These two masks sit at the top of most shortlists, and on paper they look like they're competing on the same terms: both are FDA-cleared, both target fine lines and firmness, and both centre on red and near-infrared light. The specs that actually separate them are not the ones either brand puts on the box.
CurrentBody Series 2 ($469.99) and TheraFace Mask ($649.99) both emit 633nm red and 830nm near-infrared light. CurrentBody adds 1072nm deep near-infrared and publishes an irradiance of 30 mW/cm², giving a calculable dose of 18 J/cm² per 10-minute session. TheraFace adds 415nm blue light and vibration massage but publishes no irradiance figure.
What Each Mask Actually Emits
Wavelength determines penetration depth and which cellular targets get activated, so it is the first thing to compare. On the two wavelengths with the strongest evidence base for skin, reviewed in detail by Avci and colleagues, these devices are effectively identical.
CurrentBody Series 2 Wavelengths and LED Count
CurrentBody Series 2 carries 236 LEDs across three wavelengths: 110 red at 633nm, 110 near-infrared at 830nm, and 16 deep near-infrared at 1072nm. Sessions run 10 minutes, 3-5 times per week.
633nm red: reaches the dermis to stimulate fibroblast collagen synthesis. 830nm near-infrared: penetrates deeper for firmness and tone. 1072nm deep near-infrared: CurrentBody states this reaches up to 10mm into the hypodermis. That third wavelength is the mask's differentiator, though 1072nm has a substantially thinner published evidence base than 633nm or 830nm. It is a reasonable addition, not a proven multiplier. For how penetration depth changes across the spectrum, see our breakdown of red light therapy wavelengths.
TheraFace Mask Wavelengths and LED Count
TheraFace Mask carries 648 LEDs across three modes: red at 633nm, red plus infrared at 830nm, and blue at 415nm. Treatments run 3 to 9 minutes, with a pre-programmed 9-minute cycle that rotates all three.
The 415nm blue channel is the meaningful difference. Blue light targets Cutibacterium acnes and is the reason to consider this mask if breakouts are a concern alongside aging, since CurrentBody sells blue light only in a separate device. We cover the tradeoff in red light therapy vs blue light therapy. TheraFace also adds VibraWave vibration massage around the eyes, browline and scalp, which is a comfort feature rather than a photobiomodulation one.
Why LED Count Is the Wrong Comparison Metric
TheraFace Mask has 648 LEDs to CurrentBody's 236, and Therabody markets this as roughly three times the leading competitor based on a 2024 market analysis. That number tells you almost nothing about results.
Photobiomodulation outcomes depend on delivered dose, not bulb count. Dose is irradiance multiplied by exposure time, expressed in joules per square centimetre. A mask with twice the LEDs at half the output per LED delivers the same dose. LED count only matters insofar as it affects coverage uniformity, meaning whether light reaches the whole treatment area evenly rather than concentrating over some zones and under-dosing others.
Comparing masks on LED count is like comparing ovens on the number of heating elements. The number that matters is the temperature they reach and how long you leave the food in.
Dose: The One Spec That Decides Results
CurrentBody publishes a power density of 30 mW/cm². At a 10-minute session that works out to 18 J/cm² per treatment, a figure you can compare directly against the fluences used in published photobiomodulation research.
Therabody does not publish an irradiance figure for TheraFace Mask, and without it the delivered dose cannot be calculated from the outside. Session length alone does not substitute. Photobiomodulation follows a biphasic dose response: Huang, Sharma, Carroll and Hamblin documented that too little light produces no measurable effect while too much can reverse the benefit entirely. An unknown dose is therefore a real gap rather than a technicality, because a 9-minute treatment at an unpublished output could sit anywhere on that curve.
This is not a claim that TheraFace under-doses. It is a claim that CurrentBody lets you verify the dose and Therabody does not, and on a $649.99 medical-grade device that asymmetry is the most substantive difference between them. Anyone comparing masks should ask for irradiance in mW/cm² before comparing anything else, the same principle we apply throughout our red light therapy device buyer's guide.
Fit, Form Factor, and Light-to-Skin Distance
CurrentBody Series 2 uses flexible liquid silicone with a multiway strap and a clip-on controller, designed to contour to the face. TheraFace Mask uses a rigid polycarbonate shell, is fully cordless, and weighs 576g as a device.
Form factor is not cosmetic. LED irradiance falls off with distance from the skin, so a rigid shell that bridges over cheekbones delivers less light to the recessed areas than a flexible mask that follows the contour. A rigid shell, in exchange, holds every LED at a consistent, engineered distance and does not sag.
