Verilux Happy Light Reviews. 10000 Lux of Luxurious Energy!

The phone alarm starts firing away on the nightstand. Eyes open. It’s still pitch black out and will be for hours yet. The idea of getting out of bed and actually moving is just. too. much.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a crushing, miserable condition. For many of us who are impacted by SAD, the lack of natural light exposure in the winter leads to intense feelings of depression.

But there is an answer: the SAD Light. Horrible name for a product, who thought of that? Not Verilux! Verilux chose to name their line of lights Happy Lights. Much better!

This article looks at Verilux’s product line and does 5 Verilux Happy Light Reviews.

Verilux’s product line is known to be high quality, and to effectively combat Seasonal Affective Disorder. We’ll look at which lights in their line are best for which uses, and help you find the perfect Verilux light for your needs and budget.

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Verilux HappyLight Buyer’s Tips

We’ll start with a comparison table of Verilux’ Happy Lights to get oriented with the basic features of each light.

From there, I’ll go over some of the basic information on Verilux’s Happy Lights, SAD Lights in general, and some comments on Seasonal Affective Disorder.

After that, I’ll dive into the nitty-gritty of each individual unit. I’ll conclude with my favorites.

If the idea of sitting still for 30 minutes at a time to get your dose doesn’t appeal to you, you should absolutely consider light therapy glasses. They’re more expensive but are easier to integrate into your morning than a lightbox like the Verilux.

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How Far Should You Sit from a Happy Light?

The illumination numbers are measured 6″ from the Happy Light. But in reality, most people won’t be that close to their light. Typically you sit 18″-24″ from the light. And of course, the further from the light you are, the lower the light exposure.

This means that you’ll need to sit in front of the light for a longer period of time in order to get the target 10,000 lux of daily exposure.

How Long Do You Need to Sit In Front of a Happy Light?

This depends on how much light exposure you need. To get the target 10,000 lux per day from a 10,000 lux Happy Light, you’ll need:

• 6″ from the light: 30 minutes of exposure
• 12″ from the light: 60 minutes of exposure
• 18″ from the light: 120 minutes of exposure
• 24″ from the light: 180 minutes of exposure

If the total power of the light changes (for example, 5,000 lux from the HappyLight Compact), you’ll need to adjust the exposure time accordingly.

Also, keep in mind that it’s a good idea to start with shorter exposures, and work your way up. You may find that you don’t need to get the full 10,000 Lux from your Happy Light, as in many cases you’ll be getting additional daily exposure from ambient lighting around your home and workplace.

Many suggest starting with 30 minutes of exposure to a 10,000 Lux light, 12″ – 18″ away. Work your way up from there.

How Should You Position a Happy Light?

You need to absorb the light through your eyes in order for it to be effective. The general idea is to put the happy light not directly in front of you but at about 10 o’clock or 2 o’clock. Just off center is ideal.

And if you can, position the Happy Light just slightly higher than eye level in order to simulate sunlight as closely as possible. Let the light come into your eyes from above.

You don’t want to look directly into the Happy Light, but rather let the light wash over you.

When Should You Use a Happy Light?

You want to use your Happy Light in the morning to the early afternoon. Avoid using a Happy Light later in the day, as the blue light in the spectrum will suppress the production of melatonin. Lack of melatonin production can harm sleep and disrupt the circadian rhythm.

If you’re up before the sunrise, this is the perfect time to fire up your Happy Light.

What is the Power Source of the Happy Light?

Even though many of the photos seem to show Happy Lights without a cord, none of these lights are in fact cordless. The cords are strategically hidden or otherwise digitally removed in the product photos.

So plan to plug these lights in to get your light exposure.

Can You Use a Timer with a Happy Light?

Timers and SmartPlugs are not recommended for use with any of the Happy Lights currently in production. The auto on-off functions of most timers may harm the bulb. This could reduce the working life of the Happy Light.

Much better to set a timer on your phone to remind yourself to shut off the light when your session is complete.

UV vs. Full Spectrum Illumination

All of Verilux’s product line produces full-spectrum illumination, but none of them expel ultraviolet light or infrared light. UV and IR light is outside of the visual spectrum of light, and is not cast by Verilux’s lights.

Ultraviolet light is the light that is produced by the sun and the light that causes suntans, sunburn, and vitamin D production.

Many who suffer from seasonal affective disorder find that they have low vitamin D levels. They would likely benefit by exposure to ultraviolet light as well as full spectrum light. See this article on the benefits of tanning and sun exposure for more information.

Will You Get A Tan From a Happy Light? Do You Need to Wear Sunscreen?

