Customer Reviews

Verilux Original Natural Spectrum Deluxe Floor Lamp

5 star:		(63)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

My father had one of these lamps (minus the shelf) behind his easy chair for several years and my wife decided she liked reading & knitting with it so much that I bought her one of the Deluxe floorlamps (burl) with a shelf. She loves it. It's well-made and the diffuser works well and is cosmetically pleasing. The cheaper knock-off lamps do not have the diffuser.

It's relatively expensive, but it is an excellent lamp and energy efficient, using a wide spectrum fluorescent bulb. Don't be confused by some of the reviews, the spectrum of light is different for this type of bulb than soft white (or even the typical "natural light" florescents). The Verilux bulb is color balanced and does not cast a bluish tinge to the room like many of the "natural light" florescent lights.

These lamps are not made to brightly illuminate an entire room, so don't be disappointed. They are designed primarily for reading and hobbies. But, they are plenty bright for the purpose for which they were designed. Highly recommended!!

I generally review 3 kinds of stuff: (1) knocks my socks off, (2) annoys me, or (3)has some feature that hasn't been mentioned but I think should be. This lamp doesn't fit into any of these categories but it's a good lamp. One feature that I like is the 2-light-level switch. I often use the lower level to augment available daylight and the upper level when I'm reading with an overhead light on. I'm not fond of using it as the sole light source. This is partly due to the fact that the light from the lamp looks unusually cold (think of the "white", glary headlights of a modern car). And partly it is due to the smallish "pool" of light given off by the lamp. If you're reading a book or knitting, a small pool of light works well. For a newspaper, however, not very. Would other lamps work better? Probably not.
Bottom line: Am I happy with it? Yes. I like the little platform thing, which I use for a pad and pen. I like the adjustability of the light (the goose-neck feature, which, because it's a floor lamp, I won't change very often). The whole thing seems sturdy and well-made. I like having two light levels. The diffuser that attaches under the bulb to prevent the light from shining directly in your eyes is also a nice touch.
It just didn't knock my socks off.

Well, there are a couple of observations that might come in useful to some one trying to make a purchase decision on this lamp.

The height quoted for this product is a bit of a misnomer. Technically speaking the higher end figure quoted for the height is correct, however, to achieve that height, you'd have to completely straighten out the curly part (the top part of the lamp), this will make it so that the lamp will be aiming sideways across the room instead of downward! Now I don't know about you but I don't want a bright lamp hitting me right in the eyes every time I walk by. I want a lamp that's going to shine down on me, or on whatever I'm working on or aiming at, and that's the crux you see, because by bending it over into a natural downward facing position the lamp is very short. I had to mount it on top of a tall UPS (YMMV) for it to comfortably shine down on my desk, otherwise I would have probably returned it, again, YMMV.

Secondly as some reviewers have stated in regards to the brightness, it is not so much that it is not bright, it's just that the light is so white that any brighter for a lamp and it might be uncomfortable.

Thirdly, the lamp covers what would be the equivalent of a desk area, and not much more. This isn't a corner room lamp.

Last but not least, I was amazed by how short the lamp really is, when I unboxed it and assembled it, for a minute I thought that a second extension pole was missing or lost, I quickly realized that there was no other extension pole.

One other thing: The FAQ page that comes with it specifically states that this lamp does not produce the amount of lumens necessary for this lamp to qualify for SAD therapy. That being said, in New England during the winter our days are short, and this does help out tremendously.

It makes me think that days are longer, at least while I'm sitting at my desk.

All in all, I am happy with the light and will be keeping it.

I'm giving it three stars because I thought it was going to float over my head, (Too Short!)

This lamp is excellent for anyone that draws, paints or reads. This lamp is not meant to light up a room, it is meant to focus the light on any project or thing you are concentrating on. I am a Fine Arts major in college and I usually draw or paint at night and this lamp helps me see true colors because the light is white and not yellow. I use this lamp hours at a time and it does not overheat. It has a switch that lets you use the light at half power or full power, the difference is the brightness and how much space it lights up. It can light up a space of 10X10 feet easily. It is lightweight. The cord on it is exactly 6ft and 3in long. If you set the light upright with the light facing directly to wall it stand 5'4. If you bend it the way it is shown in the picture it stands 4'4. The tray attached to it can be lowered or removed completely. I've had this lamp for over a year and it has not given me any problems. The neck bends ANY way you want, the flexible part of the neck is a 1.5ft long. I recommend this lamp to anyone who needs a light on their projects,reading or something similar to that. It is very easy to assemble and looks very nice in black. Worth every penny.

