The Best At-Home Microdermabrasion Devices: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)

RBE top pick

Michael Todd Sonic Refresher

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The Sonic Refresher is the only device here that gives you three diamond grits and a wet mode, and it carries a three-year warranty. The MIO does the same two-step job with one grit and five speeds for a fraction of the price, and tells you exactly what to expect and when.

Microdermabrasion works by two things happening at once: an abrasive surface takes off the outermost layer of dead skin, and a vacuum lifts the debris away and pulls blood to the surface. Take away either half and you have something else. That matters because the shelf labelled at-home microdermabrasion now contains diamond-tip devices, spinning crystal discs, sonic wet-and-dry systems and ultrasonic spatulas that do not abrade at all, all sold on the same promise of smoother skin. We compared three genuine microdermabrasion devices and one that is frequently bought as one, and the specifications that separate them are simple: how many grits you get, how many speeds, and how long the maker will stand behind it.

RBE top pick

Michael Todd Beauty

Sonic Refresher

Buy it

Three diamond grits, three extraction heads, a wet mode and a three-year warranty.

Best for: Someone who wants one device to exfoliate, extract and hydrate, with grit options for different areas.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• Three microdermabrasion heads at different grades, a coarse diamond head, a fine diamond head and a small fine head for delicate areas, plus three pore extraction heads.
• Wet and dry sonic operation with a hydrating micromist step, so exfoliation, extraction and rehydration happen in one routine rather than three devices.
• A 3-year warranty, three times the cover on the MIO, with a wireless charging cradle, a USB cable and 40 disposable filters in the box.

Know before buying

• Michael Todd publishes no speed count, no battery runtime, no weight and no dimensions.
• The world's first and patented claims appear with no patent number or date on the page.
• It costs considerably more than the MIO.
• No treatment frequency or expected timeline is published, so you are left to judge for yourself.

Find it on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Spa Sciences

MIO Diamond Microdermabrasion System

Buy it

Five speeds, a travel-friendly battery and the clearest statement of what to expect and when.

Best for: A first microdermabrasion device, and anyone who travels and wants to take it along.

$ · budget

Why we like it

• A laser-cut diamond rejuvenation tip plus three suction extraction tips in different shapes and sizes, with five speed settings to match the level of exfoliation to your skin.
• A USB rechargeable NiMH battery that is lithium-free and which Spa Sciences says is safe for carry-on or checked baggage, with a 60 minute maximum runtime and cord-free operation.
• Spa Sciences publishes what to expect: possibly softer skin after the first session, and significant improvement in fine lines, hydration, pore size and tone after eight to twelve weeks of weekly treatments, along with twenty single-use filters, full cleaning instructions and a 1-year limited warranty.

Know before buying

• One diamond grit only, where the Sonic Refresher ships with three.
• A 1-year limited warranty, the shortest of the three microdermabrasion devices here.
• Spa Sciences warns that using anything other than a 5V 1A or 5V 2A charger can cause the unit to overheat, a caveat Michael Todd also prints for the Sonic Refresher.
• The foam filters are consumables and twenty of them will not last long at weekly use.

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PMD Beauty

Personal Microderm Pro

It depends

A spinning crystal disc rather than a diamond tip, with the widest grit range, but it must be plugged in to run.

Best for: Body use and thicker skin, where a very coarse disc does what a fine diamond tip cannot.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• A spinning disc and vacuum system with four disc grades, very sensitive, sensitive, moderate and very coarse, which is a wider abrasive range than any diamond tip here.
• Low and high speed settings plus extra disc options over the Classic, so treatments can be dialled from sensitive to intense, and PMD publishes a 20-year warranty against manufacturer defects.
• The box holds a face cap, a body cap, four discs (very sensitive, sensitive, moderate and very coarse) and a power adapter, so both face and body use are covered out of the box.

Know before buying

• It has no battery: like a hair dryer it must be plugged in to operate, so it is not cord-free or travel-friendly.
• The discs are consumables sold separately, so the running cost is higher than a diamond tip you simply wash.
• The claim that it enhances skincare absorption by 20 times appears with no study details given for that figure.
• A spinning disc is less forgiving than a diamond tip on curved areas and around the nose.

