9 best SAD lamps for tackling the dreaded winter blues in 2024
With winter creeping ever closer, seeking out the best SAD lamps is a great idea if you typically notice changes in your mental health and energy levels when the daylight hours start to dwindle. Essentially, with darker and drearier days comes reduced exposure to sunlight — and it's thought that this can mess with your brain and internal body clock, and cause a kind of “winter depression” called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
From getting the chic winter boots and wool coats out of the closet, to spending many cosy Sunday afternoons snuggled on the sofa under a throw blanket watching Gilmore Girls, there's a lot to love about the colder months. But those endless months of dark winter mornings can really start to wear us down after a while — which is why we're all about utilising tools like sunrise alarm clocks, vitamin D supplements, and SAD lamps wherever possible.
Feeling a little blue? Scroll to shop some of the SAD lamps we reckon will help you out of your funk.
SKIP TO: How we test SAD lamps | What is a SAD lamp? | How do they work? | How to use one | Our full reviews.
Amazon Prime Day SAD lamp deals:
- Lumie Vitamin L, WAS £99 NOW £62.99
- Beurer TL95UK SAD Lamp, WAS £229.99 NOW £179.99
- Comfytemp SAD Light Therapy Lamp, WAS £35.99 NOW £29.99
How we test SAD lamps:
Firstly, we judged every single SAD lamp on whether it met certain criteria — including emitting at least 10,000 lux, and being properly registered with the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Alongside taking into account customer reviews and our own personal experiences with certain SAD lamps, we weighed up everything from the overall look and design, to the number of different functions (e.g. adjusting light temperature and brightness) for each model, when weighing up which lamps were truly deserving of the limelight. Lean more about how we test.
What is a SAD lamp?
Most SAD lamps typically come in the form of light boxes or slim tablet-style lights — and they provide a way for your brain to soak up some of the much-needed bright light that it's likely missing out on in the dark and gloomy winter months.
To qualify as an effective tool for bright light therapy, your chosen lamp or light box needs to provide 10,000 lux of light (the higher the lux, the brighter the light), and also have filters that remove harmful ultraviolet rays — which is essential if you want to avoid skin and eye damage.
How do SAD lamps work?
A part of the brain called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is responsible for flagging when light exposure reaches its highest point in the day as ‘midday’ — and our whole internal body clock (aka circadian rhythm) works around this. But when natural daylight is severely lacking in the winter months, everything is thrown out-of-whack — and this is when it's not unusual to experience symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder, like low mood, lethargy, and constant tiredness.
Designed to simulate sunlight, daylight therapy lamps are an effective solution for many. When we make the time to sit in front of a SAD lamp in the mornings, the bright light essentially tricks our brains into slowing down the production of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin — while also stimulating the release of feel-good serotonin. And this chemical change has a really positive effect on mood, energy levels, and overall wellbeing.
How to use a SAD lamp:
You'll get the most benefit from a SAD lamp by using it within the first hour of waking up in the morning — especially if you often commute to the office in the dark during winter, and therefore sometimes don't see natural sunlight until much later in the day.
In terms of timings, twenty to thirty minutes of light therapy is all that's required to stimulate your brain into action — but while your eyes do need to be open, it's not a task that requires your undivided attention. You're not supposed to sit and look directly at the light, so simply pop it on your kitchen or dressing table, angle it towards your face, and get on with eating breakfast, doing your make-up, or scrolling through TikTok.
Ahead, the best SAD light therapy lamps that deserve a spot in your daily wellness routine this winter.
Specifications:
- Max lux level: 10,000 lux.
- Dimensions: 20.3cm x 35cm x 36cm.
There's so much that we love about this SAD lamp. It's got a generously sized 33cm illuminated surface area — but still wont take up too much space thanks to its neat and slim design. Plus, the stable stand means it'll make a sturdy permanent addition to the corner of your desk.
Thanks to its 10-stage dimmer function, the light intensity can be adjusted to make it function as more of a desk or reading lamp. But best of all, you'll have five different timer settings to choose from — ranging from fifteen minutes to two hours — and the lamp will automatically switch off once the session is complete.
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Pros & ConsPros- Multiple timer settings.
- Large illumination surface area.
- Slim design.
Cons- Can't adjust colour temperature.
Lumie Vitamin L Slim SAD Light
Specifications:
- Max lux level: 10,000.
- Dimensions: 29cm x 21cm x 11cm.
Slim and lightweight, Vitamin L from Lumie is a portable table lamp that comes with a clever removable fold-out stand that can be attached either portrait or landscape — so you can position it in either orientation.
Despite its adaptable design, the light temperature and brightness cannot be adjusted — but the cool white LEDs have been paired with a rippled diffuser to ensure that the light level is soft and comfortable.
Our GLAMOUR tip — thanks to it's slim silhouette, we've found this to be one of the best light therapy lamps to pop behind your makeup mirror while you apply your skincare and foundation in the mornings.
Save when you shop for SAD lamps with these John Lewis discount codes.
Pros & ConsPros- Can be positioned vertically or horizontally.
- Doesn't take up much counter space.
- Incredible reviews.
Cons- Can't adjust brightness and colour temperature.
Beurer TL45 Perfect Day Daylight Therapy Lamp
Specifications:
- Max lux level: 10,000.
- Dimensions: 14.5cm x 22cm x 17.5cm.
