Customer Reviews

Feel Bright Light 100 Portable Self Contained Phototherapy Device with Rechargable Lithium Polymer Battery and Charger

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Forget Buyer Beware!!!! I take it back! I just got off the phone from a very prompt, polite, and helpful service call from the manufacturer! feelbrightlight.com I searched for and found the packaging for my visor with the plan of sending what I viewed as a defective light back to the company. I saw their web address on the box and decided to write to them about my problem of not getting the visor to turn on again. Within a half hour I received a phone call from them. Turns out "I" was operating the charger under false information. I thought the light came with added instructions that warned not to overcharge the unit. Wrong! I am now informed that it cannot be overcharged. What's more is the life expectancy and performance of the battery and bulbs is well above and beyond. I was grossly undercharging my light and that is why it wouldn't turn on. Please ignore my previous comment and buy this visor. The convenience of a visor with the proper light color and placement above eye level worked wonders in treating all my symptoms of SAD, and I could well qualify as their poster child. This product makes a "night and day" difference in the quality of my life Sept.-March. I most strongly recommend this product. It is money "well" spent.

I am a psychotherapist. I used the Feel Bright Light myself for three weeks and then I loaned it to a client. It took a few days for me to adapt to the brightness of the light, I would have liked to know that this was a possiblity before I bought it. Once I adapted I didn't have to remember to put it on, I wanted to put it on. Even though I have not used it now for a week because my client has it, I still wake up several hours earlier than I did before and feel a noticible increae in my energy during the day. I appreciate being ready to go to sleep by 10:00 or 10:30. Before Bright Light I would go to bed around midnightor 1AM. I look forward to my Little Bright Light coming back. Another client bought one on my recommendation and is using it along with an anti-depressant. He feels "better than he has felt in a long time." We plan to wean him off the medication & try using only the Bright Light.

This light is great - really helped me feel better in the winter. The freedom to be able to move around while getting my light really helps. I am in Cleveland so we really have some gray winters. I wear it from October till March. I even do two - 1/2 hr treatments in December.

Seems like after 3 years of use however that the rechargeable battery may be getting a little weak - which is normal for a battery this long out with over 500 charge/discharge cycles.

Update 12/7/2010 - Battery is still hanging in there. Have not replaced it yet and still bright enough to keep me happy. Using it a lot on the treadmill which is nice so I can multitask. I usually do 2 or 3 1/2 hour sessions each day - for about 7 months out of the year. Called the company and they said they would be happy to check or replace the battery if the charge capacity went down - but did not feel I needed to mail it in yet. I am VERY glad that I do not have to sit in front of a light each morning and that I can do tasks with this. I'm a wee bit type A.

I was diagnosed with depression 11 years ago, and take medication (which, along with therapy, managed but did not eliminate the depression). I bought this item figuring that it might help and I could always return it if I saw no difference. I use it in the morning, right after I get up. After about a week of using it, I realized that although my stressful job hadn't changed, I was feeling cheerful and chipper most of the time. My therapist and coworkers have noticed the difference in me, and I have recommended the product to several people. $200 may seem like a lot, but the effect was worth it for me. The visor is nicely designed and easy to use. After about 3 mornings of use, the light starts flickering, and I plug it in to recharge it. Wish I had found this years ago!

After many years of great sleep, I began having increasing trouble sleeping a couple of years ago. I struggled with early and late insomnia, often getting only 3-4 hours of frequently interrupted, light sleep a night. No matter how many lifestyle modifications I adopted--e.g., no fluids after 7 p.m., no caffeine after noon, no late snacks, stress reduction, HRT, regular a.m. exercise, frequent exposure to sunshine, etc.--I still couldn't sleep well to save my life. Various over-the-counter and prescription medications were either ineffective or produced unacceptable side effects, with the exception of one medication (trazodone) which worked great for several months until I developed tolerance to it. I became desperate to find relief again, and thank goodness I somehow stumbled upon the idea of trying light therapy.

I've used my Feel Bright Light Visor daily for six weeks now, for at least 30 minutes upon awakening. After the third morning, I slept for six hours straight. I can't remember the last time I was able to do this without medication. Both my early and late insomnia have been helped. I'm able to fall asleep quickly now, and I average 6 to 6.5 hours nightly now, which is a huge improvement. A few times I've scored seven or eight hours straight, though that's rare. I have to be very careful to stay on a regular schedule; staying up late on New Year's Eve really messed me up for two nights, and I must allow at least an hour of quiet time to wind down before bedtime. As long as I do that, though, and use my light visor every morning, I'm fine.

My mood seems to have brightened, too. No doubt more sleep has helped this, but even in the years I got plenty of sleep, I've had mood difficulties in the winter, especially around the holidays, which give us some of our shortest nights of the year. I did much better during this year's holidays, and on snowy days with no sunshine, I upped my visor usage to 1 to 1.5 hours each morning. I'm fortunate I can stay around the house and do that, because it seems to definitely boost my mood and energy level. Because I've got a knee problem and haven't been able to exercise aerobically over the last two months, this winter mood boost is an even bigger deal than it normally would be, because I depend so heavily on aerobic exercise to regulate my mood.

The visor is lightweight, which is good when it comes to wearing it and packing it for travel, but initially I wondered about durability. So far, though, I don't see any signs of wear or problems developing. After wearing it in the morning, I put the visor back on its charger until early evening and then unplug it for the night.

I'll report back in a few months, but to date, I'm so grateful to have found this product. Can I prove the light visor is responsible for my improved sleep? No, but it's the only change I've made in the last few months. The change in my sleep is fantastic, and this has been the easiest winter mood-wise that I've had in decades, so I'm sticking with it.

Update 11-3-11: This is my second winter to be using my Feel Bright Light Visor. I didn't need it during the summer when the sun was brighter and days were longer, but about mid-September, I could tell I needed to start using it again. It's been a relief to put it on in these dark mornings and get a nice dose of bright light and a mood boost.

It seems to do what it says. I get up in the AM don the hat and get on my stationary bike and take off. By the end of a 1/2 hour I feel great - I suspect the combination just clears out the cobwebs. No affect on the insomnia yet.

I have owned a light box for years. Even though it comes from a respected company and puts out the correct amount of full spectrum light, I could not use it consistently because I always felt chained to the chair trying to sit at the proper distance from it. I also had to commit 30 minutes of precious "get ready" time in the morning to the light. Who wants to wake up 1/2 hour earlier each day? So, I took a chance and bought the visor. Now, I can prepare for work while wearing the visor. The light is always the proper distance from my eyes and effects are great. My depression has lifted. I am more optimistic even on my worst days. (I'm a middle school teacher.) People now notice the happy person in me that seemed to be covered up with SAD. Give it a try if you have SAD. I hope it works for you like it is working for me.

I love the light therapy hat, it's convenient and comfortable. I can continue my normal routine without having to sit at a light doing nothing for 30 minutes. I'ts also rechargable which is nice.

I am a physician, and routinely recommend this to my patients. I consider it clearly the best form of light therapy on the market. The ability to move around while using it is a huge advantage.

Besides Seasonal Affective Disorder, I recommend it for other patients in low energy states (e.g., helping with energy for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, patients with multiple sclerosis, etc)

This item over charged when plugged in LESS then 24hrs, and would not turn on again!!! That was Fall 2007. I tried it this fall and got it to turn on. I was happlily surprised and got a few more sessions before it needed recharging. I was careful to charge it for only 8hrs and it happened again! I'm now shopping for a light BOX.