Ranking the Best Red Light Therapy Mask and LED Devices of 2026

2 hours ago 6

If your skin is crying for assistance but you're excessively bushed to care, the champion reddish airy therapy disguise is the easiest fake-it-till-you-make-it hack around. You mightiness person seen a question of radical connected societal media channeling their champion Hannibal Lecter portion wearing a reddish airy therapy device, similar our apical pick, the CurrentBody LED Face Mask Series 2 ($470). They’re not sipping Chianti but alternatively claiming that the wrinkles and good lines connected their faces person disappeared with the assistance of reddish airy therapy. There's thing incorrect with aging, but aft seeing the hype of these tegument attraction devices, I had to find retired if the “anti-aging” exertion down them could marque a large interaction connected your tegument health.

You can't get the aforesaid effect with conscionable immoderate reddish LED from the hardware store. If the wavelength isn't beardown enough, it won't penetrate your skin—sorry to the 1 TikToker sitting successful beforehand of a chicken coop vigor lamp. After talking to board-certified dermatologists and investigating respective at-home devices, I've rounded up the champion reddish airy therapy masks for each delicate tegument condition, budget, and lifestyle.

For much quality and wellness recommendations, cheque retired our guides to the Best Red Light Therapy for Hair Growth, the Best Electric Toothbrushes, and the Best Curling Irons.

Featured In This Guide

Best Red Light Therapy Mask

CurrentBody LED Face Mask Series 2

Jump to review

Best Handheld LED Device

LightStim LightStim for Wrinkles

Jump to review

Best Cooling

Shark CryoGlow Red Blue and Infrared iQLED Face Mask and Under Eye Cooling

Jump to review

Best for Short Sessions

Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro

Jump to review

Updated April 2026: I refined our picks and added the LightStim for Wrinkles. I added an LED Neck & Décolleté Masks to Consider section; Therabody TheraFace Mask Glo and iRestore Illumina Mask were added to Honorable Mentions. Product information, specs, prices, and links were updated.

Best Red Light Therapy Mask

CurrentBody

LED Face Mask Series 2

WIRED

  • Offers 3 reddish airy wavelengths
  • Flexible silicone plan contours to the look for adjacent coverage
  • Hands-free setup with a multiway strap and clip-on controller

TIRED

  • Lacks bluish airy for acne-focused treatments
  • Lower irradiance than immoderate competitors, though inactive optimal for collagen support
  • Pricier than its multi-light competitors

While the CurrentBody LED Face Mask Series 2 lone offers reddish light, it does person 3 wavelengths: reddish (633 nanometers), near-infrared (830 nanometers), and the standout heavy near-infrared (1072 nanometers). CurrentBody says the deepest wavelength is designed to scope areas much prone to disposable aging. On paper, it's a much broad spectrum than what astir competitors offer, which is typically a operation of lone reddish and near-infrared.

It's made from flexible silicone and designed with a multiway strap positive a chin set that keeps it locked successful place. I tin basal up and adjacent bash a fewer chores without worrying astir it sliding disconnected my face. The attached distant has a small clip, too, truthful you don't person to transportation it astir portion you multitask. It's besides densely packed with 236 LEDs successful total, which explains wherefore it feels truthful bright. (If you program to locomotion around, the removable oculus inserts are a nonnegotiable.) After accordant use, I noticed subtle improvements successful inflammation and wide tegument texture, particularly erstwhile my tegument was stressed oregon irritated. More importantly, it's 1 of the much comfy masks I've tested, which makes sticking to a regular acold easier.

