Through a dark British winter, a SAD lamp can genuinely help people with seasonal affective disorder — but the market is awash with dim ‘mood lamps’ that trade on the idea without delivering the dose. Here is the no-nonsense version.
The evidence centres on three numbers: roughly 10,000 lux of brightness, around 30 minutes of use, first thing in the morning. The lux figure is measured at the distance your eyes will actually be from the lamp, not at the bulb. A lamp that does not state its lux at a usable distance is decoration.
Set realistic expectations. Light therapy helps many people with SAD feel meaningfully better over a couple of weeks of consistent morning use; it is not an instant switch and it is not a treatment for clinical depression more broadly. If low mood is severe or persistent, that is a conversation for your GP, not a lamp.
Choose on the specifications — lux, timing, a UKCA or CE mark — and ignore the wellness language wrapped around it. Our broader guide applies the same evidence-first lens to the rest of the home-device shelf: our natural health devices guide.