Customer Reviews

UltraLux 70w HD Infinity Nickel Torchiere

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

 

 

Yes, you can buy a much cheaper floor lamp that uses regular bulbs at any Walmart, K-mart or Target store, but that's not what this lamp is. It is pricey, but you are paying for the "new" Ultralux HD technology lighting system along with quality construction of the lamp itself. Additionally, the said new technology comes with an increased safety factor. The slight difference in less light output as compared to a halogen bulb is far worth the decreased fire hazard. If you go to the Full Spectrum Solutions website they offer more information and details about the Ultralux HD technology.

Halogen bulbs burn really bright, but also very hot! A halogen bulb with the same equivalent to this one burns at over 1,000 degrees while the Ultralux HD is only around 130 degrees. Many Torchiere style lamps that use halogen bulbs have been deemed a fire hazard. In some cases halogen bulbs have gotten so hot they have actually exploded catching fire or just burned so hot that the output of heat has caught items near the lamp on fire.

This is a link to a report on the dangers of Torchiere lamps with halogen bulbs. It is a bit outdated but a valid government report just the same [...]

I am someone who suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) so the brighter, the whiter the better for me! If it lights up the room like a landing strip I will be quite excited. By the way, the floor lamp does have dimmable light settings. Before I had SAD I would have thought it was a joke. Unfortunately, I have a rather severe case of it and haven't found anything funny about the chronic depression and debilitating fatigue that hits me in Fall and about kills me in Winter up until March of every year. I am at the point now that even dreary, rainy days in the Spring/Summer knock the wind out me. I am not using this floor lamp for SAD light therapy...I bought a light box with blue light specifically for that. This floor lamp will be used in addition the light box to promote a brighter living environment overall. I hope that it will prove to be a valuable asset in managing my SAD.

Something that SAD sufferers will also want to know is that the bulb in this floor lamp is rated with the following:

91+ CRI
5500 Degree Kelvin Color Temp
4290 Lumens

Compare HD Full Spectrum Torchieres to Halogen
80% Less Electricity than Conventional Halogen Torchieres
25% More Light
87% Cooler than halogens
Bulb lasts up to 10 times longer
Fully dimmable

CFL type of white light without heat. Adequately lights a L11 ft X W17 ft X 10 ft H living room. Negative could be proprietary bulb. I have not had any issues since I bought (about 45 days).

The item looks great--yes it is pricey. But then again you are paying for the "new" technology of the item. The light gives off less actual light than a 300W halogen in terms of actual light. Also, the color of the light is very white. This is something someone either loves or hates. In my case, having it in a living room, it sticks out like a sore thumb. One almost needs sunglasses to deal with the whiteness of the light.
I salute the company for coming up with a powerful light and one that has a very high CRI, but to replace a 300W halogen they will need more wattage in the bulb--maybe like 100W. Also, the color should be softer like the yellow most of us are used to in a halogen or soft white comp. fluorescent. I understand the white light may be helpful for SAD sufferers and may be the reason it is better for reading, but frankly it is too white for most rooms in a house. And it will make a home feel like an office building.

Please avoid products from Full Spectrum Solutions. I purchased two, a floor lamp and a desk lamp. Both cost quite a lot of money but quite within the first year. Both lamps had blown electronic ballasts (a capacitor in one and diode in the other); and burned out filaments in the bulbs. What a mistake to buy their horrible and unsupported products. Please do not believe their unsubstantiated hype. Dont repeat my mistake!