Dyson Lightcycle is a smart desk lamp (review)

The Dyson Lightcycle is a unique type of task lighting that intelligently tracks things light time of day, location, ambient light, movement and even compensates for older and rheumy eyes.

Is it any good? To answer the question, you should not ask what it costs ($799, yes, for a desk lamp) and looks vaguely like a cross between a draftsman’s T-square glider ruler and an ultra-modern Objet d’art. The answer is that I could not consider anything else – it is perfect.

There is a lot of science in this, and you need to understand it before you rush out and buy something you never knew you needed.

What is task lighting?

Task lighting helps perform a specific task better. A jeweller, dentist or doctor has an articulated magnifying glass/lamp for close work. Most ‘repairers’ need increased light levels over the typical 400 lux overhead office light.

A worker who sits in front of monitors needs task lighting. Why? It bathes the workspace with warm, flicker-free light, far better than 400-lumen fluorescent lighting.

Dyson Lightcycle

Website	Product page
Price	$799 with free shipping
From	Retailers including Harvey Norman, The Good Guys, JB Hi-Fi, Bing Lee, Myer and David Jones
Colour	Black/Black or White/Silver
Country of manufacture	Malaysia
Warranty	5-year parts and labour ACL warranty including transport costs both ways
Company	Dyson is a British company that employs more than 14,000 people and 6,000 engineers who constantly look for better ways. Its core technologies and patents revolve around cyclonic and Coandă air movement (like the multiplier effect of the purifier), high-performance batteries, high-RPM DC motors (like the fan in the purifier), machine learning and AI (used in the Dyson App) and its hair labs for the Dyson Supersonic, Airwrap and Corrale straightener.
More	CyberShack Dyson news and reviews

Dyson Lightcycle task light solves these problems

According to Jake Dyson, he set out to make a light that

• Adjusts to ambient light levels to keep a constant light level. It changes from 100-1000 lumens.
• Emulates the outdoor light (natural) temperature during the day (necessary for the body’s circadian clock). Needs app to access global light and weather data.
• Dual LEDs to colour tune light from 2700-6500K (warm to cool)
• Lasts up to 60 years (typical LEDs tend to burn out in 5-10 years).
• Low or no light flicker
• Blue light control for circadian cycles
• Uses a balanced, height adjustable and swivelling arm to adjust light delivery

Who would have thought that there was so much science behind a light?

I have been using it now for quite a while. It is one thing that will be with me forever – it is that good.

It beats the hell out of so-called LED task lighting, and its adjustable arm and conical light pattern means I can direct light to where I need it. It is excellent with computer monitors as it does not produce any glare.

In the box

• A substantial base that allows 360° rotation of the upright arm
• The 3-axis glide upright arm/pully mechanism with a USB-C port for USB-PD 2.0 5V/1.5A (7.5W) charging
• A 24V/1.25A 30W power supply with a long cable
• The light arm with six CSYS LEDs, a location sensor, BT and tonnes of electronics, including a 32-bit processor

Assembly is simple and requires no tools. You can mount the light arm left or right, and it is a precision device with effortless adjustment.

Setup

• Download the Dyson Link app for Android (tested) or iOS (same as for its other products)
• Pair the Dyson Lightcycle light to the phone by BT (and by inference, the internet for firmware and weather/light updates)
• Input your age to help it compensate for Arcus Senilis (yellowing of the eye’s lens and cornea)
• Activate IR motion detection (if you wish – I found it handy as it turns off if I am away)
• Activate schedules (if you wish) to turn the light on/off automatically. As the light lasts 60 years and uses little power (up to 10W at most – typically below 5W), you can leave it on for a long time!

Handy pre-sets

• Study mode exceeds recommended light levels while adjusting colour temperature over the day from 3,600 to 5,200°K. So, you work or study under the correct type of light for the time of day.
• Relax mode provides light at the warm end of the spectrum (2,900 Kelvin), with low intensity, which is still bright enough for reading. No blue light means you are ready to sleep too.
• Precision mode improves visual acuity by using high-intensity light with a cooler (4,600° K) temperature. Importantly it achieves a high colour rendering index of over 90Ra, displaying colours very close to daylight.
• The Boost mode is for tasks that need maximum brightness for up to 20 minutes.
• There are wake-up and sleep modes. The latter deactivates the motion sensor and lower light intensity and colour.

60-year light – the secret is a vapour heat exchanger

Life is based on LED-life calculation using L70 measurement, IEC 62717. That means 70% output (700 lumens) for 8 hours a day (about 175,000 hours).

The problem with LEDs is that they generate a lot of heat, meaning a life of around ten years (20000 hours), with colours getting progressively cooler (bluer).

Dyson Lightcycle uses a vapour chamber principle that you find in some flagship smartphones. A vacuum-sealed copper tube draws heat away. Inside, a drop of water evaporates, dissipating heat along the pipe as it condenses before returning to the LEDs by capillary action. It provides a non-stop, energy-free cooling cycle. And. It is effective – you can touch the LED head, and it is cool!

The CSYS LED is custom made for Dyson and first seen in its commercial lighting and later its original task lamp.

Dyson claims its light tacking (colour and intensity) will be delivered at the same colour and brightness over its lifetime.

Using the Dyson Lightcycle

I use it for about eight hours during the day and whenever I work at night. It provides perfect, glare-free, easy-on-the-eye light at all times.

At night it automatically warms the light temperature reducing blue light. That is great because my melatonin levels are high enough to get to sleep quickly when I go to bed.

It is now mid-afternoon, and the light is very different from the night. It started bright and cool and has lowered its intensity to match the outside ambient light over time. When I walk outside to the balcony, there is no disconcerting jarring – the light inside is as natural as outside.

I forgot to mention its motion-activated, or you can tap the top to turn it on and swipe to increase/decrease light levels.

CyberShack’s view – Dyson Lightcycle works

If you can get over the $799 price, this is the ultimate perfect task light that automatically adjusts for time of day, age, and much more.

Depending on budget, you could put a pair beside your bed, but somehow the design is more in keeping with office/study use. I would not mind one near the couch where I occasionally read a book.

It is an over-engineered, minimalist design – a classic keeper and what I expect from Dyson. It appeals to the inner geek with a wallet to match. And it is a perfect gift for a person who has everything because they will not have this – yet.