Designed to meet a few different needs, this clever SAD lamp has three different colour temperature settings; Active to encourage focus and productivity, Relax for a soft and warm glow that feels like a natural sunset, and finally the medically certified Therapy setting that delivers the light of a summer's day. So, it's definitely the kind of lamp that you'll use more than once a day.
In terms of design, it's a little bit bulkier than some of the similar ‘photo frame’ style SAD lamps — but it sits quite well in a corner, and has a chic and modern looking touchscreen.
Pros & ConsPros- Medically certified Therapy setting.
- Has multiple colour temperature settings.
- Sturdy design.
Cons- It's a little bulkier than other similar models.
- Not dimmable.
Specifications:
- Max lux level: 10,000 lux.
- Dimensions: 19.3 x 14.7 x 3.6cm.
If you're looking for a light therapy lamp that won't break the bank, this one that we found on Amazon feels like it might be a good bet. Alongside six different timer settings, it's got a 10-stage dimmer function, and an adjustable fold-out stand. In terms of design, it definitely doesn't look expensive — but for the reasonable price, this is definitely justified.
However, the one thing that makes us a little dubious of this SAD lamp is that we can't seem to find an MHRA certification — but this might just be because it's a product from a less well-known brand. Aside from this, it meets the key SAD lamp criteria of producing 10,000 lux UV-free light. And the reviews are pretty impressive.
Pros & ConsPros- Really affordable.
- Dimmable.
- Built-in timer settings.
Cons- Not a particularly chic and sleek design.
Beurer TL 30 Ultra Daylight SAD Light
Specifications:
- Max lux level: 10,000 lux.
- Dimensions: 23.6cm x 15.6cm x 2cm.
The TL 30 offers flicker-free and even illumination, and comes with a fold-out adjustable stand — meaning it can positioned horizontally or vertically on your table. Plus, it's small size and sleek silhouette makes it easy to take from place to place — and it even comes with a protective pouch to keep it safe during transport.
In our experience — having given it a good test ourselves — this lovely light does indeed reduce symptoms of SAD with extended use. But it is a bit harsh on the eyes — so you'll want to stick to short stints of use at first, and perhaps have the eye drops ready.
Pros & ConsPros- Comes with travel pouch.
- Fold-out stand.
- 3-year guarantee
Cons- Can't adjust brightness and colour temperature.
Best for a bedside table:
Specifications:
- Max lux level: 10,000 lux.
- Dimensions: 32.4cm x 33cm x 19.7cm.
Alongside making a super chic decorative piece, this Lumie lamp has plenty of impressive features for you to play around with. Mood-boosting Day Mode recreates the effect of natural sunlight, while Evening Mode gives off sunset-like amber hues with reduced blue-light content to help you feel relaxed and serene. Both modes can be brightened or dimmed to suit your needs — and you can even use the built-in touch slide to customise the colour temperatures.
Fancy a little bit of ambient lighting? Double tap the screen to turn on the soft and warm backlight — which can be lit on its own, or used in conjunction with the main light in Day or Evening Mode. Illuminating the glossy copper surface, it gives off a really gorgeous glow.
Save when you shop for SAD lamps with these John Lewis discount codes.
Pros & ConsPros- Really chic design.
- Touch control function.
- Adjustable warmth.
Cons- Very expensive.
Specifications:
- Max lux level: 10,000 lux.
- Dimensions: 31 x 26 x 14cm.
Sturdy and reliable, this simple light box is the kind of product that does exactly what it says on the tin. Expect no adjustable brightness levels — just a bright white light that many reviewers say has really helped relieve their SAD symptoms.
Clearly, it's not got a sleek and streamlined design like most of the other lamps in this edit — but it's a great size. and shape for tucking into a corner. And the simple and sophisticated singular touch control button gives it more of a contemporary look and feel.
Pros & ConsPros- Relatively affordable.
- Simple on/off touch control.
- 3-year guarantee.
Cons- Can't adjust brightness and colour temperature.
- Bulky design.
Lumie Task SAD Light Therapy Desk Lamp
Specifications:
- Max lux level: 10,000 lux.
- Dimensions: 55 x 17.5 x 18cm.
If you're after a SAD lamp that doesn't look at all like a SAD lamp, this discreet model is the one to choose. With its practical task lamp design, and availability in five different colours, it's been designed to seamlessly integrate into any space.
Thanks to its built-in slider for adjusting the brightness settings, it's a great tool for light therapy, working from home, and everything in-between. And the highly adjustable head, neck and stem make it easy to tailor the positioning to suit your needs.
Pros & ConsPros- Looks like a standard desk lamp.
- Comes in loads of colours.
- Touch control brightening and dimming.
Cons- Can't adjust colour temperature.
- Very expensive.
Beurer TL 50 SAD Therapy Light
Specifications:
- Max lux level: 10,000.
- Dimensions: 27.1cm x 24.6cm x 14.5cm.
Our favourite thing about this SAD lamp has to be its impressively long range of effectiveness. Despite its rather cute and compact size, this Beurer model will still deliver the same mood-boosting effects at up to a 35cm distance.
The circular design and compact size also make it great for tucking into the corner of a desk — meaning you'll get all the benefits of light therapy, without having to sacrifice too much precious tabletop space.
Save money on SAD light therapy devices by using these John Lewis discounts when you check out.
Pros & ConsPros- Compact design.
- Doesn't flicker.
- 3-year guarantee.
Cons- Can't adjust brightness and colour temperature.
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