LED is the easy choice now. type: report source_topic: SAD light therapy boxes

LED light therapy boxes are the better buy for almost everyone dealing with SAD, mostly because they solve the two biggest annoyances of the older fluorescent models: heat and flicker.

Fluorescent boxes run hot. I’m talking “could double as a space heater” hot. If you’re sitting 12–18 inches from one for 20–30 minutes every morning, that warmth might feel nice at first, but come late spring you’ll hate it. LEDs are cool to the touch. You can put them on a desk without feeling like you’re baking.

Flicker is the real killer. Old fluorescent tubes (especially cheaper units) flicker at 60 Hz or 120 Hz, which some people can’t perceive consciously, but their eyes and brain sure can. Headaches, eye strain, that weird “I feel worse” vibe. Proper LED boxes are flicker-free because they use steady DC current. But watch out: cheap LED boxes can also flicker if the driver is garbage. Stick with brands that explicitly state “flicker-free” or have a valid certification.

Long-term efficacy? The science is the same. Both types work because they deliver 10,000 lux of cool white light at the correct distance. The first big studies were done with fluorescents, so they have a longer track record. But modern LED boxes are just as effective, and the data agrees. The National Institutes of Health and most practitioners now consider LEDs equivalent.

One catch: some people respond slightly better to the broader spectrum of fluorescent light (including more UV, though not much).