In recent years, red light therapy devices for home use have made significant advancements. In the past, red light therapy was only available to scientists or medical professionals, but now anyone can safely and effectively use it from the comfort of their own home. This means that you can experience the benefits of red light therapy without having to leave your house, and at a much more affordable price than what you would pay for the same treatment at a spa, gym, or dermatologist’s office.
In this article, we will review red light therapy devices across three key categories: handheld devices, full-body panels, and masks/wands. We will also provide an overview of the top devices in each category, explain the science behind red light therapy, offer guidance on what to look for in a red light therapy device, and provide instructions on how to use the devices safely and effectively at home.
Best Handheld Red Light Therapy Devices to Use at Home
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PlatinumLED BIO300 and BIOMAX 300
PlatinumLED therapy lights are the most powerful, advanced lights you can use at home or in a medical setting. This might sound biased or like an overblown claim, but we encourage you to check the facts. We’ll give you a head start:
Compared to other lights on the market, we offer:
- More power output (185 mW/cm(2) compared to an average of 60-100 mW/m2). This leads to better results, in less time.
- Five therapeutic wavelengths provide a wider array of health benefits compared to the industry-standard two wavelengths (Note that BIOMAX lights offer five wavelengths, and BIO lights two).
- An industry-leading 3-year warranty.
- USA-based customer service via phone and email rather than email-only support.
We’ll dive into the tech details and why they’re important later on, but in short, our lights are the most powerful and advanced therapy lights you can buy today, period.
If you’re looking for a handheld device, go for the 300 series in either the BIO or BIOMAX configuration. The BIO series will give you great results in a more economical package, while the BIOMAX series offers more advanced technology and functionality at a slightly higher price. Both can be used at home, have the same warranty and customer support, and can be financed for as low as $34/month.
Click here to learn more about PlatinumLED BIO and BIOMAX therapy lights.
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Joovv Go 2.0
If you want the smallest red light therapy panel available, the Joovv Go 2.0 is a handy red light therapy device that delivers two total wavelengths of red and near-infrared light. At just under 2 lbs. and smaller than an iPad mini, this is a lightweight panel.
The treatment area is pretty tiny, so you have to keep it close to your body to receive its full benefits. At $545, it’s pricier than the more powerful Platinum Therapy Lights BIOMAX 300—you’re paying for portability. But, as the name implies, this is a great option for on-the-go red light therapy.
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MitoPRO 300
Looking for something powerful and small? The MitoPRO 300, by Mito Red Light, is a nice middle ground. It’s fairly light and iPad-sized, yet it’s packed with four therapeutic wavelengths: red light (630nm and 660nm) and NIR light (830nm and 850nm).
The maximum treatment area of the MitoPRO 300 is slightly smaller than that of the BIO 300, simply because the device itself is smaller. But this is a great option for targeting specific areas of the body with a little more power than, say, the Joovv Go 2.0.
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reVive dpl® IIa—Professional Anti-Aging Light Therapy
This device opens like a book to treat a specific area of the body, such as the face and neck, décolleté, chest, hands, and probably a small section of your back if you can maneuver the device correctly. The company is not specific about which wavelength(s) the dpl® IIa uses, though it does have positive reviews.
It’s also unclear from the manufacturer’s website how powerful the device is; but given the images on Revive’s website of the device resting on a woman’s face and chest, it’s safe to say it’s a very light-weight, relatively low-power device. The price of $359 seems a little expensive for a low-irradiance device, but it is portable, lightweight, and fairly flexible. For an extra $40, you can get the reVive model with additional acne-fighting blue lights.
Best Full-Body Light Therapy Panels to Use at Home
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PlatinumLED Therapy Lights BIOMAX 900
The phrase, “go big or go home” seems appropriate when talking about PlatinumLED Therapy Lights BIOMAX 900. This is the biggest and most powerful device we have to offer, and it packs quite a punch. Like all lights in the BIOMAX series, this red light therapy device features our exclusive red and near-infrared light spectral configuration—five different wavelengths of red and NIR light: 630nm, 660nm, 810nm, 830nm, and 850nm. When combined, these deliver a therapeutic value that is simply not available with other devices on the market.
The irradiance levels of this particular model are also fantastic. At the industry-standard measurement distance of 6”, the BIOMAX 900 produces 185mW/cm(2) of irradiance. And even if you’re standing two feet away from the panel, you’ll still receive about 100 mW/cm2 . All lights in the BIOMAX series are modular, meaning you can build your own array to suit your therapeutic needs. Considering its power and coverage, $1,149 seems a fair price to pay for this full-body panel.
Click here to learn more about the PlatinumLED BIOMAX 900.
