We put 5 best-selling LED masks on a light meter. Here's what actually came out.
Every LED mask advertises an output number. Almost nobody checks it. So we bought retail units of five popular masks — Shark™ CryoGlow™, CurrentBody Skin™, Therabody™ TheraFace, Omnilux™, and our own Persephone — and measured every one with the same meter, at the same distances, in the same mode.
The number on the box vs. the number on the meter
Measured at 0cm — the LED surface, the closest the light ever gets to your skin. One of these five masks measured above its advertised output. It wasn't the $570 one.
Values in mW/cm². Measured on one retail unit per brand at 0cm from the LED surface in red light mode, July 2026. Advertised figures are taken from each brand's public marketing materials at time of testing; manufacturers may specify irradiance under different measurement conditions, distances, or wavelengths than those used in this test.
Same meter. Same distance. Same mode.
Meter readings at 0cm, photographed during testing. We'll share the full data set with anyone who emails us.
All three distances, all five masks
Output drops fast with distance — which is why a mask that sits close to the skin, and starts with real output, matters. All values in mW/cm², red mode.
| Shark™ CryoGlow™ | Therabody™ TheraFace | CurrentBody Skin™ | Omnilux™ | Persephone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $349.00 | $570.00 | $469.99 | $395.00 | $249.99 |
| Advertised irradiance | 128 | 70 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| Measured at 0cm | 10–13 | 22–25 | 21–23 | 25–28 | 44–48 |
| Measured at 0.5cm | 5–7 | 8–10 | 7–9 | 10.9 | 36–40 |
| Measured at 1cm | 3–5 | 4–5 | 3–5 | 6.22 | 8–10 |
| 415nm blue (acne wavelength) | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Wavelength configurations per manufacturer marketing at time of testing: Shark™ CryoGlow™ 415+633nm · Therabody™ TheraFace 415/633/830nm · CurrentBody Skin™ 633/830/1072nm · Omnilux™ 633+830nm · Persephone 415/590/633/850nm.
Light therapy is a dose. Irradiance is the dose rate.
The studies behind LED therapy deliver a specific amount of light energy in a specific time. Dose = irradiance × minutes. If a mask delivers a fraction of its stated output, a "10-minute session" quietly becomes a 30, 60, or 100-minute session to reach the same dose — and nobody wears a mask for 100 minutes. Underpowered masks don't fail loudly. They fail slowly, and you blame your skin.
To be fair to the field: two masks in this test — Omnilux™ and CurrentBody Skin™ — measured reasonably close to their advertised numbers. They're serious devices. They also cost $395 and $469.99, and neither includes 415nm blue light, the wavelength studied for blemish-prone skin. That's the gap Persephone was built for.
We publish 30. We ship 44+.
Persephone's spec sheet says 30 mW/cm² — and the meter read 44–48 at the LED surface. We'd rather under-promise on the box than under-deliver on your face. Four wavelengths (415nm blue, 590nm yellow, 633nm red, 850nm near-infrared), 186 LEDs, FDA 510(k) cleared (K250830), for less than any mask in this test.
And because we know a meter reading isn't the same as your mirror: use it for 100 days. If your skin doesn't look better, full refund. No forms, no questions.
Persephone LED Mask
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How we tested — so you can check our work
Retail units
One unit per brand, purchased at market like any customer, tested as received in July 2026.
Same instrument
All readings taken with the same TES 1333 Solar Power Meter irradiance meter, in red light mode, photographed live.
Three distances
Measured at 0cm (LED surface), 0.5cm, and 1cm, with a ruler in frame. Ranges reflect readings across the LED array.
Want the raw data or full photo set? Email support@shopmedea.com and we'll send it.
You should be skeptical. Here's our answer to that.
You sell one of these masks. Why should I trust your test?
You shouldn't take our word for it — that's why every reading was photographed with the meter and a ruler in frame, why we publish the full data set to anyone who asks, and why the results don't flatter our narrative uniformly: two competitors measured close to their claimed specs, and we say so on this page. Buy a $30 lux meter and test your own mask. We'd genuinely love more people to do this.
Why do measured numbers differ from advertised ones?
Brands may specify irradiance under different conditions — at a different distance, for a specific wavelength, or as a theoretical peak rather than an at-surface reading. That's exactly why we measured every mask the same way with the same meter: it makes the numbers comparable to each other, even if they're not comparable to each brand's own test bench.
Does higher irradiance automatically mean better results?
No — and we won't pretend it does. What matters is delivering the studied dose (irradiance × time) at the studied wavelengths. The problem with a mask delivering a small fraction of its stated output is that a 10-minute session can't deliver the dose the session length was designed around. Persephone's measured output means a 10-minute session actually delivers a 10-minute dose.
These are premium brands. Are you saying their masks are bad?
No. Omnilux™ and CurrentBody Skin™ in particular measured close to their published specs and are well-regarded devices. Our findings are narrower: in our test, measured output varied widely against advertised figures, two of the five masks offer no 415nm blue light for blemish-prone skin, and all four competitors cost $349–$570. Persephone measured above its published spec at $249.99. That's the comparison we're making.
What exactly is Persephone's spec?
Published output of 30 mW/cm², measured 44–48 mW/cm² at the LED surface in this test. 186 LEDs (744 chips), four wavelengths — 415nm blue, 590nm yellow, 633nm red, 850nm near-infrared — six treatment modes, FDA 510(k) cleared (K250830), 10-minute auto-shutoff, skin types I–VI.
What if it doesn't work for me?
Use it for 100 days. If your skin doesn't look better in the mirror, return it for a full refund — no forms, no restocking fee. Email support@shopmedea.com or call +1 (800) 364-1811.
Shark™ and CryoGlow™ are trademarks of SharkNinja Operating LLC. CurrentBody Skin™ is a trademark of CurrentBody.com Ltd. Therabody™ and TheraFace™ are trademarks of Therabody, Inc. Omnilux™ is a trademark of GlobalMed Technologies. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners, are used here for identification and comparison purposes only, and no affiliation with or endorsement by these companies is implied. Testing was performed in July 2026 on single retail units purchased at market; results reflect the units tested and individual units may vary. Advertised figures were taken from each brand's public marketing materials at the time of testing and may have changed. This page describes measured light output only; it makes no claim about the clinical efficacy of any third-party device. Persephone is an FDA 510(k) cleared device (K250830). Individual results vary. This content is not medical advice.
