Disclosure
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.
Quick answer: Buy the Solawave Wrinkle Retreat Pro if your goal is fine lines and firmness and you want the shortest routine: three-minute sessions, four red and near-infrared wavelengths, the higher stated output, and a 60-day money-back guarantee. Buy the CurrentBody Series 3 if you want more than anti-aging: it adds blue, green and yellow light for breakouts, uneven tone and redness, plus an app to build your own treatments. One is the fast, focused mask. The other is the do-everything mask.
Output and LED figures are each brand’s own claims. Brands measure output in different ways, so treat the gap as a direction, not a lab result.
The real difference: focus vs range
Both masks are built around red and near-infrared light, the pairing with the most research behind it for the look of fine lines and firmness. Where they split is everything around that core.
Solawave goes deep on anti-aging. Every one of its four wavelengths sits in the red, deep red, amber and near-infrared range. There is no blue light for breakouts and no app. It is a single-purpose mask.
CurrentBody goes wide. The Series 3 keeps the red, near-infrared and deep near-infrared trio from the Series 2 and adds blue, green and yellow. If breakouts, redness or uneven tone sit on your list next to lines, it covers more ground.
Here’s what to look for: write down your top two skin goals. If both are about lines, firmness and glow, the extra colors on the Series 3 are paying for features you will not use.
Session time: 3 minutes vs 10
This is the biggest day-to-day difference. Solawave’s routine is three minutes, three to five times a week. CurrentBody’s is ten. At five sessions a week that is about 15 minutes against about 50.
Shorter is not automatically better, since total light dose depends on output and time together. But with any LED mask, the routine you keep is the one that works. If ten minutes is the reason a mask ends up in a drawer, the Solawave is the safer bet. More on building a schedule that sticks is in how often to use red light therapy for wrinkles.
Light and output
Solawave Wrinkle Retreat Pro: 320 LEDs, amber 605nm, red 630nm, deep red 660nm and near-infrared 830nm, with a stated output of 65 mW/cm2.
CurrentBody Series 3: 750 LEDs across six wavelengths, including deep near-infrared at 1072nm, with a stated output of up to 40 mW/cm2.
More LEDs on the CurrentBody does not mean more anti-aging light, because many of those bulbs are the blue, green and yellow channels. And a higher number on the Solawave spec sheet is a brand claim, not an independent test. The honest read: both deliver red and near-infrared light in a range designed for at-home use, and neither should be bought on a single number.
Fit, controls and convenience
Solawave: soft, flexible silicone held on with adjustable head straps, a handheld remote with a rechargeable battery that Solawave rates at up to 60 minutes of use (about 20 treatments), automatic shut-off, and protective goggles in the box.
CurrentBody Series 3: flexible silicone with a chin strap, a controller, eye inserts, and the CurrentBody app. The app’s MyDose feature lets you choose which lights run, which is the point of the Series 3 if you want to target more than one concern.
If you want to set it and forget it, Solawave is simpler. If you like tweaking a routine, the CurrentBody app gives you control the Solawave does not have.
Returns and risk
LED masks take weeks of consistent use before you can judge them, so the return window matters. Solawave offers a 60-day money-back guarantee that covers opened and used masks, plus a one-year limited warranty. For the CurrentBody, check the return terms on the product page before you buy, since the window and conditions can change by promotion.
Already deciding between CurrentBody models?
If you are drawn to CurrentBody but only care about lines and firmness, the older Series 2 keeps the same red, near-infrared and deep near-infrared trio without the extra colors. The full breakdown is in CurrentBody Series 3 vs Series 2. Comparing more brands? See INIA vs Omnilux.
Who should skip both, or check first
Solawave lists these cautions for its mask, and they are worth applying to any LED mask: pregnancy, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding; active cancer; a photosensitivity disorder or medication that makes you sensitive to light; light-triggered headaches; epilepsy or seizures; recent facial surgery; a recent sunburn; or an allergy to silicone or plastics. Solawave also notes a small risk of pigment changes for deeper skin tones (Fitzpatrick V and VI) and suggests a dermatologist visit first. If any of these apply, or you are unsure, check with your doctor before starting. LED masks are cosmetic devices, not a treatment for any skin condition.
Which one to buy
Buy the Solawave Wrinkle Retreat Pro if fine lines, firmness and glow are the whole goal, you want the shortest possible routine, and a 60-day money-back guarantee makes the decision easier.
Buy the CurrentBody Series 3 if you also deal with breakouts, redness or uneven tone, or you want an app that lets you choose which lights run.
Look at the CurrentBody Series 2 if you like CurrentBody’s build but only need anti-aging light.
Is Solawave better than CurrentBody? For anti-aging alone on a short routine, the Solawave Wrinkle Retreat Pro is the more focused pick. For mixed concerns like breakouts or redness, the CurrentBody Series 3 covers more.
How long do you wear the Solawave mask? Three minutes per session, three to five times a week, according to Solawave.
How long is a CurrentBody Series 3 session? Ten minutes, three to five times a week.
Does the Solawave mask have blue light for acne? No. Its wavelengths are amber, red, deep red and near-infrared. The CurrentBody Series 3 includes blue light.
Are both masks FDA cleared? Both brands describe their masks as FDA cleared. Check the model on the product page before you buy.
Does either mask cover the neck? Neither is designed for the neck. Solawave sells a separate Neck and Chest mask.
Leave a Reply