LED Face Masks: Which to Buy and Which to Skip

RBE top pick

Omnilux Contour Face

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Omnilux is one of only two makers here that publish an irradiance figure, which combined with a stated 10 minute session is the only way to know the dose you are receiving. CurrentBody offers more wavelengths and per-LED control, and is the better choice if you want to treat acne and pigmentation as well as lines.

LED face masks are sold on before and after photographs and bought on hope, which is a shame because the physics here is unusually legible. A light therapy device delivers a dose, and dose is irradiance multiplied by time. If a maker publishes how much light per square centimetre the mask puts out and how long a session lasts, you can work out what your skin is actually receiving and compare it against the published research. Only two of these eight publish an irradiance figure. The others ask you to accept a treatment time without telling you the intensity behind it, which is like being told how long to cook something without being told the temperature.

RBE top pick

Omnilux

Contour Face

Buy it

The only mask here that tells you its output, which is the only way to know what you are getting.

Best for: Fine lines, wrinkles and skin firmness, for someone who wants a dose they can verify.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• Omnilux publishes an energy output of about 30 mW per square centimetre, and a 10 minute session, which together are enough to calculate the dose delivered.
• 132 LEDs arranged as 66 dual-chip bulbs, each containing both a 633nm red and an 830nm near-infrared emitter, so both wavelengths reach the same point at the same time rather than from separate bulbs.
• FDA cleared, flexible and portable, with a published regimen of three to five treatments per week for four to six weeks and maintenance afterwards, on a technology Omnilux says features in more than 40 peer-reviewed clinical studies.

Know before buying

• Red and near-infrared only, with no blue, and Omnilux states plainly that the Contour line will not clear acne breakouts and should not be used on inflammatory acne.
• No app, no preset modes and no adjustable intensity.
• No battery life or weight is published on the product page, though Omnilux does state a 2-year warranty on the device and controller.
• Face only: Omnilux sells separate devices for the neck and the hands.

Find it on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

CurrentBody

Skin LED Red Light Therapy Face Mask: Series 3

Buy it

Six wavelengths and individual control of every LED, which is more capability than anything else here.

Best for: Someone treating more than one concern, particularly acne and pigmentation alongside ageing.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• Six wavelengths: red at 633nm, near-infrared at 830nm, deep near-infrared at 1072nm, blue at 415nm, green at 532nm and yellow at 590nm, so lines, acne and pigmentation are all addressed by one device.
• The MyDose system gives control over every individual LED, letting you choose the wavelengths and calculating the dose automatically, alongside four clinician-approved preset modes.
• A flexible silicone shape with a chin strap for coverage, and an app for building and saving personalised treatments.

Know before buying

• No irradiance figure is published, so the automatic dose calculation cannot be checked against anything.
• No weight, battery life or warranty terms appear on the product page, though CurrentBody does state 750 LEDs.
• The headline results, 37 percent fewer wrinkles and 57 percent more plumpness in eight weeks, are asterisked claims; CurrentBody attributes them to independent clinical testing, including a 31-subject, 56-day Eurofins study of its LEDs.
• Six wavelengths and per-LED control is more complexity than most people will use, and the best of it requires the app.

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HigherDOSE

Red Light Face Mask

Buy it

The second mask here that publishes its irradiance, at 50 mW per square centimetre, in flexible silicone at a mid-range price.

Best for: Someone who wants a dose they can calculate, in a flexible mask, without paying premium prices.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• HigherDOSE publishes irradiance per wavelength: 26 mW per square centimetre at 630nm red and 24 at 830nm near-infrared, 50 in total.
• 132 diodes arranged as 66 dual-core LEDs, so red and near-infrared come from the same point, the same layout as the Omnilux.
• Medical-grade flexible silicone with face and head straps, FDA cleared, with 10 or 20 minute programs and a rechargeable controller.

Know before buying

• Red and near-infrared only, with no blue light for acne.
• The battery runs about 80 to 100 minutes, which HigherDOSE puts at up to ten 10 minute sessions.
• No weight is published, and the warranty is one year against the Omnilux's two.
• The controller hangs off a cable rather than being built into the mask.

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Therabody

TheraFace Mask

It depends

648 lights, the most disclosed hardware, and a rigid shell that sits on your face rather than against it.

