Alaska Northern Lights Aurora LightPad™ Max - 10,000-25,000 LUX Bright Light Therapy Box - More Than 115,000 Sold! - US Based Company

I bought this light box and also the smaller version ( Aurora LightPad ). I liked this one, the Max, better than the other one (hereafter referred to as the Mini). However, I ended up returning this one and keeping the Mini. All in all, both of these light boxes are excellent and I highly recommend them and light therapy for people with seasonal affective disorder. Using these light boxes has changed my life, I look forward to using them for many years to come. Pros: * It works! I experienced relief the first day I used this device. It took several weeks to enjoy the full effect, but I started to feel better immediately. * This light box doesn't get hot. The back will get very warm, but not hot, and when you sit in front of it you won't feel warmth radiating off of it. * It's very bright and has the longest working distance (30") of any light box I've found. * The lights will last a very long time so I don't need to replace them * The light that it generates is very nice. It's bright but seems less harsh than the light cast by the Mini. Cons: * This light box is compact compared to older style suitcase-size boxes, but it's not quite small enough. Specifically, it's quite thick and it weighs about 2.5lbs. Between the size and weight I was not able to find a stand that could hold this lightbox up at an appropriate height and angle for optimum effectiveness. Though the light surface area is about the size of a very large tablet, it's much thicker and heavier than a tablet which means that it won't work with pretty much any stand that is designed to hold a tablet. The built-in stand (a kickstand on the back) might work if you have a shelf in just the right place, but I don't. I was able to find a stand that works well with the Mini. * I had a hard time working the on/off and brightness adjustment on this device. On/Off and brightness levels are all controlled by the button on the front center of the device. One morning I didn't find out until the end of my session that the brightness was not set correctly. At that point it was too late to fix it. The device does not remember it's brightness setting from one session to the next, so you need to set it correctly each time you use it. All in all, I would much prefer having two switches, one for on/off and one for brightness. I found the button difficult to use in part because you need to be able to find it without looking at the device (even on it's lowest setting, it's too bright to look at). Invariably this meant blindly finding the right or left side, then the bottom left or right corner, and then working my hand across the front until I found the button (this takes a lot of hand or you might miss the button completely and end up on the other side of the device). I found the button on the Mini which works in exactly the same way a bit easier to use, possibly in part because the device is much smaller. * The cord should be longer. The cords for the Max and the Mini are the same length, both of them are too short. Specifically, both cords include a large transformer box and the distance between that box and the device is too short. I only recently found out that I have seasonal affective disorder. These are the first light boxes I've owned. Many years ago my parents suggested that they thought I had seasonal affective disorder but the size and cost of light boxes available at that time meant that I didn't get one. I'm very grateful that Alaska Northern Lights has developed these excellent products that provide relief that is effective, accessible, and reasonably affordable.

This was a gift I gave someone with SAD (Seasonal Affect Disorder). He/She told me “Compared to my other ‘Certified’ Light Therapy devices I have owned in 45 years this is the Best!” “It really appears to be 10,000 Lux at 30 inches, when I compared to it my existing devices. Since this uses LED lights it weighs only 2-3 lbs. It meets the specs for SAD treatment, but many ‘Light Sales Companies’ have learned the jargon to write in their ads. However, the products may not keep SAD in control because (I think) their specs are not measured correctly. I have read many articles on the Physics of LED's and It is Very Difficult to correctly measure the combined Lux of about 600 LED’s. It is not as simple as using a light meter as one could with incandescent, halogen, and fluorescent lights. This Seller/Manufacturer has gotten it right. This product really works to PREVENT my severe Depressions in the Dark Days of Winter (along with the right meds from a smart MD, to correct my biological/chemical imbalance.)" "My only complaint is the built-in stand in back. It doesn't hold the device sturdily, and at the correct angle. I solved this by securing the device to a small table top adjustable wooden easel. Plan on needing to do something to stabilize its stand and to correct the angle of the device to the recommended therapeutic angle. For further information on SAD, Light Therapy, DEPRESSION, and treatment I recommend the free Website run by the National Institutes of Health, which includes the National Institute of Mental Health, at NIH.gov and then do a search for SAD.

Absolutely love this lamp. Previously I had Alaska Northern Lights other fluorescent light box, but I upgraded to this LED one. I believe both are the best of their kind. As you can see in the picture I mounted mine on a monitor arm right above my computer monitor. This allows me to get light while I use the computer in my morning routine. I actually took the back off and drilled holes to make a makeshift VESA mount. I would not recommend this method to most people, but I sure did get a great result. Maybe try something with zip ties if you're not confident with drilling holes, especially with an expensive electrical device. Now as for the power cord. I see a lot of reviews complaining about the power cord being messed up, and if they barely touch the cord it turns off, etc... The problem is that you are not plugging it in far enough! It is true that it is fair to call this a "problem" - that the cord fits so tightly that the average person will not exert enough force to plug it in all the way. But once you understand that it just fits very tightly, you can fix it by pushing it in harder and move on. You will no longer experience any problems. I've attached for reference a photo of my light box up on the monitor stand. But more importantly, I've attached a photo showing just how far you must push this power cord into the socket on the power supply. You have to push it pretty hard, which will make it go in pretty deep. The picture shows what it looks like when properly plugged in. Most of the people complaining probably barely have it plugged in.