I have 3 Verilux lamps, including this one, so that I can use them at my piano, reading chair, and at bedside.

These are sturdy lamps with a nice clean design and a variety of colors to compliment any decor. My favorite is the ivory.

I have presbyopia and early cataracts, so can benefit greatly from higher contrast in reading and needlework. These lamps are beyond meeting my expectations.

Whereas, I used to have a lot of eye fatigue and got sleepy while reading at night, this is no longer the case. The black print appears darker, sharper-- as if I'd up-graded my glass prescription. I find that I have sufficient spread of light for reading an average newspaper page. Even the newspaper stock quote pages are now readable, whereas this isn't the case otherwise.

I also do a lot of watercolor painting and needlepoint. It is a treat to be able to work into the evening while being confident that my color mixes are true.

Here is an amusing side note which supports that the light approximates daylight......My elderly cat, who enjoys a daily bath in outdoor sunlight, sometimes substitutes the Verilux lamp light for his "spa" when the weather is bad! It can't be the heat that he is drawn to-- as little is given off.

I can appreciate some reviewers' observations that the quality of the light is perhaps "overly white." Yet, the lamp is not intended for ambient lighting but rather for a small task area.

The light bulbs are not pricey when you consider that they last for 5 years and are, thus, an average cost of $4. a year. Also, they use less than 1/5 of the electricity of a traditional 150 watt reading light.

If making a decision to purchase this lamp, I would suggest that you base it upon your need or wish to have better clarity in visual work at night. It is not intended to add daylight to a room.

There are many cheaper Verilux look-alikes, but I wouldn't recommend these. There are serious complaints
that these fall apart in a year or two-- or fail to work from the beginning.

I bought this lamp and have owned it for all of two days. When I took it out of the box, it was immediately apparent that the quality of build is exceptional. This includes not only the plastic stock, the metal pole and the extra stout internal and external power cables, but also the superb packaging.

But, unfortunately, when I turn the light on, the issue surfaces: just as the Hawaiian reviewer below notes, the "natural" light is white, dim, and very directed to the area under the lamp. I am typing this review under the light, and find it uncomfortable to even see the keyboard. And I have perfect, eyeglassless vision. It is unnaturally white and glaring. Although it has two intensity levels, there is an odd, Twilight Zone glare to this light. I see nothing "natural" about it at all, and frankly, after using it for a couple hours last evening, I had a headache. I have another light by a different manufacturer that looks almost identical, but was 50% the price of this Verilux, and it casts a pleasing yellow glow that I find stellar for reading. I much prefer that light.

I may well use this Verilux in my bedroom reading chair because, admittedly, it will be good for directed light that is less likely to wake my wife than the more general cast of an incandescent bulb. And perhaps I will grow used to this freakish Verilux beam that makes me feel like I'm in a surgical suite about to have my tonsils out or something. But for now, high marks for structure, low marks for light. Agree with two stars of reviewer below, but added one star for the great construction and looks good with burl finish and detachable shelf. But if I can't read by the reading light, what good is it?

I was looking for a lamp to do my needlework without having all the lights on in the room and disturbing my husband. This is just what I was looking for. So much easier to see what I'm doing. The added bonus is the little tray!

I expected thiss light to solve my reading problems in my easy chair.
It does not.

The light covers too samll an area.

I have subsequently ordered a 42 watt lamp (versus this 27 watt)
Just isn't what I hoped it would be,

Bob

This light works just right for my quilting. It bends in a way that it does not bother other people in the same room.

This lighting itself is great. It's not that bright during daylight because it is the same spectrum as light coming in your window. However, at night it really brightens up the room. It's great on the eyes, and the shelf is a phenominal idea. Setup is very easy, and the lamp is very stable even on carpet.