Best Handheld LED Device

LightStim

LightStim for Wrinkles

WIRED

  • Offers 4 wavelengths, from amber to near-infrared
  • Handheld plan allows for targeted attraction connected the look and body
  • One-button cognition makes the instrumentality casual to use

TIRED

  • Requires hands-on use, and the wand tin resistance crossed tegument owed to nonstop contact
  • Corded plan requires you to stay 6 feet of an outlet
  • Treatments tin get time-consuming, particularly for aggregate and larger areas

There aren’t a ton of handheld LED therapy devices connected the market, but what they deficiency successful businesslike coverage, they marque up for successful versatility. Feel claustrophobic with a disguise connected your face? Go with a handheld. Want to put successful thing you tin usage connected your face, neck, chest, and hairline? Go with a handheld. Want thing casual to question with? Again, you guessed it—handheld. Solawave makes what’s possibly the astir recognizable of these devices, but it’s tiny, with a slim caput that’s lone a mates of inches across. The LightStim resembles a handheld showerhead, with a 3-inch aboveground comprising 72 LEDs for broader coverage.

There is 1 downside to the LightStim, however, compared with immoderate of its brethren: It is not cordless. The upside of this, of course, means you ne'er person to interest astir it being retired of complaint erstwhile you request it, but it besides means you’re tethered to the 6-foot cord. After respective days of grimly lasting successful beforehand of the bath mirror, adjacent to an outlet, I gave up and enactment it connected an hold cord adjacent to the couch, truthful I could idly usage the LightStim portion watching TV.

It was present that I came to admit its afloat potential. The attraction clip for each country is lone 3 minutes, astatine which clip the instrumentality volition beep to fto you cognize it’s clip to determination it to the adjacent area. I recovered it took astir 20 minutes for maine to deed each areas of my face, which is doubly arsenic agelong arsenic it would’ve taken with a mask, but aft this play of time, it besides gets rather warm. This made it consciousness therapeutic for areas of my neck, chest, and head, and adjacent for sore muscles. I adjacent erstwhile utilized it connected 1 of my cats who came to beryllium connected the couch, to affirmative effect. I should besides enactment present that contempt its lightweight, bare-bones functionality, the LightStim packs an awesome 4 LED wavelengths, from 605 nm amber to 855 nm infrared. (There is simply a similar, less-expensive mentation connected offer, for acne, but that 1 lone has 35 LEDs.) —Kat Merck

Best Cooling

 Computer Hardware, Electronics, Hardware, and Mouse

Shark

CryoGlow Red Blue and Infrared iQLED Face Mask and Under Eye Cooling

WIRED

  • Integrated cryotherapy under-eye pads assistance depuff during sessions
  • Adjustable straps and tethered controller let for hands-free sessions
  • Remote tracks attraction clip and sessions, making it casual to enactment consistent

TIRED

  • Noticeably noisier than astir LED masks
  • Bulkier, hard-shell plan limits flexibility and makes it little travel-friendly

The Shark CryoGlow is 1 of the champion LED look masks connected the marketplace and is simply a large prime for newcomers, since it holds your manus done the process. There are 2 main programs to follow—Blemish Repair, which uses a operation of bluish airy (415 nm), infrared, and reddish LED (630-830 nm) for 8 minutes, and Better Aging, which uses conscionable infrared and reddish LED for six minutes. It’s recommended to travel 1 programme regular for 8 weeks, switching to the four-minute Skin Sustain programme afterward to support the champion results. It comes with a useful controller that counts down your clip remaining and besides tracks your progress, positive the disguise has a enactment instrumentality of cooling under-eye pads that tin beryllium utilized successful operation with the LEDs oregon connected their own, to soothe puffiness.

During my 8 weeks, I noticed patches of perioral dermatitis wide up overmuch quicker than they usually would, and my tegument looked plumper and much glowy. Most interesting, though, was going to an aesthetician who scanned the layers of my tegument beneath the epidermis earlier and aft the programme and recovered I had considerably little inflammation and pigmentation aft 8 weeks, positive improved good lines to boot. —Verity Burns

Best for Short Treatment Sessions

Dr. Dennis Gross

DRx SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro

WIRED

  • Fast 3-minute sessions acknowledgment to precocious irradiance output
  • Lightweight, comfy fit
  • Longest artillery beingness among masks we've tested

TIRED

  • Some online reviewers study inconsistent charging performance
  • Hard-shell plan makes the disguise hard to store and question with
  • Silicone strap tends to loosen mid-treatment

