I tested 8 red light therapy masks and wands every day for 6 weeks. These 2 devices worked best.

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Red light therapy masks are an investment. Besides the cost, they also demand your time and attention in order to pay off. Even knowing all this, I found that the very best red light therapy devices are worth the effort.

Red light therapy has scientifically shown to be beneficial for your skin. It works by delivering low-level red and near-infrared light to your body's cells, which stimulates energy production. Using this energy, your cells can repair damage faster, stimulate collagen production, increase circulation, and reduce inflammation, explains Gina Maccarone, MD, a triple board-certified cosmetic surgeon and founder of The Surgeonista.

The result: A smoother complexion and an ability to target signs of aging, such as your skin's firmness, elasticity, and density (as long as you're wearing the mask consistently). Red light therapy can also help treat conditions like acne and alopecia, Dr. Maccarone adds.

How I tested red light therapy masks

To find out which devices are worth your money (and face), I tested eight of the top-rated handheld LED wands and masks on the market over the course of six weeks. I also consulted two dermatologists to understand how to get the most out of a red light therapy device.

While it's nearly impossible to scientifically verify the efficacy of a single product, I evaluated each pick for comfort, LED strength, light coverage, and, most importantly, how easy it was to use consistently. My own skincare goals were to find a device that helped minimize wrinkles, improve rosacea and discoloration, and calm acne flare ups.

The best red light therapy mask I tested:

The best red light therapy wand I tested:

Wavelengths, explained

Most red light therapy devices actually leverage a range of light wavelengths to deliver more benefits to your skin — not just red. "The wavelength determines how deeply the light penetrates tissue and what processes it influences," says Dr. Maccarone. When it comes to skincare devices, these are the most common:

• Blue light (380—500 nm) stays close to the skin's surface and can target acne-causing bacteria to reduce breakouts. It may also help with superficial inflammatory skin conditions like dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis.
• Red light (630—660 nm) is absorbed into the skin and targets superficial concerns like acne, skin texture, elasticity, and firmness.
• Near-infrared light (810—850 nm) penetrates deeper, reaching muscles, joints, bones, and even the brain. NIR can help athletes with muscle recovery, inflammation, and healing of injuries.

Some devices will also include green light (500-570 nm) to help stimulate collagen production and reduce pigmentation issues, or even amber light (570—600 nm) to target skin tone, wrinkles, and superficial inflammation (though not as powerfully as blue or red light).

FAQs on red light therapy

Does red light therapy work?

Science says yes. Research shows red light therapy can help to improve the complexion and texture of the skin, improve signs of aging (firmness, elasticity, skin density), help stimulate skin rejuvenation, and help treat conditions like acne and alopecia.

It can even help inflammation, pain, and muscle recovery. Beauty benefits aside, therapy devices with a near-infrared light wavelength can support injury healing, reduce inflammation. It may also improve joint stiffness, muscle recovery, and chronic pain, Dr. Maccarone says.

How can red light therapy benefit my skin?

It tells your skin cells to get to work. Red light therapy works by stimulating your cells' energy producers (AKA the mitochondria). This means your cells have more energy to do what they do best: repair damage faster, produce more collagen, increase circulation, and reduce inflammation, Dr. Maccarone explains.

It targets signs of aging and skin conditions. Once your skin cells are told to get to work, the result of these biological processes is less fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin texture, skin discoloration, and acne.

The stronger the device, the better and faster it'll work. The more powerful a therapy device, the better it'll deliver results over a shorter period of time. For example, our top pick for the best red light therapy mask is the TheraFace Pro, which has 504 lights and only needs four minutes on each light wavelength for therapeutic benefit.

Is red light therapy safe?

Yes, red light therapy is safe. "Because LEDs do not produce ultraviolet radiation, they are considered a safer form of light therapy," says Dr. Brendan Camp, double board-certified dermatologist and dermatopathologist with MDCS Dermatology in New York.

