The best sunrise alarm clocks and SAD lamps of 2024, to help you wake up after the clocks go back

• Brightness: 10,000 lux at 20cm distance
• Therapy, Active and Relax settings
• Mains operated, 1.5m cable

Reviewed by Simon Lewis

SAD lights can be a bit overwhelming, as Rebecca found with the Lumie above, and researchers are looking into ways to improve them in various ways. One idea is to make them less intense and more blue, blue light having a more powerful effect on the retina. Another idea is to vary the intensity throughout the day to simulate natural daylight.

That’s the approach taken by Germany’s Beurer. Their T45, which is taller and wider than the British Lumie, has three different settings. They suggest you only use the full 10,000 lux ‘Therapy’ setting at mid-day. In the morning and afternoon, you use the ‘Active’ setting at two-thirds of the intensity to help you concentrate on work, while the half-strength ‘Relax’ setting is for the evening.

I actually tested this one on my retired mother, a naturally happy person who gets terribly blue in the winter. We put it next to the comfy chair where she does her crosswords and watches TV. She’s basically there all day, so it was a good way to test the T45’s circadian settings.

A late riser, she puts the full Therapy setting on as soon as she gets up, keeping it on from around 11.00 to 2.00. This is probably longer than recommended, but she finds it improves her mood considerably, and is so acclimatised to it that she has to be reminded to turn it off when we have visitors, so as not to blind them. 

She uses the Active setting through the afternoon, which is still fairly bright but has a warmer hue, giving the living room a sunny aspect. The Relax setting is about the same as a reading lamp, which is how she uses it.

My mother certainly seems happier since using the light, although it’s important to note that there are many possible causes of seasonal depression and what helps her may not help everyone in the winter months. I would say, though, that the Beurer’s lower-intensity settings make it easier to fit into your existing home or work environment, compared to the Lumie’s all-or-nothing glare.