Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Okay, call me a slow learner. I've brought 5 of these lamps. Primarily because my wife has a real problem with seasonal affective disorder and the "natural" light of these lamps does seem to help. I've purchased from four different manufactures ranging in price from around $50.00 to well over $100.00. Despite them coming from different manufactures they have all been carbon copies with the exception of slight cosmetic differences which makes me think they all came from the same plant in China. I've also purchased a couple of replacement bulbs that I've only been able to use to check to see it the lamp was really dead. Yep, they were really dead. Each lamp has lasted from three days to three years. If they all lasted three years perhaps it would be worth the investment...but they don't. The problem is that the odd little ballast they use just doesn't seem to last. What is more concerning is that on a couple of occasions the ballast (which is in the base of the lamp) has melted through the plastic cover on the base. On a floor lamp this seems to me to be a bad thing. I don't know what the ignition point of carpeting is compared to plastic but it certainly gave me the jitters. I have put a small asbestos pad under the lamp after the first incident...not really much of a fashion statement but I'd rather be a hick than a crispy critter. It is possible to buy replacement ballasts for these lamps....at just slightly less than the price of the whole lamp. In summary, a very good idea and they provide the kind of lighting they advertise....but they're not quite ready for prime time.