Nature Bright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy , White

October Update: I purchased this in 2009. Have it 11 years now. Quick update: This past summer was horribly hot/humid. Did not spend much time outdoors at all. Went a few years without using it as I'd spent significant time outdoors in spring/summer. Started using again a few days ago because I started having trouble sleeping. Reset my circadian rhythm quickly. I'm using it now 30 minutes per day. I spent a lot more for it in 2009, the price they have now is a 1/3 of what I paid! Highly recommend! I purchased the NatureBright SunTouch Plus in the winter. After 4 days, I felt better. More energy, improved mood, less anxiety and it even alleviated my backpain, which I think was associated with the the endorphins kicking in. I hadn't used it since April, and this summer had been unusually hot and humid, so I have not spent enough time outdoors in the sunshine. I'd begun having trouble sleeping and feeling a bit "low", and decided to turn on my Lightbox in the morning while having breakfast. It started to work for me this time on the FIRST DAY. I've been using it now for 2 weeks, and have been feeling great ever since. I'm sleeping better, even dreaming better. It's amazing. I never knew that there was a Spring/summer type of SAD, but it makes sense, especially if you can not get outside during the warmer months, as was the case with me this year. This lightbox is very helpful in alleviating the symptoms of not only depression, but anxiety and pain as well. The three can go together, so it only makes sense that if you get rid of one symptom, the others will also be removed. I am going to use my lightbox year round. It only takes 15-30 minutes per day for me, and what better way to start the day and feel great? Highly recommend this particular lightbox. I also love the feature that the LightBox has for the Ions. It's a springlike smell, kind of sweet. Sometimes, I sleep with the Ions on at night. Especially with the Air Conditioners on in this heat, it's nice to still be able to "smell" the outside....it's a nice smell. -------- UPDATE-------- It's now October. I've been using my lightbox since the summer, when I had the backpain. I'm more energized than ever, and even hiked twice in the last week, 3 hours each time. My energy levels are wonderful, I'm sleeping real well, and I wake up feeling GOOD. This light works for so many different things, from pain to depression, and even anxiety. I would recommend if you have any of the above, use it all year round. I don't know, but I like the ionizer smell. It is a sweet smell, just like the first days of spring, when you can catch a whiff of that "certain something" in the air? It is not a chemical smell, but a sweet, spring like smell. I love it:) --------UPDATE-------- It's December of 2011. Have been using my Lightbox to keep the low mood from coming back, and I continue to get benefits. I use this twice daily in winter, 15 min in the a.m., 15 in the early evening. Twice weekly, I will do a 30 minute morning session, to make sure things stay on track. I've read that it's alright to use year round, for those who don't want to get off track (say during spring, summer, and then forget and get unmotivated to start using their box again.) I find using it every day and staying in the routine works well for me.

