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ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Sunbooster plugs into your laptop and doses sunlight.
- The company is also prototyping a monitor and phone case at CES.
- It could help office workers stuck inside all day.
The benefits of going outside under the sun are endless. Sunlight boosts mood, clears skin, and improves energy. But most Americans are traveling in their cars to work, not walking outdoors to get there — or staying inside their homes and working during peak daylight hours. This tech company is building an indoor solution to Americans’ sunlight problem.
Also: CES 2026: Live updates
SunLED Light Solutions is introducing new products that can up our daily dose of near-infrared light, a necessary component of sunlight that improves fatigue, supports eyesight, and offers a slate of health and wellness benefits — you’ve probably seen infrared light masks for skincare use.
The first product is Sunbooster, a device that looks like a webcam and attaches to a monitor, tablet, or laptop, plugging in through a USB-C port. It’s got three 850 nm near-infrared LEDs included in the device, and it shoots out an optimized dose of this light for around two to four hours each day. SunLED Light Solutions built Sunbooster with a distance detector to notify users when they’re standing too close or too far from the device. The device enables daily and weekly infrared dosage tracking as well.
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At CES 2026, the company is demoing its prototype for a Sunbooster monitor with near-infrared lights built in around the screen, as well as a phone case with similar tech inside.
A third of all Americans spend over an hour outside, and 58% of Americans spend over 30 minutes outside per day, according to the National Recreation and Park Association. By activating the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cells, red light therapy kickstarts the body’s cellular energy production, boosting mood, improving skin conditions, and reducing drowsiness, according to the National Institute of Health. Many people use red light therapy masks for skincare management and to reverse wrinkles or signs of aging.
The clip-on Sunbooster will be available in the US starting in Q2 and will cost around $270. It’s currently available in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg.