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Joovv Solo
The Joovv Solo delivers two therapeutic wavelengths: 660nm and 850nm. While it has roughly the same dimensions as the BIOMAX 900, the Joovv Solo possesses a third of the number of LED bulbs, which partially explains why it’s a lighter device. Optical irradiance is listed at >100 mW/cm2, but Joovv doesn’t specify how far you have to be from the device to reap these benefits—it could be less than an inch away.
That said, Joovv has a solid history in the red light therapy space, so you’re likely to receive a quality device, even if it isn’t as robust as PlatinumLED Therapy Lights’ full-body panels.
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MitoMAX
With its MitoMAX device, Mito Red Light splits the difference between PlatinumLED and Joovv, landing somewhere between them in terms of weight, irradiance, and overall power. This model features the two most common wavelengths: 660nm and 850nm, and they can be used separately or in tandem. MitoMAX lists the irradiance at >110 mW/cm2 at 6 inches, which is helpful—but means you have to be pretty close to gain the full benefit of the light.
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RedRush 720 ULTRA Body Light
RedRush is a relative newcomer to the red light device market. This full-body treatment panel features the two popular wavelengths of 660nm and 850nm, which can be used in tandem or interchangeably.
For its size, the 720 ULTRA is fairly dense: It has 240 LED lights, split between the two wavelengths, which is more than other Joovv or similar devices, though fewer than a PlatinumLED device. The website says its peak irradiance is >250 mW/cm2, which is pretty high—but again, it doesn’t specify how close you have to be. At 6 inches it goes down to just 100.5 mW/cm2. That means you’ll have to be nearly nose to nose with it to get >250 mW/cm2.
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Red Light Rising: The Full Stack 2.0
Formed in 2017 by health and wellness enthusiasts in the U.K., Red Light Rising is a relatively new company in the red light therapy products space. Its Full Stack 2.0 is a full-body panel that includes 660nm and 850nm wavelengths, 200 LED bulbs (though at 600w, significantly less than the BIOMAX’s 900w), and basic wall hanging accessories. Red Light Rising says this device offers a maximum irradiance of >250 mW/cm2—but this is another instance when you’d have to be unrealistically close to the device to achieve those levels.
The Full Stack is taller and thinner than some of the other full-body treatment panels we’ve looked at, which means the treatment area is slightly different (more up-and-down coverage than side-to-side). And at about 14 lbs., it’s also pretty light. The device is priced at $933.10, which is not a bad deal at first glance—but does not include shipping and handling from the U.K., nor import taxes, customs duties, and/or fees imposed by the destination country.
Why Masks and Face Wands Don’t Work as Well as Panels
In general, masks and face wands are not powerful enough to provide significant results compared to practically any other type of device. The technology that’s used in these products is driven by what can comfortably be balanced on a user’s face or held in their hand for an extended period.
But that convenience and comfort requires light circuits and lower power outputs, which leads to slow results. Plus, these devices can only be used for a single purpose—facials or tiny spot treatments—and they’re often more expensive than one of the full-sized panels listed above.
That’s why in general, we don’t recommend masks or wands for anyone. Still, if convenience is your utmost concern and only priority, here are the few devices that may be worth a look.
Masks and Face Wands That Might Be Worth a Look (If Convenience Is Your Top Priority)
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Dr. Dennis Gross DRx FaceWare Pro
Constantly appearing among the top five recommended LED masks and wands on the market, the DRx FaceWare Pro is the best-known and most popular device in the Dr. Dennis Gross line.
Unfortunately, the website does not provide information on which wavelengths are used in the device. And, as with all masks and wands, the irradiance and overall power are much less than what you’d experience with one of the more robust handheld devices mentioned. At a hefty $435, price, along with the limited range (face only), should be considered.
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MZ Skin Light-Therapy Golden Facial Treatment Device
The MZ Skin Light mask has practically every color light imaginable, which the manufacturer describes as follows: red light (630nm) to stimulate collagen, reduce inflammation, and improve scarring; blue light (430nm) to clarify skin and treat acne; green light (520 nm) to calm skin and reduce pigmentation and other sun-related blemishes; yellow light (570-590nm) to reduce redness, boost circulation, and boost lymphatic flow; and white light (450-460nm) to promote wound healing and skin repair.
But many of these wavelengths haven’t been proven in legitimate medical studies and are backed by very limited research. Combined with a price tag of $500 and a low power output, this device becomes a bit of a hard sell.
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LightStim: LightStim for Wrinkles
The smallest on our list, this device has a total of 72 LEDs that emit four different kinds of light: amber, light red, dark red, and infrared (although the wavelengths are not specified). The nice thing about this little wand is that you can direct it anywhere you prefer, unlike the red and infrared light masks, which are for the face only.
The downside is that the treatment area is quite small. It will certainly take quite a few three-minute sessions to treat your whole face, neck, décolleté, and any other areas you want to hit—if you even see results in the first place. And at $249, it’s only slightly less expensive than a standard therapy-grade panel like the BIO300.