I Usually Don't Write Reviews For Amazon But This Is One Product That I've Purchased From That So Far I'm Ecstatic Over! I Most Definitely WILL Recommend This To My Friends And Anyone Who Is Suffering From Crappy Moods Like I Was. First I Just Want To Say That I'm Bipolar 1 And I Was Recently Diagnosed With SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). I Was Disheartened When I Saw That It Said About The Product, That People With Bipolar Disorder Are Not To Use It. I Took That With A Grain of Salt And Decided To Purchase It Anyway Because My Psychiatrist Just Prescribed It For Me And I Figured "What Have I Got To Lose?" I Also Saw A Review On Amazon Somewhere That They Just Say That To Protect Themselves From Being Sued Should A Bipolar Go Totally Manic Using The Product. Now Onto The Good Stuff! The Shipping Was Super Fast, I Got It In A Matter of A Couple of Days And It Couldn't Have Come At A Better Time! I Was So Low Down In The Dumps Since Washington DC Is Going Through A Period of Clouds And Rain For Just About Two Weeks Now. I Was Literally At The End of My Rope! So I Received My Happy Light Today And I Just Ordered It A Few Days Ago. Now Being Bipolar 1, I Knew I Had To Take It Easy With This Happy Light Because I Didn't Want To Go Manic or Anything. So I Used It One Time Just To See If It Worked And That The Bulbs Were Working. Everything Worked Perfectly! I Was A Little Worried Because Many of The Reviews Said People Had Problems With The Bulb(s) Not Working Upon Arrival or Within A Short Time of Having It. Well, So Far So Good! I Used It For A Second 15-Minute Interval And I Instantly Felt A Sense of Darkness That I Felt Surrounded In, Was Lifted! I Felt So Much Happier, Lighter And Just Like That Picture When You Feel The Dark Storm Clouds And Pouring Rain On You, I Suddenly Felt Like A Rainbow Appeared! Two Songs Instantly Came To Mind, "Happy" By Pharrell Williams And "I Feel Good" By James Brown!!! I Can't Write A Good Enough Review, As Far As I'm Concerned To Explain What This Product Has Done For Me, I Was So Sad, Depressed, Lacked Serious Motivation And Energy And Now I Just Feel *EXCELLENT*! I Highly Recommend This To Anyone Because I Felt Results On My First Day of Use Within The First Hour, I Was Feeling Like I Was Being Tossed Around By A Tornado. I FINALLY Feel Like I've Been Set Free From The Depressed Prison I Was Living In. Thank You So Very Much NatureBright And Amazon! My Happy Light Has Truly Made Me Happy, Ha Ha Its Effects Are Like Weed or The Best Happy Pill On The Market! (((Singing))) Because I'm Happy! P.S. I Can't Wait To Receive The Aroma Capsule That Attaches To The Happy Light To Release A Fragrance of "Happy Orange", I Think I'll Really Be Happy Then! And My Mama Says She Has Already Noticed That My Funky Mood Has Lifted!

Let me say, I hate that I love this light. It is big, white, bright as all heck, and spending 30 minutes of your day in front of it might cure depression because getting away from it already makes you happier. Yet I can say, it does work. This is no miracle cure, many people struggle from Seasonal Affected Disorder and the cures are as varied as the causes. Many people convince themselves they suffer from a psychological condition after experiencing something that would cause any normal person, normal depression: break ups, loss of job, realization that society is spiraling towards self destruction. This light will not fix any of these problems. However, if you live in a northern state, and struggle from time to time to push yourself out of the house. If you struggle to deal with people, and find yourself more likely to be angry over the little things that truly don't matter. If your house is your haven in the winter, and you fight the roads and traffic to finally get home and feel comfortable again, then this light may be for you. It works well, and I'll admit it's a type of energy I haven't felt in awhile. I live in California, but I grew up in Michigan. Recently I traveled home to visit family, and within two days, I felt the sun withdrawal. It was hard to visit old friends, and muster the courage to go out of the house. I am the man that sleeps exactly 7 hours a night, swallows a truck load of coffee, and leaps at the day. Yet the lack of sunlight and my S.A.D disorder pulled me into the white abyss of a Michigan January. So I purchased this via Amazon Prime, selected 1 day shipping, and waited. It arrived well packaged, decently constructed, and bigger than I assumed it would be. I plugged it in and went. The bright light is annoying, and for best absorption, you are supposed to allow it to enter your eyes, not skin. That means occasionally starring straight at it. 30 minutes feels like forever under this light, even with coffee. The first day I felt nothing, and the feeling did not kick in til the evening. It's a hard feeling to describe. It's like drinking a Red Bull, but with less hype energy. It feels like a more sustainable energy. I felt....good. And so far, every day for a week I have used this, it has given me the same thing. This will not fix depression, as the root causes need to be addressed through therapy, religion, and self exploration. However, for the "Winter Blues" it will give you the energy you need to do something with your life. It's left me with a somewhat hollow feeling, as I realize having spent 21 years in Michigan, and just now finding this light at 23, I may have been missing out. I implore you to try it. Save your receipt, take good care of the box. This product may simply not be good for you if you do not truly have S.A.D. But if you feel you might, try it. If you feel nothing in two days, send it back. The alternatives, prescription medicine or dealing with it, make this light far worth the attempt. Give it a try, let me know how it works.

