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Best Red-Light Therapy Mask: WIRED's Top 5, Ranked (2026)
If your skin is crying for help but you're too tired to care, the best red-light therapy mask is the easiest fake-it-till-you-make-it hack around. You might have seen a wave of people on social media channeling their best Hannibal Lecter while wearing a red-light therapy device, like our top pick, the Shark CryoGlow LED Face Mask ($350). They’re not sipping Chianti but instead claiming that the wrinkles and fine lines on their faces have disappeared with the help of red-light therapy. While there's nothing wrong with aging, the hype around these skin care devices made me want to investigate whether the technology behind them can actually improve your skin health.
You can't get the same effect with just any red LED from the hardware store. If the wavelength isn't strong enough, it won't penetrate your skin—sorry to the one TikToker sitting in front of a chicken coop heat lamp. After talking to board-certified dermatologists and testing several at-home devices, I've rounded up the best red-light therapy masks for every sensitive skin condition, budget, and lifestyle.
For more beauty and wellness recommendations, check out our guides to the Best Red-Light Therapy for Hair Growth, Best Electric Toothbrushes, and Best Curling Irons.
Updated June 2026: I refined our picks and added the Laduora Lumeo SkinLift 4D Current Red Light Therapy Kit to Honorable Mentions. Product information, specs, prices, and links were updated.
The Shark CryoGlow is one of the best LED face masks on the market and is a great choice for newcomers, since it holds your hand through the process. There are two main programs to follow—Blemish Repair, which uses a combination of blue light (415 nm), infrared, and red LED (630-830 nm) for eight minutes, and Better Aging, which uses just infrared and red LED for six minutes. It’s recommended to follow one program daily for eight weeks, switching to the four-minute Skin Sustain program afterward to maintain the best results. It comes with a handy controller that counts down your time remaining and also tracks your progress, plus the mask has a party trick of cooling under-eye pads that can be used in combination with the LEDs or on their own, to soothe puffiness.
During my eight-week trial, I noticed my perioral dermatitis cleared up much faster than usual, and my skin looked plumper and more radiant. An aesthetician even scanned the layers of my skin beneath the epidermis before and after the program, revealing significantly less inflammation and pigmentation, as well as improved fine lines. —Verity Burns
While the CurrentBody LED Face Mask Series 2 only offers red light, it features three wavelengths: red (633 nanometers), near-infrared (830 nanometers), and the standout deep near-infrared (1072 nanometers). CurrentBody says the deepest wavelength is designed to reach areas more prone to visible aging. On paper, it's a more comprehensive spectrum than what most competitors offer, which is typically a combination of only red and near-infrared.
It's made from flexible silicone and designed with a multiway strap plus a chin band that keeps it locked in place. I can stand up and even do a few chores without worrying about it sliding off my face. The attached remote has a little clip, too, so you don't have to carry it around while you multitask. It's also densely packed with 236 LEDs, which explains why it feels so bright. (If you plan to walk around, the removable eye inserts are a nonnegotiable.) After consistent use, I noticed subtle improvements in inflammation and overall skin texture, especially when my skin was stressed or irritated. Most importantly, its comfortable design makes it much easier to stick to a consistent routine.
Even though this cordless, hard-shell mask makes me feel like a rose-gold Optimus Prime, it’s incredibly comfortable. The lights are dim enough around the eyes to let you see and move around easily, and the quick, three-minute automatic sessions fit effortlessly into a busy sche