Best for: Someone who wants blue, red and infrared in one device and likes the idea of the vibration massage.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• 648 lights delivering red at 633nm, red plus infrared at 830nm and blue at 415nm, second only to CurrentBody's 750 in this comparison.
• Therabody publishes more hardware detail than anyone here: a weight (514 grams in its spec table, 576 grams in its comparison chart), 120 minutes of battery, a full materials list, and a 1-year limited warranty.
• FDA cleared, cordless and hands-free, with treatments from 3 to 9 minutes and a vibration mode for facial and scalp massage.

Know before buying

• The shell is polycarbonate and ABS rather than flexible silicone, so it holds its shape rather than contouring to your face.
• At over 500 grams it is substantial to wear.
• No irradiance is published, so the 3 to 9 minute treatment range cannot be converted into a dose.
• The supporting clinical study is 31 subjects over 12 weeks using the 9 minute programme once a day, which is a demanding protocol to sustain.

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Qure

Q-Rejuvalight Pro LED Mask

It depends

Five wavelengths and per-zone control through an app in a three minute session, with no intensity figure behind the time.

Best for: Someone with both breakouts and early lines who wants to treat different parts of the face differently.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• Five wavelengths: 415nm blue, 605nm amber, 630nm red, 660nm deep red and 880nm infrared, with a rejuvenating mode and a blue plus red clearing mode.
• The app lets you pick a different mode for each of five facial zones, so lines and breakouts can be treated in one session, and the presets work without a phone.
• FDA cleared for wrinkles and mild to moderate inflammatory acne under K230042, wireless, with 160 dual core LEDs and protective eyewear included.

Know before buying

• No irradiance is published, so the three minute session cannot be turned into a dose.
• No weight, battery life or construction material appears on the product page; only a 2 hour charge time is listed.
• Qure advises people with Fitzpatrick skin types V and VI to check with a dermatologist first because of a small risk of pigment changes.

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Shark

CryoGlow LED Face Mask

It depends

Red, blue and deep infrared LEDs plus under-eye cooling, with the clearest weight, battery and warranty figures here and no wavelengths in nanometres.

Best for: Someone who wants an LED mask and under-eye depuffing in one device and values a long warranty.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Under-eye cooling with three chill levels in a 5 to 15 minute mode, which no other mask in this comparison offers.
• Shark publishes a weight of 1.69 pounds, 138 minutes of battery, a 3 hour charge and a two year limited warranty.
• Preset routines of 4, 6 and 8 minutes for aging, acne and maintenance, each tied to a 12 week study of about 60 people using it once a day.

Know before buying

• No wavelengths in nanometres, no LED count and no irradiance are published, only red, blue and deep infrared.
• The shell is ABS, polycarbonate and TPU with silicone, so it is a rigid mask like the Therabody.
• The CryoGlow Plus (FW350) adds coverage around the crow's feet and lips, which this FW312 lacks.

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We'd skip it

Solawave

Wrinkle Retreat Pro LED Face Mask

Skip it

A three minute treatment from a maker that will not tell you how bright the lights are.

Best for: Someone who wants a flexible silicone mask at the lowest price and will not miss the numbers.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Four wavelengths, amber at 605nm, red at 630nm, deep red at 660nm and near-infrared at 830nm, which is more than the Omnilux or the Therabody.
• Soft flexible medical-grade silicone that contours to the face, with detachable adjustable head straps and a digital countdown and battery display.
• FDA cleared and HSA and FSA eligible.

Know before buying

• A three minute treatment is a third of the Omnilux session, and with no irradiance published there is no way to know whether the dose is comparable.
• 320 LEDs is roughly half the Therabody's 648 and well under CurrentBody's 750.
• Up to 20 treatments per charge is a short battery, meaning a recharge roughly every three weeks at daily use.
• No warranty terms and no clinical study of its own are cited on the product page.

See our pick instead See it at Amazon anyway Read our detailed assessment ↓

We'd skip it

Dr. Dennis Gross

DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro

Skip it

A premium three minute mask whose own product page gives three different accounts of its wavelengths and no intensity figure.

Best for: Nobody choosing on specifications; the Qure covers the same red plus blue ground and publishes a consistent wavelength list.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• Red, blue or combined red and blue settings in one FDA cleared mask, so acne and aging are both covered.
• Cordless with an adjustable silicone strap, an automatic shutoff at 3 minutes and a one year warranty.
• The page lists 100 red and 60 blue lights, and the quick start guide gives 8 to 10 treatments per charge.