*Please note - I paid full retail for this. I did not receive a discount for this review* I am new to the light therapy way of thinking. I have several medical problems including Fibro, Chronic Fatique, and Arthritis. The worst part for me in all of this is the sheer exhaustion I feel every day. Friends have fallen by the wayside because they don't understand why I can't just get up and shake it off. If I hear one more person say to me, "just get up. You won't feel like it, but you have to make yourself. It's mind over matter." Since I have tried many therapies, all to no avail, I decided to look into more unconventional therapies and avenues. I started with Binaural Beats, and decided to augment that with light. I know this is a review of just the light, but it's worth mentioning that using free apps I downloaded some basic binaurals, and there is a definite, if subtle, difference. If you are purchasing this light, I would absolutely recommend trying it with the beats. The light arrived quickly, two day shipping from Prime. I spent about a day and a half researching before choosing the NatureBright SunTouch Plus. I really wanted the alarm clock light that mimics the sunrise. But what it came down to for me was the value for my money. Although the clock lights say that the light is bright and it is enough, in reviewing the customer images I picked up on the fact that the light really only covered their faces at a bare minimum. It appeared to me that you would have to be sitting 'just so' to get that limited light field only on your face, and that staying for 30 minutes in the positions shown might be uncomfortable. Yes, it's true that this NatureBright does't have the dimming sunset and bright sunrise effects to wake/sleep to. However it is notably less expensive and more notably very large. In comparing the two technologies, giving up the automatic feature to have a much larger light that I have to physically turn on didn't seem like that much of a trade-off. So the packaging was nice and sturdy. The light itself is cased in a plastic housing that kind of makes the light look and feel inexpensive. The closest I can describe the size is this; have you ever had or seen the Conair (or any brand) lighted make up mirror? The one that is tri fold? This NatureBright light looks just like that without the side mirrors. So the light area itself is about the size of a piece of notebook paper. This light is incredibly BRIGHT! (I will most likely use it as a light by my vanity mirror for applying my eye makeup) I like the fact that I can turn it on and then focus on other things for the 15-30 minute sessions. The light wraps around my face even though it is sitting off to the side. To start my day I will grab my latte, my phone and headphones, and the NatureBright. Then I will but on some Binaural Beats for energy and healing, pop in my headphones, and use the first session as a sort of meditation. I have only had the light 2 days, but I can definitely tell a difference already. I look forward to getting up now instead of dreading having to drag myself out the door. I find this odd as I am definitely not into hippy-dippy stuff or meditation or any of that, but I love love love this light. Light therapy itself has been around for quite a while, mainly for SAD patients (Seasonal Affect Disorder) and to reset our internal clocks. More and more research has recently suggested that the light therapy is great for many other ailments than they first thought, mainly the pain of Fibro. I cannot and will not debate the validity of the research, however I can definitely say that in only 2 days, it has had an effect on me. In researching this product, I kept reading all of the reviews and getting more and more confused. So I will try to make mine as straightforward and unambiguous as possible: Pros: Light surface area is huge. The brightness is amazing. You don't have to contort into one position, light is bright and big enough to sit naturally and get other things done. Doesn't get hot. (after 30 minute session I can touch, move, hold the light and it's just warm) Nicely packaged and doesn't look bad should you choose to leave it out, it won't detract from your aesthetic Claims that this light will improve mood and energy - I have found them to be valid for me Reasonable cost Controls are located on the top and are VERY user friendly. Time function so you can set your session to 15 minute intervals. I would definitely recommend to anyone considering a light therapy purchase, especially if you are comparing to the clocks. If you are unsure, look at the customer images for the clocks and notice how the light only shines bright on a small area so for it to be effective you would have to stay in 1 position for 30-45 min. I didn't mention the negative ion feature in this review as I don't feel like I understand that therapy enough to determine if it works. If I feel later that it has an impact I will amend my review to include that.

The Nature Bright SunTouch Plus Light and Ion Therapy has been a game changer for my mood and energy levels, especially during the darker winter months. I was skeptical at first, but after using it daily for about 20 minutes each morning, I noticed a real difference in how alert and positive I felt throughout the day. The light is bright but gentle on the eyes, and the ion therapy adds a fresh, clean feeling to the room — almost like a walk outside on a sunny day. It’s easy to use with a simple on/off switch and a timer that makes it effortless to fit into a morning routine. The compact design also fits nicely on a desk or nightstand. After a few weeks, I could tell my sleep improved and my mid-day fatigue dropped. For anyone struggling with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or low energy during winter, this is absolutely worth it. Reliable, effective, and well-built — I highly recommend it for anyone looking to brighten their day, literally and figuratively.

