t know that a 5% bulb placed several feet away has the strength required for significant amounts of vitamin D creation in the skin. The main reason I have this in my office is simply to replicate Sunlight from a visual standpoint. John Ott was a big fan of UVA and thought it had unknown health benefits and there’s quite a bit of it in Sunlight so I thought having some bouncing around the room made sense from a naturalistic perspective.
2. I’d say some time near a device emitting strong levels of UVB makes sense if you’re looking to maintain or improve D levels. There’s a chance you could create a set up that emits just the right amount for prolonged exposure but it might require testing equipment to verify the output and or experimentation with burning lol (which might be better to avoid)
3. Well, with my setup the amount of UV hitting my eyes might be akin to sitting under a tree n a partly cloudy day. With these devices you’re looking at more like noonday middle of the summer sun on a cloudless day, great for vitamin D, not so great for your retina. You could probably get away with eyes closed? But I haven’t gone any through the eyelids measurement yet! haha
Thanks for this review!
Did you test the EMF readings for the Mitolux lamp?
Good question! I forgot 😅 I will do that and update the article!
Thanks! I’ll be very interested in the update.
Hi Derek, do you know if there’s a lamp with both UVA and UVB but dedicated for eyes so in lower dose than those lamps for skin – basically a SAD lamp? It seems there are also health benefits from UVA and UVB getting in our eyes, so it would be interesting to see if anyone produced such lamp.
I’m not aware of one. I also subscribe to this notion though. My solution is that I have a 4 foot 6% UVB Arcadia bulb in the upper back corner of my office that shines down on me while I work.
Figure it does a good job of introducing low levels of UV into the office without being dangerous in any way.
Hi again,
Your tests suggest that the peak UVB wavelength is 298nm rather than 295nm as the company reports. Have I understood that correctly?
A 2017 study I saw found that 293nm produced vitamin D more efficiently than 298nm and 295nm, but all outperformed 301nm and sun exposure for efficiency. (298nm seemed to outperform 295nm too.)
I would guess that this is relevant if you want to take on less radiation for skin health and appearance but receive the vitamin D benefits of UVB exposure.
That’s not usual at all. There are natural variations and deviations in both diode production and spectrometer calibration, so some difference is normal and expected.
But yes, even if the peak is slightly off from 295 there will still be a ton of energy to either side of it.
Hey Derek, have you tested any LED reptile lights to see how it compares to this? I already have a Mito Red light and was thinking about just adding some LED reptile lights for UVA/UVB.
I’ve been meaning to do this I just haven’t yet! I’m not aware of any that come close to the amount of UVB LEDs the Mitolux has but I’m curious to test some.
Hi Derek, thanks for the article. What do you think about the amount of UV-C light that is emitted? Shouldn’t that be too carcinogenic to the skin as it doesn’t naturally reach the earth’s surface?
I wonder if the risk outweighs the benefit and if instead it would be better to have less “vitamin D potency” at >300nm UV-B and avoid UV-C completely.
Thanks for answering!
Hi Marcel! UV-C is almost always defined as under 280nm and the Mitolux doesn’t emit anything under about 283nm or so.
So I think we’re in the clear!
Hi Does it come with a uk plug ?
Does the price include all uk taxes and duties ?
How long does delivery to the uk take ?
Thank you.
Hey there! It is compatible with UK voltage, however mine did not come with a UK adapter, so you may need to purchase one.
As for the shipping specifics to the UK, I’m afraid I don’t know :/ You’d have better luck emailing MitoLux directly about that!
Much appreciated
Thank you.
Hi again,
Interested to see your test results for vitamin D levels. I’d be interest to know if your testosterone levels change too.
Kind regards,
Paul
They’ll be up soon! Dang, that would have been a good idea! I’ll keep that in mind for future tests.
May I trouble you for one more question? What was the condition of your skin after the 30 days of treatment? I read that UVB can also cause skin aging. Did you notice a change? Was there any erythema? And did you tan? (UVA, I hear, causes visible tan but UVB creates melanin for UVA to oxidised – inevitably you’ll still get some UVA from normal living even if not from the lamp.)
No noticeable erythema or tanning on my end!
Good to know. Thanks!