Weekly Newsletter: Why Spectrometer Testing Is Important

So, why do we do what we do at Light Therapy Insiders, with 3rd party testing of many products on the market?

A recent science poster showcases similar results that we're covering today in this weekly newsletter. We've also added all of our latest articles below!

Let's go:

So we just found a very exciting scientific poster by some established scientists in the field. You can check the poster HERE. The underlying data/study isn't published yet, as of this moment of writing, but the data in the study is very interesting for reasons we'll soon showcase.

Researchers listed on that poster, such as Nelson Hager is an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Washington, Margaret Hollander is a current Research Coordinator at The Ohio State University and The Geneva Foundation. So they're legit - so to speak!

The interesting data/outcome here is that different red light therapy beds are tested. And, as a returning theme in this dynamic, that of deceptive marketing claims. The researchers compared 3 different red light therapy beds, which you can see on the poster we've linked to above:

As you may know, we're somewhat of a fan of the NovoTHOR - we've interviewed the founder & CEO several times, such as here:

I, Bart, have also followed the Thor Photomedicine course in 2023 and reported 16 different lessons here:

But let's get back to the paper. The paper shocases the huge difference between the power output that companies report and the actual power output in mW/cm2 that devices have. Here's the example:

So the Arrc LED promotes more than double the power output than what you get in reality. The TheraLight is far, far worse - you're getting less than 10% of the power output than what is advertized. So, TheraLight claims you're getting 120 mW/cm2, but in reality, you're getting 7.42.

Now, there are slight discrepancies, based on how you measure. Alex can also increase or decrease the measurements by changing his body position or measuring slightly differnetly. But, still, this discrepancy is maybe 10-20%, but shouldn't be a 2-fold or 10-fold difference from what is marketed.

What's more, some popular red light therapy panel devices are also tested in this paper, with the claimed power outputs compared to the tested outputs:

As you can see, for red light therapy panels too, the claimed power output is often far lower than what you'd actually get. This discrepancy is the entire reason our company exists, as Alex has done testing of products since 2017. Right now we offer independent 3rd party testing of masks, for instance:

And we have the red light therapy shopping tool for panels mostly - where you get real independent data on how much light and what wavelenghts panels actually put out:

Light Therapy Insiders Shopping Tool

The Essential Tool For Finding The Best Red Light Product For Your Needs AND At The Best Price!

There's far more to the paper, however, than I can do justice to in a short newsletter like this. So to give credit where credit is due, please read the full paper created by the researchers if you want full understanding of the topic. The researchers have also tested the wavelengths, for instance, in the same way that Alex does:

Of course, you probably know that claimed vs. actual wavelengths is a returning theme in Alex Fergus' reviews.

And there's more in the paper. Check this quote, for instance, about using red light therapy panels:

"Effectiveness of Panel-Based Devices: While panel-based [red light therapy] devices are marketed for their ability to provide treatment from various angles and distances, the actual treatment effectiveness was found to be confined to the area directly in front of the device. Recommendations for treatment may need to account for the concentration of treatment within a defined space"

Where have we heard that message before? Oh yeah, Alex has done testing of panels and the quantity of light that you can expect at different areas of the body. Alex also argued back in 2024 or so that you get light mostly directly in front of the LEDs:

Also, a bigger setup with a body panel or multiple wall panels will avert that problem and give better coverage across your body:

Here's the coverage that the researchers found, with the Joovv Mini 3.0 and the PlatinumLED BioMax:

Want more info? Check the full research paper HERE. For now, we're quite happy to see many of Alex's findings confirmed in research that will likely be published soon. I'm writing this late March 2026 but by the time this newsletter is out, you may be able to find a full publication of that paper by searching for the title/researchers online.

Weekly Poll On Whether You'd Want More Beginner's Content Or Expert-Level (Deep Dive) Content.

I asked the following question in our Facebook group:

"HYPOTHETICALLY speaking, would you like more SIMPLE videos of ours on YouTube, 4-8 minutes long or so, covering very basic questions? I'll take eye health as an example, as we get quite a few questions on this, and it's a complex topic:

“Can Red Light Therapy Improve Vision?”
"Top 3 Devices For Eye Health"
“Best Wavelengths for Eye Health”
“3 Eye Conditions That May Benefit From Light Therapy”
“How Far Should a Red Light Be From Your Eyes?”
“Near Infrared vs Red Light for Eyes”
“Biggest Eye Light Therapy Mistake”
“Who Should NOT Use Red Light for Eyes?”

Yes, we'd publish MORE videos but they'd be a lot shorter. Also, these videos would go into the existing articles we already have, so they are updated.

We are aware that we've posted many advanced science topics with videos that may be too difficult for the average person, and we are working to simplify our message."

Here's the outcome of the poll so far:

You want to see the comments or answers of different people? Join our Facebook group HERE and then click to participate in the poll HERE.

Here Are Our Latest Light Therapy Insiders' Articles:

Every single article that we've published recently - you can find the videos in the article itself:

Red Light Therapy for Strength & Endurance: Hype or Real Results? - Want to boost strength or endurance with light therapy? Alex breaks down the science in detail in this article, and what to select for the best results...
The BEST Red Light Therapy Device For Thyroid Health - The thyroid is the "furnace" of energy metabolism and fat burning. Here's Bart's breakdown of the amazing science on this topic, that's life-changing often, and the best devices you can buy for thyroid health.
Pulse Light vs Continuous: What Actually Matters in Red Light Therapy - Does red light therapy pulsing work? And who should use pulsing? Alex explains in this deep dive article!
Red Light Therapy For Hair Regrowth: HUGE 6-Month Test! - Alex's 6-month huge experiment on hair regrowth broken down! Check whether Alex's hair regrew from a bald state.
Red Light Therapy For Sleep: 10 Groundbreaking Studies - Bart considers all of the available red light therapy & sleep studies here, and teaches you how to apply these insights into sleep quality improvement. These studies show groundbreaking results for deep sleep, melatonin levels, recovery, and other areas.

Also, Check Out Some Of Our Other Content:

Below you'll find some of our best content that you shouldn't miss:

Light Therapy Advanced Science Course:

Join Bart's 100% free advanced science light therapy course above, where he takes deep dives into many different topics, such as mechanisms, neurology (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, etc), exercise recovery, skin beauty & rejuvenation, and much more.

Some of the topics are only published in that course, such as UV light risks and benefits, addiction, anxiety, depression, and more. So join HERE!