The light this emits is fine, nice and bright. However, I have never been able to use this the way I want to. I am in my forties and I struggle daily to actually get up from bed. It is a life long issue that I have yet to solve - even if I got to be at 9:30pm, I will easily stay in bed until 9:30am. I am routinely late to work, etc. I do wake up a lot of times in the middle of the night, but fall back to sleep easily. It's a bit bulky if you ask me. I never use the ionizer, and has an annoying sound that I prefer to avoid. The buttons on the side of this light drive me mad. The design is such that you can not press the button without two hands - one to press the button, and the other to hold the light in one place while you push the button. If not, pressing the button only pushes the lamp away from you. Not being able to turn this thing on with one hand drives me crazy. What I want to do, is turn the light on just after my alarm turns on and lie in bed while staring it to help me actually get out of bed. However, in order to do that I literally have to stand over the machine so that I can successfully turn it on. Of course, for a body that always looking for some reason to get back under the covers, this does not work. Then I thought that I would hook up a timer to the machine so that it would turn on at a specific time. Again, because of the way on/off is designed there is not way to do that - I still need to deal with the two handed on/off thing. I am looking for an alternative to this. Frankly, I can turn this light on and still sleep through it, if I want to. You really need to stare right into it to be effective, which is not practical.

I purchased this light box because a started to hear about light therapy and how it helps with depression. I seem to always get more depressed during the fall and winter months, and I work as a network engineer, so I am indoors most of the day. A co-worker sent me a link to a light box that she used and it was over $200, which for "trying" light therapy out, I was a little hesitant to pull the trigger on a purchase like that. So I starting to Google some and came across this light box on Amazon. At under $90, this was a little more acceptable to spend. I am a firm believer in you get what you pay for, so I started reading the many reviews on this product on Amazon, and they were all very positive. I started using my new light box five days ago, and within just a few days, I did a 180! I had my energy back, I felt good, and it was not a drag to get out of bed in the mornings. I use to lie in bed as long as I could because I was so tired in the mornings. Now, I actually get up 30 minutes eariler so that I can read while I sit in front of my light box. I have no problems getting out of bed! In fact, the past few mornings I woke up just before my alarm went off, which is unusual for me. I don't use the Ion feature since a few people didn't like it, and one even said that it was Ozone that it produced, which I did not think would be a natural substance to be around considering most of the Ozone (well, whats left of it) is not at ground level. At least that is my understanding, however, I could be wrong about that. I like that you can turn this feature on or off. Once I read and understood light therapy, it makes SO much sense to me from a biological standpoint. In fact, I think that "SAD" was probably biologically needed back when we had to hunt and gather for food, or even before electricity and we farmed during the warmer months and stored food for the colder months. In my opinion, we must have had a need to conserve energy when there was less food around, so our bodies naturally "slowed down" when the days got shorter. Now in today's world, that slowing down actually causes problems since food is readily available for Americans, and we have artificial lights everywhere. Our world now doesn't "slow down" or we can afford to either in order to be productive members of society. I wholeheartedly believe that this therapy is effective, and probably even could be helpful for people that are not prone to depression like I am. Light therapy is not the silver bullet though, and it should be used in conjunction with other treatments. I still take Wellbutrin everyday but now I have added light therapy. My therapist told me that even 15 minutes of day can make a difference. If you suffer from SAD or depression in general, $90 is worth spending to try and make yourself feel better. I am very glad I did it, and I am hard to impress!