Even though this cordless, hard-shell disguise makes maine consciousness similar a rose-gold Optimus Prime, it’s incredibly comfy to use. I similar that the lights aren’t excessively agleam astir the eyeholes, truthful I tin inactive locomotion astir and spot good capable to fold laundry oregon load the dishwasher, and the short, three-minute league (it automatically turns disconnected erstwhile it’s done) makes it a cinch to acceptable into my regular connected adjacent the busiest of days. It besides means the artillery lasts ages—I utilized it adjacent to each time for six weeks and did not request to complaint it. Some online reviews notation an contented with charging, but I tested its quality to clasp a charge, and it didn’t look to person immoderate issues.

On the downside, the lightweight silicone strap perpetually comes undone. I thought astatine archetypal I whitethorn person assembled it incorrectly, but erstwhile WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano had the aforesaid contented during her test. The signifier and tallness of the disguise (about 5 inches) besides marque it hard to acceptable successful a drawer oregon smaller question bag, compared with a flexible silicone mask. And, similar different red-light masks I’ve tried, I person yet to announcement a important alteration successful wrinkles oregon tegument texture. However, I specifically tested the red-and-blue operation airy mounting for 2 weeks and did consciousness similar I experienced a noticeable simplification successful assorted blemishes. —Kat Merck

Best Spot Treatment

Hand holding the Solawave Radiant Renewal Want, a slender achromatic  instrumentality  with reddish  lights blaring from the oval top

Solawave

4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Wand

WIRED

  • Ideal for targeting acheronian spots and small, hard-to-reach areas
  • Handheld plan is casual to maneuver
  • Includes gentle vigor and vibrations for a spa-like treatment

TIRED

  • Not almighty oregon applicable capable for full-face coverage
  • No bluish airy for acne concerns

The Solawave 4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Wand is simply a bestseller connected TikTok. It has a azygous 630-nanometer reddish airy wavelength, and former WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano recovered it rather relaxing to use. With vibration and warmth therapy thrown successful with the light, it feels similar a afloat spa experience. Two different WIRED testers person besides had affirmative results with tegument tightening. One mentioned that the tegument astir her oculus country looked firmer successful conscionable a fewer weeks of use. It besides has a longer instrumentality model than immoderate of our different picks, truthful you tin ever effort this and person clip to spot if it works.

Compare Top 5 LED Devices

So far, I've tested 18 devices, each for a play of six to 12 weeks. Once I log my findings, I walk each instrumentality on to 1 of 3 further testers, each with antithetic tegument types and signs of aging, to spot however results vary.

I show changes successful tegument texture and tone, but effectiveness is lone 1 of the factors I consider. I besides judged easiness of setup, fit, and comfort. I enactment merchandise specifications, similar the fig of LEDs and whether the brightness feels tolerable oregon irritating. For cordless devices, I way however agelong they past connected a azygous charge; for wired models, I measure however applicable they are.

I besides prioritize safety, checking for FDA clearance, automatic shut-off features, and wide durability of the design. To marque definite you aren't conscionable spending wealth willy-nilly, I besides made definite to consult dermatologists and experts astir which wavelengths of airy and irradiance outputs person objective backing, and what features to look for erstwhile buying for a device.

Honorable Mentions

Image whitethorn  incorporate  Accessories Goggles and Helmet

Photograph: Julia Forbes

iRestore Illumina Mask for $399: The Illumina has 360 medical-grade LED lights and 3 modes. Mode 1 combines reddish and infrared (635nm and 830nm, respectively), portion Mode 2 combines red, infrared, and bluish light. Mode 3 is simply a dedicated bluish airy mounting (415nm) meant to termination disconnected bacteria that tin pb to acne—or, successful my case, achy eczema. I recovered that Modes 2 and 3 did, successful fact, minimize my pores, springiness maine glowier skin, and kept my eczema from making an appearance. Results volition vary, but I saw results successful astir a week. —Julia Forbes

TheraFace Mask Glo for $380: I loved the original TheraFace Mask ($650), but with this caller version, it’s hard to warrant purchasing the original, which is astir treble the price. My main contented with the latest exemplary is that it has moved the vibration massage feature, which made the disguise basal out, to the straps that spell astir your head. In the original, the vibrations were built into the disguise itself, making it overmuch much comfy and soothing. The caller mentation gives maine a headache, truthful overmuch truthful that I usually take to skip the vibration mode during my sessions. Beyond that, it’s a coagulated mask.

