DAYARC is a new UK circadian rhythm startup. We make two bright-light lamps for the morning, DAYARC Rise (£199) and DAYARC Mini (£49.99), we publish plain specifications that include the measuring distance, and we make no medical claims. That is the short answer. The longer one covers what we believe, what we make and do not make, how we read the evidence, and how ordering from us works.
What is DAYARC?
DAYARC is a brand built around circadian rhythm and the everyday routines that support it. Your circadian rhythm is the internal, roughly 24-hour cycle that times alertness, sleepiness and the rise and fall of melatonin, the hormone that signals night.
Light does more than help you see. It is one of the signals your body uses to tell the time. Bright morning light tends to shift the body clock earlier; bright late-evening light tends to push it later. Our introduction to light and your daily rhythm covers this without jargon.
Our tagline is "Good days. Begin here." It says where we think a good day starts: in the first hour after waking, with a routine you can repeat.
What does DAYARC believe?
Three things.
- Light is a time signal. Bright morning light is the clearest cue a body clock gets. In a UK winter, with sunrise after 08:00 across much of the country from December into early January, it often arrives after you have left the house.
- The morning is where a routine starts. A lamp used at the same table, at the same time, for 20 or 30 minutes beats a clever one that ends up in a cupboard.
- Specifications should be plain and include the distance. A lamp only delivers its rated lux at its rated distance, so a lux figure alone tells you little. We state both, every time.
How those beliefs shaped the hardware is the subject of why DAYARC lamps are built the way they are; the short version is on our approach page.
What does DAYARC make?
Two lamps, and nothing else. Lux is a measure of how much light lands on a surface, in this case your face; 10,000 lux is the figure used in most research on light boxes.
| Specification | DAYARC Rise | DAYARC Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £199 | £49.99 |
| Rated output | 10,000 lux at approximately 30–36 cm | 10,000 lux at approximately 25 cm |
| Brightness settings | Four | One |
| Timer | 15, 30, 45 or 60 minutes, auto-off | None (use a phone timer) |
| LEDs | 4,000 K white, UV-free | 3,000 K warm-white, UV-free |
| Panel size | Roughly 40 × 33 cm | Roughly 23 × 13 cm |
| Positioning | Adjustable height and angle | Folding stand; doubles as a cover |
| Power and weight | Mains; roughly 3.4 kg | Mains, no battery; roughly 0.7 kg |
Rise is for a regular place at home, a kitchen table or desk where you sit most mornings. Mini is for smaller spaces and mornings away. DAYARC Rise vs DAYARC Mini walks through the choice, or you can compare the two lamps.
What does DAYARC not do?
What we left out is as deliberate as what we built.
- No medical claims. We do not claim our lamps treat, cure or prevent anything. They are consumer wellbeing products, described by their specifications.
- No apps. A morning routine should not depend on a phone, a login or a software update.
- No batteries. A 10,000 lux panel draws more power than a small battery could sensibly supply every morning, so both lamps run from the mains.
- No UV. Both lamps use UV-free LEDs. They do not tan skin and do not make vitamin D.
- No sunrise alarm, no red light. A sunrise alarm clock is a gentle wake-up light, not a 10,000 lux lamp; red-light devices are aimed at the skin. We make neither.
How does DAYARC talk about the evidence?
With the research as the subject of the sentence, not our lamps.
Bright light therapy is used for seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression that comes and goes with the seasons. The NHS page on SAD lists light therapy alongside talking therapies and antidepressants, and says 10,000 lux is standard and to choose a UV-free lamp. It notes that light therapy is not usually available on the NHS because there is not enough evidence that it is effective, though many people find it helps their symptoms.
The research is encouraging rather than settled. A 2020 meta-analysis by Pjrek and colleagues pooled 19 randomised controlled trials, about 610 participants, and found bright light therapy modestly better than placebo or dim-light controls. The authors noted variation between studies, a risk of bias and the need for larger trials. An earlier review by Golden and colleagues (2005) found effect sizes comparable to those in antidepressant trials, from mostly small studies.
None of that is a claim about our lamps, which we describe by what they are. We go through the studies in do SAD lamps work?