No, it doesn't cause cancer. Red light therapy devices don't emit ultraviolet (UV) light, which is the primary cause of skin cancer. And studies have shown these devices don't damage DNA or cause mutations of your skin cells.

Still, talk to your doctor if you're on medications or have a condition that makes your skin more sensitive to light. If you take any medication that increases your sensitivity to the sun (like certain antibiotics, cardiovascular drugs, or diuretics), have a skin condition that causes photosensitivity, or a history of skin cancer, talk to your dermatologist before you start using a red light therapy device.

How effective is red light therapy?

It depends on your consistency and other skincare habits. At-home red light therapy devices can definitely improve skin health, but the results may also be temporary depending on your age, sun exposure levels, and habits like alcohol and tobacco use, Dr. Camp points out. Some ways you can maximize your potential benefits include:

• Using other forms of skin therapy, like microcurrent and EMS devices
• Following a regular, anti-aging skincare routine (daily SPF, retinol, and other active ingredients like vitamin C)
• Using the device consistently (Dr. Camp says you should start to see results after two or more months)

It depends on the red light therapy device. A red light therapy mask is typically more powerful and treats the entire face at once, which helps deliver more uniform, predictable treatments, Dr. Camp explains. A wand uses less LED lights so you have to use it for longer, he continues, and because you're moving the wand around your face, there's more variability of coverage.

The best red light therapy mask: Therabody TheraFace Mask Glo

The TheraFace Mask ($650) is Therabody's original mask and the cream of the crop of its category, with nearly 650 lights to deliver high-coverage red, red + infrared, and blue light therapy over a nine-minute cycle. Unfortunately, this means it's quite pricey.

The TheraFace Mask Glo ($380), however, is the brand's newly-launched, lighter-weight red light therapy mask that's backed by the same technology. It has a few design compromises, but it comes at nearly half the cost, making it the best red light therapy mask for most people.

The TheraFace Mask Glo targets both the face and neck. Unlike many other red light masks that stop at the chin, the TheraFace Mask Glo delivers light coverage across your entire face and your neck — even though it only physically covers your face. That's thanks to its angled LED panels, which cast light downward without needing to extend the hard shell material past your chin.

It's comfortable enough. Without the center hinge design of the TheraFace Mask, the Mask Glo design is one rigid (albeit contoured) plastic panel and, with only slits for your eyes. It isn't the most breathable — it reflected the sounds and moist heat of my own breath for the entire 12-minute session.

That said, the contoured design is comfortable and didn't irritate any pressure points against my face. Moreover, I found the comprehensive coverage worth the slight stuffiness: Other red light therapy masks with nose and mouth cutouts might be more comfortable, but the Mask Glo's added coverage ensures a more targeted light on fine-line-prone areas like the eyes, mouth, and jawline — a worthy trade-off.

It uses 504 LED lights and three different light wavelengths. The Mask Glo uses far, far more lights than any other mask I tested (except the original TheraFace Mask), meaning it's more powerful within a shorter time period. One session runs through four minutes of red light, four minutes of red + infrared light, and four minutes of blue light to target fine lines, skin discoloration, superficial inflammation, and acne, for 12 minutes total.

You don't have to wear it for long. Other masks use 20+ minute cycles, but the Mask Glo's 12 minute cycle was short enough that I could wear it while I was making breakfast, or pop it on during my nightly routine before getting into bed. This 12 minute cycle made it easier for me to put on out of habit, which Dr. Maccarone says a genuine key aspect in a red light therapy tools' efficacy. It's worth noting that with this mask, you can't just do a single four-minute cycle of just one type of light (if, say, you only want blue light acne treatment on a timecrunch).

It's lightweight, secure on your head, and cordless for easy movement. It's pretty lightweight at just 514 grams (that's 62 grams less than the more expensive TheraFace Mask, often cited as annoyingly heavy). It also uses a cordless dual headstrap system to go over the top and across the back of your head, which helped me feel secure when walking around with the mask on.

