Necessity for the unhappy cubicle monkey.
No...it's not pretty.  AND it's not a 10,000 lux lamp designed specifically for SAD (I also have one of those) but for what it is...it's perfect.<br /><br />I work in an office with no windows.  I've been working in an office with no windows for the last nine years.  Every winter...work becomes nearly unbearable.  The dry, overheated office air.  No sunlight.  Getting up in the dark...leaving from work in the dark.  For anyone who suffers from SAD...it's like slowly descending into hell over the course of three months.<br /><br />I use a 10,000 lux light in the morning with my coffee.  It helps with the worst symptoms...and allows me to get to sleep at night.  But it really doesn't give me the perk in the day like getting natural light does.<br /><br />The Verilux light is just what it claims to be...supplemental sunlight.  I start work at 8:30 in the morning...and keep it on the "high" setting until lunchtime.  (When weather permitting, I try my best to spend at least a few minutes outside.)  Then I turn it on the "low" setting for the rest of the afternoon.<br /><br />The effect that it has had on my productivity is dramatic.  My eyes stay open at my desk.  I can concentrate.  I am no longer contemplating grabbing my belongings and making a mad dash for my car in the middle of the day.  (And unemployment.)  I keep the light behind...and about 45 degrees to the right of my computer screen...so the light is almost in my peripheral vision...and have had no problems with eye strain.  To the contrary...I find that I have a greater ability to focus...and need to take fewer breaks.<br /><br />The only cons are that the light is a little flimsy.  If you have a dedicated desk and can just set it up and leave it...then it's totally worth it.  If you need something portable...one of the smaller LED lights will hold up better.  And it's NOT a SAD light.  But it IS a great supplement to the outdoors for those of us tied to a desk all day.
Rating: 5 stars