Regular light therapy has been shown to alleviate symptoms of SAD, depression, and other mood disorders. And though it’s unclear how light therapy works, some suspect the bright light exposure may boost serotonin (the “happy chemical” that naturally occurs in our bodies) or reset our circadian rhythms. As you shop for light therapy lamps, consider size, style, light intensity, and brightness settings. A good light therapy lamp should suit your space, offer 10,000 lux of light exposure, and make it easy to adjust brightness when needed. To find the best light therapy lamps, we tested 15 top-rated options at home, performing five-day tests to find the eight best lamps. Each tester assessed one lamp at a time, using that lamp for 30 minutes daily for five straight days. Every day, testers noted their mood, energy level, and sleep quality before and after using their lamp. And they also assessed the lamps for design, ease of use, and value. According to our test, here are the best light therapy lamps on the market. At its brightest, the lamp delivers 10,000 lux of light. That’s the recommended light intensity for a light therapy lamp, but it may seem harsh at first. Thankfully, the lamp comes with two brightness settings, so it’s easy to start with the dimmer setting and work your way up to the brighter one. Our tester did exactly this: At the start of our test, she preferred the dimmer setting because she found the brighter one “a little too intense.” But by day four, she preferred the brighter setting and found it more effective. The lamp is also compact and easy to use. At 12.5 inches tall and 6.25 inches wide, it’s small enough to place on your table, desk, or nightstand. And its adjustable base makes it easy to angle. “I love that this light therapy lamp has a lever that lets you tilt it back or forward, so you can get the exact angle that you want when positioning the light,” our tester wrote. She also loved that the lamp’s long power cord made it easy to use in different places. Throughout our five-day test, this lamp made our tester feel more alert and energized, earning a rating of 4.5 out of 5 for its energy-boosting effect. And while the lamp didn’t seem to impact our tester’s sleep quality, it did slightly boost her mood. Price at time of publication: $60 The no-frills lamp has just one brightness setting. Turn it on, and you’ll get 10,000 lux of light. Unsurprisingly, our tester found this lamp “very easy to use.” “Simply plug it in, open the stand on the back, and push the big button on the front,” he said. He noted that the table lamp is also easy to move around, thanks to its 3.25-pound weight and its long power cord. Though this lamp didn’t impact our tester’s mood, it did seem to dramatically improve his sleep quality. After the first day of using the lamp, our tester reported a night of uninterrupted sleep—which was unusual for him. “I often wake up during the night, even when I have no trouble falling asleep,” he said. “While using the lamp, I was consistently sleeping throughout the night without waking up.” This pattern continued every night of the test, leading our tester to feel more well-rested and alert every morning, which is why he gave the lamp a score of 4.5 out of 5 for sleep quality. Price at time of publication: $53 Whereas most light therapy lamps are shaped like tablets or boxes, this one looks like a classic floor lamp. And that unusual design gives the lamp two advantages. First, the 4-foot lamp is tall enough to provide overhead light. (Our tester comfortably sat and read underneath it.) Second, the lamp’s light is unlikely to get in your eyes. Since the lamp’s illuminated surface faces the floor and its on/off switch is easy to reach, you never have to look directly at the light to turn on the lamp or adjust its position. The no-frills lamp has just one brightness setting, so it’s very easy to use, which is why our tester gave it a perfect score of 5 out of 5 for ease of use. And our tester noted that she felt more upbeat and alert most mornings after using the lamp. All that said, our tester did have one problem with the lamp: She thought it looked bulky and clinical. “I liked the functionality of the lamp a lot,” she said. “It’s something I’d want to keep in my house, but it looks too clinical to keep as decor.” Price at time of publication: $38 At 17 inches tall and 12.25 inches long, the lamp is smaller than the floor lamp we tested but bigger than many table lamps we tested. And it had the biggest light screen of the bunch. When you turn on the lamp, most of its surface lights up—giving you 1.3 square feet of