LED vs traditional light boxes

Hello there!

Please help - I'm confused! I went to Boots last week to buy a Brightspark lamp but found they were also selling LED lamps for seventy-five pounds: http://www.boots.com/shop/product_details.jsp?productid=1075159&slmRefer=000

I couldn't find any information on the outside of the box about the brightness of the lamp and effective distance. I am also concerned that it might be *too* compact. Does anyone have any information on this particular product, or can anyone recommend it? I searched Google but not much luck.

I would also like to know if LED lamps are as good as the traditional lamp and if you might recommend one over the other.

I hope you can help. Thank you!

Best wishes
Aurelie

Why not contact Lumie or SAD light box co. Their technical departments might know more info. If they dont sell them, then that could just be the answer to your question.

let us into your findings, we would all be interested.

Me x

I also am interested in getting a portable LED light, but am worried that I just don't know enough about the differences to spend the money. I'd love to find a resource that would help me be more informed.

If either of you want to know about where I got mine I can send an email to you. My email address is in my profile. As this isn't intended to advertise I don't really feel it's right to put urls to commercial sites.

Ive just visited another forum subject from PurpleIvy - the CNN footage.

It enlightened me.

I had not realised that the LED lights you talk about are actually Bluelight - which I have heard about and are sold by SAD companies selling lightboxes.

The link speaks for itself -take a look.

Thanks again PurpleIvy.

me x

Ok, haven't had a chance to look into the links mentioned above but here's what the product sheet said on this one:

1-2 hours at 20ins
LED blue spectrum light (I think)

No other useful info given I'm afraid.
Aur

Okay here we go. I am going to keep this quite brief otherwise it does get a bit overwhelming. If anyone wants me to scan the whole report then feel free to email me and I will scan it in and email it to you.

Further developments have led to several clinical trials being carried out on the use of both blue and white LED's in the suppression of melatonin. The results of such trials suggested that the light therapy using blue and white LED's showed promise as an effective treatment for SAD.

It is these findings that led to the recent appearance on the market of the small and sometimes hand-held therapy devices incorporating either blue or white LEDs'. These products are advertised as effective in the treatment of SAD and are claimed to have a number of advantages compared to traditional light boxes such as the fact that they are more portable, use less power and do not require replacement bulbs.

The manufacturers of such devises claim that Lux is an inappropriate unit of measurement for melatonin suppression suggesting that it is the wavelength of light not the intensity that is most significant. In other words, the hypothesis of such manufacturers is that as long as the right wavelength of light is used, a lesser intensity is equally effective.

It is here that the situation becomes more complicated. It is indeed true that there have been studies which have indicated that melatonin supression is under the control of specific wavelengths of light, and that blue or white LEDs may be effective in the treatment of SAD. However, (and this is a big but) there does not yet appear to be enough scientific evidence to be sure of the effectiveness and/or any long term side effects of such blue or white LED devices in the treatment of SAD.

The first disadvantage of the clinical trials which have been carried out to date is that most of them have been to small to give conclusive results, with often less than 30 subjects participating. The results of small sample trials indicate that larger trials are now required in order to provide more definative information about the efficacy and safety of LED devices.

The second problem is with regard to the safety of such devices and the potential long term effects of using LED products. It is now widely accepted that traditional 10,000 lux bright white light is safe. However, questions have been raised about the blue light safety and the use of white and blue LEDs both of which emit light with peaks in the blue end of the spectrum. Light-induced photochemical damage to the eyes is particularly related to light at the blue wavelength. This type of damage to the retina is known as "blue light hazard"

Some manufacturers of LED products state that their devices have been approved by leading medical physicists, and that they have been certified as not exceeding the threshold levels for damage from blue light exposure set by international guidlines. The problem with this is that the percentage of blue light entering the eye that reaches the retina may vary highly from one individual to another. For these reasons, it may be difficult to calibrate a level of blue light that is both effective and safe for a wide range of individuals.

It should also be remembered that recent studies most certainly do not establish blue light or LED products as uniquely effective for SAD.

Due to the uncertainty surrounding the effectiveness and safety of blue light and LED products, SADA does not currently recommend that members use such devices in the treatment of SAD until further research has been carried out.

Hope this helps guys. I must admit I was going to by a go-lite this week but I am going to wait a while to see what happens as I already have problems with my eyes due to treatment for SAD.

I do have further extracts from SLTBR - Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms Annual Meeting in Copenhagen regarding this and will post later.

Hi,

Just bought an LED Sadlight from Boots & used it for the first time, & so far I'm quite impressed it's very easy to use & has 2 brightness settings & is light & portable. It's certified as a Class 11a Medical Device it has a 3 year waranty & comes with the following "blurb" from the instruction booklet.

Bright light therapy has been the established treatment for SAD for over a decade & now recent studies have indicated that a distinct part of the blue region of the spectrum is particularly important. Increasing the proportion of light at this wavelength has been proven safe & effective at shifting circadian rhythms & improving mood in SAD. LED SADlight with enhanced blue light provides an effective, less intense alternative to standard 10,000 Lux light therapy.

I don't know what the long term effects of the LED lamps are, but therapeutically, this winter has been much easier with it. It seems to deliver the dose of light I need in about half the time. From this point of view I would say it's effective. Don't have the hassle and expense of changing bulbs and it's a very compact unit.

THe bulbs should last as long as I need the lamp, but I had the first lamp nicked and the 2nd one melted (early life failure and replaced under guarantee), third time lucky I hope!

I got a goLite here in the states a year ago or so, and it is a little blue light unit. Having been a 10k lux white light user effectively for a couple of decades, I was curious about this.for what it is worth, I did find the little unit to be effective... just as effective actually. But, it is very small, and I really had to have it RIGHT in front of me to get the dose I felt I needed.... move your head slightly one way or the other and you are out of the intensity line of it. I've gone back to using the larger unit, which I find just more pleasing and comfortable to use. But it is nice having this little unit, if I wanted to bring it along on the road. Unscientific... my 2 cents.

i'm using a litebook white LED portable SAD light. it's brilliant. i use it as i get ready for work in the mornings & carry it around as i do so. i'm not stuck in one place waiting for my half hour quota. if you visit friends take it with you. totally unobtrusive.