SunBooster vs SAD lamp: what's the difference?

When the days get short, two kinds of light devices come up: the SAD lamp, a bright panel you sit in front of in the morning, and SunBooster, a small device that clips to your screen. Both are about light in the dark season. They are not the same thing, and they are not for the same person.

What a SAD lamp is

A SAD lamp, or light therapy lamp, is a panel of bright white light, usually 10,000 lux. That is far brighter than normal indoor lighting. The standard way to use it is 20 to 30 minutes each morning, soon after you wake up, sitting at a set distance with the light reaching your eyes. It works through the eyes and the body clock.

It was developed as a treatment for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression that comes with the dark season, and there is a long line of clinical research behind it. It is often used on a doctor's advice, and people with eye conditions or on light-sensitising medication are told to check with a doctor first.

What SunBooster is

SunBooster gives off a different kind of light: near-infrared at 850 nm, the part of sunlight you cannot see and that is largely missing indoors. There is no brightness to look into and no glare on your desk. It clips to the top of your monitor or laptop, and a sensor tracks how much light you receive while you work. SunLED, the Dutch company behind it, recommends 2 to 4 hours of accumulated use a day.

It is a wellbeing device, not a treatment. SunBooster helps take the edge off mental overload and support a brighter mood, powering you through long workdays.¹ It works gradually, in a natural way, over weeks rather than minutes.

Side by side

	SAD lamp	SunBooster
Light	Bright visible white light, usually 10,000 lux	Invisible near-infrared light, 850 nm
How long	20–30 minutes in the morning	2–4 hours a day, accumulated while you work
How you use it	Sit facing it at a set distance	Clip it to your screen and keep working
Works through	The eyes and the body clock	The skin, where near-infrared is absorbed
Made for	Treating seasonal affective disorder	Everyday wellbeing in the dark season
On your desk	A bright panel, noticeable glare	120 g, no visible light, USB-C

Which one is for you?

If you have been diagnosed with SAD, or think you might have it, talk to a doctor. A light therapy lamp is the established treatment, and SunBooster does not replace it.

If you are well but feel the winter in your energy and mood, especially on long days at a screen, SunBooster is built for that. You do not need to set aside a morning slot or sit still in front of anything: the light reaches you while you do what you were doing anyway.

Can you have both? They are different kinds of light that do different things, so they do not compete for the same job. If you are being treated for SAD, ask your doctor before adding anything to that treatment.

Why the difference matters for nomads

A light therapy lamp is a piece of furniture: it lives on one desk and asks for a fixed morning routine. SunBooster weighs 120 g, runs on the same USB-C cable as the rest of your kit, and works wherever you open your laptop, from a co-working desk in Tallinn to a rented flat in December.

For what the research behind SunBooster found, and what it does not show, read Near-infrared light indoors: what the research behind SunBooster shows.

See SunBooster SLS2000

¹ Based on a study with human subjects on the effects of near-infrared light. The SunBooster makes use of near-infrared light. For more information and the study, see our research article. SunBooster is a wellbeing device. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.