Top pick
This comfortable mask multitasks, with LED treatments for both aging and acne-prone skin plus cold panels for under-eye puffiness. It lacks under-eye LEDs as a result.
In features and user-friendliness, the Shark CryoGlow LED Face Mask outranked masks that cost hundreds of dollars more. The rigid mask earned a fan base among our group of testers, who loved virtually everything about the experience — from how comfortably the mask fit, to how simple the remote control was, to how well the cool, depuffing under-eye pads worked. With 480 (160 tri-wick) LEDs, this mask offers a few different programs: an antiaging option, an anti-inflammatory acne treatment, a maintenance setting, and a cooling-only protocol.
Right from the start, a supremely comfortable fit set the CryoGlow apart for our testers; they used the two adjustable straps to tailor the mask so it stayed exactly where they wanted it. The mask also has plush and pliant silicone pads around the eyes, which rested gently on the skin and shielded vision from the bright lights. No other mask we tried had such ample eye protection.
It has plenty of LEDs, too. Dotting the inside of the mask are 160 LEDs — and each one is a “tri-wick,” which means it contains a blue, red, and infrared diode, for a total of 480 lights. The six-minute antiaging program activates the (630 nanometers) red and (830 nm) near-infrared lights, and the eight-minute acne treatment cycles through near-infrared, blue (415 nm), and red. The four-minute maintenance mode is meant to be a daily treatment that mixes all three wavelengths.
What’s more, the CryoGlow delivers a lot of energy to the skin. The red lights have an irradiance of 73 mW/cm², on the high side of what the dermatologists we spoke with recommended (and just as powerful as the lights of the Therabody TheraFace, which costs several hundred dollars more). One tester noticed that the lines around her mouth looked less pronounced within a month of use; she also sometimes “double-dipped” and used the mask just for the under-eye cooling feature (which takes the old spoons-in-the-freezer trick to an Olympic level, with three levels of frostiness). One long-term tester was especially impressed with how well the acne treatment sessions worked. “I use it at night and my broken-out areas seem to reduce in size by the morning,” she said. She also appreciated that the mask didn’t rest directly on her skin, which struck her as more sanitary.
Testers found it beyond easy to toggle between modes and log progress thanks to the intuitive remote control. You can fine-tune the temperature of the cooling pads, and the remote’s screen shows a large-font countdown timer for the treatment (you can also pause mid-treatment without resetting the clock). Granted, all that tech requires room: The remote is about the size of a hot dog bun, and it attaches to the mask with a yard-long cord. The two other rigid masks we tested, the Dr. Dennis Gross DRx Spectralite FaceWare Pro and the Therabody TheraFace, are cordless and remote-free, and testers could wear them and walk about entirely unencumbered.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- It’s noisy. The CryoGlow’s internal fan whirs when the eye-cooling pads are on. One tester was surprised by how loud it was, though ultimately she considered it white noise.
- The hard shell makes it bulky. One long-term tester lamented, “It’s hard to store in my tiny apartment.” The CryoGlow also isn’t as travel-friendly as our Omnilux pick.
- You have to plug in the entire mask to charge it. Several other devices we evaluated had detachable remotes that juiced up easily and discretely. Shark does offer a charging stand bundled with the mask or sold separately for about $70 more.
Key specs
LEDs: 480 (160 tri-wick)
Wavelengths: 415 nm, 630 nm, 830 nm
Irradiance: 73 mW/cm² for red light
Treatment time: four-, six-, and eight-minute LED treatments; five-, 10-, and 15-minute cooling treatments (automatic shutoff)
Charging: USB-C is included; entire mask needs charging
Return policy: 60 days
Warranty: two years
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