5 Of The Best SAD Lamps To Treat Anxiety And Winter Blues, Reviewed
If you live in the UK, shorter days and darker skies in autumn and winter can take a toll on anyone — not just those who naturally lean a little melancholic. With limited daylight, the likelihood of experiencing seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or the winter blues increases for everyone.
The good news? Finding a SAD lamp that suits you, and pairing it with a few supportive lifestyle habits, can significantly lift your mood and energy. The right approach can influence everything from your focus and eating patterns to how well you feel and function throughout the season.
Vogue’s best SAD lamps at a glance:
Below, Vogue speaks to experts about why SAD lamps can be so effective, while also sharing some of the best options to try right now. As someone who has struggled with SAD for years, I can personally vouch for how transformative they can be.
In this article:
The best SAD lamps
The selections below are SAD lamps that I’ve either tested personally or come highly recommended by friends and Vogue editors. As specialists in this field, Lumie is my go-to brand – and that’s reflected in the list.
Lumie
Lumie Vitamin L SAD Light
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: I bought this SAD lamp for myself in 2020 and haven’t looked back — and neither have the many friends and family I’ve recommended it to. It’s simple and easy to use, about the size of an iPad, and incredibly portable. The rippled diffuser softens the light beautifully, making each session feel much more comfortable and enjoyable. I truly can’t recommend it enough.
- Lux: 10,000 lux at 20cm
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: While Lumie’s Vitamin L was my gateway SAD lamp, the Task is now the one I use every single day. Delivering 10,000 lux at 15cm, it’s designed to mimic natural daylight as closely as current technology allows — which helps justify the higher price point. With reduced eye strain, dimmable brightness and an adjustable lamp head, it’s absolutely worth the investment if your budget allows. As a bonus, it’s a brilliant light to do your make-up in front of it every morning.
- Lux: 10,000 lux at 15cm
Lumie
Luminette 2 Light Therapy Glasses
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: With multiple light settings, the Luminette stands out because it comes in the form of a glasses-style wearable. It’s designed to be worn for around 20 minutes a day, allowing you to carry on with other tasks while using it. That said – because its light is less intense than a traditional SAD lamp (i.e. lower lux) — it doesn’t deliver quite the same power as larger, conventional light boxes.
- Lux: 1500
Beurer Perfect Day Daylight Therapy Lamp
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: Billed as a great option for the office, Beurer’s lamp offers three colour temperature settings for different times of the day, whether you’re waking up or relaxing. It’s compact and easy to travel with too – I have heard good things.
- Lux: 10,000 at a distance of 20cm
8000+Lux Super Bright A4 Light Box Drawing Pad
- Why it’s Vogue-approved: While technically not a SAD lamp, Dr Huberman suggests that a light-box drawing pad can be a useful budget-friendly alternative. This one delivers up to 8,000 lux with three colour-temperature options, and it’s both lightweight and rechargeable. If your SAD symptoms are severe, it may not be powerful enough on its own — but as an affordable stopgap, it’s certainly better than nothing.
- Lux: 8860
FAQs
What is seasonal affective disorder?
SAD is a form of depression. But, as Jodie Cariss, therapist and founder of high street therapy service, Self Space, prefers to frame it: “It’s a dip in the road that’s linked to changes in light and season, rather than the black-and-white idea that can come with the concept of depression.” Affecting around two million people in the UK, SAD is most common between October and March, when our exposure to daylight drops.
This reduction in sunlight can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, along with serotonin and melatonin levels, which in turn influence mood and sleep. While it’s easy to assume something is “wrong,” Cariss reminds us that we are cyclical beings — and often forget it. Winter is a natural time to slow down and turn inward. “In many ways, it’s less a crisis and more a seasonal nudge to check in with yourself and your needs,” she says.
What are the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder?
Common symptoms of seasonal affective disorder include:
- Persistent low mood or sadness
- A sense of heaviness or flatness
- Low energy or fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating
- Disrupted sleep or increased sleep
- A loss of motivation or pleasure in things you usually enjoy
- Social withdrawal
- Increased appetite and cravings
- Weight gain
How to treat seasonal affective disorder?
As with all mental health conditions, SAD affects people differently. Some may need professional support – whether through therapy or medication – while others can ease symptoms with a few lifestyle adjustments. If SAD begins to interfere with your daily life, it’s always worth speaking to a healthcare professional.
“Ensuring you have consistent routines around sleep, waking, light exposure and nourishment can be really helpful,” says Cariss. “And getting outside – even briefly – in natural light, especially in the morning, makes a huge difference.” Gentle, regular movement and meaningful connection with others can also help. “I also recommend creating pockets of rest in your days and weeks,” she adds.
For those seeking therapy or coaching, Self Space offers both, and has recently introduced 50- and 90-minute “MOT” sessions, where you can speak to a qualified therapist on a one-off basis. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has also been shown to be effective.
Vitamin D supplementation can further support mood and energy, with many experts recommending an intake of 4,000 IU daily.
And then there are light boxes – or SAD lamps – which have been scientifically proven to reduce symptoms. Combined with vitamin D and regular movement, they have been genuinely transformative in managing my own SAD.
SAD lamps work by emitting bright, full-spectrum light that mimics natural daylight. This light stimulates a set of cells in the retina that “respond to bright light and signal the brain to adjust mood and circadian rhythms,” explains Stanford neuroscientist Dr Andrew Huberman – much like real sunlight does. While natural sunlight can reach around 100,000 lux, a high-quality SAD lamp typically delivers 10,000 lux, yet still produces a similar biological effect.
By recreating this light exposure, we can help reset circadian rhythms, boost alertness, support serotonin production and reduce melatonin levels. It also helps stabilise the hypothalamus, which regulates hormones and mood.
SAD lamps are most effective when used first thing in the morning. Simply sit near it while you eat breakfast or begin work – but avoid looking directly at the light, as that isn’t necessary for it to work.
What should we look for in a SAD lamp?
To treat SAD, the “industry standard is 10,000 lux of light, but if a product description doesn’t mention how far away you need to be to receive that intensity, then it doesn’t tell us much,” says Rebecca Algie, a representative for Lumie.
“Modern LED-based SAD lamps don’t always need to deliver the full 10,000 lux to be effective, which often means you can sit farther away and still experience the benefits. Because LEDs produce a different light spectrum from traditional fluorescent lamps, it’s important to follow the manufacturer’s instructions to make sure you’re using your lamp correctly and getting the best results.”
It’s also worth noting that many products people assume are SAD lamps actually aren’t. For example, sunrise alarm clocks that gradually brighten can support your circadian rhythm, but they are not SAD lamps and won’t provide the same therapeutic effects.