Natural light lamps - real benefit or BS?

[slackerinabox]

I need a new desk lamp for reading/writing (books, not on the puter) and see these natural light lamps all over the place. Are they worth the extra money or is it all a scam?

Thanks!

 

[jiggahertz]

I don't know about natural lamps but I've started using natural light bulbs. I like them, not that much more money.

 

[Eli]

Nothing beats the light from a ~5500ºK bulb. Except the sun.

The difference is night and day.

 

[deejayshakur]

i'm bumping this up.

just got back from home depot with one of those energy-saving, natural light bulbs. what a difference! especially next to my grungy yellow bulbs. now the question is, how do the light bulbs differ from buying an actual "natural light lamp", which run upwards of $40. the light bulb was only $8 (which is by no means cheap for bulbs, but it's plug and play).

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: deejayshakur
i'm bumping this up.

just got back from home depot with one of those energy-saving, natural light bulbs. what a difference! especially next to my grungy yellow bulbs. now the question is, how do the light bulbs differ from buying an actual "natural light lamp", which run upwards of $40. the light bulb was only $8 (which is by no means cheap for bulbs, but it's plug and play).

Fluorescent? What's the color temperature?

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
I need a new desk lamp for reading/writing (books, not on the puter) and see these natural light lamps all over the place. Are they worth the extra money or is it all a scam?

Thanks!

I have been USING OTT-LIGHTS for atleast 13 years now. So, yes they do make a differance.

 

[ruffilb]

Originally posted by: Googer

Originally posted by: freedomsbeat212
I need a new desk lamp for reading/writing (books, not on the puter) and see these natural light lamps all over the place. Are they worth the extra money or is it all a scam?

Thanks!

I have been USING OTT-LIGHTS for atleast 13 years now. So, yes they do make a differance.

Link?

I'm getting a new desk setup, I need suggestions.

EDIT: PM me, please!

 

[deejayshakur]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe

Originally posted by: deejayshakur
i'm bumping this up.

just got back from home depot with one of those energy-saving, natural light bulbs. what a difference! especially next to my grungy yellow bulbs. now the question is, how do the light bulbs differ from buying an actual "natural light lamp", which run upwards of $40. the light bulb was only $8 (which is by no means cheap for bulbs, but it's plug and play).

Fluorescent? What's the color temperature?

yea, its a fluorescent spiral. no color temp rating on it...

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: deejayshakur

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe

Originally posted by: deejayshakur
i'm bumping this up.

just got back from home depot with one of those energy-saving, natural light bulbs. what a difference! especially next to my grungy yellow bulbs. now the question is, how do the light bulbs differ from buying an actual "natural light lamp", which run upwards of $40. the light bulb was only $8 (which is by no means cheap for bulbs, but it's plug and play).

Fluorescent? What's the color temperature?

yea, its a fluorescent spiral. no color temp rating on it...

robably just regular bluish fluorescent that makes your house look like an office!.

 

[Anonemous]

I dunno if it's a placebo effect or not, but the light sure is bright.

 

[StevenMara]

We got like 20 "natural light" fluorescent bulbs for where I used to work. They were the long tubes, like 3-4 feet or something. I don't remember exactly, but my boss said they were WAY expensive compared to normal fluorescents. I was the one that got to install them. I put them in my boss's office and in this room where a 2-3 secretary type people were. (This building is small, only about 10 people work here). There were no windows in either room, that's why we got the bulbs. We turned the lights on and they were extremely white. It was weird because you would go from that room right to the workshop (we didn't put new bulbs in there) and it was a HUGE difference. It was like there was red light shining in the workshop.

