Well, it looks like Dyson's set on revolutionising the lighting industry the way it did with the previously dated world of vacuum cleaners. Seriously, if the company can make something as mundane as a vacuum cleaner look sexy (and with impressive performance to match), there's no stopping Dyson from giving your table/floor lamp a radical makeover.
Now the company's foray into lighting began with the launch of the Lightcycle desk lamp in May, 2019 (psst... you can see our review here). Yet barely a year after that Dyson quickly followed up with an amp-ed up newer iteration of the desk lamp as well as a floor lamp version.
The Dyson Lightcycle Morph was officially released on 1st October, 2020, but Home & Decor was given the rare opportunity to try out the lamp before anyone else. Here now, are the 10 things we are most impressed with about the lamp, and why it is worth the somewhat-staggering investment of $799 for the desk variant, and $1,199 for the floor variant.
3-POINT REVOLVE MOTION
One of the most significant upgrades of the Dyson Lightcycle Morph is the 3-point revolve motion, which allows the Intelligent Optical Head to extend much further than before, successfully achieving 360° manoeuvrability. This is crucial, because with version 1 of the Lightcycle, the source of the light could only be moved on a vertical and horizontal axis, which limited the distance and angles where light could be directed towards. Keep this point in mind, because you'll see in a while how this little tweak can change up the entire game for this nifty-looking lamp.
2. TRACKS NATURAL DAYLIGHT
Using Dyson’s unique Daylight Tracking algorithm and 3 warm, 3 cool LEDs, the Dyson Lightcycle Morph continually adjusts its colour temperature and brightness in relation to local daylight, providing the right light for the time of day depending on the user’s location. Now you may be wondering about the point of having a lamp that can simulate natural light throughout the day, well it is actually very crucial in preserving our body's natural circadian rhythm. This means allowing the body to know when to wake up in the mornings and when to slow down and prepare for rest in the evenings. If you've been suffering from insomnia because you're used to staring at the bright screen on your mobile phone or tablet before bedtime, that's your body's way of telling you that it's confused because the harsh blue light from the screen is making it think you are still stuck in the middle of the day.
3. 2-in-1 LAMP PROVIDING AMBIENT & TASK LIGHTING
The Dyson Lightcycle Morph is designed around a distinct aluminium-polycarbonate composite stem, perforated with 16,740 micro-apertures. To use it as a task light, simply direct the Intelligent Optical Head to wherever you require ample light to shine on. To create an ambient light, dock the Intelligent Optical Head back towards the stem of the light. When aligned, a light will shine down into the stem, resulting in a soft glow being emitted from the micro-apertures. When docked as an ambient light, the stem lights up to create a comforting, orange glow and can be set for evening relaxation with further reduced blue light. A colour warming orange filter on the dock creates the warmest light levels, reducing the colour temperature down further from 2,700K to 1,800K, emulating the colour of candlelight. Now how cool, or should we say warm, is that!
4. A SMART LAMP THAT CONNECTS TO THE DYSON LINK APP
While it's not necessary to link up the lamp to the app, you'll get much better use out of the lamp by connecting the Lightcycle Morph to the Dyson Link app. For one, the Dyson Lightcycle Morph will continually adjust its colour temperature and brightness in relation to local daylight, providing the right light for the time of day depending on the user’s location (so that's how they track the daylight). Aside from that, this smart lamp will also adjust the intensity of the light based on the age of the user as well as the activity being carried out (more on that later). You can also switch between the various modes by using the app. The Dyson Lightcycle Morph has pre-set modes: Study, Relax, Precision, Boost, Wake-up, Sleep and Away.
5. THE LAST LAMP YOU'LL EVER NEED
Dyson wasn't kidding when they claimed that the Lightcycle Morph is probably the last desk (or floor) lamp you'll need. The secret is in the heat pipe technology, which draws heat away from the LEDs with the use of to provide a non-stop, energy-free cooling cycle, maintaining light quality for 60 years.
For the TL:DR explanation of what the heat pipe technology is: A vacuum-sealed copper tube draws heat away from the LED nodes. 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.
6. PROVIDES THE AMOUNT OF LIGHT ACCORDING TO YOUR AGE
As mentioned above, once you've entered your age into the Dyson Link app, the Lightcycle Morph will calibrate the amount of light emitted. And that's because a 65-year old needs up to four times more light than a 20-year old. So thanks to Age Adjust, the Dyson Lightcycle Morph corrects brightness based on the age entered into the Dyson Link app, meaning that the older the user, the brighter the light.
7. BONUS: USB-C CHARGER
This is a huge plus because you'll actually be able to park your mobile phone or tablet close to you by the bedside or on the desk.
8. THE WAKE-UP MODE
In the Wake-up mode, the user can set the light to turn on at the time they like to wake up, and brighten gradually to create a smoother wake-up environment. Remember the importance of keeping your body's circadian rhythm in check? Over time, this mode may help you to avoid having to be woken up abruptly by the alarm clock too.
9. THE AWAY MODE
In the Away mode, the light will switch on and off at set times to imitate human presence, enabling it to be used as a security light.
10. THE SLEEP MODE
The Sleep mode is designed for night-time use: it de-activates the light’s movement sensor so the light won’t come on if the user stirs while sleeping. It also reduces brightness and colour temperature to their lowest levels, so if the light is kept by the bedside and turned on at night, when the room is dark, disturbance is minimised.