Fight June Gloom with Some of the Best SAD Lamps for Brightening Your Day
Seasonal affective disorder is real: Even Adele admits she's been hit by gloomy weather-induced depression. These lamps are your solution.
By Paul Schrodt
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Paul Schrodt
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June 23, 2025 3:40pm
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If you’re not strolling Venice Beach all the time, chances are you’ve experienced seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs from the sun-limited months in fall through winter. Not even global pop star Adele is immune to SAD: she once told The Hollywood Reporter of her decision to live in sunny, star-studded Los Angeles, “I get really bad seasonal depression, so the weather is good for me here.”
SAD can also hit when you work from home all day without minimal sunlight, or you’re in a Lumon-like windowless office. But don’t just ask us (or Adele). According to Mayo Clinic, the number of people suffering from SAD is surprisingly high at an estimated five percent, and the symptoms are familiar: listlessness, sluggishness, agitation or overeating or not eating enough.
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There is a solution you may not have considered: SAD lamps, which mimic the effects of actual sunlight with the right brightness. Light therapy (phototherapy) is proven to help those didn’t-get-vitamin-D blues, whatever the case may be. And they’ve come a long way. When I started working from home in an apartment severely lacking in direct sunlight and felt extremely off, I looked for answers. After some research, I immediately jumped on the SAD lamp trend. My crazy-bright lamp sits above my desk monitor (more on that below). Three years later, I haven’t looked back.
Also real? June Gloom, the overcast, cloudy weather experienced by many Southern California areas despite the summer season. So whether you’re dealing with a sunless box of an office or an extreme reaction to cloudy skies, we’ve rounded up some of the best SAD lamps for brightening your mood. See our top picks below, ranging from under-$50 options and portable light therapy to a multi-tasking lamp for design lovers.
Carex Day-Light Classic Plus Sunlight Therapy Lamp
I’m obsessed with my Carex Day-Light Classic Plus Sunlight Therapy Lamp, positioned behind my work area but over my computer and facing down (the downward tilt is recommended by experts). It’s boxy at 12 by 16 inches, and not necessarily the most fetching decor piece — even friends who come over say, “So what is that?” But it provides the recommended 10,000 lux (a measure of light intensity) at its highest setting, which can be turned down to a degree softer. I’ve found that even a half-hour in front of this answering emails at my desk has boosted my mood in imperceptible but crucial ways.
Loftie
Best Smart Lamp
Loftie Smart Lamp
$360.00 $449.99 20% off
Loftie’s multi-tasking lamp is an alarm clock, light therapy and bedside companion in one chic design. Harness your circadian rhythm by setting your bedtime signal and waking up to a warm, personalized light “alarm,” and easily adjust the lamp’s color, brightness and tone (there are over 50 combinations) to match the spectrum of your moods.
BEST SMALL SAD Lamp
Northern Light Technologies Luxor Mini
The best SAD lamps are not always, well, fashionable. But at a stellar price from a reputable brand in this fairly niche space, the Northern Light Technologies Luxor Mini both does its job and works as sleek furnishing. It provides 10,000 lux in a small package (only 10 inches!), and we love the pyramid-like design.
Best Budget
Theralite Aura Bright 10000 Lux Therapy Lamp
At this price, you can’t do better than the Theralite Aura Lamp. While it’s a bit more diminutive than our top pick from Carex, which also puts out this product, it has an adjustable stand and plenty of power, making it a wallet-friendly favorite.
Best Portable
Lumie Vitamin L Slim Light Box for Bright Light Therapy
You never know where you’ll be when you need a lit lift. Enter the Lumie Vitamin L Slim Light Box for Bright Light Therapy, which packs 10,000 lux into a thin iPad-like profile only hitting nine by six inches. It’s made for those trips when you simply need your SAD defender.
Most Stylish Sad Lamp
Sunrise Sensations DayBright Light Therapy Lamp
We won’t mince words: Sunrise Sensations’ DayBright device is a sexy lamp, SAD or not. It like something you might pick up at Design Within Reach, and it comes with the price tag to match. But despite the undeniable appeal of the wood-lined pentagon shape that could work just about anywhere you need some uplift (office, bedroom, kitchen), it gets the job done and well with the requisite 10,000 lux power. An included remote allows you to control brightness and color temperature.
Best investment
Alaska Northern Lights Northstar Light Therapy Lamp
This SAD lamp is all business. Yes, it sort of looks like a very large briefcase (handle included) that you might tilt by your desk, but its power is profound, emanating not just the usual 10,000 lux, but going up to a maximum of 25,000 lux for a powerfully therapeutic effect. At 23 by 13 inches, it’s a beast, but the glowing Amazon reviews speak for themselves, with fans calling it a “game changer” in SAD treatment. SAD, and sad, no more.
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