Red light therapy is a fascinating type of therapy that was developed to heal astronauts and allow them to grow plants in space.
It was quickly discovered, however, that it did a whole lot more, including helping wounds heal, regrow hair, treat skin conditions, and much more.
The result was that red light therapy quickly became incredibly popular, but it was only available in specialized salons.
Because this was inconvenient, and today’s society is one of convenience, it wasn’t long before different manufacturers started to develop at home red light therapy devices.
There are now so many to choose from, however, that it can be a little bit overwhelming.
Two specific brands of devices seem to appear as good ones, again and again, being Joovv and RedRush 360.
So which of these two should you opt for?
That’s a good question but first a deeper look at this type of light therapy.
What to Look for in Red Light Therapy
Before you can truly begin to compare different devices, you have to gain a greater understanding of what this type of therapy is and what it can do.
This starts by looking at the types of light. In all likelihood, you are aware of the existence of blue light, infrared light, and UV light.
The difference between those types of lights is their frequencies and wavelengths, each of which is more or less visible and has different effects. Light is also essential to the survival of the human body.
What scientists have discovered is that NIR (Near Infrared) light has incredible healing powers and that is the type of light you should be looking for when comparing red light therapy devices.
Red light therapy was first successfully used as a medical treatment in 1903, when Niels Ryberg Finsen won the Medicine Nobel Prize for using it to treat smallpox and lupus.
90 years later, NASA used it to treat astronauts in space, helping to limit muscle and bone loss. Since then, the healing properties of light have been extensively studied.
What has been uncovered, more specifically, is that there are five types of light within the spectrum that have an impact on the body.
Those are:
- Blue light, which affects the circadian rhythm and is emitted by electronic devices.
- UV light, which helps our bodies to produce vitamin D.
- Far infrared light, which is what you feel when you are in the sun and your skin warms up. This damages your circulation and cell function, unless you also sweat.
- Red light, which affects the mitochondria, your cells’ powerhouse.
- NIR (near-infrared) light, which also affects the mitochondria, increasing your cells’ ability to produce energy.
Red and NIR light are the two types of light that go deepest into the cells and have a positive impact on the body.
At the same time, they are two different types of light and you do have to understand those differences to also understand what kind of red light therapy device – Joovv or RedRush 360 – is best for you.
Hence:
- Red light is on the visible spectrum on the “long end”. It can penetrate to between 630nm and 700nm into the skin.
- NIR light is invisible but it does get deeper into the skin, to between 800nm and one millimeter, in fact.
The best type of red light therapy, therefore, is one that uses both red light and NIR light, reaching deep into the tissue and actually affecting the cells in a positive manner.
Through exposure, the healing properties of the light are absorbed and start to feed the cells.
This tells the cells to:
- Produce more energy, which is ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), which all living organisms on the planet require. ATP allows your mitochondria to produce more energy, allowing it to not just survive but actually thrive.
It is believed that this is linked to NO (nitric oxide) as well, specifically in that red light treatment creates a balance between NO and ATP.
- Fight inflammation. Indeed, when undergoing red light therapy, the body temporarily enters hormesis, which is metabolic stress normally experienced during exercise.In other words, this type of therapy actually exercises the cells, which is one of the reasons why it is now believed that it may also be beneficial for weight loss.
One of the key things to look for in a red light therapy device, be that Joovv or RedRush 360 or even another company, is a clear and concise explanation of the benefits that are known to be associated with the therapy through scientific exploration, and which benefits are likely to exist although still have to be scientifically proven.
Hence, it is now known or accepted that red light therapy (which includes red light and NIR light):
- Improves the function of the thyroid, which is why it is sometimes prescribed to patients with Hashimoto’s diseases.
- Helps the liver to regenerate quicker and better.
- Lowers the occurrence of hot flushes in menopausal women.
- Lowers inflammation and thereby helps to fight chronic conditions.
- Helps fight insomnia and improves the quality of sleep.
- Fights anxiety and depression.
- Increases skin repair and improves skin appearance through rejuvenation.
- Helps to maintain a healthy weight.
- Improves skin tone and fights cellulite.
- Helps to increase hair growth.
- Increases the rate of healing.
- Lowers feelings of pain.
- Fights the symptoms of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.
- Regenerates stem cells.
That is an impressive list of benefits, which is one of the reasons why it is so wonderful that it is now possible to access these benefits at home with a device like Joovv or RedRush 360.
But it still isn’t clear which one of the two is better.
How to Compare Joovv to RedRush 360
Joovv and RedRush 360 are both excellent devices that have been reviewed hundreds of times by individuals, therapists, chiropractors, and spa owners alike.
It is also known that they are a great improvement on the old-fashioned “cold laser” therapies that used to be offered in clinics, not in the least because the at red light therapy devices are a great deal more affordable.
It has been scientifically demonstrated that at-home red light therapy devices like Joovv and RedRush 360 are as good as the medical-grade devices used in the past, which means that you won’t buy the wrong thing, no matter which one you choose.
That being said, an increased understanding of the devices should at least enable you to choose the one that is right for you.
Experts agree that this is down to several key considerations, being:
- Wavelength range. This means that you need to use a device that offers you both red light therapy and NIR light therapy, meaning it will penetrate to between 630nm and one millimeter into the skin, positively affecting the cells. It should go no deeper than that, as that could damage the cells.But since red light and NIR light have slightly different healing properties, the most important thing is to find a device that offers both.
- The size of the device. The smaller the device is, the smaller the area of the body it will be able to reach. This means that you may need to spend more time to truly impact the entire body.While each treatment session only needs to last a few minutes, we all live busy lifestyles and the less time spent in front of the lights, the better.
- Depth penetration and power density. You will be able to tell this by looking at the wattage of your device and by calculating the size of the treatment area.You should be able to get a density of at least 30mW/cm2 if you are between two and three feet away, increasing to at least 100mW/cm2 if you are about six inches away.
- The number of LEDs, with more obviously being better.
- The level of EMF emissions, so you don’t also have a negative impact associated with the therapy.
- The price of the device, since money is quite important for the majority of us.
- The durability of the bulbs so that you don’t have to change them all the time.
- The warranty associated with the device.
So, if we look more specifically at Joovv and RedRush 360, how do they compare?
RedRush 360 vs Joovv
Feature | Joovv | RedRush 360 |
Wavelength | 660nm for red light and 850nm for NIR light. | 660nm for red light and 850nm for NIR light. |
Size | 15” by 8 | 15” by 10.6” |
Wattage | 120 | 360 |
Number of LEDs | 60 | 120 |
EMF | Unknown | Very little |
Price | $695 | $449 |
Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
Trial period | 60 days | 60 days |
International shipping | Yes | Yes, and they include the cords |
Another way to look at it is like this:
- RedRush 360 offers everything – Full body treatment, red light, and NIR light, switchable wavelengths, a connected app for ease of use, the ability to use it while standing, sitting, or lying down, and premium 3W LEDs.
- Joovv offers full-body red light treatment and both red light and NIR light treatment.
So which one is better?
While both devices absolutely have their pros and cons, the RedRush 360 clearly is the better option out of the two in our opinion. However, they are both best in class and you really won’t go wrong, whichever one you choose.
Click Here to Shop the RedRush 360 Now
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