Light matters. The latest research shows that bright light in the morning and low light in the evenings help regulate circadian rhythms, which means more sleep and better health overall. In an industry that thinks of lighting as jewelry, it's easy to overlook the impact good lighting can have on a person's wellbeing.
Not for Neeraj Lal, a 12-year veteran of the LED industry. The President and CEO of PURillume LED Lighting Systems — a new lighting company based in North Carolina — is capitalizing on the healthy lighting trend and combining it with LED and connected lighting technology to create the Orchid table lamp.
"I started on the technical side in the LED industry, and as I learned more about light and lighting design, I began to understand the power of light," Lal says. "I also realized the ability to get a bright, high-quality, energy-efficient light source ceased to exist."
The first product launched by this new company, the Orchid table lamp allows users to control the amount of light they receive at different times of the day without sacrificing color quality. Lal says the LED can reach 2,750 lumens and has a CRI greater than 90, which means the color quality remains intact no matter how the lamp is brightened or dimmed. Using the lamp's digital interface, users can activate the lamp's "sleep" mode to dim the light as the evening progresses and the "awake" mode in the morning to mirror the rising sun in their homes. There is also a "security" function that turns the lamp on at random times during the day to deter robbers.
The Orchid also brings connectivity to the home. The lamps can function independently or in groups when two or more are used together. Users can create presets to deliver the amount of light when they want it. The lamps communicate via Bluetooth, so once the master lamp is set, the satellite lamps will follow.
"The PURillume lighting solution is focused on delivering a bright, high-quality lighting solution to the market," Lal explains. "While the other LED connected lamps focus only on convenience, they lack the brightness and color rendering ability."
Thanks to a successful Indiegogo campaign, Lal raised over $20,000 to move Orchid into production, and backers at certain donation levels can expect to receive lamps in October. As production begins, Lal says the company plans to release a floor lamp version of the Orchid, which will be able to seamlessly integrate with the table lamp.
"We’ve designed the technology in a building block manner so that it can be incorporated into additional designs," Lal says. "We plan to expand on our product offering and designs to continue to bring a brighter, higher quality work to the world."
