Dyson - Solarcycle Task Light CD05 - White/Silver

Like most Dyson products, this desk lamp is relatively expensive. It’s also a very cool design that kind of reminds me of those tower cranes used to build skyscrapers. It swivels 360 degrees, slides up and down vertically, and slides back and forth horizontally. The lamp head always points straight down, however. Because of the straight arm, you’ll need plenty of space on your desk if you plan to move it around. It has buttons on top for turning on/off, changing the brightness, and changing the color temperature. Having a sliding adjustment for the color is a nice touch rather than just having some preset colors. Underneath the arm are the remaining three buttons to enable/disable the geographic location sync, the motion sensor feature, and the auto setting that adjusts the light according to the ambient light. The geographic location sync requires it to be connected via Bluetooth to the Dyson Link app. Like some others, I have an Android phone and have the “connection failed” problem when trying to enable the location sync or the age adjustment. Installing the app and making the initial Bluetooth connection to the lamp worked very well, but after leaving with the phone and coming back, sometimes I have a little trouble reconnecting to the lamp to control it. It eventually works, but sometimes I have to put the phone right on top of the lamp arm to get reconnected. I’ve mainly only been using the motion sensor feature, which I do like, so the other app problems aren’t a huge issue so far. It does have a 5-year warranty, which is great. I do worry about the thin ribbon cables that have to move within the arms and wonder if they’ll crimp or wear out at some point. The first lamp I received came with the cable “accordioned” up and jammed in the horizontal arm, so I had to return it and get a replacement. The replacement one works, but now the vertical arm doesn’t move completely smoothly up and down like the first one did. It’s usable and not worth returning it again, but it doesn’t slide “like butter” like the first one. Given Dyson’s usual great products, I’m a little disappointed with this lamp and it doesn’t seem quite up to par with the price. I really expected everything, including the app, to work perfectly so I’m a little reluctant to recommend this to someone. It does have a unique style and a couple of nice features, but you’ll have to decide if that makes it worth the cost.

The Dyson Solarcycle Task Light is not your average desk lamp. Its modern, industrial aesthetic is reminiscent of 3D printers with matte aluminum arms, exposed rollers on tracks, shiny white plastic accents, and a clean minimalist design. It arrives disassembled and flat-packed, and I appreciate the eco-conscious packing materials, replacing plastic bags with paper wraps and cardboard where possible. Putting the light together takes all of 2 minutes and requires no tools. Simply secure the vertical column with the large plastic twist-on nut under the 5 lb base, clip in the horizontal arm with integrated light, and plug it in. The 30 Watt power supply is surprisingly large with a chunky power brick the size of a laptop’s, however, the cord length is generous at around 12 feet. Just note the ungrounded plug end has a sizeable pull and strain relief, so may not fit outlets in tight spaces. What’s interesting about the horizontal arm is that it is reversible, so it can be installed facing the left or the right, depending on which side of your workspace you place it. It doesn’t really matter though, since the center column rotates 360°, provided you leave enough space all around it for clearance; the only thing that might impact your decision is which side you want the USB-C charging port to face (1.5A @ 5V output) for charging your devices. The position of the light head can be precisely placed in three dimensions vertically, horizontally, and distally. The horizontal arms moves up and down the central column track and is balanced by a counter-weight on the reverse side, so the position will hold wherever you stop. This gives you the ability to set the height of the light anywhere from 4” - 23” above your tabletop, which will impact its perceived brightness and cone of illumination. You can also adjust the light’s position 7” - 17” from the center column, also via sliding rollers, allowing you to place the light closer or further away from its base. The light source, however, cannot be rotated and will always point straight down at your work surface. Just be careful if you unclip the horizontal arm because the counter-weight will drop, shooting the rollers up the track if not already at the top. The touch controls for the light are located on top of the light head. Power it on with a tap of the power button and adjust its brightness and color with taps or swipes along the thin slide-buttons. The light head has 6 bright LEDs nested in a silver reflector, and these are adjustable in color temperature from 2700K (warm white) to 6500K (cool white) as well as brightness from 100 - 1000 lumens. You can also use the MyDyson mobile app to manually control the light and change its settings. This will require you to create an account and register the product, which will automatically begin your 5-year warranty period. The “bulb” is not serviceable, however, and would have to be replaced at the end of its usable life, though is rated to last a whopping 60 years assuming an average of 8 hours of use per day. As for modes, there are three main settings: Auto - which adjusts brightness based on ambient lighting so the workspace remains at a constant brightness, motion detection - which turns the light on when movement is detected within a couple feet from the light and will turn off automatically after 5 minutes of no movement, and synchronized – which uses your location to adjust brightness and color throughout the day to mimic natural light (requires the mobile app and a Bluetooth connection). The sync setting will use these settings from sunrise to sunset and then revert to a baseline brightness/color setting outside those times, which you can customize in the app. In the app you can also choose presets like Study, Relax, Precision, or even create your own custom scenario. There is an “Age adjust” feature which uses your birth year to adjust brightness levels as well. You can set schedules for Away mode, to turn the light on and off in random intervals between 4pm - 11pm while you’re not home, Wake-up mode which will gradually brighten over 30-minutes on your chosen days and times for a gentle waking experience, and Sleep mode for a warm and soft night light. All of these modes work great and exactly as described for a really awesome customizable lighting experience with versatility in mind. The only thing that didn’t work perfectly for me was the light’s configuration page in the Android mobile app. For me, the Daylight and Age settings in the app constantly display a “Connection failed” message, and I’m unable to change their settings. This is despite the light accurately syncing the settings with my selected location throughout the day as expected. However, I can’t change my location without removing the light from my account and re-adding it. An app update may resolve this in the future. Other than that, I have no major complaints about the light. The heavy base makes it very stable on my desk or side table and changing the light’s position requires only a light touch to place light exactly where I need it. At its max, it’s very bright and can provide focused light for a project or diffuse softer light for reading or relaxing. I prefer allowing it to adjust automatically with location syncing and motion detection when I’m nearby, so I don’t have to really think about the settings unless I have a specific need. I love that I can also use the app to control it, and it looks really cool and modern.

