The Most Innovative Red Light Therapy Devices Yet?

So, Chroma are quite a unique company in the red light therapy space. You see, the Chroma Ironforge was revolutionary when it hit the market back in 2023. Focusing firmly on photobiomodulation fundamentals and in no-nonsense form factor, while putting out some serious energy. But, in the past 18 months, Chroma has released a lot of new devices. And like the Ironforge, these are all quite unique. You see, Chroma released their Trinity full spectrum light with UVA, UVB, visible light, and near infrared light. Plus, two high-powered indoor lights for great desk or office brightness. And a torch that could potentially blow away the competition. Chroma have even come up with a device to compete with the ever popular LED masks. So, what's my take on all of these products? Have Chroma pushed innovation too far? Are they simply trying to be different for the sake of marketing? Or are they onto some really good winners here? Let's find out. I'm affiliated with some of the companies mentioned in this video, and I will earn a commission if you buy through my links or discount codes. Products were provided to me free of charge, and all opinions are my own. This is not medical advice. So, let's start with the Chroma Radiance. Now, Chroma make quite a bold claim with their Radiance, stating "The Chroma Radiance is the red light face mask replacement." Now, I've published dozens of mask reviews in the last 2 years, and even a 25 mask comparison video. So, I have a bit of experience when it comes to LED masks. So, this new Radiance device is quite intriguing. The Radiance does have the 405 nm blue light that's right in the 400 to 420 nm window that the science shows to be optimal for anti-acne. Also, the Radiance is emitting a lot of this blue light with 40% of the LEDs being blue. Then, 55% is red in 630 and 660, leaving only 5% in the near infrared range at 810. Now, many people in our popular Facebook group are skeptical of having too much near infrared exposure on their face. So, a device like this with low near infrared power will be quite welcome to a lot of people, I'd say. But, given the amount of blue light in this device, I would say this is more of an anti-acne device. You've got the blue in there for the anti-acne benefits and the red for inflammation, circulation, some anti-rejuvenation benefits, of course. But, the fact that there's so much blue in there, I'd say this is more of a rival to say CurrentBody's blue light anti-blemish mask than your Therabody masks or your Mito Red Mito Glow mask. So, if you're prone to outbreaks, then yeah, this Radiance is going to be great. If you're looking for the perfect anti-aging skin rejuvenation device, you should probably go with something with less or no blue lights. Now, I'll have to test and do a review of the Radiance to see how it performs and the real world power split into each of these wavelengths. And let me know if that is something you would like to see, just drop a comment below. I guess the only downside so far is that maybe it's missing out on some beneficial wavelengths for skin health, such as 590 nanometer amber light. The other area of uncertainty is around the power output. Chroma claim this is a very high-powered device and instead of using an LED mask for 10 or 15 minutes, you can use the Radiance for 30 seconds, given the intensity of the LEDs. Of course, again, I need to test the power output myself before forming an opinion here. But, I do worry that too high of an intensity light, especially when treating thin surface level skin tissue, may actually be problematic. This is a topic I'm currently researching great depth, so stay tuned for a video out later in the year covering this. Oh, and the other point is this is not a wearable battery-powered device. It's plug-in only and handheld. So, of course, that is a big differentiating fact compared to LED masks, especially silicon crushable rollable LED masks. So, it's great to see that Chroma is being creative here, and they didn't just copy a regular mask. Also, one other benefit of the Radiance is that you can use this all across the bodies. So, if you suffer from eczema, for instance, or skin issues, unlike a mask, the Radiance is very versatile. You could treat your chest, your shoulders, anywhere, really, on your body. Oh, and it retails for $490, but there is a discount below. And you know what? I'm going to do a best mask of 2026 later in the year. So, let me see if I can get my hands on this device, and I'll include it in the comparison. That should be fun. Okay, so now we have the Chroma Torch. And first up, I have to comment on the price. It's only $190 before my discount. Now, that's literally half the price of some of the competitor torches on the market. So, 2/3 of the energy in the Chroma Torch is going to near infrared at 810 and 850 nanometers, which is a great choice as many people use torches for joint pain, and these are beneficial wavelengths. I guess potentially, you could use this device on the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex, as a cheap transcranial PVM device, although the form factor is not ideal. But, again, given the price, it should be considered for those on a tight budget. Or, you could use the torch on any of your arteries for intravenous, transdermal, systemic light therapy, effectively shining light