(Bloomberg) -- Most lamps that aim to combat seasonal affective disorder have a clinical quality to their designs. Their light, likewise, can shine with an intensity that’s ill-advised unless used under the supervision of a doctor. Although it’s not a cure for diagnosed cases, the Mr. N table lamp casts light that’s roughly equivalent to a 40-watt, 500-lumen incandescent bulb—allowing it to brighten without blinding. Designed by Peter Ng as part of his “safer, simpler, greener” Koncept line, the $150 semicircular light provides the daylight-mimicking benefits that help decrease levels of daytime melatonin (the hormone that peaks at night to regulate sleep cycles) to offset the effects of prolonged exposure to dim or no light. 

THE COMPETITION

• About the size of a small tablet—5.25 inches high and 7.5 inches long—the $250 Aurora LightPad Mini has an adjustable stand that can prop up the light anywhere.  

• At 11.7 by 7.5 inches, the $100 HappyLight Luxe tilts to change position and has four brightness and three color temperature settings.

• Dyson has begun offering a $900 motion-sensing Lightcycle lamp that simulates daylight, self-adjusts to the daylight where you live, and reduces eyestrain.

THE CASE

With its diminutive 4.5-inch-wide, 7.5-inch-tall footprint and curved shape, the Mr. N table lamp handsomely brightens any nook in need of a pick-me-up. Touch-sensitive aluminum strips in black or silver on the bottom dim and switch the LEDs on or off. Diffused by a seamless plastic panel, the bulbs cast a warm light in all directions, which provides just enough of a lift when those weeks of isolation officially start to drag, making this award-winning lamp one of the smartest ways to beat the indoor blues. $150 

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