The Ruby laser is the first laser hair removal system brought to market. Due to the age of the Ruby laser, there is significant research available to support its efficacy. However, many providers consider the Ruby laser outdated, (it was developed in 1960), and opt for more current laser systems because the laser has not been significantly updated since the initial release.
The Ruby laser emits a red-colored beam and produces a shorter wavelength of 694 nm that targets melanin (brown pigment) found in hair follicle. The Ruby works best on pale skin and dark hair. This laser is not effective on lighter hair (blonde, red or grey). Due to high melanin (skin pigment) laser absorption rate, Ruby is not safe to use on darker skin types because it can cause dyspigmentation. The ruby also has a slow repetition meaning laser treatments require significantly longer treatment times than other hair removal systems. As a result the Ruby laser is suited for small areas of skin only.
Pros: Many decades of safety data.
Cons: Can only be used on pale skin. Treatment time is very long so can only treat tiny areas. Inexpensive because device is older.
Common Ruby Devices: EpiPulse Ruby, Palomar, RubyStar
According to our testing, these are the best at-home laser hair removal devices on the market.
While at-home laser hair removal devices can help to minimize hair growth at a fraction of the cost of in-office treatment, some devices are more reliable and deliver more consistent results than others. Our PEOPLE Tested team tried out 13 at-home laser hair removal devices, and those that scored highest across our tests are included on this list. We narrowed down our top picks based on efficiency, ease of use, comfort, and overall value.
Professional sessions are usually every six to eight weeks, while at-home devices can be used as directed up to twice a week. Most at-home devices rely on Intense Pulsed Light (IPL), which is a less powerful laser than what is used professionally.
At-home laser hair removal is a more affordable way to achieve the results of professional sessions, but from the privacy of your own home and on your own schedule. However, these devices require more frequent and consistent use to achieve the same results, explains Dr. Kim Nichols, MD , a board-certified dermatologist and founder of NicholsMD .
Razor bumps, strawberry skin, and semi-permanent underarm shadow? Forget about the side effects of shaving and the pain of waxing — at-home laser hair removal makes it easy to minimize the amount of hair and its thickness and to achieve smooth, lasting results from the comfort and privacy of your own home.
Best Overall
nood The Flasher 2.0
NOOD
View On Amazon
$199
View On Trynood.com
View On Bluemercury.com
$229
Pros
It boasts five intensity levels for a customized experience.
There’s a wide, easy-to-read digital display.
Treatments can be achieved in under 10 minutes.
It's reasonably priced for an effective at-home laser hair removal device.
Cons
It doesn’t offer unlimited flashes like some other options.
Ingrown hairs and stubble-induced shadows are a thing of the past since we’ve been hooked on Nood The Flasher 2.0. With five intensity levels and a fully digital display, it’s easy and painless to use over large areas and even on sensitive skin or on hormonal-based hair growth, like PCOS. The new and improved model features a wider treatment window and a higher intensity bulb, meaning we were able to achieve rapid body treatments in just 10 minutes with fewer flashes (our armpits only took five minutes!).
While the larger size may feel a bit bulky in smaller hands and the brighter flash can be visually startling at first (and may be triggering for those with epilepsy), it was still comfortable to use and was worth it for how much faster we could run through treatments. It’s also one of the most budget-friendly options on our list, and while you won't get unlimited flashes, we’d highly recommend it as an effective and affordable alternative to the other picks on this list.
Intensity Levels: 5 | Flashes: 600,000 | Suitable For: Full body and face
People / Samantha Aronson
People / Samantha Aronson
Best Cooling
Ulike Sapphire AIR+
Ulike
View On Amazon
$299
View On Walmart
$219
View On Ulike.com
$299
Pros
This device boasts five intensity levels.
It provides an unlimited number of flashes, so there is no need to refill a cartridge.
It comes with several extras, including a razor, case, and protective glasses.
Cons
The highest setting caused slight discomfort and may not be suited for sensitive skin.
Worried about the warm or tingling sensations that certain at-home laser hair removal devices emit? This handset from Ulike has got you covered. Available in dark green and white, this remote-shaped wand boasts proprietary Sapphire Ice Cooling Technology, which we found kept the glass window ice-cold to the touch and greatly helped to minimize discomfort by cooling down the skin as we used it. It features five intensity levels, and only on the fifth, most intense level did we experience slight discomfort akin to snapping a rubber band against our skin.
We love that this comes with plenty of extras like a razor, a case for the razor, protective glasses to wear during use (to help reduce the possibility of migraines from the light flashes), and a travel case. We found the lightweight device easy to hold and maneuver but noted that it’s a bit thick for smaller hands, and since it’s not cordless, the wire occasionally had to be moved out of the way. Overall, this rarely impacted the smoothness of our ability to use this wand all around our body and on the lower half of our face.