It's designed to protect your eyes from the light. Whereas many of the masks I tested blinded my periphery with red light, the TheraFace Mask Glo is designed with a protective eye shield layer in order to widen your field of vision. This allowed me to see relatively well even as I watched TV or walked around my house (though it was a little nauseating trying to read with it on).

It comes from a reputable brand with a strong commitment to science. Therabody has earned a strong reputation for delivering science-backed wellness tools — including its beloved Theragun massage devices and PowerDot TENS device, used by everyone from physical therapists to pro athletes. The brand works closely with medical advisors and engineers to develop its tools, and it's very transparent about the technology inside its red light therapy devices.

The brand even did a clinical trial with over 100 participants of varying skin tones, most of whom were middle aged (though this study hasn't been peer-reviewed and, of course, has biased funding). The subjects used the Mask Glo for 12 weeks and largely found that it improved their skin tone evenness, radiance, dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles.

The best red light therapy wand: Medicube Booster Pro

It uses five light wavelength treatments to target signs of aging. While there are plenty of wands that promise red light therapy benefits, the Medicube Age-R Booster Pro stands out for delivering bigger results. This K-beauty device uses five different LED wavelengths, including red, infrared, and blue, to target fine lines, uneven tone, and skin laxity.

It also delivers six skin-boosting treatments for a full at-home facial. The Booster Pro stands above other red light wands because it's a complete skincare tool. Besides light therapy, it combines six skin-enhancing technologies — including microcurrent, EMS, electroporation, and electric "needles."

As Dr. Camp explains, adding modalities like these to your skincare routine can help amplify the effects of red light therapy over time. While red light therapy won't give you instant results, these other treatments will — and I found my skin did feel slightly tighter and more hydrated after using the air shot, booster, and microcurrent modes. For $220, you're getting a lot of value in one sleek tool.

The red light therapy is pretty straight-forward and seemingly effective. I found the red light therapy Derma-S Mode super simple to use — you pick your mode, pick your intensity, and then make contact with your skin. This is just like every other mode, except you don't feel anything when the program starts.

The accompanying app offers an 8-minute facial routine video that I found to be super comprehensive in helping me cover every corner of my face that could possibly have fine lines. That said, I do wish there was more real-time feedback that I was "doing it right" (the device blinks when in contact with your skin, but you can't see this unless you're looking in a mirror) or perhaps a step-by-step guided tutorial, especially since the radius of the light is quite small.

It's more hands on — but more versatile — than a red light therapy mask. While a red light therapy mask is great for no-effort sessions, the Medicube Booster Pro gives you way more tools for your money, including easy-to-use red and near-infrared light therapy. For slightly less than most LED masks, this wand offers six distinct treatments in one sleek, portable wand.

Yes, it requires more engagement — you have to actively move it across your face and remember what ground you've haven't covered yet. And if you just want to lay there while the device works, you'll be happier with a mask. But the wand's mobility also means you can use it to precisely target the area that need it most, like under your eyes, as well as areas outside your face, like acne on the chest or back.

It's travel-friendly and surprisingly easy to use. The Medicube Booster Pro seemed pretty intimidating to me at first, with its six different functions and four treatment mode. But after I had a few treatments under my belt, it all became pretty intuitive. The on-device LED screen makes it easy to toggle between modes, adjust intensity levels, and track treatment time. It's comfortable to hold and pack in a travel makeup bag, which definitely helps with consistent use.

The companion app helps keep you consistent — though it could be more guided. The accompanying Age-R app helped me remember what mode did what and how exactly to apply the treatment, and was a key component of boosting my confidence with the wand. It even creates a personalized skincare calendar for which modes you should use when and how often. There are video tutorials for each setting, as well as Shorts where content creators share their full routine for, say, elasticity care in your 40s.

I especially appreciated the push notification reminders to keep me on track with my Booster Pro calendar, as well as the option to upload before-and-after photos to see if regular use is actually working. That said, the app could do more to walk you through each session in real-time. Competitor apps like Therabody's offer guided "facial workouts" with beeps and prompts to change location. The Booster Pro app doesn't offer much in the way of sensory expectation; I found myself Googling and digging through community forums to confirm whether the prickly sensation was normal (and indeed it was).