UKLash LED Dual Light Pro-Therapy Face Mask for $249: This brushed disguise stands retired with its securing style, which has large loops to beryllium implicit your ears and past a strap connecting those loops to tighten it. It makes it 1 of the much unafraid brushed masks to wear, though I inactive similar the CurrentBody and HigherDose for comfortableness and security. It has 112 medical-grade LEDs that radiance reddish airy astatine 630 nm and adjacent infrared airy astatine 830 nm. I similar that this disguise doesn’t overpromise and delivers connected what it says it’ll do. I wouldn’t accidental I saw good enactment changes (and I usually don’t, but I fishy my 33-year-old lines are ones these masks can’t fix), but I did spot a bully tegument tone. I was particularly impressed since I was investigating it portion grooming for a creation show that had maine sweating aggregate times a week, but I didn’t get immoderate sweat breakouts. —Nena Farrell

Image whitethorn  incorporate  Person Mask Head Face Photography and Portrait

Photograph: Nena Farrell

HigherDose Red Light Therapy Face Mask for $349: This brushed disguise has a three-layer strap, with which makes it ace comfortable, since you aren’t getting squeezed from the bands; it astir hangs astir your caput acknowledgment to that apical strap. It has some a 10-minute and 20-minute reddish airy option. Overall, I saw good results from this disguise with glowy tegument and amended acne treatment. There are complaints online that the wiring isn’t beardown and tin interruption easy wrong the archetypal year, but HigherDose says that falls nether the one-year warranty. —Nena Farrell

LED Esthetics Glotech Mask Pro for $399: The LED Esthetics Glotech Mask Pro includes some reddish airy therapy and bluish airy therapy that tin assistance dainty acne and amended power your lipid production. After astir six weeks of accordant use, WIRED reviewer Nena Farrell didn't spot overmuch alteration successful her facial lines, but she noticed a brighter complexion and has gotten much compliments connected my skin. She besides recovered that scabs and acne cleared up faster and didn't permission scars. After 3 months of regular testing, editor Kat Merck noticed a precise subtle simplification of good lines, but she says it's truthful subtle she questions it successful definite lights. “On the positive side, my tegument isn't worse,” she says, “so I consciousness similar it does forestall further harm and wrinkles.”

Omnilux Contour Face Mask for $395: This flexible silicone disguise is simply a akin benignant to the LED Esthetics look disguise and astir the aforesaid price. Both masks person 132 LEDs and scope akin reddish airy levels—the Omnilux reaches 633 nm of reddish airy to LED Esthetics' 630 nm, and some committedness 830 nm of near-infrared light—but the Omnilux doesn't person a blue-light acne option. If that isn't a interest for you, this is different reddish airy look disguise to see that's besides FDA-cleared with a 30-day instrumentality policy.

Image whitethorn  incorporate  Clothing and Glove

Photograph: Nena Farrell

Jovs 4D Laser Light Mask for $849: This disguise allows you to set the infrared level, with 3 levels you tin take betwixt (plus antithetic clip lengths). The highest level promises 1064 nm long-wave light, but I didn’t spot a quality betwixt utilizing that and little levels. The highest level did marque maine blistery and sweaty, truthful it was surely much powerful, but I didn’t spot amended results that would marque maine urge investing successful this disguise implicit much affordable options. —Nena Farrell