Know before buying

• The wavelengths are inconsistent: the copy says four wavelengths of red, the comparison chart lists four nanometre values and the gallery shows five.
• No irradiance is published, so the three minute session cannot be converted into a dose.
• The light count reads up to 100 lights in one place and 100 red plus 60 blue in another.
• The results quoted come from a clinical and consumer perception study, with a 12 week study of 32 participants cited in the gallery.

See our pick instead See it at Amazon anyway Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

Light therapy is a dose-response treatment, so the first thing we looked for was whether a dose can be calculated at all. That needs two numbers, an irradiance in milliwatts per square centimetre and a session length in minutes, and only two of these eight publish both. Where a maker gives a treatment time and nothing else, the time on its own is meaningless: a three minute session at high intensity and a three minute session at low intensity are completely different treatments, and you are not told which you are buying.

After that we looked at wavelengths, because they determine what the device can address. Red around 630nm and near-infrared around 830nm are the pairing for lines and firmness; blue around 415nm is for acne and does nothing for wrinkles; amber, green and yellow are aimed at tone and redness. Then LED count and how the emitters are arranged, since two wavelengths from the same dual-chip bulb behave differently from two wavelengths from bulbs an inch apart. Then fit and weight, because a mask that does not sit against the skin loses intensity to the air gap, and one that is heavy does not get worn. Finally we looked at regulatory status, the clinical evidence each maker actually cites, and the mundane disclosures, weight, battery, warranty, which in this category turn out to separate the companies as sharply as anything technical.

The Omnilux Contour Face is one of only two masks in this comparison that let you work out what your skin is receiving. Omnilux states an energy output of about 30 milliwatts per square centimetre, describes it as calculated to be optimal for cell stimulation based on its own clinical data, and specifies a 10 minute treatment, three to five times a week for four to six weeks, with maintenance afterwards. Multiply those together and a session is roughly 18 joules per square centimetre, which is a figure you can take to the literature. The hardware is unusual too: 132 LEDs arranged as 66 dual-chip bulbs, each containing both a 633nm red and an 830nm near-infrared emitter, so both wavelengths arrive at the same spot simultaneously rather than from separate bulbs at slightly different angles. It is FDA cleared, flexible and portable, and Omnilux points to more than 40 peer-reviewed studies on its technology and over 20 years of use. The limits are clear and Omnilux states them: there is no blue light, and the Contour line will not clear acne breakouts and should not be used on inflammatory acne vulgaris. There is also no app, no intensity control, and no published weight or battery life, though Omnilux does offer a 2-year warranty.

The CurrentBody Skin Series 3 is the most technically ambitious mask here. It carries six wavelengths, red at 633nm, near-infrared at 830nm, deep near-infrared at 1072nm, blue at 415nm, green at 532nm and yellow at 590nm, which covers ageing, acne and pigmentation in a single device, and the 1072nm deep near-infrared is unusual outside clinical equipment. The control system is the differentiator: MyDose gives command of every individual LED, so you choose the wavelengths and the system calculates the dose, alongside four clinician-approved presets for people who would rather not. The mask is flexible silicone with a chin strap for coverage, and pairs with an app. The problem is the same one that runs through this category. CurrentBody talks about calculating an optimal dose without publishing the irradiance that would let anyone verify it, and gives no weight, no battery life and no warranty terms on the page, though it does state 750 LEDs and 10 minute sessions three to five times a week. The headline results, 37 percent fewer wrinkles and 57 percent more plumpness in eight weeks, carry an asterisk; CurrentBody attributes them to independent clinical testing and cites a 31-subject, 56-day Eurofins study. Take it as the most capable device here, and read the study details before taking the numbers at face value.

The HigherDOSE Red Light Face Mask is the only mask besides the Omnilux that gives you both halves of the dose. Its spec table lists 26 mW per square centimetre at 630nm red and 24 at 830nm near-infrared, 50 in total, from 132 diodes arranged as 66 dual-core LEDs, so both wavelengths leave the same point just as they do on the Omnilux. At the 10 minute setting that works out to about 30 joules per square centimetre, and there is a 20 minute program as well, with a suggested three to five sessions a week. The mask is flexible medical-grade silicone with face and head straps, FDA cleared, and runs from a rechargeable controller on a cable. The limits: no blue light, so acne is out of scope; the battery covers 80 to 100 minutes, about ten short sessions; no weight is published; and the warranty is one year rather than two. For someone who wants a verifiable dose at a mid-range price, it is a buy.