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We'd skip it

DERMAFLASH

DERMAPORE+

Skip it

A good ultrasonic pore extractor, and not microdermabrasion in any sense.

Best for: Blackheads and congestion, as a companion to a separate exfoliating device rather than a replacement.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Ultrasonic extraction with ionic infusion, which pushes skincare in after clearing the pore rather than only taking debris out.
• DERMAFLASH says it is clinically proven to visibly reduce pore size, and it is described as suitable for all ages and skin types including sensitive skin.
• The box includes the device, a 0.5 fl oz Prep Mist and a USB charging cable, so nothing else is needed to start.

Know before buying

• It has no abrasive surface, no diamond tip, no crystals and no vacuum, so it does not resurface skin the way microdermabrasion does.
• No warranty terms or battery runtime are published on the product page, and it has two modes, extract and infuse, rather than speed settings.
• The Prep Mist is a consumable you will need to restock.
• Buying it expecting the smoothing effect of microdermabrasion will disappoint, because that is not what it is for.

Amazon had no buyable listing for this when we last checked. The link still works if it returns.

See our pick instead Find it on Amazon anyway Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

We started by checking whether each device is actually doing microdermabrasion, which means an abrasive surface plus suction. That sounds like a formality and it is not: one of the four most commonly cross-shopped devices in this category has neither, and is an excellent product for a different job. Once that was settled we looked at the abrasive itself, diamond tip or crystal disc, and at how many grades come in the box, because the single biggest practical limitation on a home device is having one level of coarseness for skin that varies across your face and body.

After that, control: how many speed settings, whether the device works wet or only dry, and whether the extraction tips come in more than one shape. Then the mundane things that decide whether a device lasts, which in this category vary enormously: warranty ranges from twenty years to nothing published, battery runtime is stated by exactly one maker, and consumable costs range from a pack of foam filters to a continuing supply of abrasive discs. Finally we looked for a published protocol, because a device sold for gradual resurfacing should tell you how often to use it and when to expect a change, and Michael Todd is the one maker here that does not.

The Michael Todd Sonic Refresher is the most complete device here and the only diamond-tip device that solves the grit problem. It ships with three microdermabrasion heads rather than one: a coarse diamond head, a fine diamond head, and a small fine head for delicate or awkward areas, plus three pore extraction heads. That range matters, because the skin on a cheek and the skin on a chin do not want the same abrasion, and the MIO asks you to manage that with speed alone. It is a wet and dry sonic system, which Michael Todd describes as the first of its kind for home use, and it adds a hydrating micromist step so the routine ends with moisture rather than just exfoliation. It charges on a wireless cradle, and it carries a 3-year warranty, three times the MIO’s. The gaps are all informational: no speed count, no battery runtime, no weight or dimensions, no recommended treatment frequency, and a patented claim with no patent number attached. It also costs considerably more than the MIO.

The Spa Sciences MIO is the device that tells you the most for the least money. It is a two-step system: a laser-cut diamond rejuvenation tip for resurfacing, and three suction extraction tips in different shapes and sizes for congested areas, with five speed settings so the level of exfoliation can be matched to your skin rather than fixed. The engineering choices around it are sensible. The battery is NiMH rather than lithium, giving a 60 minute maximum runtime and, more usefully, making the device safe for carry-on and checked baggage, which Spa Sciences spells out more clearly than anyone else here. It runs cord-free, it ships with twenty single-use foam filters, and Spa Sciences publishes full cleaning instructions down to removing the filter with tweezers and washing the tips with soap and water or alcohol, without soaking them. Best of all it publishes an expectation: softer, smoother skin possibly after the first session, and significant improvement in fine lines, hydration, pore size and tone after eight to twelve weeks of weekly treatments. The limitations are one diamond grit, a 1-year limited warranty, and an odd but real caveat that a charger outside 5V 1A or 5V 2A can cause the unit to overheat.

