Red Reactive brings decades of proven experience in clinical settings to the at-home user in an elegant package. For this Red Reactive review, we’ll focus on the R3. It offers a wide range of settings to deliver a total wellness solution.
Quick take:
- QuadraFluxTM technology emits four wavelengths: 633nm, 810nm, 850nm, and 940nm for shallow and deep penetration
- Smart HzTM technology allows user to set a continuous wave or adjust the frequency of pulsing
- Works right out of the box, no assembly or setup required
- One of the higher-priced units; shipping not included
Company Background
The Red Reactive website says that the founders and leadership team have decades of experience in photomedicine and biophotonics. For instance, the company claims to have partnered with the world’s top laser and light experts. The stated Red Reactive mission is to deliver products with cutting-edge design that offer the most powerful and effective red light therapy devices on the market.
Red Reactive is a sister company to Aspen Laser, a well-known and respected manufacturer of laser therapy devices that are sold to clinicians and used in clinical environments. So it is not a surprise that experts within the company were able to design and manufacture products for the at-home market.
Aspen Laser was awarded “Company of the Year” in the pain management category by MedTech Outlook magazine in 2020. Therefore, bonafides like these lend a substantial degree of credibility to the company’s efforts in the adjacent at-home category. We don’t have any experience with Aspen Laser products. We only covered the R1 and R3 products in this Red Reactive review.
Product Features & Benefits
The Red Reactive R3 is the company’s flagship at-home red light therapy device. Price of the R3 is $1,699. Naturally, the smaller R1 costs only $949.00.
The R3 has 180 Class 1 LEDs that irradiate 110mW/cm2. However, the company hasn’t specified the distance from the panel required to achieve that exposure.
The panel is 38 inches in length, 9 inches in width, and only 2.5 inches deep. Additionally, it weighs 35 pounds. Of course, a panel of this size is almost certainly intended for a stationary application. Accordingly, the company includes hardware to hang the unit over a door or near a wall.
Interestingly, the unit appears to be air-cooled. If this method is effective, then the Red Reactive could be one of the more quiet models on the market. For instance, this would be perfect for situations where roommates or spouses were trying to sleep.
Four Wavelength Settings: 633nm, 810nm, 850nm, 940nm
Most at-home red light and near-infrared therapy products offer two or three wavelength settings. But the Red Reactive R3 is different. It offers four wavelength settings. This is one of the most exciting features of the product. Longer wavelengths penetrate tissue deeper.
With so many wavelength settings available, the unit can be used treat a wide variety of conditions. To date, we haven’t seen a device with this many settings. Nor have we seen a product that offers the 940nm wavelength in a multi-mode configuration.
Continuous Wave vs. Variable Pulse
Pulsing therapy has been studied by the scientific community. Some studies imply that pulsed light keeps tissue temperature lower. Also, there are theories that mammalian brain activity exhibits wave-like behaviors. And so photoreceptors could be able to “catch” more light when the waves are in closer sync to the brain’s activity.
Finally, scientists have theorized that the charge of the ion matters for photon absorption.
Regardless, it is clear that with a nearly unlimited number of setting combinations, the Red Reactive R3, along with its smaller, more portable sibling R1, the user is afforded perhaps the best opportunity to experiment with the ideal at-home red light therapy for multiple conditions.
Check out a video of the pulse settings in action:
Red Reactive’s R3 at-home red light therapy device is the first one that we’ve reviewed with four wavelength settings as well as both continuous and pulse modes. As of this Red Reactive review, we haven’t come across a unit with this many configuration possibilities.
Specifications
- FDA Class: Class 1
- LED count: 180 LEDs
- Wavelength(s): four settings: 633nm, 810nm, 850nm, 940nm
- Irradiance: 110mW/cm2
- Pulse Rate: variable between 10 hertz and 500 hertz
- Cooling: air cooled
- Weight: 35 pounds
- Dimensions: 38″ x 9″ x 2.5″
- Power source: 110 volt AC
Accessories
Both the Red Reactive R1 and R3 come with the following accessories:
- 110v AC power cable
- User manual
- Door hook
- Hanging cables
- Pulley for height adjustment
Warranty, Shipping, & Availability
No warranty information is provided on the Red Reactive website, although the company provides several methods of contact, including web, phone, email, and a physical mailing address.
Red Reactive ships only to the United States and Canada. Standard shipping costs $89.
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