Carex Day Light Sky Review: Is This the Perfect SAD Light?

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In Short


Product Name: Carex Health Brands Day-Light Sky
Latest Review Date: 14 September 2019
Price Guideline: $$$

Very high quality, top of the range SAD light, the Carex Day Light Sky provides light from above, is ultra-adjustable and has a beautiful light quality.

MY RATING: 93%

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Features


  • 10,000 lux of balanced White Light for eye safety – 10,000 lux is the recommended light intensity level to treat SAD effectively
  • Glare-free diffuser filters 99.3% of UV

  • Flicker free light
  • Two light settings – 10,000 lux and 6,500 lux – adjust to suit your needs
  • Height and angle adjustable

Product Information


  • Lux: 10,000 at 12 inches
  • Product Dims (h x w x d): 26.9″ x 13.7″ x 10.5″
  • Bulb Type: 2 x 55 watt CFL
  • Package Dims (h x w x d): 13″ x 20.3″ x 3.6″
  • Power: 110V
  • Light box area (h x w): 13.5” x 10.25”
  • Weight: 8.2lbs
  • Color temperature: Color temperature 4000K / 85 CRI

In The Box


  • Carex Health Brands Day-Light Sky Bright Light Therapy Lamp
  • User guide
  • Five-year limited warranty

So How Does The Carex Day Light Sky Work?


To get the best out of the Day-Light Sky your eyes need to be 11 inches from the centre of the light lens and looking down. This will give you the full 10,000 lux and you are advised to spend 20 to 30 minutes per session of light therapy.

The light has two settings: therapy which provides the full 10,000 lux or ambient which provides 6,500 lux. It also has an angle and adjustment button that allows you to tilt lamp backwards and forwards and the light head can be rotated 45 degrees.

Unlike the Day-Light Classic it does not have adjustable legs that can be raised or lowered, but you can move the lamp head up and down which effectively does the same job.

There are large chrome push buttons on the side of the device’s arm and also the light head which you push to adjust the height and angle. When you push the button in it is locked into place and won’t move.

There is a toggle switch at the front of the base of the Day-Light Sky that lets you switch between the therapeutic light level, ambient light level or turn the device off completely.

The device uses two 55-watt compact fluorescent bulbs. They are rated for 8,000 hours and cost around $20 to replace. The color temperature of the light is about 4000k.


The Good


In much the same vein as the other excellent Carex product – the Day-Light Classic – the Day-Light Sky really excels as, unlike many SAD lights, its design means that during light therapy the light enters your eyes from above – the optimum positioning for it to be most effective.

Think about when the sun hits your eyes in real life, it obviously comes from above you. Many SAD lights rest on your desktop, but this one doesn’t which gives it a big head start over its competitors. Check studies on light therapy and they all say for it to be most effective the light needs to shine from above so this ticks that box.

Talking of the light – the light quality is fantastic. There is zero flicker, the diffuser cover helps to soften the light so it isn’t so bright it might cause headaches, there is no glare and the lights come on and turn off instantly.

The field of light is also huge. This means when you are using the light you can have a normal range of motion and your eyes will still be in the field of light. It is great to have a light with such a generous zone of effective therapy as there are lots of small SAD lights with tiny fields of light.

Finally on the subject of light it is a great task light when used on the lower light level. The white light, with no glare or flicker, means it is amazing for craft or detailed orientated work.

The construction is a step up on the Day-Light Classic. It looks and feels very sturdy and well made. The weighted base is solid and there has been no skimping on lightweight parts – everything seems to be first rate in terms of the build quality.

Finally the adjustability is another great feature of this light. The articulated arm can lock into many different angles and the neck of the lamp has several pivots meaning you have a huge number of choices when positioning the lamp for therapy or work at your desk.

Take A Closer Look Button

The Bad


In all honesty it is hard to find too many faults with the Day-Light Sky although some maybe put off by the large footprint of the unit.

For instance if you wanted to use it whilst you work on your computer it might be a little too large to put on your desktop or to place behind the monitor and still be within the therapeutic range.

With the Day-Light Classic you could place it over your laptop due to the way it is designed – however that is more difficult with the Day-Light Sky. Think about where you plan to use it before buying it.

You will probably at some point need to replace the bulbs as well. These are fluorescent bulbs and are rated for 8,000 hours, but the intensity does degrade over the bulb life. Unlike LED bulbs which last almost forever it is recommended you replace these bulbs every two years.

And really aside from a couple of minor quibbles, like it is slightly top heavy and only operates on 110Vs that is it – there isn’t much else to complain about.


The Beautiful


The lamp has a fairly contemporary design and does not look like a medical instrument. It wouldn’t look out of place on your office table and in fact would probably fit discreetly into any setting.

The Day-Light Sky is certainly a step up from the rather ugly Day-Light Classic – I like it!


And Does It Work?


Yes, yes and a big resounding yes! The positive feedback on this is almost endless. One user said it changed their life and another said using the lamp made them feel instantly more awake and alert.

Others have said it far exceeds their expectations with many saying they are completely transformed and left with a more positive, upbeat outlook. This lamp works and is very highly thought of by those who buy it.

SAD charity SADA have released figures showing that light therapy is effective in up to 85% of diagnosed cases of Seasonal Affective Disorder. This is backed up by study after study that show light therapy makes a difference to those suffering with SAD:

In short – the chances are it will make a difference for you!


Pros

  • Light enters eyes from above – the best way to receive light therapy
  • Fantastic quality of light
  • Huge field of light
  • Amazing task lamp
  • Fantastic build quality

Cons

  • Large footprint can make it awkward to situate
  • Bulbs quality will deteriorate
  • Bulbs will need replacing

Conclusion


My Verdict

My Rating - 93%

93%

One of the best SAD lights on the market

The Day-Light Classic was top notch, but there is no doubt that the Day-Light Sky is a step up even on that excellent SAD light.

It builds on all the good points of the Classic – the light still enters the eyes from above, the field of light is still huge and the quality of the light if anything is even better making it an excellent light for detailed work.

Gone are the spindly legs which were a failing of the Day-Light Classic and in their place is a much more sturdy feel and a huge amount of adjustability to position the light just as you want it.

This is a top quality light – right up there amongst the best SAD lights you can buy. If you do buy it you won’t regret it.

User Rating: 4.7 ( 1 votes)

Other Options


There really aren’t many better options than the Day-Light Sky – it is the one of best of the bunch, but it probably isn’t quite as good as the Circadian Optics Lampu which is really well designed, sleekly designed and has a wonderfully natural light.

In fact all of the Circadian Optics SAD lamps are really good.

Additionally the Day-Light Classic and the Verilux Happy Light Liberty 10k are also excellent SAD lights.

The Carex Day-Light Classic is great as it provides light from above (the best way to receive light therapy) and has a huge field of light.

The Verilux HappyLight Liberty 10k is reasonably priced and another top of the line SAD Light – with a lovely tone of light and a flexible design that can also be wall mounted. But for me, I’d go for the Day Light Sky.

If you would like to leave your personal review or experience of this product, or if you have any questions, please do leave them below. I would love to hear your feedback!

Don’t forget you can also check out our SAD Light Reviews Index for all of my SAD Light Reviews on one page or read my SAD Light Buyers’ Guide to pick the best SAD Light for you.

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