If you’ve grown up dreaming about yourself in a rich, suave office, or perhaps a classic study room in your mansion, add this to that picture. The Dyson Lightcycle belongs in every such room that you see in movies or TV shows, but almost never in real life.
That’s because the light is priced at a whopping Rs. 39,900, because that’s just how Dyson does things. It’s engineered to perfection, you could even say it’s over-engineered to be honest. The Lightcycle is only just a desk lamp, but Dyson wants you to believe it’s the one thing that was missing from your desk.
The design is minimalist, of course, but personally speaking I think the Lightcycle looks better in photos than it does in real life. It’s a few pieces of metal, designed in a way that all the circuitry and wires fit inside and away from view. Even the power cord passes through the bottom, making wire management easier.
Once set up, the Lightcycle looks like two metallic sticks joined by a complex-looking pulley system. There are three wheels that help you adjust the position of the light, which works seamlessly and without any friction. The buttons are all placed near the light itself and out of view. The power button is bang on top of the light and touch sensitive, with the colour temperature adjuster next to it. You slide your finger across a thin, segmented line to change this. That is, if you aren’t using the Dyson app for all this.
The light also turns on automatically when you approach and turns off when you’re not around. It can be scheduled to turn on and off too.
But there are really two things that make this a Dyson product. The first is that the company promises that it will last you for 60 years, which we of course can’t verify, having used the light for fast less than even 60 days. Dyson says this is done using a heat pipe, which keeps the LED from overheating by taking excess heat away from the light.
The other, is that the light changes its colour temperature based on your ambient lighting, which is supposed to make you feel better.
Should you buy it?
Dyson’s products are always expensive, and when asked, the company usually cites its attention to detail and unparalleled engineering prowess for this. While that might be reasonable for its vacuum cleaners, air purifiers and even hair dryers, on the Lightcycle, it all seems a bit… excessive.
When it comes to technology, I’m as easy as to sell to as anyone can be, but I just don’t see why I need a desk lamp that costs me Rs. 40,000. Personally, I don’t really agree with this as an aesthetic piece of furniture, and while changing colour temperatures may be healthier for me, I just don’t feel the benefit. I don’t see why I should shell out this much money for something that doesn’t tangibly and immediately change my life, even if it lasts me for 60 years. The mathematics just don’t make sense.