into the blood to treat the whole body. So, honestly, the torch is the least innovative product of the Chroma range. And I will have to do a full review to see how it stacks up to its competition, but if it's putting out the power that the Chroma products are known for, given the simple effective form factor, and the great price, this could actually be a very popular product. It's great to throw in the gym bag, for traveling, or just having it around on the sofa, on your desk, so you can use it when you're have a few minutes watching a video to treat those sore elbows or joints or whatever it may be. Okay, now for the Ironforge Mini. Now, I reviewed the Ironforge a few years ago. Very cool device, extremely powerful. Covers the core basics of PBM. Lots of red light and near-infrared light in the cytochrome c oxidase wavelengths. Lots of power and really no bells or whistles. The downsides with the original Ironforge, it was big, it was heavy, it was hard to hold unless you had big hands, and it was quite expensive. So, what have Chroma done to address these issues? Well, they've made it smaller, made it cheaper. And that's what the Ironforge Mini is. The Ironforge Mini is emitting primarily near-infrared with 75% of the energy going to near-infrared. 50% of the total energy is going to 850 nm, 12 and 1/2 to 18. Another 12 and 1/2 to 760, which is often not seen in red light therapy products. And then you have 25% going to the red wavelengths split between 630 and 670. Now, the claimed irradiance figures are 600 mW over cm², which is absurdly high. I'm always skeptical by such high power numbers, so I'll have to get my hands on one to do a test to see firsthand what it is emitting. As for my thoughts on the product, look, I can keep it quite short. This Ironforge Mini is going to be great as a travel device. It's also great if you're a little bit smaller or weaker and just want a easy-to-hold high-powered device. I mean, if the power numbers are really as high as Chroma are saying, even if that's half the power that's that they're claiming, you could put this on a stand or on a table or something and stand a foot away from it and get a good amount of energy across a large part of your body. Of course, for spot treating, this is going to be amazing. Put it on your shoulder and within a minute or two, your entire shoulder joint is going to be saturated in red light. And the other thing is the Infrared Mini is a lot cheaper, and therefore it's a great entry-level budget device for people who want to try high-powered red light therapy without breaking the bank. Hey look, if you enjoy learning about red light therapy products, obviously hit subscribe on the channel, but I recommend heading over to Light Therapy Insiders. There there is a really cool chat tool. You can ask anything about all the products that I've reviewed, and also jump on our newsletter because we put out a ton more information in the newsletter than we do on this channel. So now for something a little different. Well, I guess all of Chroma's products are different in some way, but this is their Sky Portal 2.1 device. It's a play on a seasonal affective disorder indoor light and also a desk lamp. Now Chroma have some pretty bold claims on their page saying that 89% of members feel more productive during the day when using the Sky Portal, and that 75% of members noticed an improvement in sleep quality after using the Sky Portal on amber mode in the evenings. I told you these are big claims, and yes, most indoor lighting is horrible for our health. It's oversaturated in blue light, there's flicker, it's not balanced. The famous photobiomodulation professor Glenn Jeffery showed that in mice blue light at 420 and 450 nm can actually induce fat gain. This was published in the Nature journal in 2025. Now this is likely from overexposure to isolated blue light, blue light without red and near infrared counterbalance, which is what we find naturally in sunlight. And this is the type of light we see typically in many office and even residential environments these days. Think of the white LEDs and fluorescent overhead lighting. Then of course you have flicker, which can make you tired and lead to headaches and migraines. So the Chroma Sky Portal helps avoid all these problems by balancing the blue light with sufficient 660 nm red light. That is, during the morning and evening, there should be more red present with this lamp. And during the middle of the day, this is where you get more of the blue and violet. So, you still want blue light exposure as it boosts wakefulness, helps with our circadian rhythm alignment, but it's the lack or the imbalance between the blue and the red that seems to be causing these issues. As well as the flicker. And Chroma have addressed that by removing all flicker in this device. So, pretty much this is not a red light therapy device. I don't really want to spend too much time on it. It's more of a wellness product and it sells for $290 before discounts. You can see some great spectrometer readings from the Sky Portal device on their website. Uh if I do get one, I can double-check this myself. Although, again, it's not really something that's in the ballpark of red light therapy. But, look, if you're stuck inside all the time and your sleep's horrible and you worry about missing out on natural sunlight, then yeah, this is something you