The 15 Best Red Light Therapy Devices We Tested, After Consulting With Doctors and Dermatologists

The mask is designed to contour to the face, allowing for even more targeted delivery of light. “I noticed results after just one week. My skin is smoother and has a fantastic glow,” says Alexandra Klausner, a writer who tested the mask for Everyday Health. She gives the product high marks for delivering on its claims. “The product promises to brighten and plump skin, which it did. I don’t have too many wrinkles, but I found it did soften the wrinkles around my eyes.”

This red light therapy device is an easy-to-use wand that combines several skin-care technologies — red light therapy, microcurrent, facial massage, and therapeutic warmth — into one tool. It’s designed for a 12-minute treatment session, which includes all therapy modalities at once. The wand also makes it easy to target different areas of the face. It has a timer that beeps every three minutes, so you know when to move on to a different area, ensuring a full face and neck treatment.

It’s an extra cost, but you don’t have to use the SolaWave Skin Therapy Activating Serum — you can use any serum to help the wand glide. I loved the way the galvanic current felt during use. It’s like giving your face a warm massage. I’ve been using the wand for more than six months, and I notice instant results when it comes to sculpting and de-puffing my face. Over time, I’ve noticed the brown spots on my complexion begin to fade, which I attribute to using the wand. “[RLT devices] can start to stimulate collagen within two to four weeks and beyond, so continued use is key,” notes Dr. Kobets.

Its multipurpose wearable functionality allows you to use it on areas like your back, (secured by shoulder straps while you stand, or laid flat on your back while you lie down), or, because it’s bendable, you can also wrap it around your knee, shoulder, or anywhere that you have joint pain. “While it might be hard to work out or do anything when it’s wrapped on a joint, I found I could treat my back while walking around my apartment, and I loved that,” says Kimberly Dawn Neumann, a writer who tested the device for Everyday Health.

We like that the lights on this product are dispersed across a removable panel that can be put into any hat, not just the baseball cap it comes with. “The cap that comes with it is a standard baseball cap,” explains Brittany Vargas, a writer who tested the cap for Everyday Health. “The design is fine, but not the most flattering. I was able to use it with my sun hat. I love that I can easily travel with it, because it’s not in a hard shell like some other models.”

She adds that it’s primarily designed for hair that’s thinning on the top of the head. Because she’s experiencing hair thinning all over her scalp, Vargas had to place the hat to the side to ensure even coverage during each session. She was only able to test the cap for 25 minutes per day, three to four times per week, and she says that the results are gradual — but promising. “Given the design and quality of the cap, I’m confident that with continued use, I’ll see results,” she says.

What makes this mask unique is the way its silicone design molds to your face. I tested the mask for Everyday Health, and the design really stood out to me, differentiating it from other masks on the market. The mask is malleable and feels comfortable on the face. It’s not stiff or heavy, the way other LED masks can be.

This portable panel device, meant mainly for pain relief, can be used in two ways: It can be put on a stand for hands-free use, or you can hold it as you target a specific area of your body. It’s not too big, about the size of a large smartphone, says Vargas, and it can be adjusted for vertical or horizontal use.

The short 10-minute sessions make it a relatively easy addition to your daily routine. Vargas used it several times per week and found the sessions incredibly relaxing, especially before bed, saying she noticed “immediate deeper sleep” after using it. “For my knees and legs,” Vargas adds, “it took a couple of uses before I started to notice a difference. I think that with continued use, I may see even more improvement in joint and muscle stiffness.”

I tested this cap, and although I haven’t experienced hair loss, I am a swimmer with double-processed hair. After a few weeks of use, I saw a reduction in the amount of hair shedding and breakage. The cap helped make my hair feel thicker and fuller. With a short treatment time of 10 minutes, three to five times a week, it’s easy to incorporate into your weekly routine.

This device features a flexible, silicone design with an adjustable strap and uses red and near-infrared light therapy to aid in pain relief and muscle recovery. It’s designed to be worn for 10 minutes at a time, on many different parts of the body.