I have to say, I have been in the market for a good, stylish, modern desk lamp for some time and the Dyson Solarcycle Task Light checks all the boxes. I have one of my standing desks, and the light is bright, adaptive, and the motion controls are SPOT on. The overall design is almost futuristic in nature, which adds a very modern look to my desk. It’s hard to explain, but its simple, yet complex looking at the same time. The overall setup process took me around 10 minutes, and that includes me reading over the instructions multiple times to ensure I comprehended how each piece fit. It’s very straightforward, simple, and most importantly easy to put this device together. Once put together, you download the MyDyson app from your respective App store, follow the instructions to add the lamp, and that is it! I cannot begin to explain how much I appreciate a simple setup process, and Dyson killed it with this lamp and App. The device itself is easy to adjust (the lamp head itself is fixed) with one hand and the motion lighting works flawlessly. I have yet to have it turn on unless I am walking to my desk to work. Even if it does, it turns off after a set amount of no motion, so you do not waste energy if no one is home or you aren’t in the same room. It does have a USB-C port that you can utilize to charge or plug in another device, which is handy in this day and age. Within the app, you can set prebuilt lighting profiles (match the sun in your area, Study mode, Relax Mode, Precision Mode, and a custom button). Each mode reflects the Kelvin and lumens, which is neat for those that care. Overall, I have been VERY satisfied with the Dyson Solarcycle Task Light. The light is consistent, bright and the additional features make this a must have for those that need a little extra light for work, play, and everything in between.

