Table of Contents
Expert review
Positives
- Attractive design
- Light and portable
- Precisely adjustable brightness
Disadvantages
- Non-adjustable angle
- Duration
Our verdict
The Dash is a designer LED SAD lamp that is light and compact. You can minutely adjust the brightness, but unfortunately not the angle of the light itself. If you could do that, it would be a more or less perfect device.
Price upon review
Not available in the US
SAD lights can help those suffering from seasonal affective disorder boost their energy and mood during the winter months. If you experience a recession during the winter months, even if you have not been diagnosed with SAD, a SAD lamp or light box can help.
That’s because our body clock is set to follow the natural cycle of light and dark, and most of our body processes – most obviously our sleep cycle, but also our intestines, lungs, liver and pancreas – have a circadian rhythm that is disrupted by fewer hours of sleep. light in winter, and generally less bright light.
A SAD lamp can help alleviate this disturbance. But you won’t get the same effect with a regular lamp. SAD lamps imitate the light from outside and have a brightness of 10,000 lux.
In this review we look at the latest release from specialist brand Lumie: the Lumie Dash.
You can compare it with other Lumie models in our overview of the best SAD lamps we tested.
Design and construction
- Compact built
- Light at only 415 g
- Two color options
In previous years, light boxes were bulky, bulky devices – difficult to find space for and far from design-driven.
The Dash is the antithesis of these old models. It is compact and has approximately the same size and shape as a travel mirror or a table tennis bat. The lamp itself has a diameter of approximately 16 cm and stands on a base of 8.5 x 6.5 cm.
It has a very cute design. The Dash wouldn’t look out of place on a very carefully curated social media feed.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Its size and weight make it portable, compact and easy to place on your desk or table. It weighs only 415g, 50g less than a can of beans. However, you must have it connected before use.
The Dash wouldn’t look out of place on a very carefully curated social media feed
The Dash is available in two colors: pistachio white and terracotta pink, the latter of which we tested. You can compare color options at the John Lewis website.
Performance and features
- Minutely adjustable brightness
- Angle of lamp not adjustable
- Touch panel operation
The Dash is easy to set up: all you have to do is plug it in. Operation is just as simple. There are highly responsive touch panels built seamlessly into the base. By lightly touching or pressing and holding the – and + symbols, you can turn it on and off and finely adjust the brightness.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
To use the Dash, Lumie recommends placing it in front of you, about an arm’s length away, so that the light can reach your eyes directly.
Try to use it for half an hour a day. The best time to use it is in the morning, but it can also help you recover from the post-lunch slump.
I have not been diagnosed with SAD, so I cannot comment on the therapeutic effects of this or any other SAD lamps. However, I experience a setback during the winter months and I have enjoyed using the Dash.
The Dash delivers 10,000 lux and has a CRI (color rendering index) rating of 95+, meaning it displays colors extremely accurately compared to natural daylight. A CRI of more than 90 is considered excellent.
However, for drawing or crafting it won’t be as useful as the comparable Lumie Task lamp (read our review), as you can’t adjust the angle of the Dash and therefore can’t point it at work. on your desk.
The Dash is mounted at an angle of approximately 65° to the horizontal so that the front points towards you, which is ideal for letting the light hit your eyes wherever you stand. But that does limit its usefulness for other jobs.
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
Emma Rowley / Foundry
However, it can also double as a light to illuminate your face during video calls.
Price and availability
The Dash is not currently on sale in the US, while other Lumie models are. At Lumie you can browse through the available SAD lamps.
In the UK the Dash costs £179. It is available by John Lewis and from Lumie.
If you, or the person you are purchasing the product for, has been diagnosed with seasonal affective disorder and the Dash is intended for personal or domestic use, you can claim VAT exemption on the product.
In this case it is better to buy directly from Lumie where you will see the VAT free option on the page. Select that, and the Dash will cost you just £149.17.
But even with this discount, there is no denying that it is an expensive product. Lumie does have cheaper models: including the Vitamin L and Zest. You can read more about it in our overview of the best Lumie SAD lamps.
Should you buy the Lumie Dash?
The Dash has a TikTok-worthy design, is small, light, portable and the brightness is adjustable to some extent. If you need a SAD lamp, this is certainly one of the most convenient and attractive options. But it is expensive, especially for a single-use device.