The Ultimate Guide To
Red Light Therapy Devices
For people just learning about Red Light Therapy, it can be a rather daunting task trying to understand and research the wide range of options available. In this article, we break down the most important factors to consider, so you have confidence when it comes to choosing the right red light therapy device for you. We will take a look at what it takes to get a high quality LED light treatment device that you can use in the comfort of your own home.
We’re also going to explain exactly what you should be looking for in Red Light Therapy devices, including:
- Size & Coverage
- Power
- Design
- Safety
- Service
If you have any questions after reading this article, please do not hesitate to contact us and our customer service experts will be happy to help you.
The Basics of Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy is a treatment that has been proven safe and effective in thousands of peer-reviewed studies. These clinical studies have shown that it is not only safe, but also very effective in treating many different symptoms.
If you’d like to learn more about what red light therapy is and how it works, you can read a detailed overview here.
The summarised version is that light therapy delivers safe, concentrated wavelengths of natural light to skin cells, without UV radiation or excess heat. Red and near-infrared light stimulates the mitochondria of cells (similar to natural sunlight) to reduce oxidative stress and increase blood flow, so that the body can generate more natural energy.
Red light is also a natural anti-inflammatory agent that helps cells to regenerate and repair.
This is why red light therapy is so popular among cosmetic surgeons and dermatologists. The therapy has also been shown in hundreds of studies to improve blood pressure, heart rate, blood sugar levels, speed up muscle recovery and reduce pain.
Size and Coverage Area - What You Need To Know
For best results, devices that can cover a larger area of the body are much more effective than just treating a small part of the body. By increasing the total energy transmission, more cells in the same area can be exposed to natural light.
As an example, the Infraredi Ultra device offers full body coverage, which provides the consistency and reach needed to recognize the benefits of clinical red light therapy.
Dr. Michael Hamblin, a professor at Harvard Medical school who specialises in photomedicine, says this about measuring power:
“Total light energy is the most accurate and comprehensive way to measure the power of light therapy devices and treatments. If you only account for irradiance—versus how much total energy a device delivers—you miss the larger picture of how light therapy positively benefits the person using it.”
Many brands advertise their devices as a full body treatment, but in fact do not provide full body coverage. They are often too small and clumsily shaped, such as shower heads and belts, and require you to constantly adjust the body of the device to ensure even treatment.
At Infraredi, our devices come with a modular design which allows you to start with one panel and build on more devices as required, so that you can increase the size and reach of your treatments and in turn, achieve better health outcomes.
The Best Devices For Smaller, Targeted Treatments
Although larger devices perform best, smaller devices with high power output can be very effective in targeted treatments.
A small portable device with sufficient power can be used to treat facial skin, combat wrinkles and fine lines, improve thyroid function, increase testosterone as well as many other conditions.
If you opt for a smaller, cheaper device, be sure to use a device that offers an irradiance over 100 mW/cm2 in order to get effective results.
The Infraredi Flex Mini is our most popular small device, and comes with 60 medical grade LED’s and an irradiance over 100 mW/cm2. You can learn more about the Infraredi Mini here.
Why Device Power is so Important
Measuring the power of natural light is quite complicated, and it doesn't help that many brands of light therapy make big claims about the power and irradiance of their devices without providing any independent test results as proof.
Here are the simple terms you need to know:
Irradiance measures the power per unit area which is defined in milliwatts per square centimetre (mW/cm2). This provides the rate of energy delivered from the device to the body. The total amount of energy delivered per area during a light therapy treatment is measured in Joules/cm2.
Total Energy delivered is the most important measurement. Irradiance alone can be misleading, because it doesn’t account for how a treatment affects the person using the device. What really matters is the total energy delivered to the body in each treatment.
To work out the total energy delivered for a treatment:
The total amount of energy delivered per area during treatment is measured in Joules/cm2. This is calculated by multiplying the irradiance of the device by the treatment time in seconds, divided by 1000.
For example: The irradiance of an Infraredi device @ 15cm distance from the body is 150 mW/cm2, and the recommended treatment time is 10 minutes, so the calculation is as follows:
150 mW/cm2 x 600 seconds / 1000 mW/watt = 90 joules/cm2
Therefore, the total energy output in a 10 minute session is 90,000 joules.
Unfortunately, many of the brands that offer red light therapy do not back up their claims with independent diagnostic data. You should not buy a device from a brand that is not transparent about its performance measurements, or trust a company's specifications if they have not been independently tested. Infraredi uses independent testing companies to conduct tests on all of our devices to ensure they provide the power and irradiance levels being claimed on our website.
In Summary: Do not buy small, cheap devices that claim high performance and irradiance levels but do not back these claims with independent testing.
Light Therapy Devices with a Modular Design Offer the Best Solution
Many devices on the market come in a variety of designs, from lamps to portable belts with handles. Smaller devices do not deliver the same power as larger, more powerful devices like the Infraredi range of devices.
These cheaper, targeted devices can give you some results in certain areas, but they are often underpowered and need to be used for an enormous amount of time to achieve clinically relevant benefits.
Example of 2x Infraredi Max Connected
The most effective devices use a modular, flat design to provide a consistent treatment across the surface area of the body.
They also provide the benefits of being able to start with a single device for beginners, and also transform into a larger, full body system by connecting multiple devices together. This allows you to build the perfect setup to suit your needs.
Infraredi devices also provide a variety of options when setting up in your home. They can be easily applied to any door using a door hook and pulley system, so you can set them to the perfect height for us. They can also be mounted to a wall for more permanent solution, or connected with a floor stand with wheels if you need to move the device around easily.