might want to try. Okay, so I've kept the best for last. This one is a little bit more complex, all right? It's it's a complicated product. This is the Chroma Trinity. It's the flagship product combining three earlier devices that Chroma had into one. And two of those earlier devices are now discontinued, by the way. So, first, the Trinity incorporates specs from their Chroma Ion Forged. So, it's bringing in your high-powered red and near-infrared wavelengths. Secondly, it's working in features from the now-discontinued Lux Bysol. This means the Trinity is emitting both UVA and blue light. I'll talk about why these both matter in a second. Thirdly, it adds in the unique properties of Chroma's also-discontinued DeeLight. So, the Trinity adds in 297 nm UVB light. This helps generate vitamin D in the skin. And I should mention only the very specific wavelength optimized for vitamin D synthesis was inserted, not the full UVB spectrum. So, you're basically getting a three-in-one device with a lot of interesting wavelengths thrown in. I'll put up a full breakdown of the wavelengths on screen because I said there are a lot there, but you're getting near infrared, you're getting some 760 near infrared, you're getting your reds at 630 and 670. There's also a 1050 nanometer near infrared. Are you getting your UVA, your UVB? There's There's a lot going on. Now, Chroma have shared some power numbers, but they seem slightly misleading as the device is exactly the same size as the original Ironforge. So, likely some of the energy that was directed towards red and near infrared in the original Ironforge has been redirected to the blue, UVA, and UVB. And yet, some of the near infrared wavelengths from the original Lux Vital have also been added. So, 935 and your 1050. Anyway, I'm sure it's an extremely powerful device, but if you're after pure red light therapy power, I'd say go with the Ironforge over the Trinity. Now, look, being such a feature-rich device, you're probably expecting a high price point. And yes, that is right. The Trinity is priced at $3,300 before discounts. Remember, if you order through the link and use the code down below, you'll save I think it's 10%. Uh you can try it out, but I'd want to do that on this device. Remember though, you I getting a three-in-one device. Uh you can use it for you UVB, you can use it for red light therapy healing, you can use it for um circadian rhythm alignment. There's a lot going on. Now, you're probably thinking, "Well, Alex, do I really need all of these wavelengths, especially for the $3,000 price point?" Well, there is a lot to unpack here, and bar from Light Therapy Insiders has done an excellent job taking a deep dive into the features of this Chroma Trinity. So, he actually created a bit of a cheat sheet guide that covers everything you need to know, including all the cited studies to support his findings. So, look, you can download that. There's a PDF link down below. It's free. It There's too much to cover on the science and the features in this video. So, we've done that as a little add-on. But, let me give you a quick overview while I'm here. Look, red light, near-infrared light, blue light, and UV light, they all target different mechanisms in the skin and each bring on unique benefits. And those benefits quite pronounced. So, the research on these non-red light therapy mechanisms is still new, but it's rapidly developing. So, here I'm referring to the blue light, the violet, and the UV wavelength. So, what can you expect to see? Well, improved wakefulness, improved circadian rhythm alignment, especially when you're getting blue light in the morning, improved alertness, uh maybe even a possible cognitive boost. There is a dopamine boost leading to better motivation and drive throughout the day, potentially an endorphin release leading to better mood and well-being. Of course, you're getting improved vitamin D levels and all the downstream health benefits that come with improved blood flow through the UVA and also lower blood pressure, boost in mitochondrial function, and the skin health benefits of blue light that I've discussed in many of my videos prior. Now, remember though, the science is still very young on this space, but it does look very promising. So, where to go from here? Well, obviously, some of the new Chroma devices potentially game-changers. The products look great on paper and are hopefully as revolutionary as the Iron Forge was after I tested that for the first time in 2023. Now, if you want me to take a deeper dive into any of these products, let me know. Leave a comment down below. Uh look, if I get enough interest in one or two of them, yeah, like I said, I'll I'll do my best to do a deep dive review included in some comparisons. Also, if you're geeking out on on the benefits of these other wavelengths outside of red light therapy, check out some of my videos on sunlight, but more importantly, head over to lighttherapyinsiders.com. There's some really cool articles over there. Once you get an understanding of the benefits of these other wavelengths, you'll be able to see why Chroma has incorporated a lot of them into their products. And also, check out my interview with Michael Shapiro, the founder of Chroma. So, I did that a few years ago. He makes a strong argument for more power being better, which is, of course, what we see in his products.