Lumie Task review

Price When Reviewed

Not yet available in the US

Now that winter is ahead, some of us are already worrying about our happiness and productivity in the months to come, as we cope with fewer hours of daylight and grey skies during the day. If this sounds like you, you could have Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that’s linked to a lack of sunlight over winter. If you suffer from SAD, one of the recommended ways of managing it is light therapy.

A light therapy box or lamp recreates the effects of the missed daylight and can give those affected a boost in mood and energy levels.

For the lamp to be effective, it needs to deliver at least 10,000 lux of light and you’ll need to use it for around half an hour per day.

Lumie is a well-known light therapy brand, specialising in SAD lamps and light alarms (which make it easier to wake up and get going when it’s still dark outside).

We’re reviewing Lumie’s latest lamp, a task light that doubles as a SAD lamp.

Before we go further, I should say that I have not been diagnosed with SAD, so I can’t speak to the therapeutic effects of this or any other SAD lamp – although I do experience a downturn over the winter months. What I can do is to describe the lamp and what it’s like to use.

Design and build

• Five colour options
• Fixed height but adjustable angle

SAD lamps aren’t always particularly design-led, which makes Lumie’s Task Lamp even more of a standout. It is simply and stylishly designed, with a lamp head that mirrors the shape and size of its base.

It stands steadily and is actually very difficult to knock over. If you give it an accidental swipe, you’ll probably only change the angle of the lamp.

It comes in five genuinely appealing colour options: golden yellow, sage green, steel blue, white mist and charcoal blue – which is the colour of the model we’re reviewing. For a peek at the rest, John Lewis has all the colour options in stock.

It’s ideal for drawing, painting or needlecraft, where it’s not just a matter of being able to see detail but to render colour or shade accurately

It stands a little under 43cm tall, with a base that’s 17cm x 17cm (approx). The stem of the lamp, which is slightly canted, can’t be bent – so you can’t change its distance from the surface of your desk as you can with an Anglepoise lamp.

What you can do is rotate the neck of the lamp by 180° and angle the lamp head by the same, so that it illuminates either the desk in front of you or your face for use as a SAD light.

Its versatility and slender build make it an attractive option for people who want a light therapy lamp but don’t have space for a dedicated light box.

Performance and features

• Dimmable
• CRI 95+
• 10,000 lux

The Lumie Task has a dimmable, cool white light. The light source is around 17cm in diameter and the entire area is illuminated, without any visible bulbs.  

You switch the lamp on and determine its brightness by running a finger over the logo at the base. A tap to the side of the logo will switch it off again. It’s a clean and elegant solution that obviates the need for buttons or dials.

It’s easy to adjust the light to your needs – about half to two-thirds of its potential brightness is ideal for working on a computer during the day.

In the evening, or when doing detailed work or crafting, you can turn it up. The task light has a CRI (colour rendering index) of 95+. CRI measures how accurately colours appear under electric light, when compared to natural daylight. A CRI of over 90 is considered excellent.

This means that it’s ideal for drawing, painting or needlecraft, where it’s not just a matter of being able to see detail but to render colour or shade accurately.

To use it as a light therapy device, you’ll need to turn it up to its maximum brightness of 10,000 lux and angle it towards your face. Although you shouldn’t stare at it, it needs to be close to your face (around 50cm away) and its light needs to reach your eyes directly.

Its versatility and slender build make it an attractive option for people who want a SAD lamp but don’t have space for a dedicated light box

Lumie doesn’t specify how long you should use it for light therapy but it’s generally agreed that SAD lights should be used for around 20-30 minutes per day.

Price and availability

At the time of writing, the Lumie Task is available in the UK from John Lewis and direct from Lumie.

If you have SAD, there could be an advantage in buying direct from Lumie. If you – or the person you’re buying for – suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder and you’re buying it for domestic and personal use, you can claim VAT relief, so it’ll only cost you £207.50.    

Verdict

The Lumie Task is a beautiful and useful lamp. Its only limitation in use is that you can’t adjust the height of the lamp. I didn’t find that to be a problem when testing it, but it’s worth knowing if you’re considering buying one.

It’s also an expensive product. You could buy a SAD lamp and a task light and still get change from the price of this one. But it’s hard to argue that its clever design and high-quality build isn’t worth it.

But if this isn’t the right light therapy device for you, have a look at our round-up of the best SAD lamps we’ve tested. And if you struggle in the dark winter mornings, see our round-up of the best light alarms for a bit of extra help waking up.