I'm not sure if I'm the only one experiencing these issues, or if the desk light is simply not compatible with my setup. I use Android, and the app has been unresponsive at times. It also doesn't detect the light after it has been initially set up, so I've had to try different methods to get it to work properly. The first thing I tried was uninstalling and reinstalling the app, but that didn't help. The main thing that happens is when I start the app it simply stays on “CONNECTING” but will not connect (see screenshot). The first time this happened, I wasn’t alarmed and just performed the app reinstall to see if it would fix itself. When it happened again immediately, I knew it was an issue I couldn’t fix so I gave up. During my initial setup I found a setting for “Age adjust” which is supposed to automatically adjust the light to best suit your age. Interesting? I tried to input my age, but this also did not work and just stayed in “Connection failed” mode. In fact, I couldn’t get it to work at all so I gave up on it as well (see screenshot). The next issue is that I am using a genuine Dyson labeled USB-C cable (see photo) from the USB-C port on the light to charge my phone while I am at my desk. Even when using a Dyson cable, it does not charge my phone unless I remove the cable from the light first and plug it back in first. In other words, if I leave the cable plugged into the light at all times and just plug in my phone when needed, it won’t charge. Hmmmm. The box it came in was well packed and all the parts are in their own spot. That said, the main front plastic light portion of the Solarcycle I received is warped and tilts to the left on the aluminum boom arm which you can clearly see from my attached photo. I do like the light auto on feature. When it detects movement it turns on automatically, but it doesn’t turn on unless you are pretty close. Sometimes I even have to wave my hand under the light for it to see the movement. Perhaps someone can comment if they are having zero issues with iOS? That would possibly help the folks at Dyson put some more time into the Android platform for firmware updates, which this desperately needs. All in all, I cannot use any of the features this light was designed for. The solarcycle does not adjust to my location automatically, I can’t input my age, and I can’t connect to the app to see if there is an update available, or to simply see if you need the app running for the solarcycle to work properly. My unit will only stay set in one color temp / brightness unless I change it manually. The auto on feature works, but with all of the other issues I have experienced, I simply cannot recommend this desk light.

I love the Dyson brand and I've been struggling for years trying to find the best light for my desk. I do not have good lighting in my office, so a great desk light is really important to me. This light checks off all the boxes for me: it's modern, can be controlled via and app and it's light is fully customizable. Setup, like all Dyson products was a breeze, it takes about 2 minutes to get it started plus another 2 minutes for the app. It has a really good design, and the light can be moved up and down, closer and further away from the desired spot. I always had preferred a light that can be used for uplight as well, but I don't think I have the need with this light. I have very sensitive eyes and having the light in my line of sight does not bother me at all..which is huge! It illuminates my entire desktop perfectly and I can use the app to adjust the brightness as well as the coolness or warmness of the light. I also love that the light senses when I'm near. It will turn off when I am away for too long and then turns on when I return to my desk. I love that! This light is home run for me and I'd love to see what other lighting products Dyson comes up with.

For many years I’ve tried to make sure I have the correct lighting at my desk. It can be a difficult feat to achieve since there are a lot of variables to take into account and a lot of obstacles to overcome (i.e. fighting light from monitors, etc.). This rather impressive lamp from Dyson is a great way to provide lighting for your study/work area. When I first saw this lamp, I thought it looked like an industrial piece of equipment. But, that was sort of the idea. The lamp is designed with an Axis Glide which allows users to put powerful light precisely where they want it. The lamp generates light through LEDs that are intelligently controlled through sensors or via the Dyson app. This is by far the most personalized lighting experience I’ve ever had. As is the case with other Dyson products I’ve experienced, there is a lot of packaging to get through. The box is easy to open and all the pieces of the lamp are laid out in an intelligent way inside the box. Unboxing and unwrapping the lamp does take longer than the assembly process though. On the inside of the lid you will find an illustrated guide for assembly. I found this to be an easy way to get started with the lamp. Some assembly is required of the user — but it’s minimal. There is a weighted base, a center post, and the extension arm with the LED. The LED arm connects to the center post with a magnetic connector and the unit gets power through a power cable that connects to the bottom of the center column through the base. The lamp is fairly heavy, but you want it to be so that it is secure on whatever surface you put it on. Once the lamp is put together, you can move the LED arm in/out and up/down while the center post pivots on the base. It’s a unique design that makes it possible to position the light wherever you want it. There are touch controls on the lamp along with controls in the connected app. I’ve been very happy with the light production of the Dyson light because it gives me the very bright light I’ve been wanting for a long time.