HappyLights do not output UV light, and therefore will not produce a tan or sunburn. And no sunscreen is needed. These are not tan lamps.

Sunscreen and vitamin D Levels

Many people follow the advice of the American Academy of Dermatologists and wear sunscreen every day. But that may not be a good idea. Scientists are in the process of revisiting their recommendations on sunscreen and reevaluating how sunlight impacts health.

I have found Australia’s SunSmart organization to be invaluable as a sensible, forward-looking organization dedicated to using the latest science regarding sunlight. They acknowledge clear benefits of sunlight exposure and recommend that sunscreen is not required if the UV Index is below 3. This will enable the body to increase vitamin D production and have a whole host of other benefits.

In many parts of the world, during the winter when SAD is at its worst, the UV Index is below three for most of the day. The use of sunscreen during these times will inhibit vitamin D production and is potentially harmful.

Check the UV Index Forecast for your area for more information.

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Verilux Happy Light Reviews

In this section, we’ll dig into the details of each Verilux Happy Light currently in production.

Best Verilux Happy Light: Verilux HappyLight Touch

Key Points at a Glance

• Convenient Touch Control
• 10,000 Lux
• Two color modes
• 3 Brightness levels
• LED Light
• Portable size format
• Three-year warranty
• Dimensions: 6.4″ x 10.3″ x 0.5″

The Details

The Verilux Touch is the flagship of the Verilux Happy Light line, and is the one that is best for most buyers. The Touch uses LED technology, and it looks like a product appropriate for 2019. It would blend in seamlessly with an iPad or a Kindle Paperwhite.

It is easily portable, and super-convenient to use. Like all of the Verilux HappyLights, you need to plug this light in to use it, so you’ll have to be positioned near an electric outlet.

The Touch has a full power output of 10,000 Lux of glorious full-spectrum LED light. There are three brightness levels to choose from, so if you want to start out on a lower power level, you can do that. Once you’ve adjusted, you can crank it up to full brightness and absorb the lovely light.

The Color Rendering Index (CRI, or color cast) of the Touch is 85. There are two settings for the Touch, warm white and daylight. The color temperature of the warm white is 4000 Kelvin, and the daylight setting is 5000 Kelvin.

Most people will set their light 12″ – 18″ away. At this distance, you’ll need from 60-120 minutes of light to get the target 10,000 Lux of exposure. The good news is that there is no buzz or flicker with these lights, so there’s no concern that you’ll get annoyed by the light.

The Bottom Line

The HappyLight Touch is the most modern, practical, and fully-featured light among Verilux’s product line. The sleek design, adjustable brightness levels, and adjustable color cast make this light the best option among Verilux’s line. As it uses LED technology, you’ll be able to use the light for 54,000 hours before the bulb burns out. And it’s covered under a 3-year warranty.

That said, if you think you’ll be using it either on full blast or not at all, you could save a bit of money and go with the Lucent, which will be reviewed next.

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Budget Pick: Verilux HappyLight Lucent

Key Points at a Glance

• LED Illumination
• 10,000 Lux
• Has no adjustable brightness
• Covered under a 3-year warranty
• Dimensions: 6.5″ x 8.5″ x 0.5″

The Details

The Lucent is the second Happy Light that uses LED technology. The remaining Happy Lights discussed below use the older fluorescent bulb technology. The LED bulb technology translates into a thinner, more modern looking housing than those bulbs that use CFL technology. And additionally, the LED bulbs will last much longer than CFL bulbs — up to 54,000 hours.

Like the Touch, the Lucent has a slim, tablet-like look that feels like it fits into the modern era nicely. There’s only one button to push, and the whole vibe is Steve Jobs-approved.

To power on the Lucent, plug in the detachable power cord to the back of the unit. Then plug the other end into the wall. A gentle push of the single button will fire off the bright LED light, and bathe you in its luxurious glow.

The model is very simple in terms of controls, and really just has an on-off switch. There are no brightness level adjustments, nor is there any option to control the color cast of the Lucent.

As with the Touch, this light emits 10,000 Lux at 6″ distance. But most people will keep the light 12″-18″ away at least. To get the full 10,000 Lux daily exposure, you’ll need to use this light for 60-120 minutes per day at these distances.

The Bottom Line

The Lucent is a stripped-down version of the Verilux Touch. It includes fewer features but produces just as much light output. The form factor is great, and the controls are extremely simple.

If you don’t think you’ll need the adjustable brightness levels or color cast options, the Lucent is an excellent choice. It’s cheaper than the Touch, but it produces the same 10,000 Lux of glow.

