Review Methodology and Scoring

The nine categories

What each category measures

Light output and specification transparency 20 points

Which wavelengths the device emits and how that is documented; whether irradiance is stated with a measurement distance; whether dose per session can be calculated; whether the manufacturer publishes supporting test documentation; and how the stated figures compare with our own measurements when we are able to take them.

When the data is missing: An undocumented claim scores lower than a documented one. If a manufacturer states irradiance without a measurement distance, or declines to provide test documentation on request, the category is capped at 5/10 and the gap is described in the review.

Facial coverage and LED distribution 15 points

Treated area and which zones are reached (forehead, cheeks, perioral, jawline, under-eye, neck where applicable); LED spacing and whether output is even across the mask; gaps at the mask edges; and how coverage changes across different face sizes.

When the data is missing: Coverage is assessed from the physical unit, so this category is not scored until a sample has been examined.

Fit and comfort 15 points

Weight distribution, pressure points, strap or band adjustment range, how the mask sits on different face shapes, whether it can be worn while moving, and comfort across a complete session at the recommended duration.

When the data is missing: Assessed from the physical unit only. Never inferred from marketing photographs.

Controls and usability 10 points

How sessions are started and stopped, how modes and timers are selected, whether controls are usable while the mask is worn, quality of the instructions, whether an app is required, and what happens if an app or account is unavailable.

When the data is missing: App-dependent devices are noted explicitly, including whether core functions work without the app.

Safety and heat management 10 points

Eye protection design and whether it is included; surface and skin-contact temperature over a full session; automatic shut-off; the clarity and completeness of the safety documentation supplied with the device; and whether contraindications and photosensitivity warnings are stated.

When the data is missing: Missing or vague safety documentation lowers the score and is described in the review. We do not assume a device is safe because it is sold in the United States.

Build quality and durability 10 points

Materials and finish, hinge and seam construction, cable and connector quality, cleanability, how the unit tolerates repeated folding or flexing, and any change we observe over the testing period.

When the data is missing: Long-term durability claims are limited to the period we have actually had the unit, and the review states that period.

Battery and portability 5 points

Whether the device runs untethered, stated and observed sessions per charge, charge time, whether it can be used while charging, and how practical it is to travel with including case and adapter.

When the data is missing: Corded-only devices are not penalised for lacking a battery; they are scored on cable length and practicality instead, and the review says so.

Warranty and customer support 5 points

Warranty length and what it actually covers, the return window and who pays return shipping, whether replacement parts are available, and whether support can be reached through a documented channel.

When the data is missing: Warranty terms are recorded with the date we checked them, because manufacturers change them without notice.

Price and value 10 points

Price at the date checked relative to measured output, coverage, build quality and warranty, compared against the alternatives we have tested. Value is judged against tested peers, not against a manufacturer’s list price.

When the data is missing: Prices move constantly. Every price on this site carries the date it was checked, and value scores are revisited when a price changes materially.

How the weighting works

A category score of 8/10 in a 20-point category contributes 16 points to the total; the same 8/10 in a 5-point category contributes 4. The overall figure is computed from the category scores at the moment the page is built — it is never typed in by hand — so a total can never drift away from the parts it is made of. Our build fails if it does.

We deliberately weight light output and specification transparency highest, at 20 points. This is a category where a manufacturer's willingness to document what it sells tells you something real, and where an undocumented claim is not worth the same as a documented one.

Manufacturer claims versus measured results

Every specification we publish carries a label showing its provenance. These are the labels and what each one means:

Manufacturer claim

Stated by the manufacturer. Not verified by us.

Documentation reviewed

We have read supporting documentation supplied by the manufacturer.

Our observation

Observed by our reviewer with the physical unit, without instrumentation.

Independently measured

Measured by us with instrumentation. Method and conditions are stated.

Third-party test report

From a test report produced by an independent laboratory.

Unverified

We could not verify this and the manufacturer did not supply evidence.

A manufacturer claim never becomes a finding by being repeated. If we cannot verify something, the label says so, and the score reflects the fact that it could not be verified.

How missing specifications affect scoring

A missing specification is treated as a negative signal rather than a neutral one, because a manufacturer choosing not to publish a figure is itself information. In practice:

• An irradiance claim with no stated measurement distance caps the light output category at 5/10, however large the number is.
• A refusal to supply test documentation on request is recorded in the review and reflected in the same category.
• Warranty and safety documentation that cannot be located before purchase is scored as absent, not assumed to exist.

How price changes are handled

Every price on this site is stored with the date it was checked and displayed with that date. A price older than 45 days is labelled as possibly out of date, and structured data for that product stops advertising the price entirely rather than telling a search engine something we no longer stand behind.

Because value is scored relative to price, a material price change triggers a review of the price and value category, and the change is recorded in the page's change history.

How products are retested

A mask is retested when the manufacturer revises the hardware or firmware, when readers report behaviour that contradicts our findings, or when the review reaches its scheduled review interval. During a retest the product's status changes to "Retesting" and that status is visible on the review. Retest results replace the original figures, and the previous figures remain visible in the change history.

How discontinued products are handled

When a product is discontinued its status changes and the review carries a notice at the top. It is removed from rankings, because recommending something nobody can buy is not useful, but the review itself stays online — people who already own the device still have questions about it. Discontinued products are excluded from new comparisons.

How rankings are updated

Rankings are derived from scores, but they are not purely mechanical: a mask can score well overall and still be the wrong recommendation for a slot such as "Best for Comfort". Every ranked position carries a written rationale explaining why that product holds that position, and every ranked page carries its own selection criteria and change history.

A ranking changes when a retest changes a score, when a newly tested mask outperforms a listed one, or when a listed product is discontinued.

How conflicts of interest are disclosed

Where we have any material connection to a product — ownership, a financial interest, a consulting relationship, a free or loaned unit, or sponsorship — that connection is disclosed in a prominent box at the top of the review and repeated on every ranking that contains the product. A footer line is not sufficient and we do not treat it as sufficient.

Affiliate commission is disclosed separately, near the links themselves. Commission rates do not vary the scores, because the scores are computed from category ratings that were entered against evidence before any link was added. See the affiliate disclosure and the ownership disclosure.

What we will not publish

• Aggregate star ratings we did not collect, or ratings copied from a retailer.
• Customer reviews, testimonials or quotes we did not receive.
• Scores for a product that has not completed the testing protocol.
• Claims that a device treats, cures or prevents any condition, or that a wavelength is "FDA approved" because a device emits it.
• Structured data describing content that is not visible on the page.