The design is comfortable and easy to wear. ”It’s flexible, lightweight, and yet still powerful,” says Neumann. “It comes with two straps: one for longer attachments (like around the waist) and one for shorter ones (say, for a joint like the ankle). It’s also great that it’s very flat, making it portable but also wearable.” Neumann says that after just one use, her sore lower back felt less achy. “Consistent use is the key with RLT to reap the benefits. The ease of this device makes it more likely people might make it a habit,” she adds.

“It felt like I’d just come from the dentist after having a cleaning,” Neumann says. The deep-clean feeling she gets from using it helps ensure that it’s a staple in her routine. After two months of using the device, Neumann’s dentist said her gums looked healthy, and she reported a less painful cleaning with no bleeding.

This oval-shaped wearable device comes with two bands (short and long), so that you can wrap it around various body parts — such as the knee, elbow, back, or neck — to help relieve muscle stiffness. The micro-vibrations provide a percussive feeling, as if you’re getting a massage.

There are four treatment modes: red light, near-infrared light, magnetic signals, and micro-vibrations, or a combination of all four. Getting the device positioned correctly with the Velcro straps does require a few tries, says Lili Ladaga, an Everyday Health editor who tested the Jazz Band Live Pro. She recommends watching the demo video first to get the best fit. The oval shape is useful because it helps ensure that the entire pad is in contact with your skin. As to whether the product delivers on its promises, Ladaga says she felt a “certain degree of relief of aches and pains” after two weeks of 20-minute sessions daily.

When it comes to design, the mask’s hard exterior, while durable, is not as flexible as the CurrentBody or Omnilux models. “You can get up and move around if needed, though it does take some care,” notes Crystal Hoshaw, a writer who tested the mask for Everyday Health. She says that while the 10-minute cycles are relatively easy to fit into your weekly skin-care routine, the mask’s comfort and wearability (or lack thereof) might get in the way of a more consistent daily practice. Hoshaw doesn’t have acne and says that wrinkles aren’t a big concern for her either. However, she did report a “subtle reduction of the emerging crow’s feet” around her eyes.

This rectangular handheld device uses red and near-infrared light therapy and is designed for targeted treatments on either the face or body. It also stands out for its durability and ease of use.

Hoshaw likes how “easy the device is to carry, and its lightweight design.” The fitted case makes it “easy to transport or stick in a suitcase,” she adds. Although the device can stand on its own, Hoshaw recommends buying a stand (at an additional cost) to ensure that it’s always at the angle you want it, depending on what part of the body you’re targeting.

She used it for a minimum of 10 minutes, three times a week, and found that it aided her recovery time after workouts. She also noted that consistent use helped speed up the healing process of muscle soreness from tennis elbow.

These portable RLT eye devices have a fun star-and-comet design that fits under the eye area, mimicking the shape of a gel eye patch. The red light emits from a button you press, which activates a nine-minute session with a smart timer. In order to get the device to stay put, you use hypoallergenic double-sided stickers to adhere the device to the skin beneath your eyes.

I tested these, using them daily for four weeks, and found the design comfortable and lightweight. The stickers are easy to use and don’t pull at your skin, which was a concern when I first saw the adhesives. After one session, I noticed the skin under my eyes was less puffy.

With consistent use over four weeks, the skin under my eyes was smoother and more even. If I’m going to wear an under-eye patch, having ones that emit red and near-infrared light feels like the best use of my time. That being said, I had to use a USB to charge it frequently between uses, but that isn’t a dealbreaker. It’s also worth noting that the devices only come with 20 stickers, but you can purchase additional 20-packs for $12.

“The device delivers instant results in terms of relaxation,” notes Hoshaw. “It’s a cozy way to end the day, especially during the cold fall and winter. When it comes to workout recovery, I did notice relief from muscle soreness,” she adds. However, she says that it’s hard to fully attribute her muscle recovery to the blanket, because there were too many competing factors. However, if you’re looking for warming relief, this blanket delivers it in just one session.

With a modular panel design, it can sit on a stand or be propped up against something. Hoshaw notes that she found the setup intuitive and quick. “It was easy to put against the wall in my room so I could sit on the floor in front of it,” she explains. She was most impressed with the level of heat that emitted from the device.