Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I am a psychiatrist who not only recommends light therapy to many of my patients (both for seasonal mood changes and sleep disorders) but have used one off and on for the past 15 years. This "light therapy pad" is awful. I have owned/loaned/given many different lights over the years because I believe so strongly in the positive outcomes. I always instruct my patients and friends to make sure they get a light that emits 10,000 lux. any smaller and it doesn't work. Pros: It's small. It's relatively inexpensive. Cons: wow. Where do I start? The biggest issue for me is that the lights are LED (i didn't look closely enough before ordering) and you can't look directly at the light. It's extremely difficult not to look at it given that it needs to be 12-24 inches from your face in order for you to get the full effects of the light; and especially because it's so small that you have to have it practically in your face to even be "in" the light. None of the lights I've used over the years have been so harmful and seemed so LITTLE like actual sunlight. It also cannot be used to help you wake in the morning because of the functions on the light itself. For people who have difficulty waking and getting out of bed in the morning, I often recommend putting the light next to their bed on a household timer. If the timer is set to turn the light on an hour before your alarm, you wake when it turns on, sleep facing it, and are able to get out of bed MUCH more easily. I have seen success with this time and time again. Unfortunately this light is not compatable with a home/wall timer so cannot be used in this way. Those are the biggest issues and mine has been returned less than 48 hours after receiving it. I have never given a one star review to a product but can't bring myself to give it two stars. Most lights are more expensive than this, but it is well worth spending the extra money for a true light therapy lamp.