Light therapy Sunrise

BlueMax 320 Sunrise System Bluemax is a little different than the other companies offering sunrise alarm clocks. The Bluemax Sunrise System (model 320) is the only light clock designed to be used for SAD light therapy. It puts out 10,000 lux of light, which is the standard used in light therapy.

Bluemax Lighting is reported to have great customer service, and has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. They focus on light therapy products, and the sunrise clocks are only a small part of what they offer.

Bluemax's most recent sunrise clock is the Sunrise System Model 320. They also offer two older models, the 200 and 250 (identical, except the 250 includes an MP3 player.) These older models are a different design than the 320, have some known issues, and are not set up for light therapy. For the price you'll pay for these, we recommend avoiding the older models, and either going for the 320, or one of the other brands.

(Update Feb. 2012) Amazon has stopped selling BlueMax-labeled lamps, however, individual sellers are still carrying the same product. Without the BlueMax label, it can be a bit difficult to find these on Amazon, so I've listed those that I've been able to find below. I've listed them in order from least to most expensive (as of 2/16/12), however, Amazon prices are subject to change at any time, so please double check to make sure you're getting the best deal. (You may also want to check the average shipping time and the seller's reputation.)

Concerns (Model 320)

Nothing's perfect. Here are issues that I, or other users, have noticed with these clocks.
- Replacing the light: From user comments on Amazon, it does NOT appear possible to change the light bulbs in the 320. This is a major concern, because once the lightbulbs burn out, the clock becomes worthless.

- Alarm Buzzer: The audible alarm is a simple buzzer, with no sound choices.

- Odd Snooze Function: If you press the snooze button before the clock has reached full brightness, it will turn the light off, and gradually brighten it in the remaining time. (For example, if you hit snooze 5 minutes before the alarm goes off, it will go back to dark, then gradually brighten to full brightness over the remaining five minutes.)

But, if you hit snooze after the light has reached full brightness, the light is turned off and will NOT turn back on. The alarm will sound after 9 minutes of snoozing.

Features (Model 320)

- Clockface can be Dimmed: The 320 allows you to select the brightness of the clockface. You can select to have the backlight always off, always dim, always bright, full brightness for 5 seconds after a button is pressed followed by always off, or always dim. I really like the option to turn off the clockface, as the extra light can be distracting when you need to sleep.

- Light Therapy: With 10,000 lux of brightness, this is the only sunrise clock that can also be used for light therapy if you suffer from winter depression.

- Select Dusk/Dawn Duration: You choose how long the clock takes to reach full brightness or full darkness, up to 90 minutes in 10 minute incremements.

- 7 Day Alarm: You can set a different wake up time for each day of the week.

- Snooze: Reset the alarm to get more sleep. If pressed before the alarm, the light will go out and gradually brighten during the remaining time. If pressed after the alarm goes off, the light will turn off and the buzzer will sound in 9 minutes.

- Clock Memory: The clock will remember its settings for a brief period of time (about 10 minutes) if the electricity goes out.

- Backup Audible Alarm: Optional audio alarm (beeping), in case you sleep through the light. You can select the volume of the alarm.

- Security Lighting: When set to "security mode", the light turns itself on and off randomly during the day/night, to give the illusion that somebody is home.

- Nightlight: You can choose to have a very dim light remain on throughout the night.

- Energy Saving: Uses an energy efficient 10w bulb.

- 3 Cords for Travel: This alarm includes cords for use in the US, EU and UK