Solawave Wrinkle Retreat Pro LED Face Mask for $399: This brushed silicone disguise packs 4 airy wavelengths to enactment collagen accumulation and dainty signs of aging. I didn’t spot immoderate large changes successful my good lines, and I often person to wrapper it ace choky connected my caput to support it from slipping. It often leaves impermanent marks connected my face. The Solawave is fashionable acknowledgment to TikTok, but I’d alternatively splurge connected our much comfy apical prime from CurrentBody, oregon walk astir the aforesaid magnitude connected the Shark Cryoglow for its cooling features. —Nena Farrell

LED Neck & Décolleté Masks to Consider

Image whitethorn  incorporate  LED cervix  mask

Photograph: Adrienne So

LED Esthetics Glotech Collar for $395: LED Esthetics notes that you should deterioration the disguise successful conjunction with its proprietary serums, which I did not bash truthful arsenic not to confound the results. I did moisturize afterward, besides arsenic instructed, with Oil of Olay Regenerist moisturizer. After 30 days of deterioration per idiosyncratic instructions (the manual says to proceed usage arsenic convenient oregon desired afterward), I did not announcement immoderate simplification successful my 2 deep-ish cervix wrinkles, but I recovered it remarkably casual to use, and the results are champion assessed implicit time. It comes with respective different-sized straps, but I lone needed the 1 astir my neck. The artillery lasts for 2 ten-minute sessions, but it's palm-sized and rechargeable via USB-C, truthful you tin apical it disconnected rapidly aft your nightly session. There are besides less LED bulbs and lone 1 setting, which I did not caput arsenic my cervix has delicate skin, but whitethorn beryllium an contented for immoderate users. —Adrienne So

Solawave Neck & Chest Rejuvenating Mask for $349: While this disguise is reasonably comfortable, it tin instrumentality a small finagling to unafraid it astir your neck. It is casual to use, but I didn't spot results connected immoderate of my necklines. The rechargeable artillery besides doesn't past long, and I complaint this cervix disguise much often than the LED look masks I use. It's besides harder to archer erstwhile it dies connected you since it's astir your cervix alternatively than connected your face. —Nena Farrell

Avoid These

LED Esthetics Glotech Minis for $229: Skip these, particularly if your tegument is reactive. At archetypal glance, these Glotech Minis look similar they're designed to people your under-eyes, but they tin technically beryllium utilized anywhere: chin, grin lines, adjacent supra your brows. They emit reddish and yellowish airy and committedness disposable results aft 4 weeks of regular nine-minute sessions. In theory, they're meant to beryllium a convenient, travel-friendly LED option. In practice, they're much occupation than they're worth. The patches trust connected adhesive stickers to enactment successful place, which is simply a full nightmare for anyone with delicate skin. My eczema flared aft 1 use, and peeling it disconnected lone made it worse. Even beyond that, the acceptable is awkward. The MemoryContour plan doesn't truly hug your face, truthful you'll apt find yourself pressing oregon lying inactive conscionable to support them from sliding off. It's a clever conception with mediocre execution.

Pro by Déesse Pro for $1,700: This is a hard-shell LED mask with six attraction modes and 4 airy wavelengths. The lights are intensely bright; adjacent with the included tanning-bed-style goggles, I had to support my eyes shut. It requires a powerfulness outlet, and the cord is short, truthful don't expect to beryllium walking around. It's not peculiarly comfortable, either. At $1,700, it's 1 of the priciest options retired there, and it doesn't adjacent travel with a show basal oregon retention case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Red Light Masks Truly Work?

Yes, the close types of LED (light-emitting diode) tin have a affirmative effect connected the skin. Former WIRED exertion Verity Burns tested Shark CryoGlow's reddish airy therapy with the assistance of a clinician who scanned the aboveground of her look utilizing Observ 520x's investigation machine earlier and aft her 8 weeks of testing. The before-and-after scans showed that her skin—particularly connected her cheeks—was smoother, plumper, and brighter, and showed betterment successful inflammation connected her forehead, chin, and nether her eyes.

Unfortunately, not everyone volition spot results from reddish oregon bluish airy therapy, and this mightiness lend to the suspicion astir these skincare devices and whether they work. You won't cognize until you try, though you should speech to your dermatologist to spot what they urge based connected your tegument type. Be definite to besides correctly instrumentality it into your regular (more connected this below).

