Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I bought this for the first time along with a trusty Verilux HappyLight Liberty 10,000 LUX Light Therapy Energy Lamp because I couldn't decide between the two. I already own the Verilux HappyLight Energy Lamp 5000 for home but needed two for the office. But I didn't feel that they were bright enough though my sleep doctor said a minimum of 5,000 lux should be fine. My husband and I also need separate lamps for our home offices. While he has seasonal affective disorder, I have delayed sleep phased disorder. Unboxing the Aura, it wasn't what I expected. The main photo shows it at an angle so it looks as long and slim as the Verilux 10,000 lux. In fact, if you look at the second second photo, it is quite squat and wide. This wasn't as aesthetically pleasing as the Verilux but the Aura does look like what might happen if the Apple Store and a Star Wars droid had a baby. It's clean with no hard edges and pristine white with rounded edges. It's going to take a bit of room width-wise and it's almost like it's demanding to be seen as stylish. And it is a bit. Unlike the Verilux, it very handily comes with a timer that is across the button. Press down to the left of the power button on the minus sign and you'll get three options from 30 minutes and lower. Press down to the right of power button on the equal sign and you'll get three options going up from 40 minutes to an hour. This is VERY handy. I usually watch the time and sometimes forget how long I'm in front of the lamp. If I'm lucky, I'll remember to set a timer on my Apple watch or iPhone. As promised, the Aura light is very bright and white. The Verilux actually looked a bit more blue if you look at my attached photos. They were both pleasantly soft on the peripheral eye--a good thing since you'll need it 8-10" away from your face at the maximum setting to get that 10,000 lux---but the Aura is the one that's full spectrum that you'll want. It has a round knob on the right side you'll barely notice with which you can adjust the brightness. I saw about three different brightness settings when I rolled the knob round. Meanwhile, the Verilux only really come with two with a button you can push to either side of the power button. It comes with two lenses, the comfort one comes installed but there's an optional high energy lens. Still, the Verilux is only broad spectrum ("natural spectrum") which I've ready isn't as favorable as full spectrum for light therapy. I think they are both great and I definitely felt my energy levels were boosted using each one. However, the angle that the Aura slants took a little bit more real estate on my desk. Playing around with it and rereading the product description, I realized I could stand it straight up. Standing straight up, it takes up less. It's actually got the thinner profile but the stand protrudes a bit farther back than the Verilux does. The side-by-side comparison is interesting. See photos. In the end, the Aura wins because it's more innovative (a built-in timer, its own special Star Wars droid-like style, the little knob on the side). But if my toddler son had anything to do with my decision, I'd pick the Verilux because I know they can hold up to a proper thrashing. I'm not sure the Aura would...which is why I suggest it you keep it out of reach of small hands. Both are lightweight and easy to travel with but the Aura has universal voltage and the Verilux does not. Note: I forgot to mention that both lamps can be mounted on the wall. There is a small hole at the top back of the Aura to allow you to mount it like a picture frame.