There is a learning curve with some modes. As someone who hasn't used microcurrent or microneedling devices before — or done any skincare regularly beyond my basic anti-aging daily routine — I found some of the advanced functions like EMS and electroporation a little jarring at first, as they gently zapped or tingled.

I also couldn't remember which mode required certain products (Medicube's Booster mode works best with a serum or ampoule, while the MC and Derma Shot modes are better after your regular skincare) and which didn't (like Air Shot). After about a week of regularly using the device and its many treatments, it finally started to click.

The best runner-up red light therapy mask: Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro LED Device

It delivers four types of light therapy in just 3 minutes each. The Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro LED Device uses 100 red and 62 blue LED lights (162 in total) to emit near-infrared, red, blue, and amber wavelengths. This means it targets wrinkles, sun damage, and acne — with the option to run through a cycle of red, blue, amber, and near-infrared together (or a combination of all).

Each session lasts just three minutes, which is undeniably appealing for anyone trying to build this into an already-loaded skincare routine. That said, with under 100 of each type of LED light, I'm skeptical of how effective the shorter cycle is — even though I know, per our dermatologists, that consistency is more important than duration.

It's incredibly lightweight, breathable, and offers great coverage. One of the biggest pros to this mask is the strategically vented plastic shell, which has multiple cutouts to shed weight and make the mask more breathable. I worried this would compromise where exactly the light was hitting, but the openings are designed thoughtfully: The eye slits arch up so you can see, but the light still hits the crow's feet area. While the mouth opening didn't line up perfectly for me, the angle of the surrounding LEDs still hit my chin and smile lines.

Overall, I felt the areas I wanted targeted on my face were being targeted, and the lighter weight and contoured fit made it comfortable to wear with no weird pressure points. But because it's a one-size-fits-all mask with a rigid shape, fit and coverage may vary person to person.

It doesn't cover the neck, and the head strap could be more secure. If neck lines or tech neck are your concern, skip this mask. Fit-wise, it uses a single silicone trap that goes around the back of the head (rather than also over the top). While I appreciated how this didn't pull any hairs, it did slip a little while I wore it. The cycle is short enough that this wasn't a dealbreaker, but I did have to readjust it once or twice over just three minutes.

At night, the lights feel intense and your vision is limited. For a three minute cycle, this isn't a dealbreaker. If you pop this on at the start of your workday or while waiting for coffee to brew, it'll work great. But if you're like me and only practice self-care while laying on a couch in the evenings, the lack of eye rim shield and extremely bright lights mask does impede your vision, in a way that may make you less likely to use it consistently.

The best budget red light therapy wand: Pure Daily Care Luma Skin Therapy Wand

It's a surprisingly powerful red light therapy wand for under $100. Despite being under $100, the Luma Wand delivers red, blue, and green LED light therapy (albeit one mode at a time), along with several other skin-boosting features. The red light therapy mode is simple and effective, with the ability to adjust your session time from 1-15 minutes and a point-and-hold approach to treatment.

It's easy to use — but keep the booklet on hand. The wand has a clear on-device screen and intuitive interface. It's much easier to get the hang of than the Medicube Booster Pro, with which I had a much steeper learning curve. That said, you'll definitely need to reference the included one-pager to remember what each setting does, as the names aren't really self-explanatory.

It offers a range of skin treatments. Beyond red, green, and blue light therapies, the Luma wand has four additional modes: Biowave uses micro-vibrations and currents to boost circulation; Nutri- mode helps serum absorb more effectively; a positive-ion cleanse mode; and a vibration massage setting.

The LED menu makes it clear which treatments you can stack together, and lets you adjust the intensity of each (though I do wish I could've bumped the intensity mid-treatment when one wasn't feeling strong enough). This wand does well at light therapy alone, but if you want the additional skin therapies, the Medicube Booster Pro or TheraFace PRO will serve you better in the long run.