The practical evidence favours neither cleanly. TheraFace's cordless design is genuinely more convenient, but weight and strap fit are the most consistent themes in its critical reviews across a 4.3/5 average from 123 reviews. CurrentBody averages 4.6/5 across 4,241 reviews, a far larger sample. Published weight specs for the two are not directly comparable, since CurrentBody's listed 1220g figure appears to describe the packaged product rather than the mask alone, so treat weight as something to check in person rather than from a spec sheet.
What the Clinical Evidence Actually Shows
Both companies fund their own studies. Both use small samples. Neither is blinded or placebo-controlled. The difference lies in endpoint quality.
CurrentBody's SGS and Eurofins Studies
CurrentBody commissioned a 56-day SGS study with 35 subjects using instrumented measurement, including VISIA-CR imaging, Primos 3D wrinkle mapping, Corneometer and Cutometer. Reported results at day 56 include a 29.8% reduction in forehead wrinkle volume, a 25.7% reduction in crow's feet volume, a 37.5% gain in elasticity, and a 36.0% gain in hydration, all reported as statistically significant. A separate 56-day Eurofins dermatological study covered 30 women aged 40-55 with mild to moderate photoaging.
TheraFace Mask's 12-Week Study
Therabody reports a 12-week study with 31 subjects using the pre-programmed 9-minute treatment once daily, with 83% of participants seeing improvement in facial contour. The important qualifier: that headline figure comes from a perception survey of compensated participants, not instrumented measurement. Self-reported perception in an unblinded study among paid subjects is among the weakest endpoints available, and it is not comparable to a 3D wrinkle-mapping measurement.
The 12-week duration is a genuine point in Therabody's favour, since it is longer than CurrentBody's 56 days. But a longer study with a softer endpoint does not outrank a shorter study with instrumented ones. For realistic expectations from either device, see what red light therapy before and after results actually look like.
Price and Value
CurrentBody Series 2 is $469.99. TheraFace Mask is $649.99, a $180 premium and roughly 38% more.
That premium buys the 415nm blue light channel, vibration massage, a cordless design, and a 1-year limited warranty. It does not buy more verifiable red or near-infrared dose, because the dose is not published. If the blue channel is the reason for the purchase, the premium is defensible. If the goal is anti-aging alone, the $180 buys convenience features rather than photobiomodulation capability.
Both devices are HSA/FSA eligible in the US, which changes the effective cost meaningfully for buyers with either account.
Which Mask Should You Buy?
Choose CurrentBody Series 2 If
Your goal is anti-aging and nothing else. You want a published irradiance figure you can verify. You want third-party lab studies with instrumented endpoints. You prefer a flexible mask that contours to your face, and you want to spend $180 less.
Choose TheraFace Mask If
You are treating breakouts alongside aging and want 415nm blue light in the same device. You want cordless operation without a tethered controller. You value the vibration massage and shorter 3-9 minute sessions, and the $180 premium for those features is worth it to you.
Neither device is a poor choice. Both are FDA-cleared, both deliver the two wavelengths with the strongest evidence for skin, and consistency of use will affect your outcome more than the difference between them. Whichever you pick, review the safety guidance and contraindications for light therapy first, because both carry photosensitivity restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TheraFace Mask worth the extra $180 over CurrentBody?
Only if you need blue light or cordless operation. The $180 premium buys the 415nm blue channel, VibraWave vibration massage, and a cord-free design. It does not buy more red or near-infrared dose, because Therabody publishes no irradiance figure and the delivered dose cannot be verified. For anti-aging alone, CurrentBody Series 2 at $469.99 is the better value.
Does CurrentBody Series 2 have blue light?
No. CurrentBody Series 2 emits red at 633nm, near-infrared at 830nm, and deep near-infrared at 1072nm. Blue light at 415nm is sold in a separate CurrentBody device, the LED Blue Light Therapy Face Mask, at the same $469.99 price. If you want red and blue in one mask, TheraFace Mask covers both.
Does more LEDs mean better results in an LED face mask?
No. Results depend on delivered dose, calculated as irradiance multiplied by exposure time in joules per square centimetre. TheraFace Mask's 648 LEDs and CurrentBody's 236 LEDs say nothing about dose on their own. LED count only matters for coverage uniformity, meaning how evenly light reaches the whole treatment area.
How long until either mask shows visible results?
Both manufacturers report visible change at around 8 weeks with consistent use. CurrentBody's SGS study measured statistically significant changes at 56 days using 3-5 sessions per week. Therabody's study ran 12 weeks with daily 9-minute treatments. Neither produces meaningful change in the first two weeks, and consistency over months is what drives outcomes.
Products in this comparison may be linked through affiliate partnerships. See our affiliate disclosure. This article is educational and not medical advice.
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