The Therabody TheraFace Mask is the most transparent about its hardware and the least conventional in construction. It has 648 lights, second only to CurrentBody’s 750, delivering red at 633nm, red plus infrared at 830nm and blue at 415nm, so it covers both the anti-ageing and the acne cases. It is FDA cleared, cordless, offers treatments from 3 to 9 minutes, and adds a vibration mode for facial and scalp massage, which is a Therabody idea and either appealing or irrelevant depending on your view. What is genuinely refreshing is the disclosure: a weight (514 grams in its spec table, 576 in its comparison chart), 120 minutes of battery, a full materials breakdown of polycarbonate, ABS and TPU for the mask with medical-grade silicone eye shields, and a 1 year limited warranty. Two things hold it back. The shell is rigid plastic rather than flexible silicone, so it holds its own shape rather than following your face, which matters because distance from the skin reduces the light actually delivered. And the supporting evidence is a 12 week study on 31 subjects using the 9 minute programme once every day, which is both a small study and a demanding routine.

The Qure Q-Rejuvalight Pro is the closest thing here to a cheaper CurrentBody. It carries five wavelengths, 415nm blue, 605nm amber, 630nm red, 660nm deep red and 880nm infrared, from 160 dual core LEDs, with two presets on the device: a rejuvenating mode that uses all five and a clearing mode that pairs blue with red. The app goes further and lets you assign a mode to each of five facial zones, so a breakout on the chin and lines around the eyes get different light in the same session. It is wireless, FDA cleared for wrinkles and mild to moderate inflammatory acne under K230042, comes with eyewear and a one year warranty, and is meant for daily use. The catch is familiar: a three minute session with no published irradiance, so the dose is unknown, and no weight, battery life or shell material on the page. Buy it if mixed concerns and zone control matter more to you than a verifiable dose.

The Shark CryoGlow is the only mask here that does something besides light: two cooling points under the eyes, with three chill levels in a 5 to 15 minute mode, aimed at puffiness. The LED side runs preset routines, 6 minutes of red and infrared for aging, an 8 minute three phase acne routine of blue and infrared finishing with red, and a 4 minute maintenance mode, and Shark cites 12 week studies of 60 and 59 people using it once a day. Its practical disclosure is the best here: 1.69 pounds, 138 minutes of battery, a 3 hour charge and a two year limited warranty, which matches the Omnilux. The technical disclosure is the weakest. There are no wavelengths in nanometres, no LED count and no irradiance, just red, blue and deep infrared. The shell is ABS, polycarbonate and TPU with silicone, so it sits rigid like the Therabody. Buy it if the cooling appeals and you do not need numbers; look elsewhere if you want to calculate a dose.

The Solawave Wrinkle Retreat Pro is the one to skip, and the reason is the three minute treatment. The masks here ask for between three and twenty minutes, with Omnilux at a flat ten, and the only way a three minute session delivers a comparable dose is if the light is substantially more intense. Solawave publishes no irradiance figure, so there is no way to know whether that is the case, and the LED count of 320 is roughly half the Therabody’s. The rest of the product is reasonable and in places good: four wavelengths at 605nm amber, 630nm red, 660nm deep red and 830nm near-infrared, soft medical-grade silicone that contours properly, detachable adjustable head straps, a digital countdown and battery display, FDA clearance, and HSA and FSA eligibility. But battery life is quoted as up to 20 treatments per charge, which at daily use is a recharge every three weeks, no warranty terms appear on the page, and no clinical study of the device itself is cited. If it were priced as a first step into light therapy that would be a fair trade. As a product promising visible anti-ageing results, three minutes with no stated intensity is asking for faith.

