Bestseller Philips HF3330 goLITE BLU Energy SAD Light – For Sale
- The goLITE BLU energy light with blue LED technology naturally restores the essential light signals needed to feel happy and energetic
- Independent research shows that the goLITE BLU energy light improves your energy levels and helps fight winter blues and combat the effects of jet lag
- Using the goLITE BLU energy light for as little as 15-45 minutes a day naturally improves your mood and energy levels throughout the day
- The goLITE BLU energy light can be used easily at work, home or when travelling because of its small, sleek and portable design
- Built-in clock and treatment alarm reminds you when to use it while the backlit touch screen provides easy programming
List Price: £255.32
(4.5 stars) Surprisingly effective,
I’ve been using this product for two weeks now, and I’m surprised just how much difference it’s made to me in that short amount of time.
I have had a history of suffering from depression, and with hindsight these episodes have tended to occur with the onset of the winter months. I’m fairly open-minded about trying different treatments, and I’ve always understood the problem to be a chemical deficiency rather than a purely psychological one, as cognitive behavioural therapy had little effect whereas anti-depressants worked far better (although it’s not adviseable to take them for long). [Edit 22-12-10]The issue of anti-depressants is a complicated one though, and my experience of using them might not be the same as that of others.
The surface area of the light is quite large, and can be set at varying levels of brightness. It functions as an alarm clock, and can be programmed to shine when it wakes you up, too. The LCD display is large and easy to read, and the unit comes with a faux-leather slip that can be used to take it with you on your travels.
A nice touch is the metal stand it comes with – it has a recess it lies on on the back of the light, and is held there by magnetic means.
I found the easiest way to use this light is to place it on the desk beside me while I surf the internet in the morning – at first it feels very bright, but that sensation quickly goes away and is replaced with one similar to how you feel when you open the curtains in the morning and the sunlight hits you. It’s a lovely refreshing feeling that makes you feel like a flower opening (apologies for the bad analogy).
I have it set to shine at 75% for 25 minutes, and over the last two weeks I’ve noticed:
- Improved mood
- More energy
- Increased libido
- Better sleeping patterns
- More dreams
There are three shortcomings to this particular model:
1) The price – if you want to try light therapy to see if it works, it’s a lot to pay (although as another reviewer points out, there is a 30-day money back guarantee).
2) The rechargeable battery only lasts for about 3 sessions before it needs to be recharged again. I can see that it takes a lot of juice to keep the light as bright as it is though, so perhaps this is to be expected.
3) A small point – the stand makes the light shine upwards too much – I’d prefer a directional stand that could give me more control over where it points.
I look forward to each day with vigour now. I hope this outlook continues and that these improvements aren’t temporary. I really don’t think it’s a placebo effect, either.
So although I can understand why some of the ‘reviews’ on this page are so sceptical about this product, I can only say that it has worked for me – perhaps I’d find it hard to believe that it can be effective if I didn’t need to use it too.I haven’t tried the smaller cheaper models so I wouldn’t know whether to recommend them or not. All I know is that this works for me, and I wholeheartedly recommend trying it if you suffer from the winter blues too.
I’ll write more as the season progresses.
Edit 08-12-09: Week 3 – I’m finding it a lot easier to go to bed early. I was asleep by 10.30 last night – a very refreshing experience!
Edit 26-01-10: Week 8? – I’m only having to use it once every two days now; whether this is because I’m ‘dosed up’ to capacity, or because the worst of the initial impact of winter is over, I’m not too sure… but I’m still feeling good, and free from bleakness and fatigue.
Edit 23-2-10: I tried out a week of not using it to see what would happen (a ‘control’ week, if you like), and the effects were noticeable, even though they crept up on me rather slowly; I became rather irritable and tired after 5 or 6 days – snapping rather unpleasantly at loved ones, and I found it hard to get to sleep. Rather than continue the misery I switched on the light again, and three days later I’m feeling a lot better for it again.
Edit 12-09-10: Well, the nights are drawing in again, and I’ll start using the light at the beginning of October I think. It’s a great relief to know it’s there when I need it. The prospect of the oncoming winter doesn’t seem quite so bad.
