Customer Reviews

NEW! Northern Technologies FEEL BRIGHT LIGHT VISOR SAD LIGHT THERAPY

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

 

 

I've owned three of these over the past 5 years (one replaced by manufacturer, keep 1 at home and 1 at work).

Good points: Controls for light intensity and timer. Many similar products only have one or two intensity seetings and no timer. I've found that building up from ~15 minutes of moderate intensity starting in Oct to 45 minutes of maximum intensity (~20k lumens) in Jan, then working back down for the next couple of months works best. Too much or too little light will lead to either SAD or hyperactivity.

The visor is reasonably comfortable, though bulky and hard white plastic. It has a broad, padded, soft and slightly stretchy velcro'd band; it is somewhat front-heavy, but stays in place for moderate activity. The LED's are well-positioned but not too intrusive.

Bad Points: All three devices have had corrosion or cold-solder/heat problems within two years. The electrical cord developed green corrosion, and has been replaced (RMA replacement for the first, I've done the others). After ~2-3 years, all three visors have developed problems holding the brightest setting for more than ~20 minutes; problem is most likely heat-related (the control block gets warm and some connection begins to short).

Lousy battery. Both the battery life (how long it will run on a single charge) and the battery cycle life (how many times it will recharge before the battery fails to hold a significant charge) are pretty bad -- this is an LED array, it shouldn't be drawing much power at all. Even with proper battery maintenance (break in, then fully discharge before recharging most cycles) the batteries don't seem to last.

Control brick is bulky (hangs on belt or pocket flap). Thumb-wheel controls are easy to use, but also easy to accidentally bump and change with normal movement.

Despite all these drawbacks (and clear room for improvement in manufacturing processes and materials), I still recommend it over similar visors that lack similar intensity controls (timer optional, though useful).

This is a great idea - you just put on the cap and it runs for 1/2 hour, then turns itself off automatically. The problem is that it is very difficult to get the cap fitted on your head properly so that it stays in place.

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 has 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 longest 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.

This visor works perfectly and I have had no problems. Great supplement to those of us sun deprived peeps in the Pacific NW. Makes you night blind while it's on (cuz u have it shining in your eyes) so unless u wanna know what it's LIKE to actually be blind do not wear it in dim lighting. Although you should try once, just to appreciate your eyesight. LOL. NEVER wear while driving at dusk or dark.