Movable Floor Stand
Use a Safe, FDA Approved Light Therapy Device
A large base of clinical light therapy has proven that treatment with natural light is safe and practically without side effects or risks. Choose a high-quality device that is FDA-registered - like the Infraredi. Many cheaper brands are not registered with the FDA, and they don’t follow GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) either.
High Quality & Trusted Brands Offer Help & Support if Something Goes Wrong
A great way to determine if a brand is legitimate or not is if they provide high quality support, a money back guarantee and a warranty. If they don’t come with a warranty, it means they don’t have faith in their own products and you should steer clear.
The Infraredi range of devices come with a 2 year warranty, and each device lasts for 50,000 hours or more. If anything happens to the device during the warranty period, we provide a replacement device, no questions asked. We also provide fast customer service through our websites live chat, so you can ask questions as often as you like and receive a speedy, expert response from our team.
Common Questions People Ask When Searching For a Red Light Therapy Device
Along with everything you've just learned in this article, we wanted to provide you with the answers to some common questions people ask when they're looking for the perfect red light therapy device.
How to use a handheld red light therapy device?
To use a handheld red light therapy device, we first recommend making sure the device is powerful enough to provide effective results. Ensure the device has an irradiance of 100 mw/2 or higher. To use a handheld device, simply hold the device 10-15 centimetres away from the the target area you would like to treat, such as the face.
What are the top 10 red light therapy devices?
We believe the top 10 red light therapy devices on the market provide the best value for money, the most powerful treatments and the most time effective therapy times for the customer.
These are our top picks:
- Infraredi Flex Max + Mid - this device is our largest and most powerful device available, and provides a huge coverage area, suitable for most body types and conditions.
- Infrared Flex Max - this is our most popular device, providing the perfect balance between size, power output, device quality and coverage area.
- Infraredi Flex Mini - this is our smallest device, which provides the same power output as our larger devices, with the convenience of being light and portable. This device is perfect for targeted treatments.
- Joovv Quad - this device from Joovv is a great contender for a full body setup. Joovv provide excellent quality device and great support. The only downside is the price tag, being the most expensive red light therapy company on the market.
- Joovv Solo - this is a great quality device, and is similar to our Infraredi Max in size, coverage area and power output.
- Joovv Go - When it comes to small handheld devices, the Joovv Go provides the best solution. This device fits in your handbag and is battery powered, which means you can use it anywhere you like.
- PlatinumLED Biomax 900 - The PlatinumLED range of devices are also high quality and provide effective treatments. This device comes with a large coverage area and powerful medical grade LED's, just like the Infraredi and Joovv range. Although they are a cheaper alternative to Joovv, they are still more expensive than the Infraredi range, and shipping to Australia and New Zealand will cost you extra.
- PlatinumLED Biomax 300 - This device is also high quality and provides an effective treatment. It's smaller than it's big brother, the Biomax 900, and is better suited to targeted treatments.
- Mito Red Light MitoMega - This device provides high power and effective treatments, and comes with 3rd party testing to back it's claims. Shipping & import taxes will cost you extra though.
- Mito Red Light MitoMin - This device is similar to our Infraredi Mini and provides a quality treatment. It doesn't have the same coverage area though, so treatment times can be longer and less effective than some competing devices.
What makes some red light therapy devices stronger than others?
As mentioned earlier in this article, the main thing you need to understand when it comes to the strength of a device is the total amount of energy delivered per area during treatment, measured in Joules/cm2. This is calculated by multiplying the irradiance of the device by the treatment time in seconds, divided by 1000.
When choosing a device, make sure you compare the Irradiance AND the Joules /cm2 and select the device with the highest energy delivered per treatment time.
All of the red light therapy devices available through our Infraredi website comply with the highest standards of construction and comply with safe treatment times for high energy devices.
In Summary, here's the most important information you need to know when choosing between Red Light Therapy Devices
Large Size & Coverage Area - The larger the device, the larger the coverage area and the more energy delivered per treatment. Larger is always better, but there can be smaller devices that are powerful enough to provide effective treatments, like the Infraredi Mini.
High Power Output & Irradiance - Always make sure the irradiance of the device is over 100 mW/cm2 to ensure an effective treatment. Remember the total energy delivered to the body per treatment is the most important measurement.
Modular Design - Devices with a flat, modular design provide the best long term solution because they provide a consistent treatment across the surface area of the body and they also provide the benefits of being able to start with a single device for beginners and the transform into a larger, full body system by connecting more devices.
Safety First - Make sure the device you choose is FDA approved and provides the certificate of approval as proof. The goal of Red Light Therapy is to improve your health, not risk your health with cheap knock-offs and low quality devices. Remember, this therapy has been proven to be safe in thousands of clinical trials, but the device you use plays a huge role in the effectiveness of this treatment.
Great Customer Service - Your Red Light Therapy device is going to last you for years and years, so make sure the device you buy comes with excellent support and customer service. The best way to find out if a company provides a great, legitimate service is by taking a look at their website and seeing if they have live chat functionality, educational blog posts, a money back guarantee and a full warranty, along with certificates of safety and quality.
To learn more about the Infraredi range of devices, head over to our shop and see which device suits your needs. We currently have minor delays in shipping due to Covid-19, however our expert staff are working full time from home at the moment and ready to assist you in finding the device that suits your lifestyle.
As always, if you have any further questions or need help choosing the right device for you and your family, please send us a message on live chat and our team will assist you.
You can click here to shop our range of Red Light Therapy Devices.