intense light. This makes the lamp great for big spaces, where you need to diffuse lots of light around the room. “I see this being good if you’re seeking to use this type of light in a larger space, like a kitchen, studio, or yoga room,” our tester wrote. “I did use it once while doing yoga in the morning, and it was lovely.” Our tester noticed that the lamp made her feel more positive and alert, giving it a perfect score of 5 out of 5 for energy-boosting effect. And she loved that the lamp was easy to use: It never tipped over or got hot to the touch, and its 8-foot power cord made it easy to move around. The only problem? Due to its size, the lamp isn’t small-space-friendly. “If you’re looking for a light therapy lamp for a large space, you’d probably be happy with this,” our tester wrote. “But if you’re looking for a light therapy lamp for your desk or personal area, I think you’d be better off with something cheaper and smaller.” Price at time of publication: $190 The lamp is just 6.69 inches tall and 5.11 inches long, and our tester found it incredibly easy to use. The lamp comes with a built-in stand that makes it easy to prop up. It has three basic buttons: a power button, a brightness button (which toggles between three brightness levels), and a timer button (which programs your lamp to automatically shut off after 15, 30, 45, or 60 minutes). While the lamp’s small size is great for portability, it limits how much light it gives off. On its brightest setting, the lamp delivers 10,000 lux of light. But since its light screen is so small, it doesn’t feel as bright as some of the others we tested. When using this lamp, our tester only noticed a slight boost in mood and energy—though she did report great sleep quality every night of the test, rating it a 4.5 out of 5 for sleep quality. Price at time of publication: $26 While most light therapy lamps have 1–2 brightness settings, this one has multiple. You can adjust the lamp’s brightness between 5,000–10,000 lux. And you can also change its color temperature, making it warmer or cooler during different times of the day. Our tester found these settings easy to toggle through using the lamp’s remote control, though she wished there was a readout telling her which settings she’d selected. She also appreciated that when she turned on the lamp, it reverted to the brightness and color temperature settings she’d most recently picked. Our tester found that the lamp made her feel more positive and alert, even when she used it on its lowest brightness setting. But what she loved most about the lamp was its sleek appearance. “The lamp can disguise as an accent piece on a shelf or desk, whether it’s turned on or off,” she said. And though this lamp is the priciest product on our list, our tester said it was worth the money, thanks to its sleek look, adjustable settings, and convenient remote control. Price at time of publication: $199 At 10.75 inches long, 13.69 inches wide, and 27.25 inches tall, this lamp is very big. So while it’s technically a table lamp, it’s not easy to store on a shelf or side table. “This lamp is quite large—not optimal for small spaces,” our tester wrote. But the lamp’s large size has a major upside: It puts off a lot of light. “This lamp gave me a higher surge of energy than the other lamp I tried, probably because this one is bigger and shines more light on me,” our tester wrote. Our tester noticed that the lamp slightly boosted her mood as well, giving it 4.5 out of 5 stars for its mood-boosting effect. And she noticed an “obvious surge in energy” every time she used it. That said, the lamp isn’t as versatile as some of our other top picks due to its large size, intense brightness, and heavy-duty feel. Price at time of publication: $117 The alarm clock looks like a large lightbulb. And though it came ready to use right out of the box, our tester had trouble navigating all its settings. The lamp lets you choose between 20 brightness levels, several volumes, and six sound programs—including an FM radio setting and a chirping bird program our tester loved. It ultimately took our tester 30 minutes to program the alarm clock. But once she got it set up, she found it much easier to use. “There seems to be a steep learning curve, but the effects are worth it,” she said. Thanks to its compact size, the alarm clock is easy to store on a nightstand. And our tester loved waking up to it every morning. “Each day, I noticed that it was slightly easier to wake up using this sunrise-style lamp versus a traditional alarm clock or phone alarm,” she said. “The warm glow simulates a real sunrise in your room.” This gentle wake-up routine slightly boosted her mood and energy levels every morning, though she didn’t notice an impact on sleep quality. Price at time of publication: $100 Our budget favorite, Carex Light Therapy Lamp, wasn’t as durable or customizable as our top pick. But it was effective, affordable, and easy to use—making it a great wallet-friendly alternative to our best overall pick. 4.5 to 4.7 stars: These light therapy lamps are excellent—they might have minor flaws, but we still recommend them. 4.0 to 4.5 stars: We think these are great light therapy lamps, but others are better. 