Verilux HappyEyes Floor Lamp
Company: Verilux
Price: $139.95
WHO NEEDS EYE STRAIN? NOBODY!
Most of us spend hours and hours at our computers, with much of it during night time. Conventional incandescent or fluorescent bulbs and lamps are inadequate for most extended after-dark computer work, due to the stressful lighting imbalance between a computer screen and a light bulb. Halogen bulbs are worse, because of their focused intensity.
What is a MacPerson to do when s/he wants to see the physical desktop without squinting at a computer desktop? Many of us cannot afford bright digital flat panel displays, or are otherwise happy with our legacy CRT monitors. My iMac’s humble screen is great day and night, but only when ambient illumination is optimized.
My office desk is a former dining table, with plenty of sprawl space for legal pads, office supplies, Book Bytes review titles, and software packaging, all in addition to an iMac, multi-function printer, and speakers. An ideal lamp would provide clear, even illumination, be easy to maneuver, and be stylish enough to elicit a “Whazzat?” from style-conscious visitors to Nemoland.
When I told Barbara, my outspoken wife, I was expecting a new review lamp to arrive soon, she said: “Why do you need another lamp, John?! Aren’t you happy with that funny looking desk lamp you got after Macworld last January?” Well, yes, but this new one, the HappyEyes, is a FLOOR LAMP that can also be used as a desk lamp, sweetheart.
The UPS carton from Verilux arrived at dusk yesterday, and I could barely wait for night to arrive before testing it. The lamp’s weight is moderate, but substantial, at 13 pounds. It stands at 54″ high maximum, and its flexible neck facilitates easy positioning for use at a desk or chair. Color choice is simple, at an attractive off-white.
Straightforward instructions helped me insert the special bulb, and I was ready for a test drive. I plugged in the lamp next to Barbara’s reading chair, and pressed the LOW on position. Bright! Then I pressed the HIGH on position. Brighter! (It’s one small no-brainer switch with LOW on one side, OFF in the center, and HIGH on the other side).
Barbara sat down, moved the lamp head to a comfortable distance, and decided LOW was plenty of light for single-source reading. Two hours later I asked her for an opinion on the HappyEyes. Response: “Oh. I forgot it was here, John. The light is so natural and even, and the bulb is very cool. Do you think you can get another one for your office, so I can keep this one here in the living room?” Hmmm. I’m not sure that’s part of the deal.
The 27 watt FML bulb is the latest in a decades-long pioneering effort by Verilux, Inc., The Healthy Lighting Company. They are known for their full-spectrum bulbs, which bring daylight-quality illumination indoors.
Why pay over $100 for a new HappyEyes lamp when you can purchase a generic substitute at Target for a lot less $$$? (The Verilux desk lamp costs $139.95, and is very similar to the taller floor model.) Consider:
Just for fun, let’s see where we can purchase HappyEyes lamps online. First, I click on the WHERE TO BUY link at the top of the Verilux web page. No help here, because the page is under construction (it should be working soon).
Then I go to Ask Jeeves, type in: “What is the price of a HappyEyes floor lamp?”, and click on the ASK link. I scroll down and click on the link for The Healthy Lighting Catalog, which takes me to the Healthy Lighting Catalog site, where I can place my order. Good searching, Nemo.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
I “borrowed” HappyEyes when Barbara made a long phone call, and found this lamp to be precisely what I needed at my dining table desk. It’s not as flexible as the aforementioned Ott-Lite Vision Saver, but it’s brighter, more versatile, and easier to move around the office and house. It’s easy to RECOMMEND the HappyEyes lamps as being well worth their substantial cost.
I was halfway through a new Book Bytes review when a voice came over the intercom. “Where did you take it?!,” Barbara asked. Oops. She noticed it was missing, so I brought it back from my home office.
Our new Verilux floor lamp may eventually leave the living room, but I suspect its next destination is Barbara’s study, not my office. Check back with me in a year to see how we settled the matter.
Our collaborative Nemo family rating is:
MacMice Rating: 5 out of 5
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