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Verilux HappyLight Full-Size

Key Points at a Glance

• Full-spectrum light
• 10,000 Lux
• UV-Free Light
• Fluorescent Light
• Broad surface area
• 1-year warranty
• Dimensions: 6.2″ x 13″ x 2.1″

The Details

The Happy Light Full Size is the first of the older design of the Happy Lights on our list. It features a large surface area, with a slightly larger illumination box than the LED models mentioned above.

The housing for this model is much more retro and clunkier than the sleek tablet-style designs above.

There are two brightness levels to choose from, and there are two swappable lenses that can slightly filter the color of the light.

The Full Size produces the same 10,000 Lux of illumination as the two LED lights mentioned above, but it uses a CFL bulb. Though the literature states that the bulb is flicker-free, some people report detecting flicker from the CFL bulbs, so if you’re particularly sensitive to CFL flicker, be wary with these.

CFL bulbs don’t last as long as LED bulbs, and consequently, you will need to change this bulb every 4-5 years. The replacement bulb can be found here:

As with the two LED models above, you’ll probably keep this one at least 12″ – 18″ away from your body. This means you’ll need to expose yourself for 1-2 hours per day to get the target 10,000 lux of light exposure.

The Bottom Line

Given the price the Happy Light Full Size is positioned at, there’s no real reason to go for this light over the Touch. The Touch is superior in all ways, and is essentially the same price. The CFL technology is on its way out, the warranty is shorter, and the design of the light is more old-school.

Skip this one and go for the Touch or Lucent.

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Verilux HappyLight Liberty

Key Points at a Glance

• 7,500 Lux
• Natural spectrum, UV-filtered light
• 36-watt fluorescent light
• Two brightness options, and two color filter options
• 1-year warranty
• Dimensions: 6.5″ x 12″ x 3.5″

The Details

As we get to the HappyLight Liberty, we’re starting to move down the light exposure curve. This one only emits 7,500 Lux of illumination at 6″ distance, so it’s only 75% as powerful as the other lights discussed above.

This is a significant negative, as it’s still of similar size to the other lights, and it features the clunky, old-school CFL design.

The Liberty is only protected under a 1-year warranty, and you’ll need to change out the CFL bulb every 4-5 years. You can find it here:

This light will require even longer exposure times in order to reach the target 10,000 lux of illumination. At 18″ distance, you’d need to leave this light on for more than 4 hours to get 10,000 Lux of exposure.

The Bottom Line

The Liberty is another one of the old designs with clunky 1990s housings. They’re still being sold but have been surpassed in all ways by the LED Touch and Lucent lights. There’s no reason to purchase one of these lights at this point, unless it is sold at a serious discount to get rid of inventory.

Stick to the LED models, and you’ll be much Happier.

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Verilux HappyLight Compact

Key Points at a Glance

• 5,000 Lux
• Moderate UV Filters
• Natural light spectrum
• Fluorescent Light
• Easy Portability
• 1-year warranty
• Dimensions: 6.3″ x 7.4″ x 1.5″

The Details

Our final Happy Light is the Happy Light Compact, which is the last of the CFL models Verilux sells. It comes in a compact housing, though it’s still pretty chunky, and is only a tiny bit smaller than the Happy Light Touch. And it’s much thicker.

The Compact only produces 5,000 Lux of light. It’s half the power of the Touch or Lucent model. To get 10,000 lux of exposure at 18″ distance, you’d need to sit in front of this light for 6 hours.

That’s a bit impractical.

The warranty for the Happy Light Compact is only 1-year. Like the other CFL models on this list, the bulb is only designed to last for 4-5 years, and needs to be replaced. You can find the Happy Light Compact Replacement Bulb here:

The Bottom Line

The Happy Light Compact is once again a relic of the CFL era, and should be avoided unless it’s on super discount. There’s no real reason to purchase this light as opposed to the slightly more expensive Lucent. The warranty is short, the housing is awkward, and the light output is low.

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Conclusion: Verilux Happy Light 10000

The quality of Verilux’s Happy Lights that include LED lights is outstanding. The Verilux Happy Light Touch and Lucent are both solid choices for SAD lights, and will work very well to provide the 10,000 Lux of illumination for years to come. They’re covered under a 3-year warranty, and feature a design that fits right into contemporary technology.

Both of these are excellent choices for SAD lights.

The older CFL-model Happy Lights are still sold, but there’s really no reason to purchase these lights. The price difference is pretty minor, and the lights are just much poorer in quality and functionality.

Stick to the Touch or Lucent, and you’ll be Happy for years to come!

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