I quit a few days after putting the bulbs in, and I was in the workshop most of the time, so I can't say if they make you feel good. But there is definitely a difference in the color temperature.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: StevenMara
We got like 20 "natural light" fluorescent bulbs for where I used to work. They were the long tubes, like 3-4 feet or something. I don't remember exactly, but my boss said they were WAY expensive compared to normal fluorescents. I was the one that got to install them. I put them in my boss's office and in this room where a 2-3 secretary type people were. (This building is small, only about 10 people work here). There were no windows in either room, that's why we got the bulbs. We turned the lights on and they were extremely white. It was weird because you would go from that room right to the workshop (we didn't put new bulbs in there) and it was a HUGE difference. It was like there was red light shining in the workshop.

I quit a few days after putting the bulbs in, and I was in the workshop most of the time, so I can't say if they make you feel good. But there is definitely a difference in the color temperature.

They are MORE blue than regular fluorescents? How is that natural?

 

[StevenMara]

I didn't say anything about them being blue. The lights we got said something about being "natural light". More like natural sunlight. They were very white, and made the other lights look red.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: Eli
Nothing beats the light from a ~5500ºK bulb. Except the sun.

The difference is night and day.

Where can you get something with that temperature?

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: StevenMara
I didn't say anything about them being blue. The lights we got said something about being "natural light". More like natural sunlight. They were very white, and made the other lights look red.

Regular luorescent lights, that I assume the other room had, are bluer than sunlight. If the natural lights are supposed to emulate sunlight then regular fluorescent shold look bluish.

 

[spidey07]

Big difference.

I've got a nice little 20,000 K bulb. Talk about being blue.

AFAIK, most bulds are higher in temperature than natural sunlight - 6500K.

 

[Zenmervolt]

They make a big difference when you're reading or doing a lot of work where there's potential for glare and eyestrain. I'm a big fan of "full spectrum" or "natural light" bulbs

ZV

 

[StevenMara]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe

Originally posted by: StevenMara
I didn't say anything about them being blue. The lights we got said something about being "natural light". More like natural sunlight. They were very white, and made the other lights look red.

Regular luorescent lights, that I assume the other room had, are bluer than sunlight. If the natural lights are supposed to emulate sunlight then regular fluorescent shold look bluish.

Regular fluorescents are not bluer, in my opinion. The ones at work weren't, and I have 2 spiral ones in my room. I just tested them, and they give off a yellow/orange light. Same thing with my fish tank bulb.

 

[deejayshakur]

so how about some links to recommended bulbs/lamps/products that people have used.

 

[Cristatus]

Originally posted by: deejayshakur
so how about some links to recommended bulbs/lamps/products that people have used.

I guess nobody has any good literature on this . I'd be interested to actually read something about the differences if someone can actually find something interesting, can't be bothered to search, and about to go to sleep.

 

[0roo0roo]

seems wrong for night time though. you want warm glow not glaring sunlight. good for day office type lighting.

as for normal cheapies, yes they range in color temperature. the ikea one's i buy are generally warm enough. certainly not bluish. in the early days compact flourscents did have the problem of being harsh light sources.

 

[deejayshakur]

using my 75W output bulb as i type. i have 3 lamps coming off of a single post and two of them are using the soft white bulbs and the third is using the natural light bulb. huge difference when i put my books/papers/hand under each light. as far as what it will do to my circadian rhythm, i will find out. i'm usually at my desk reading for 8-10hr/night so the brighter light will make me less sleepy i think.

whoa..i just turned off the other two lamps and it feels pretty freaky...too blue and too dim. i'll have to experiment with multiple bulbs to get higher output. for now, i'll mix the soft white and natural light.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
seems wrong for night time though. you want warm glow not glaring sunlight. good for day office type lighting.

as for normal cheapies, yes they range in color temperature. the ikea one's i buy are generally warm enough. certainly not bluish. in the early days compact flourscents did have the problem of being harsh light sources.

6500 K is very "warm" as far as color temps are concerned.

-edit- guess I'm off. I'm used to TVs/monitors - where they are a blindingly 10K. Or my kick butt 250 watt metal halide lamp at 20K.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_temperature