It's bright and the vibration is a little loud. While testing the wand, the red light mode felt standard and unobtrusive — until I got to my under-eyes, where the brightness of the device was a little blinding. The wand is silent on all modes except vibration, where it emits a buzz slightly louder than my electric toothbrush — a little too loud for a 15 minute cycle, in my opinion.

Other red light therapy devices I tested

What I liked

TheraFace PRO ($420): If I was going to buy one device for total skin health, it'd be this one. The hand-held device has different attachment heads for LED light therapy, microcurrent, facial massage, and cleansing with an incredibly well-designed app that holds your hand for dozens of different at-home spa treatment cycles. At nearly half the price, the Medicube Booster Pro is a better pick for most people simply looking for red light therapy, but if you want a face sculpting device in addition to red light therapy, the TheraFace Pro is top tier and worth the price.

PMD Clean Redvolution ($220): Overall, this is a solid red light therapy wand that's straight-forward to use and covers decent surface area with its light. For the price, I wish it offered near-infrared light and possibly also blue light. Moreover, you're intended to hold it in the targeted area for three minutes, making it a good wand if you want to spot-treat fine lines but a frustratingly long experience to cover your whole face and neck every day.

Therabody TheraFace Mask ($650): The older sister of our top overall pick, the TheraFace Mask has all the perks of the Glo but is packed with more LED lights and only needs 9 minutes of daily treatment (cycling through red, infrared, and blue light) to deliver results. It has a front-hinge design that makes it slightly more comfortable, and vibration therapy across both the scalp and forehead. For $180 more, most people can live without these perks, but if money isn't an issue, the TheraFace Mask is worth it.

What I didn't like

Luma Mask Professional LED Light Therapy Mask ($230): This mask is hard and incredibly uncomfortable to wear, with rigid pressure points at the eyebrow bone and stop of the head. Also, you have to wear it for 20 minutes and, without any kind of eye shield, you can't open your eyes during the cycle, making it impractical for at-home daily use.

What to look for in a red light therapy mask, according to dermatologists

"At-home red light therapy devices are convenient but definitely have limitations," says Dr. Maccarone. None are necessarily tested or regulated to verify their wavelength or other properties, but here's what the best red light therapy masks and wands should offer:

• Sufficient power: Too low of power and intensity, and the device won't be effective. Devices with fewer lights and lower power should have a longer treatment time to land at the same amount of exposure.
• Science-backed wavelengths: Different light wavelengths penetrate tissue at different levels and, therefore have different effects. All the devices we tested use red light (630-660 nm) to target fine lines, texture, and skin elasticity. The majority also leverage near-infrared (810-850) and blue light (380—500 nm) to cover both deeper issues like inflammation and more surface-level issues like acne-causing bacteria.
• Comfortable design: Depending on material, shape, coverage, and contouring, each mask will fit differently and each wand will feel different in hand. The best red light therapy masks will have an adjustable head strap, be shaped to ergonomically curve around your face, and be designed for breathing room and no hotspots. Wands should be lightweight enough to hold for the entire treatment, comfortable against your skin, and, ideally, cover a large surface area.
• Serums and other products needed: Red light therapy devices, for the most part, are all used on clean, dry skin. That said, for a device with microcurrent, you will want to apply a conductive, water-based gel or serum so the current can pass easily through to your skin. Some devices, like TheraFace PRO, come with a conductor, while others, like the Medicube Age-R Booster Pro, recommend using your own serum or occlusive.
• Easy to use: Consistent use is essential to how effective a device will be, Dr. Maccarone says. If a mask is uncomfortable or a wand's treatment time is too long, you're less likely to use it regularly and see an effect. Consider what features and limitations are realistic for your lifestyle.
• Made by a reputable company: Because the FDA only regulates medical devices, there's no guarantee that any given red light therapy mask or wand actually emits the power or wavelengths that it purports. There's no risk to your health; just a risk that it won't work properly. Because of this, it's smart to buy devices from more established companies who are known for making high-quality products.