I have to say, I have been in the market for a good, stylish, modern desk lamp for some time and the Dyson Solarcycle Task Light checks all the boxes. I have one of my standing desks, and the light is bright, adaptive, and the motion controls are SPOT on. The overall design is almost futuristic in nature, which adds a very modern look to my desk. It’s hard to explain, but its simple, yet complex looking at the same time. The overall setup process took me around 10 minutes, and that includes me reading over the instructions multiple times to ensure I comprehended how each piece fit. It’s very straightforward, simple, and most importantly easy to put this device together. Once put together, you download the MyDyson app from your respective App store, follow the instructions to add the lamp, and that is it! I cannot begin to explain how much I appreciate a simple setup process, and Dyson killed it with this lamp and App. The device itself is easy to adjust (the lamp head itself is fixed) with one hand and the motion lighting works flawlessly. I have yet to have it turn on unless I am walking to my desk to work. Even if it does, it turns off after a set amount of no motion, so you do not waste energy if no one is home or you aren’t in the same room. It does have a USB-C port that you can utilize to charge or plug in another device, which is handy in this day and age. Within the app, you can set prebuilt lighting profiles (match the sun in your area, Study mode, Relax Mode, Precision Mode, and a custom button). Each mode reflects the Kelvin and lumens, which is neat for those that care. Overall, I have been VERY satisfied with the Dyson Solarcycle Task Light. The light is consistent, bright and the additional features make this a must have for those that need a little extra light for work, play, and everything in between. The Solarcycle promises a premium, stylish, and long lasting LED desk lamp with a few smart features. After a few days of use, it certainly is the most advanced and premium light I have ever used but it isn’t without quirks. In The Box: - Light (Assembly Required) - Power Cord - Manuals Setup: Assembly of the light may look daunting at first but it isn’t too bad. The diagrams on the box make it a little easier. I would recommend unboxing and setting it up at the location where you plan to set it. The light can be tricky to move around due to the height adjustment mechanism but it’s not impossible while being careful. Altering getting it physically setup, you can choose whether or not to use the Dyson app. I will say there isn’t a ton of benefit as most (if not all) controls are on the light itself. It is nice to be able to turn it on/off remotely. Usage: Immediately upon turning it on, you understand the premium nature of the lamp including the temperature, brightness, and overall light output. The 90 CRI rating means this light puts out very quality (and accurate) temperature of light. The range of warm to cool light is great for changing the type of light around you during the day. The Sunrise -> Sunset feature matches the brightness and color temperature of light to your surrounding conditions. The motion sensor detects whether you are present and will turn on and off the light as needed. I will say if you are very still while using the light it will turn off on you but as soon as you move it comes right back. I think my least favorite part about the light are the controls on the top of the light. My last desk light featured them on the base and given the overall size of this unit, I prefer them on the base. The only real design issue I have with the lamp is when using it on a desk against a wall. Because the arm is fixed, it cannot bend. For this reason, I believe the Morph version with a joint in the arm would best fit my desk setup. This one isn’t unusable but it limits the positions you can have the arm in due to the wall behind it. It does have one USB-C charge port on the bottom of the stand. It work fine but it is not a quick charge capable port meaning it likely puts out somewhere around 1.5a of power. This is fine for most use cases but it would be nice to have another one handy. Dimensions: Base ≈ 8” diameter Overall Height ≈ 28” (At max height it’s ≈ 25” from the desk to bottom of lamp. It swings over the top of a 32” monitor at full height)(Minimum height is ≈ 6” from desk) Arm ≈ 20” of travel (Light itself can slide in and out up to 20”) Rotation ≈ 360° (With adequate room behind lamp for excess arm) Overall: I like the lamp but it certainly commands a price premium over that of other desk lights. This is certainly the highest quality desk light I have ever used but with that said it does have some design compromises.

So far, this is the best desk lamp I ever bought, I’m planning get another one since I really like the matterial it made of the aluminum. Iight can be adjusted by phone vir the dyson app, and I think it’s pretty cool to have this feature. The lighting quality is outstanding with Flicker rate <1 Percent, less likely to be harmful to the eyes.