3.5 to 3.9 stars: These light therapy lamps are just average. 3.4 and below: We don’t recommend light therapy lamps with this rating; you won’t find any on our list. We tested each lamp one at a time. Our testers used their lamps for five days in a row, turning the lamp on for 30 minutes each morning. And testers kept their start time, location, distance from the lamp, activities, and eating/drinking habits consistent within each five-day test. Testers made note of their mood, energy levels, and sleep quality before and after using the lamp each day. And they assessed each lamp for effectiveness, ease of use, design, and value—giving the lamps a rating out of 5 stars in each category (with 1 being the worst of the bunch and 5 being exceptional). Of the 15 light therapy lamps we tested, only eight scored well enough to earn a spot on our list. All eight of these lamps earned an overall rating of 4 stars or higher. And each was best-in-class for a given use case (light intensity, compact design, price, etc.).
What to Look for in a Light Therapy Lamp
Type
Light therapy lamps are available as table lamps, floor lamps, sunrise alarm clocks, and more. To decide which light therapy lamp style is right for you, consider when you plan to use the lamp, where you plan to use it, and how much space you have to spare.
Size and Weight
Light therapy lamps come in many sizes and weights. So before buying, consider where you’d like to use your lamp. Compact lamps can fit on crowded shelves or nightstands. Large lamps can illuminate bigger rooms. Lightweight lamps are easy to transport to and from the office. And heavy lamps are best left somewhere consistent. (That way, you don’t have to lug them around very much.)
Adjustable Settings
Many light therapy lamps come with multiple brightness settings, allowing you to dim or brighten your lamp as you see fit. This can make it easier to use your lamp at different times of day, and it can help you adjust to the lamp when you’re just beginning to use it. But light therapy lamps without adjustable settings can be just as helpful: Thanks to their no-frills design, they’re often easy to use.
Light Intensity
To get the most out of your light therapy lamp, experts recommend using a lamp that offers 10,000 lux of light exposure. (Lux is a measure of illuminance. So the higher the lux, the brighter the lamp.) Research suggests that indoor lighting generally provides 100 lux, while a sunny day offers 50,000 lux. So your light therapy lamp should fall somewhere in between.
Why Trust Verywell Mind
As a seasoned health and wellness writer, Lindsey Lanquist understands how vital quality product recommendations can be. She is careful to recommend products that are reliable, thoughtfully designed, and genuinely well-reviewed by those who’ve tried them. Before using your light therapy lamp, be sure to check the manufacturer’s suggested guidelines. Some brands may recommend placing the lamp at or above eye level or limiting your time of exposure based on intensity. Be sure to follow these instructions. They’ll make sure you’re using your lamp safely—and they’ll also help you get the most out of your lamp. If you’re using a light therapy lamp for the first time, be sure to talk to your doctor or therapist. They can answer your questions and offer individualized guidance on your light therapy routine. Additional reporting by Lily Moe and Tori Zhou. As a previous fitness coach, long-time wellness enthusiast, and current health editor, Lily Moe understands the importance of products that meet your individual requirements. After moving from sunny Arizona to Brooklyn, New York, Lily experienced seasonal affective disorder firsthand and recognized the value of light therapy lamps. Most importantly, Lily always looks for research and firsthand reviews when it comes to deciding on a product. Tori Zhou is a writer and Associate Commerce Editor for Verywell. She enjoys staying up-to-date on wellness trends and products with a focus on holistic health.
