The SunBox Sunlight Jr is a smaller, desktop version of the standard SunBox, and is an energy-efficient lamp that uses just 55 watts to operate its full-spectrum 5,000-Kelvin, 10,000-lux bulbs. It's made by one of the best therapy lamps brands, and its price tag reflects that.
Ideal for the home, the office or for traveling, this highly portable product isn't especially fancy to look at, and neither does it have loads of features. But if you're after a lamp that provides excellent brightness and a comfortable light therapy session, look no further.
If you've been recommended light therapy to help combat Seasonal Affective Disorder, also take a look at our guide to the best sunrise alarm clocks, which are brilliant on dark winter mornings. Getting in plenty of exercise and good sleep will also boost your mood, so take a look at our guide to the best fitness trackers for encouragement to get more active, plus our best mattress online and best pillows round-ups to ensure you are sleeping on the right type for you.
SunBox Sunlight Jr review: Features
If you're looking for a light therapy lamp with a fancy display and a rake of different settings, then you've come to the wrong place. The SunBox Sunlight Jr is about as basic as they come, with the manufacturer seemingly preferring to focus its efforts on the lamp's terrific performance (read more about that below).
What makes this performance all the more remarkable is the fact that the lamp is so compact, measuring just 14.5 inches in height and weighing a measly 3.5lb. Whether you want to cart it around your home or take it on holiday with you, you'll be able to transport it with ease.
SunBox Sunlight Jr review: Performance
The SunBox Sunlight Jr delivers fantastic brightness. The manufacturer suggests that the lamp has a 10,000-lux reach of 14 inches. While we found it to be more like 12 inches, that's still very impressive. At the recommended distance of 16 inches, the light measured about 4,000 lux. In addition, it offers high luminous intensity at that distance – 1,440 CD. All of this amounts to a therapy session where you can sit comfortably under the light without losing much of the brightness if you move your head.
The manufacturer lists the light’s color temperature at 5,000 Kelvin, which is right at the upper limit of what the Center for Environmental Therapeutics (CET) recommends for light therapy. The reason for this recommendation is that higher color temperatures produce wavelengths with a cool, somewhat blueish color. These wavelengths cause aversive glare, which can make therapy sessions uncomfortable. In addition, the bluer a light's color temperature, the more it can damage your retinas if you take photosensitizing medications.
The SunBox Sunlight Jr is certainly not the hottest lamp we've tested – a surprise considering its overall brightness. After 30 minutes, the lamp’s surface measured 132 degrees Fahrenheit. When we aimed it at a wall from a distance of 16 inches, it raised the wall’s temperature by 1.5 degrees. It's certainly enough to make you feel warmer but not enough to make therapy sessions uncomfortable. At most, it can provide some additional warmth on a cold winter morning.
Should you buy the SunBox Sunlight Jr?
The SunBox Sunlight Jr doesn't have an especially stylish design, multiple brightness settings or timers. However, it's one of the brightest lamps we've tested – up there with the Day-Light Sky. The only significant difference between these two is the price.