I don' usually review purchases, but I'd like to do so for this product since it may work for some people who are suffering from disorders related to the Circadian rhythm. I've been working at a hospital for more than twenty years and I've recognized more and more people have started to suffer from sleeping disorders, seasonal affective disorder etc. due to a change of life style (including myself). To remain in good healthy condition, our body clock needs to be reset by morning sunlight through our eyes and ideal ambiance for a good night's sleep, but it has been harder for modern individuals to achieve this goal. This light helps those people reset their body clock and stay in an ideal health condition. You could visit your doctor for this kind of treatment, but it's a lot easier if you can do it at home. This product helps alleviate unpleasant symptoms like fogginess, sleepiness, fatigue and so on during the daytime. It's preferable to use it for thirty minutes early in the morning around seven to eight for insomnia and seasonal affective disorder to reset your body clock, though the treatments vary for individuals. As for my experience, I saw improvement within a week. Just make sure you use it in correctly; the booklet in the box kindly gives directions how to use it depending on your symptoms as "Parameters for Using the SunTouchPlus." For instance, there are 'winter SAD,' 'shift work fatigue,' 'jet lag,' and so on. You are also told that you can reduce session time once you reached a desirable result. Replacement bulbs are also available. Also you really don't need to stare at the light; I place it on the table while watching the morning news on TV (or the computer) and sipping coffee. The booklet tells you how far and at what angles from your face to use it. Though it's made in China (the company is in Irvine, CA in the USA), it's sturdily built and I have had no problems so far. There is also an ionizer function; ions are said to be good for relaxing, clearing the mind and so forth just like you are walking in the woods (trees are known to be a source of negative ions). (You can learn more about the effects of ions online, but please note that this is still a debatable issue, though our hospital used the ion therapy idea.) To some individuals, the distinctive odor of ions may smell annoying like plastic as some reviewer mentioned, but it's not anything wrong with this machine. I'm fine with the aroma. Good thing is you don't need to clean the ionizer; just wipe the outside of the slits where ions come out. And if you don't want ions, you can simply switch them off. Just make sure you turn the ionizer off after you use it, because the ionizer is not connected to the timer that you use when you activate the light. Overall, I'd recommend this light to patients who suffer from minor symptoms due to Circadian rhythm disturbances. Thank you for taking the time to read my review.

Great product and does exactly what it says it does. I put it on while I'm having coffee after waking, I set the timer and it will automatically turn off depending on the length of time you choose. It has the ion button, which I don't notice a smell like some of the other reviewers have noted. I'm a night shift worker and live in the pacific north west, so I'm looking forward to using it daily this winter, when I don't get to see the sun as often. I've seen this exact product in stores for $40 more than what I paid for it on Amazon, so it's a great deal. The only con I can one up with is it is quite bright which takes some getting used to, but that's expected.

super bright. gives out negative ions. totally freshens the air. I use it for 30 mins every morning. and use the ironiser in the morning and in the night. has a timer. It is very expensive for what it is. Not had it very long so still waiting for full results.

Product doesn't work, seller doesn't replace or return. However Amazon refunded for the item today and finally justice is done. Thanks Amazon for this. However , still 1 star for the product.

I chose this particular unit because the information stated it was effective in treating depression, and it had the support of an accredited US University. The colour of the machine integrates well with the lights, and the lumens seem to be what the experts recommend for effective treatment. You can look into the light for varying periods from the recommended distance and it does not cause you notable time lag for the eyes to readjust when the light automatically goes off after half an hour, which is where my setting is. The user can set their own length of time they wish to have the light on. I like the tiny switches which are strategically placed on the side of the machine, quite unobstrusively. The machine sits sloping backwards at the recommended angle, and the surfaces never get too hot to burn anyone.The machine also has an ioniser which I use concurrently also. I felt the cost was manageable if it did what the manufacturers said it did. After all, having suffered from depression for a long time, one would welcome another tool in the arsenal to fight and defeat the monster. Additionally, I liked the fast delivery time, and the fact that someone was interested to follow up to see how the machine was working for my specific need. To me that seems to be confidence in the product as long as you use it like you should. I must say that getting up early in the morning to use the machine is not likely fun for anyone, especially the sufferer of depression. But you have to make sacrifices and be consistent if you expect to see positive outcomes. How effective is it? That is an answer only the individual user can give. For me, along with medication therapy, people tell me that they see improved mood and activity presentations, and I know that I am emotionally stronger, and for a depressive, that is significantly welcome news. The one thing I think can be improved is the length of the power cord. For me I could have used another foot or two on the length but I understand there are valid safety reasons for keeping it short as it is. Also, a fabric jacket should be included, to put over the device when not in use, to keep dust and grease off, and out of visitor conversation. While these are my personal views, the lamp is worth the price if you will use it consistently, and the longer mental health benefits will be worth getting up at such an early hour, especially if you are retired. Thank you. Shaikh Ibraheem, Mission, BC Canada.

Do not place this order, I ordered this and after 10-15 days of waiting period, finally the product has arriced in dead condition, its not working