The PMD Personal Microderm Pro takes the other approach, using a spinning disc coated with abrasive crystals combined with vacuum suction rather than a fixed diamond tip. Its advantage is range. The box holds four aluminium oxide discs graded from very sensitive to very coarse, which gives a wider abrasive spread than any single diamond tip, and the Pro adds low and high speeds and extra disc options over the Classic so treatments run from sensitive to intense. There are Smooth Glide face and body caps for different areas, and PMD describes the device as developed by doctors. PMD says to use it once a week, expects results after eight to twelve weeks, and lists a 20-year warranty against manufacturer defects. The drawbacks are practical. It has no battery and must be plugged in to run. The headline claim that it enhances skincare absorption by 20 times is presented without study details for that figure. And each disc lasts three to four uses by PMD’s own count, so the running cost sits above a diamond tip you simply wash. It is a capable device, particularly for the body.

The DERMAFLASH DERMAPORE+ is good at what it does and it is not microdermabrasion. It is an ultrasonic spatula: a custom-curved, ionically charged paddle that vibrates at high frequency to dislodge dirt, oil and blackheads from pores, combined with an ionic mode that helps drive skincare in afterwards. DERMAFLASH is accurate in its own description, talking about deep cleaning, unclogging pores and infusing skincare, and saying pores look smaller instantly, and it says the pore-size reduction is clinically proven. It is recommended for all ages and skin types including sensitive skin, and the box holds the device, a half-ounce Prep Mist and a USB cable. What it does not have is any abrasive surface, any crystals, any diamond tip or any vacuum, which means it does not remove the outer layer of skin and will not produce the smoothing, polished result people buy microdermabrasion for. It is a skip here only because of what people search for when they land on it. Alongside one of the other three, it is a sensible second device.

Michael Todd Beauty Sonic Refresher vs Spa Sciences MIO Diamond Microdermabrasion System: which should you buy?

Michael Todd against Spa Sciences is a choice between range and value, and both are defensible. The Sonic Refresher gives you three diamond grits in the box, which is the one thing a home device usually cannot do: coarse for a forehead or a back, fine for general use, small fine for the nose and around the mouth. It also works wet as well as dry and ends the routine with a hydrating micromist, and it backs all of it with a 3-year warranty against the MIO’s one.

The MIO gives you one diamond grit, five speeds and everything Michael Todd will not put in writing: battery chemistry and runtime, cleaning method, and a clear statement that significant results take eight to twelve weeks of weekly use. It is also travel-friendly by design and costs a fraction as much. Buy the Sonic Refresher if you want to treat different areas properly and want the longer warranty. Buy the MIO if you are starting out, if you travel, or if you would rather find out whether you will keep using one of these before spending considerably more.

What to look for

• Abrasive plus suction: if a device has neither an abrasive surface nor a vacuum, it is not microdermabrasion however it is categorised.
• More than one grit: a single tip has to serve your forehead and the skin around your mouth, and speed alone is a poor substitute.
• A published speed count: five settings is real adjustability; more than the previous model is not a specification.
• Warranty length: it ranges from twenty years to nothing published across these devices, which tells you something about expected life.
• Consumable cost: replacement discs and single-use filters are ongoing spending, and diamond tips that just need washing are not.
• A published protocol: how often, for how many weeks, and what to expect. A maker who will not say has not thought about how you will use it.

Our final take

At-home microdermabrasion is a well-understood treatment sold with wildly varying amounts of honesty. The Michael Todd Sonic Refresher is the one to buy: three diamond grits, three extraction heads, wet and dry operation with a hydrating finish, and a three-year warranty, three times the MIO’s. The Spa Sciences MIO is the smarter first purchase for most people, because it does the same two-step job with five speeds, publishes its battery, its cleaning routine and a realistic eight to twelve week timeline, and costs little enough to find out whether you will stick with it. The PMD Personal Microderm Pro has the widest abrasive range and the longest warranty, but it is corded and the discs keep costing. And a device with no abrasive and no vacuum is not a microdermabrasion device, however good it is at clearing blackheads.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: Michael Todd Beauty Sonic Refresher vs Spa Sciences MIO Diamond Microdermabrasion System.

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