I besides urge making definite the instrumentality you're considering is FDA-cleared. FDA clearance means the FDA has cleared the instrumentality for selling and that it's harmless to use. There's a 510(k) oregon Premarket Notification process they spell done to get it. You tin check the database to spot what's FDA-cleared. Note that it's not the aforesaid arsenic FDA approval, which is simply a higher modular that requires much investigating and research.

Topical retinoids, similar over-the-counter retinol and medicine tretinoin, tin besides treat wrinkles and texture by slowing the breakdown of collagen and expanding tegument compartment turnover. Both retinol and LED devices typically instrumentality respective months to amusement results, but retinoids travel with much side effects, specified arsenic accrued breakouts and sometimes flaky, burning skin.

What Are the Benefits of Using An LED Face Mask?

Research shows that definite airy tin person benefits for tegument rejuvenation. Red airy therapy commonly uses wavelengths successful the 630 to 660 nanometer range, with the lowest effectual wavelength astir 600 nanometers. It tin penetrate the dermis and boost collagen production, according to Abigail Waldman, objective manager of the Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery Center astatine Brigham and Women’s Hospital. (Collagen and elastin are proteins produced by fibroblast cells successful the middle layer, nether your epidermis.)

Near-infrared reddish lights are commonly betwixt 800 and 1,400 nanometers. These penetrate deeper into the tegument and are utilized mostly for healing and reducing inflammation. A survey funded by NASA discovered that high-intensity reddish and near-infrared airy importantly sped up healing successful oxygen-deprived wounds successful rats and boosted the proliferation of skin, bone, and musculus cells from mice and rats. NASA besides supplied LED devices to the US Navy to dainty grooming injuries. Those who utilized the LEDs had a 40 percent betterment successful musculoskeletal injuries and 50 percent faster healing for lacerations implicit the power group.

Blue light, connected the different hand, is typically 405 to 420 nm to penetrate the epidermis (the apical furniture of skin) and termination acne-causing bacteria. “It besides reportedly helps to modulate lipid accumulation and trim inflammation, starring to clearer skin,” says Shoshana Marmon, a board-certified dermatologist and adjunct prof of dermatology astatine New York Medical College.

There are different lesser-known LED lights, specified arsenic green, yellow, and purple; reddish and bluish LEDs are the astir backed by objective studies.

How Do I Use an LED Face Mask?

Follow the directions for the circumstantial instrumentality you're using, but successful general, you'll privation to wash and adust your face and use the disguise earlier applying immoderate tegument attraction products. LED therapy devices should person a acceptable attraction time, usually betwixt 3 and 10 minutes. Use it for the afloat clip unless it feels uncomfortable. After, use your tegument attraction products arsenic normal, focusing connected hydration (serums and moisturizers), particularly if you're prone to dryness. Do not usage these masks longer than indicated successful their directions.

While you tin usage reddish airy therapy and retinoids successful your tegument attraction routine, Waldman doesn't urge utilizing them simultaneously, arsenic it tin summation the accidental of irritation. She besides notes that portion there's nary crushed to judge reddish airy could beryllium harmful if you're large oregon breastfeeding, determination isn't overmuch probe involving large people, truthful you should consult your doc first.

How Often Should I Use an LED Face Mask?

LED airy therapy look masks don't enactment for everyone, but consistency is important if you privation to effort it. Follow shaper guidelines for champion use, but astir deermatologists urge utilizing an LED look disguise 3 to 5 times per week for up to 12 weeks to spot results.

  • Abigail Waldman, MD, FAAD, aesculapian manager of the Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery Center astatine Brigham and Women’s Hospital successful Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Shoshana Marmon, M.D., Ph.D., a board-certified dermatologist and adjunct prof of dermatology astatine New York Medical College successful Valhalla, New York.

Power up with unlimited entree to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber contented that's excessively important to ignore. Subscribe Today.

Read Entire Article