Edit 03-10-10: I’ve started using it today; I’m not a pleasant person to be around when the SAD kicks in, and stupidly I waited until I (and others) suffered from my mood swings before I did so. Not a nice feeling. At least I’ve proved to myself that I need to use it, I suppose – it’s so easy to forget. I just hope it works as well as last year. It’s a bit pointless to update this much further, so I’ll do a final one in a week or so when hopefully I’ll be feeling better.
Edit 18-10-10: I feel better, thank goodness. I can be nice to people again, I have energy, and…
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|Banish the blues!,
The Philips goLITE BLU is compact (approx 6″ X 6″), portable and comes with a neat little black case. It’s rechargeable and the charging lead comes with a multi-adapter so it can be used just about anywhere.
I was dubious about what good (if any) these lights can do, but have to admit that after using it for nearly two weeks I’m pretty impressed. Going to work in the dark and coming home in the same is dismal to say the least, but after just a couple of weeks I’ve found myself waking more alert, with more get up and go and work colleagues have commented on my brighter mood.
Don’t expect a quick fix with this light, the manufacturer recommends that you start using it at 50% intensity for 15-30 minutes each day for a few days and increase the intensity if no benefit is noticed. I’ve been using it as recommended, at 50% for 15 minutes every morning for the nearly two weeks and am definitely feeling the benefits now. The light is placed at the side of you (approx 50 cm or 20 ins away) so that the light bathes your face but you are not staring directly into the light. Using for 15 minutes a day I only need to recharge it once a week.
The light can be used at different times of the day depending on when you find yourself flagging and feeling lethargic and should not be used within 2 hours of going to bed. It can also be used to combat jet-lag suffered when travelling through different time zones. The booklet that comes with the light is easily followed and gives clear instructions for getting optimum results.
The booklet also advises that this light may not be suitable and you should seek medical advice before using if you suffer from depression, bipolar disorder, are hypersensitive, have had eye surgery or if you are taking photo-sensitising medications.
It’s certainly not cheap, but if you suffer from the winter blues it could be a godsend. If you just don’t like getting up in the dark a Wake-Up Light may be a cheaper alternative.
UPDATE: Three weeks on there’s a definite improvement in both my sleeping patterns and ability to get out of bed in the mornings. I’m sleeping really well and no longer huddling under the duvet in the mornings but instead bouncing out of bed feeling awake and raring to go. Still using the light for 15 minutes every morning at 50% intensity as haven’t felt the need to increase it.
FURTHER UPDATE: Winter again – my goLITE kept me going through last winter, for me using the same 50% intensity for 15 minutes each morning worked and I stuck to it. Just after the clocks went back I found the dark mornings and evenings were getting to me so out came the goLITE and it was back to the 15 minute sessions and yes, it definitely makes a difference.
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|Little Blue Energy Booster,
The Philips goLite BLU Energy Light is a compact SAD light in the apple mold of industrial design; its white, uses magnets to hold its stand in place and has soft curves. Its main feature is an array of tuned LED’s that emit a blue light designed to mimic the effect of being in daylight. These LED’s emit a very bright blue light tricks your body into thinking its a summers day.
I am a workaholic and during the winter months I never see daylight getting into work at about 6am and leaving work long after the sun has set. As winter draws on his makes me more and more tired. I planned to use the lamp for 2 weeks and then write my review. I felt that using the light seemed to perk me up and gave me an energy boost that felt similar to putting sugar into my coffee (which i don’t normally do.)
You can use the light as an alarm clock but i personally found this disturbing as my eyes went from the dark of sleep to very very bright light and they didn’t like it. So i used it on my desk when i got into work gave me what felt like a good energy boost that lasted most of the morning. I used it for my planned two weeks each day for 15 minutes had to charge it once a week. The sense of extra energy hasn’t diminished over that time; so i have actually kept using it for another week to see if the effect wained and it hasn’t yet.
If its something you are interested in; Philips have a money back guarantee on it so you can try it for a month safe in knowledge that you will get your money back if it doesn’t work for you. Have considered buying this a number of times but wasnt aware of the money back guarentee so was glad of the chance to give it a test and pass on that vital information.
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