How does ordering from DAYARC work?
Both lamps are in stock in the UK. In practice:
- Payment and timing. Payment is taken in full when you order. Orders are dispatched within 2 working days, with tracking sent by email.
- Cancelling. You can cancel before dispatch for a full refund to your original payment method; because we dispatch quickly, contact us straight away.
- Delivery. Standard UK delivery is £3.95, free when the subtotal after discounts is £75 or more, so Rise ships free and a single Mini does not. Tracking is sent at dispatch.
- Returns. Tell us within 30 days of delivery, then send the item back within 14 days, complete and handled only as needed to assess it. You pay change-of-mind return postage; we cover reasonable return costs for faulty or incorrect items. The legal minimum on GOV.UK is 14 days; ours is longer.
- Warranty. One year from delivery, covering manufacturing defects but not accidental damage, misuse or normal wear.
The step-by-step version is in ordering a DAYARC lamp: what happens next, and the policies are on our help page. To cancel or return, contact us with your order number.
What is the DAYARC Journal for?
The Journal answers the questions people type into a search box: what 10,000 lux means, how far to sit, when to start in the UK. We cite the NHS, Mind, Age UK, GOV.UK and peer-reviewed research, give UK sunrise times rather than vague talk of "dark mornings", and say when the evidence is thin.
Bright light is not suitable for everyone; check with a GP if you have an eye condition, bipolar disorder or take medicines that increase light sensitivity. Persistent low mood is a reason to see a GP, not to buy a lamp.
Frequently asked questions
What is DAYARC?
A new UK circadian rhythm startup that makes two bright-light lamps, DAYARC Rise (£199) and DAYARC Mini (£49.99), and writes the DAYARC Journal about morning light routines.
Where is DAYARC based?
In the UK. Prices are in pounds sterling, both lamps are in stock in the UK, and delivery destinations are shown at checkout.
Are DAYARC lamps medical equipment?
No. They are consumer wellbeing products, described by their specifications rather than by claims about any condition.
What does circadian rhythm mean?
The internal, roughly 24-hour cycle that times sleep, alertness and hormone release. Light reaching the eyes is the main signal that keeps it in step with the day outside.
Is DAYARC a genuine UK company?
Yes. DAYARC is a UK store selling two lamps from UK stock, dispatched within 2 working days, with 30-day returns, a one-year warranty and a contact page for questions.
Where does this leave you?
If you want a full-size lamp for one fixed spot at home, DAYARC Rise is the one to look at. If your mornings happen in a small room or on the move, DAYARC Mini is the compact option. The Journal is free to read whether or not you ever buy from us.
About DAYARC
DAYARC is a new UK circadian rhythm startup. We make two bright-light lamps for the morning: DAYARC Rise (£199), a full-size lamp rated at 10,000 lux at approximately 30–36 cm, with four brightness settings, a 15 to 60-minute timer and adjustable height and angle; and DAYARC Mini (£49.99), a compact lamp rated at 10,000 lux at approximately 25 cm, with a folding stand that doubles as its cover. Both use UV-free LEDs and run from the mains. We publish plain specifications with the measuring distance, we do not make medical claims, and we write the DAYARC Journal to help people build a simple morning light routine around their own daily rhythm. Both lamps are in stock in the UK and dispatched within 2 working days. You can read more about how we think on our approach page or compare the two lamps.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Check with a GP or qualified healthcare professional before using bright light if you have an eye condition, a condition affected by bright light such as bipolar disorder, or take medicines that increase your sensitivity to light. If you have persistent low mood or think you may have depression, speak to your GP. If you need urgent help, contact NHS 111, or call 999 in an emergency.
Sources
- NHS: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
- Pjrek et al. (2020), Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics: meta-analysis of bright light therapy for SAD
- Golden et al. (2005), American Journal of Psychiatry: review of light therapy for mood disorders
- GOV.UK: Accepting returns and giving refunds
- DAYARC Rise product page (specifications)
- DAYARC Mini product page (specifications)
- DAYARC help page (ordering, delivery, returns and warranty)
- DAYARC: our approach