Best light therapy lamps on Amazon.ca for dark days

By the Amazon Picks Desk, Canada News Media. We research products from real Amazon.ca listings and customer reviews; we have not tested them ourselves.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through this link.

A well-reviewed 10,000-lux light therapy lamp costs between about $41 and $90 on Amazon.ca, and the five we picked include three Verilux HappyLight models and two lower-priced lamps from LASTAR and MediAcous. Prices were accurate as of Oct. 22, 2026, and may change.

Demand is climbing as the days shorten. The Verilux HappyLight Lumi Plus alone shows more than 1,000 bought in the past month, and daylight saving time ends Nov. 1, when sunset moves an hour earlier across most of the country. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) says light therapy is the main treatment for seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and that its side-effects are usually mild.

A lamp is not a substitute for medical care. If low mood lasts for weeks, talk to a doctor before relying on a lamp, especially if you have an eye condition or take medication that makes you sensitive to light. One reviewer of a lamp below said she learned afterwards that she should not use it because of glaucoma. Our earlier story on ways to fight winter depression covers other options.

All five lamps in this guide are listed as UV-free LED lamps rated at 10,000 lux, the brightness most commonly used for light therapy. Brightness falls off with distance, so check how close each maker says you need to sit.

Verilux HappyLight Lumi Plus

The Lumi Plus is the best seller of the group and the pick for most people. It was listed at $52.99, is rated 4.5 out of 5 from 4,226 ratings, and the listing shows more than 1,000 bought in the past month.

The listing says it delivers up to 10,000 lux of UV-free LED light, has three brightness levels and a countdown timer programmable up to one hour in 15-minute steps, and uses a thin tablet design with a detachable stand and wall mount. Verilux lists a three-year warranty.

Canadian reviewers from Quebec and Ontario said it helps during dark winter days, and a reviewer who works night shifts said it made a big difference in mood. One reviewer said all three settings are extremely bright, and another wished it were cordless or rechargeable.

See the current price on Amazon.ca

Verilux HappyLight Lucent

The Lucent is the simplest HappyLight, with a single on-off button and no settings to fiddle with. It has the most ratings of any lamp in this guide, 8,856, with an average of 4.5 out of 5. It was listed at $52.99, with more than 400 bought in the past month.

The listing describes 10,000 lux of UV-free bright white light, a detachable stand, a wall-mount option and a minimalist white design. Amazon’s product summary says it uses 72 LEDs and lies flat for travel, and that you control intensity by how close you place it, since there is no dimmer.

Reviewers who moved to Quebec and Eastern Canada from warmer places said it made a real difference to their energy in winter, and a night worker in Quebec said she bought it for the long months with little daylight. One reviewer was unsure whether it was helping or a placebo, and another said the lamp gets noticeably warm because it only cools passively.

See the current price on Amazon.ca

Verilux HappyLight Luxe

The Luxe is Verilux’s largest lamp in this group and the highest rated, at 4.6 out of 5 from 4,302 ratings. It was listed at $89.99, with more than 400 bought in the past month.

The listing says it offers four brightness levels, three colour temperature settings, a countdown timer programmable up to one hour in five-minute steps, a thin design with a detachable stand and wall mount, and a three-year warranty. Amazon’s summary says it uses 168 LEDs.

A reviewer with sensitive eyes said the larger panel means you do not have to sit close to it, and a Quebec buyer said it was the lamp he chose after researching UV-free models. One buyer’s complaint was that it is not rechargeable and must stay plugged in, and it costs about $37 more than the other Verilux models here.

See the current price on Amazon.ca

LASTAR sun lamp

The LASTAR is the lowest-priced lamp in this guide. It was listed at $41.39, down 17 per cent from $49.99, and is rated 4.4 out of 5 from 1,835 ratings, with more than 800 bought in the past month.

The listing gives a colour temperature of 6,500 K, five brightness levels from 10 to 100 per cent with a one-touch maximum button, a timer that runs from 10 to 60 minutes in 10-minute steps, touch controls and a full dose of light from 20 inches away.

A university employee in Canada said a colleague in a physics lab checked the lamp’s light and found no UV, and other reviewers said it does not feel harsh even on the brightest setting and suits a windowless office. The main complaint came from a Quebec reviewer who said it did not reach 10,000 lux at 30 centimetres as described.

See the current price on Amazon.ca

MediAcous light therapy lamp

The MediAcous lamp gives the most control over colour for the price. It was listed at $49.99 and is rated 4.4 out of 5 from 1,361 ratings, with more than 700 bought in the past month.

The listing says it has four brightness levels, four colour temperatures from 3,000 K to 6,500 K, a timer with 15, 30, 45 and 60-minute settings, a memory function that turns on at your last setting, and recessed touch buttons you can find without looking.

Reviewers like that it is compact enough for a bathroom counter or desk and that the settings are easy to adjust; one said it was still working as on day one after three months of daily 30-minute use. The common complaints are that it must stay plugged in and, from one buyer, that the timer never worked on their unit.

See the current price on Amazon.ca

One reviewer offered a practical tip: turn the lamp off early enough in the day that it does not interfere with sleep. For more on the time change, see our guide to when daylight saving time ends and who changes their clocks, and our Canada winter forecast for 2026-27.

Frequently asked questions

How bright should a light therapy lamp be?

All five lamps in this guide are rated at 10,000 lux, the level most commonly used for light therapy. Brightness drops as you move away from the lamp, so follow the distance the maker gives.

Are light therapy lamps safe?

CAMH says side-effects of light therapy are usually mild. All five lamps here are listed as UV-free. People with eye conditions, or who take medication that increases sensitivity to light, should ask a doctor first.

When is the best time to use one?

Reviewers of these lamps most often describe using them in the morning, and one warned that using it too late in the day can affect sleep. A doctor can advise on timing and length of sessions.

How we chose: we looked at current Amazon.ca listings for light therapy lamps, favoured 10,000-lux UV-free models with more than 1,000 ratings and an average of 4.4 stars or better, and read sample reviews from Canadian buyers for each. We did not test any of these products, and ratings and prices change often.

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