The 5 Best Light Therapy Boxes of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

How We Tested and Selected

To find the best light therapy boxes, our testers tested 15 of the top options at home, incorporating the lamps into their everyday schedules.

We also spoke to two experts to discuss what to look for when shopping for light therapy boxes Experts we spoke to included:

• Akos Antwi, NP, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and co-owner of Revive Therapeutic Services
• Dan Ford, MA, PGDipCBT, CertCBT-I, AESSP, ADHD-CCSP, psychologist at the Better Sleep Clinic in New Zealand

The team tested each lamp over a period of five days, trying the lamps at the same time every day for 30 minutes. While testing, the team followed guidelines for where to sit lamps—two to three feet away, making sure only to use the light indirectly and not in front of the eyes.

The team looked at each lamp for size and light intensity, as well as noticeable improvements in mood, energy, and sleep quality, as well as ease of use, design, and value.

What to Know About Light Therapy Boxes

Size

According to the Center for Environmental Therapeutics—a research organization focused on researching environmental therapy, like light therapy boxes—you should aim for at least a 200 sq. in. screen. A smaller light therapy box means that any head movements you make will reduce your light exposure, with a larger box ensuring that you’ll have more opportunities for light, no matter what you’re doing.

Light Intensity

To be most effective, a light therapy box should have at least 10,000 lux, which is about the same light intensity you get from sunlight. This level of light helps to mimic a sunny day, which helps to fight the extra melatonin production people experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) often see.

We included a sunrise alarm on our list—the Philips SmartSleep Wake-Up Light—which only has 300 lux. While this amount isn’t as effective as 10,000 lux lamps for light therapy, our tester did find that it helped to boost energy on an otherwise dark morning, simulating a sunrise instead of a full-sun day.

Potential Issues

While light therapy can be effective for helping with a variety of disorders, it can also come with a few side effects. While using the lamp, you might notice dizziness or irritability during the first few days, but these should go away as you become used to the lamp. If you still notice these issues after a few days, try reducing your light therapy exposure to 15 minutes.

While shopping for a light therapy box, be careful to select one that’s designed for SAD. There are other forms of light therapy—primarily used for treating skin conditions—that use UV light. These lights can damage your eyes, so be sure to select a light that uses white light.

You can use light therapy in the evening as days get shorter, but you should avoid using light therapy boxes too close to bed. Light therapy helps disorders like SAD by suppressing extra melatonin production, so you might find that using one near bedtime will make you less tired and reduce sleep quality.

How Much to Expect to Pay for a Light Therapy Box

Light therapy doesn’t have to be expensive. One of our top picks, the Erligpowht Light Therapy Lamp was just $26. You can generally expect to pay between $50 and $100 for a high-quality light therapy box, with some options getting more expensive as their size increases.

More Light Therapy Boxes to Consider

Carex Day-Light Light Therapy Lamp: While our tester felt significantly more energy while using this lamp, it definitely had a few downsides. This lamp is bulky and heavy, plus our tester noted that it heats up quickly during use.

Aura Day Light Lamp: Our tester loved the programmable timer feature on this lamp but thought that at its expensive price point, it wasn’t worth the cost compared to other similar lamps. They also noted that it was quite bright, meaning they had to point it at a wall and use it indirectly.

Your Questions, Answered

How do you use a light therapy box?

The best way to use a light therapy box is by incorporating it into your morning routine. Begin by using light therapy for 30 minutes a day, and it’s most effective when used around the same time each morning.

You should place your light therapy box in front of you or off to the side, where its light still takes up most of your field of vision—this is why screen size is so important. While using your light therapy box, make sure that you aren’t looking directly into the light, but your eyes should stay open; light therapy isn’t effective while asleep, for example.

How often should you use a light therapy box?

You should use a light therapy box for 30 minutes each day, as soon as possible after waking up. If you don’t notice an improvement in energy level, mood, or sleep quality after 10 days of use, you can raise your exposure to 60 minutes per day, in the morning or split between morning and evening. If you do use a light therapy lamp in the evening, avoid using it too close to bedtime as light therapy can suppress melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep.

What light is best for light therapy?

For light therapy to be effective, a lamp should have 10,000 lux, which is a measure of light intensity. 10,000 lux is equivalent to light you’d get from ambient sunlight, which is why light therapy boxes are so effective during darker months for simulating sunlight.

White light is standard in most light therapy boxes and experts consider it to be the most effective type of light. Blue light above 5,000 Kelvin and full spectrum light are not as effective as white light.

You want to avoid light therapy boxes that use UV light as they can cause eye damage; light therapy lamps with UV light are typically used to treat skin disorders through phototherapy and don’t work for treating SAD.

Who We Are

Jaylyn Pruitt has a Master of Library and Information Science with a focus on health information. Her goal is to provide easy-to-understand information with a patient perspective in mind.