This $160,000 red-light chamber left my whole body buzzing

There are a lot of emerging technologies at SXSW — AI voice restoration, robotaxis, XR experiences. But there's only one Ammortal Chamber — a $160,000 red light bed with "absolute state of the art" restoration and rejuvenation technology.

Not only am I a millennial who's fast approaching middle age, but I've always been a sucker for a bougie spa experience. That's why I took a break from SXSW tech panels to step inside the demonstration version at the Fairmont Hotel spa.

The same way batteries recharge your cell phone, the Ammortal Chamber recharges you. At least, that's the idea.

What is the Ammortal Chamber?

The Ammortal Chamber looks like a tanning bed from the future. It has a striking, sculptural design. During your treatment, you lie on a zero-gravity glass bed with built-in electromagnetic coils, surrounded by infrared lights.

The chamber combines red and infrared light, molecular hydrogen inhalation, guided meditation and breathwork, vibroacoustic sound therapy, and pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy into one immersive experience.

Or, as the Ammortal sales team put it, the chamber "combines proven treatment modalities to reset your body and mind."

In addition to writing about gadgets and AI, I've also covered the world of male grooming. I first encountered red light therapy in the form of those Hannibal Lecter-like masks, and was extremely skeptical. These $500 masks can't possibly be doing anything ... right?

In fact, every dermatologist I asked told me that, in fact, light therapy can be extremely effective as a skincare tool, if you use it consistently. It's also become very popular for workout recovery.

Still, I definitely wouldn't expect results after a single red light session, even in a futuristic chamber that bathes you in light from tip to tail. For that reason I'm not qualified to render a verdict on the health aspects of the Ammortal Chamber, but I can tell you what it's like inside one.

What the Ammortal Chamber is like

Using a control panel, you select a speciic 15 or 25-minute experience. I tried one named "Energize". There are different types of music, breathwork, and settings depending on the experience.

A technician helped me insert a nasal cannula for the molecular hydrogen inhalation, and then the treatment began.

I was a little intimidated at first — there's a lot going on in the chamber, and I felt a bit exposed — but it didn't feel claustrophobic.

The upper panel lowered, and extremely bright lights activated. Even with the provided goggles, the lights were powerful. (The chamber uses 60nm red light, 850nm near infrared light, and 100mW/cm2 red light for deep-tissue penetration.)

A loud musical soundscape enveloped me, syncing with the acoustic vibration. It was intense. I felt vibrations throughout my entire body. As for the PEMF, I felt a slight tingling, though that could have been a placebo effect. When I accidentally touched a colleague filming the experience, he received a static shock from the mild electric field (the chamber uses frequencies ranging from 0.5 Hz to 50 MHz).

At the beginning and end of the experience, a soothing voice guided me through simple breathwork meditation. The session flew by, and I was vibing the entire time. It felt very meditative.

When the session was over, my entire body was still buzzing. Did I feel energized? Restored? Rejuvenated? I'm not quite sure, but I definitely wanted to go again.

Who is the Ammortal Chamber for?

The Ammortal Chamber is a device for rich people, in case the $160,000 price tag didn't make that clear. But that's not to say regular folks can't try it. If you like going to spas, you may encounter an Ammortal Chamber as a treatment option among the ice baths, infrared saunas, and hyperbaric chambers.

An Ammortal representative said the machines are currently being used by several NFL teams. And that after one NFL team adds a chamber to its facilities, some of the players want a chamber installed at home.

Like I said, I won't speak to the medical benefits of the machine, and I can't say that my short session had any dramatic long-term health effects. Maybe this machine is just a really clever way to separate rich people from $160,000 in return for a short-term buzz. If that's the case, I tip my hat to the Ammortal folks.

But one thing's for sure: I want to book another session before I leave Austin.