Carex Health Brands Sunlite Bright Light Therapy Lamp Review: Easy to Use But Unremarkable

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In Short

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Product Name: Carex Health Brands Sunlite Bright Light Therapy Lamp
Latest Review Date: 18 August 2019
Price Guideline: $$$

The Carex Health Brands Sunlite is a good enough SAD light but offers nothing truly exceptional.

MY RATING: 76%

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Features

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Product Information

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In The Box

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• Carex Health Brands Sunlite
• Instruction booklet

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So How Does the Carex Sunlite Work?

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The Carex Health Brands Sunlite is another easy to use SAD Light. It is really a case of plugging it in, positioning it and then turning it on. The product box recommends 30 minutes usage time at 10 in. (10,000 lux), 60 minutes at 14 in. (5,000 lux), and 120 minutes at 20 in (2,500 lux).

For table use there is a neat flip out stand on the back of the unit that easily supports the device. It has two 36 watt fluorescent bulbs inside. These are 4000K color temperature, which is considered full spectrum.

If this is the first time you have tried light therapy then test out your sensitivity first. Use it for ten minutes to begin with and gradually increase your usage time if you experience no ill effects.

Remember the best time to get your dose of light therapy is in the morning, so once you are accustomed to it use it every morning and you should soon start feeling better.

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The Good

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The Sunlite is incredibly easy to use. It is simply a case of finding somewhere to position it and then switching it on. There is no timer or adjustable light intensity, just an on/off button. The light will take about ten seconds to warm up and then you can sit back and bathe in the light.

Although the Sunlite is fairly large, it is very light in weight, weighing in at only 3.25lbs, so it can easily be moved around.

The light area is quite sizeable which means you can easily sit in the field of light and move around without worrying about moving out of the light.

The light also has a nice tone to it – with the bulbs being around the 4000K color temperature mark it is clear and bright and serves as great light to read by, which is handy if you want to read whilst you get your dose of light therapy.

Despite this SAD Light feeling a bit plasticky at first glance it is actually quite nicely made. It is well balanced and bottom heavy and it can take some considerable knocks without falling over.

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The Bad

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The Sunlite is marketed as travel size and it is travel size if you want to have room to travel with nothing else! It is around the size of a box of cereal and probably isn’t something you would take away with you as it is too large.

A common feature with SAD lights that use fluorescent bulbs is that they get hot and the Sunlite is no exception. After only a few minutes it gets hot to the touch. One user recorded a temperature of 135 degrees on top of the unit! If you have children remember not to leave them unattended around it.

Linked into this is the fact the unit has no carry handle. The easiest way to move it around is by gripping one of the metal vent screens by the top of the device, however this is of course very hot after it has been used, so you could end up with a lightly toasted hand! The unit would have benefitted greatly from a carrying handle of some kind.

Another gripe is the on/off switch is difficult to use. You might find yourself frequently having to push it twice to get it to stay on and pushing it quite hard at that.

The power switch really is quite an annoyance, it is on the bottom corner of the light and you need to have a good hold of it whilst turning it on and off. Now when turning it on this is not such an annoyance, however trying to hold the unit and turn it off is an issue because, as mentioned above, it gets very hot!

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The Beautiful

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Aside from the aforementioned lack of a carry handle, this is quite sturdily constructed and unexceptional looking. It will fit into most decors without much of a fuss.

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And Does It Work?

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Yes it does. One user said since using it it was the first winter they didn’t feel like giving up with another saying it truly does work and they have more energy and a lift in their mood.

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:

• University of North Carolina study
• University of British Columbia study
• Harvard Health Publication
• Overview of numerous studies

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

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Conclusion

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Other Options

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If you want a SAD light with a reasonable area of light then check out the Verilux Liberty 10,000 which offers much more variation of light.

If you want a portable SAD light then try the Circadian Optics Luxy which is cheaper and easier to move around

If you are looking for a top range SAD Light then look no further than the Sunlite’s big brothers, also made by Carex Health Brands – the Day-Light Classic and Day-Light Sky – both of which are top class and provided light from above – the optimum way to receive light therapy or the Circadian Optics Lampu which is all around top quality.

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.