Sun Touch Plus Light and Ion Therapy

October Update: I purchased this in 2009. Have it 11 years now.Quick update: This past summer was horribly hot/humid. Did not spend much time outdoors at all.Went a few years without using it as I'd spent significant time outdoors in spring/summer.Started using again a few days ago because I started having trouble sleeping. Reset my circadian rhythm quickly. I'm using it now 30 minutes per day. I spent a lot more for it in 2009, the price they have now is a 1/3 of what I paid! Highly recommend!I purchased the NatureBright SunTouch Plus in the winter. After 4 days, I felt better. More energy, improved mood, less anxiety and it even alleviated my backpain, which I think was associated with the the endorphins kicking in.I hadn't used it since April, and this summer had been unusually hot and humid, so I have not spent enough time outdoors in the sunshine.I'd begun having trouble sleeping and feeling a bit "low", and decided to turn on my Lightbox in the morning while having breakfast.It started to work for me this time on the FIRST DAY. I've been using it now for 2 weeks, and have been feeling great ever since. I'm sleeping better, even dreaming better. It's amazing.I never knew that there was a Spring/summer type of SAD, but it makes sense, especially if you can not get outside during the warmer months, as was the case with me this year.This lightbox is very helpful in alleviating the symptoms of not only depression, but anxiety and pain as well. The three can go together, so it only makes sense that if you get rid of one symptom, the others will also be removed.I am going to use my lightbox year round. It only takes 15-30 minutes per day for me, and what better way to start the day and feel great?Highly recommend this particular lightbox.I also love the feature that the LightBox has for the Ions. It's a springlike smell, kind of sweet. Sometimes, I sleep with the Ions on at night. Especially with the Air Conditioners on in this heat, it's nice to still be able to "smell" the outside....it's a nice smell.-------- UPDATE--------It's now October. I've been using my lightbox since the summer, when I had the backpain. I'm more energized than ever, and even hiked twice in the last week, 3 hours each time. My energy levels are wonderful, I'm sleeping real well, and I wake up feeling GOOD.This light works for so many different things, from pain to depression, and even anxiety. I would recommend if you have any of the above, use it all year round.I don't know, but I like the ionizer smell. It is a sweet smell, just like the first days of spring, when you can catch a whiff of that "certain something" in the air? It is not a chemical smell, but a sweet, spring like smell. I love it:)--------UPDATE--------It's December of 2011. Have been using my Lightbox to keep the low mood from coming back, and I continue to get benefits. I use this twice daily in winter, 15 min in the a.m., 15 in the early evening. Twice weekly, I will do a 30 minute morning session, to make sure things stay on track. I've read that it's alright to use year round, for those who don't want to get off track (say during spring, summer, and then forget and get unmotivated to start using their box again.) I find using it every day and staying in the routine works well for me.

*Please note - I paid full retail for this. I did not receive a discount for this review*I am new to the light therapy way of thinking. I have several medical problems including Fibro, Chronic Fatique, and Arthritis. The worst part for me in all of this is the sheer exhaustion I feel every day. Friends have fallen by the wayside because they don't understand why I can't just get up and shake it off. If I hear one more person say to me, "just get up. You won't feel like it, but you have to make yourself. It's mind over matter."Since I have tried many therapies, all to no avail, I decided to look into more unconventional therapies and avenues. I started with Binaural Beats, and decided to augment that with light. I know this is a review of just the light, but it's worth mentioning that using free apps I downloaded some basic binaurals, and there is a definite, if subtle, difference. If you are purchasing this light, I would absolutely recommend trying it with the beats.The light arrived quickly, two day shipping from Prime.I spent about a day and a half researching before choosing the NatureBright SunTouch Plus. I really wanted the alarm clock light that mimics the sunrise. But what it came down to for me was the value for my money. Although the clock lights say that the light is bright and it is enough, in reviewing the customer images I picked up on the fact that the light really only covered their faces at a bare minimum. It appeared to me that you would have to be sitting 'just so' to get that limited light field only on your face, and that staying for 30 minutes in the positions shown might be uncomfortable. Yes, it's true that this NatureBright does't have the dimming sunset and bright sunrise effects to wake/sleep to. However it is notably less expensive and more notably very large. In comparing the two technologies, giving up the automatic feature to have a much larger light that I have to physically turn on didn't seem like that much of a trade-off.So the packaging was nice and sturdy. The light itself is cased in a plastic housing that kind of makes the light look and feel inexpensive. The closest I can describe the size is this; have you ever had or seen the Conair (or any brand) lighted make up mirror? The one that is tri fold? This NatureBright light looks just like that without the side mirrors. So the light area itself is about the size of a piece of notebook paper.This light is incredibly BRIGHT! (I will most likely use it as a light by my vanity mirror for applying my eye makeup) I like the fact that I can turn it on and then focus on other things for the 15-30 minute sessions. The light wraps around my face even though it is sitting off to the side. To start my day I will grab my latte, my phone and headphones, and the NatureBright. Then I will but on some Binaural Beats for energy and healing, pop in my headphones, and use the first session as a sort of meditation. I have only had the light 2 days, but I can definitely tell a difference already. I look forward to getting up now instead of dreading having to drag myself out the door.I find this odd as I am definitely not into hippy-dippy stuff or meditation or any of that, but I love love love this light. Light therapy itself has been around for quite a while, mainly for SAD patients (Seasonal Affect Disorder) and to reset our internal clocks. More and more research has recently suggested that the light therapy is great for many other ailments than they first thought, mainly the pain of Fibro. I cannot and will not debate the validity of the research, however I can definitely say that in only 2 days, it has had an effect on me.In researching this product, I kept reading all of the reviews and getting more and more confused. So I will try to make mine as straightforward and unambiguous as possible:Pros:Light surface area is huge.The brightness is amazing.You don't have to contort into one position, light is bright and big enough to sit naturally and get other things done.Doesn't get hot. (after 30 minute session I can touch, move, hold the light and it's just warm)Nicely packaged and doesn't look bad should you choose to leave it out, it won't detract from your aestheticClaims that this light will improve mood and energy - I have found them to be valid for meReasonable costControls are located on the top and are VERY user friendly.Time function so you can set your session to 15 minute intervals.I would definitely recommend to anyone considering a light therapy purchase, especially if you are comparing to the clocks. If you are unsure, look at the customer images for the clocks and notice how the light only shines bright on a small area so for it to be effective you would have to stay in 1 position for 30-45 min.I didn't mention the negative ion feature in this review as I don't feel like I understand that therapy enough to determine if it works. If I feel later that it has an impact I will amend my review to include that.