The Dr. Dennis Gross DRx SpectraLite FaceWare Pro is one of the best known masks in the category, and its product page is the least coherent. The description says it uses four wavelengths of red light and up to 100 lights; the ingredients panel says 100 red lights and 60 blue; the comparison chart lists 630nm red, 880nm near-infrared, 605nm amber and 415nm blue; and the image gallery shows five wavelengths with 660nm deep red added. None of those versions comes with an irradiance figure, and the session is a fixed three minutes, the same short treatment that sinks the Solawave. What it does well is simple: red, blue or both at the press of a button, cordless with an adjustable silicone strap, FDA cleared, 8 to 10 treatments per charge and a one year warranty. The headline 97 percent figures come from a clinical and consumer perception study. At a premium price, skip it for a mask that can state its own specification once.

Who should buy which

• Lines and firmness on a protocol you can check: the Omnilux Contour Face. Published output, session length and regimen, from dual-chip bulbs, with a two year warranty.
• A verifiable dose for less: the HigherDOSE Red Light Face Mask. 50 mW per square centimetre published across 630nm and 830nm in flexible silicone at a mid-range price.
• Acne, pigmentation and aging in one device: the CurrentBody Skin LED Red Light Therapy Face Mask: Series 3. Six wavelengths and per-LED control cover the most ground of anything here.
• Breakouts in one area, lines in another: the Qure Q-Rejuvalight Pro LED Mask. Five wavelengths and per-zone modes in the app, as long as you accept no published intensity.
• Puffy under-eyes as well as skin goals: the Shark CryoGlow LED Face Mask. Built-in under-eye cooling, a published weight and battery, and a two year warranty.
• Massage plus blue, red and infrared: the Therabody TheraFace Mask. 648 lights, a vibration mode and full hardware disclosure, in a rigid shell.

Omnilux Contour Face vs CurrentBody Skin LED Red Light Therapy Face Mask: Series 3: which should you buy?

Omnilux against CurrentBody is a choice between a verifiable treatment and a flexible one. Omnilux does two wavelengths and does them in a way you can check: 633nm and 830nm from the same dual-chip bulb, about 30 milliwatts per square centimetre, ten minutes a session, three to five times a week for four to six weeks. That is a protocol, and every number in it is published. If your concern is fine lines and firmness, it is the most defensible purchase in this category.

CurrentBody does six wavelengths, including a 1072nm deep near-infrared rarely seen outside clinics and a 415nm blue that Omnilux deliberately does not offer, and gives you control over every individual LED with automatic dose calculation on top. If you are treating acne or pigmentation as well as ageing, that breadth is worth a great deal, and one device replaces two. What you accept is that the dose calculation is a black box, because the irradiance behind it is not published. Buy the Omnilux if you want ageing treated on a protocol you can audit. Buy the CurrentBody if you have more than one concern and want one mask for all of them.

What to look for

• An irradiance figure in mW/cm2: without it, a treatment time is not a dose and two devices cannot be compared.
• Wavelengths in nanometres, not colours: 633nm red and 830nm near-infrared for lines and firmness, 415nm blue for acne, and be sceptical of colours with no number.
• How the emitters are arranged: dual-chip bulbs put two wavelengths at the same point, which is not the same as separate bulbs alternating across the mask.
• Flexible silicone over a rigid shell: contact matters, because an air gap between the LEDs and your skin reduces the light that actually arrives.
• A published regimen: sessions per week and total weeks, because consistency is what produces results and a maker that will not commit to a schedule has not tested one.
• Weight, battery and warranty: mundane, frequently missing, and the difference between a device you use and one that lives in a drawer.

Our final take

This category runs on photographs and it should run on arithmetic. The Omnilux Contour Face is the one to buy because it publishes both an output, about 30 milliwatts per square centimetre, and a session length, ten minutes, alongside a full regimen and a two year warranty, which together let you calculate what your skin receives and compare it with the research. The CurrentBody Series 3 is the most capable device and the right choice if you are treating acne or pigmentation as well as lines, as long as you accept that its dose calculation cannot be checked. The Therabody TheraFace Mask discloses more about its hardware than anyone and wraps it in a rigid shell that does not follow your face. The HigherDOSE Red Light Face Mask is the other mask whose dose you can calculate, at a mid-range price. The Qure and the Shark CryoGlow are fair choices for zone control and under-eye cooling respectively. And a mask offering a three minute treatment while declining to say how bright it is, as the Solawave and the Dr. Dennis Gross FaceWare Pro both do, has told you the one thing you needed to know.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: Omnilux Contour Face vs CurrentBody Skin LED Red Light Therapy Face Mask: Series 3.

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