Intensity Levels: 5 | Flashes: Unlimited | Suitable For: Full body and face
People / Kyle Tran
People / Kyle Tran
Best for Light Hair
Iluminage Touch
Skin Store
View On Nordstrom
$449
View On Walmart
$449
View On Dermstore
$180
Pros
The device comes ready to use — you just plug it in and it's good to go.
It includes a precision adaptor that makes it easy to target smaller areas.
The product was easy to handle and maneuver.
Cons
The epilator is not particularly user-friendly, so this wouldn’t be the best option for beginners.
At-home devices, like trusty epilators, that are effective and approved for use with light or red hair are few and far between. We found this model from Iluminage to be the strongest contender, as we tested it on light hair and noticed our hair growing back slower and sparser after just six sessions of weekly use.
There’s no need to charge the device before use — you can just plug the base into the wall and attach it to either the epilator cartridge or precision adapter and go. We found the epilator, which is recommended for the removal of light hair before treatment, to be difficult to use even after reading the instructions, but that didn’t affect the efficacy of the device on the whole. We just may caution it may not be the best option for those new to these types of tools. On the other hand, we found that the precision adaptor was great for targeting smaller areas and underarms. While the device is easy to grip and maneuver, we wish the wall plug-in was longer; you’ll have to set up somewhere very close to an outlet for this to work.
This is the most expensive pick on our list, but for those with light hair or particularly fair skin tones, it may be worth the investment: It’s been clinically proven, FDA-cleared, and it is still significantly less of an investment of time and money than in-office treatment.
Intensity Levels: 3 | Flashes: 300,000 | Suitable For: Full body (except bikini area) and face
People / Shannon Bauer
People / Shannon Bauer
Best User-Friendly
RoseSkinCo. Lumi
RoseSkinCo.
View On Roseskinco.com
Pros
With consistent use, we noticed a significant reduction in hair growth on our legs and arms.
It offers three modes (stamp, glide, and auto) for efficient hair removal.
It's one of the lower-cost options we tested, especially when discounted.
Cons
We wish it had a more ergonomic design, as the curved device can be difficult to maintain a good grip on at certain angles.
Lumi makes at-home laser hair removal more straightforward than any other option we tried: Just plug it in, press the power button, and select which of the three modes (stamp, glide, or auto) you’d like to use, based on which body part you’re targeting. We found stamp mode, which delivers a pulse every time you click, to be super effective in more precise areas, like our bikini line and armpits. Glide and auto don’t require repeated clicks, so those were our go-to for larger areas, like our arms and legs (which are the two places where we saw the most noticeable dip in hair growth). The compact device easily fit in our palms, but we wished there were ridges or indents for an easier grip, as the rounded shape proved difficult to hold at times.
We also love that there’s a quick and handy quiz on their website to figure out if Lumi will be effective for you (TL;DR: It is better suited for light skin to medium brown skin and dark blonde to black hair; it isn’t great for super fair or dark skin, or hair that’s light, red, or gray.) This is another wallet-friendly option that showed us promising results after twice-weekly use over three months.
Intensity Levels: 6 | Flashes: 900,000 | Suitable For: Full body and face
People / Daniela Galvez
Best Features
Jovs Venus Pro II
JOVS
View On Amazon
$300
View On Jovs.com
$300
Pros
This device was exceptionally easy to maneuver, thanks to the ergonomic design.
The head rotates to achieve the ideal angle, which was especially helpful when using on our backs.
It features a cooling sensation that helped minimize discomfort during our tests.
Cons
It's one of the more expensive options on this list (however, you can sometimes find it on sale).
From the first moment we laid eyes on the JOVS Venus Pros II Hair Remover, we could tell that it was different. Unlike the majority of remote or egg-shaped devices on the market, this comes in an ergonomic L-shaped design, with a 330-degree rotating head to help you find the ideal angle — a detail that came in ultra handy for us when testing this on our backs. It’s loaded up with features that we found useful, like a cooling system that provided a refreshing sensation and minimized discomfort during the application, a skin rejuvenation mode to fade hyperpigmentation, and an auto-flash mode that allowed us to cover large areas in a shorter period of time.
This is more of an investment purchase than most of the others on this list, but we found that the additional features (plus the included razor and safety glasses) were worth it. Plus, you can occasionally find it on sale, so it's worth grabbing when you do.
Intensity Levels: 6 | Flashes: Unlimited | Suitable For: Full body and face
People / Michael Navarro
People / Michael Navarro
Best for Travel
Smoothskin Pure Mini
Amazon
View On Amazon
$119
Pros
Since it is smaller and more lightweight than other options, it's easy to use on areas like the face and bikini.
It includes a gentle mode, which is designed for those with sensitive skin.
It features built-in UV protection.
Cons
It may not work internationally without a voltage converter.
We loved how easy this model was to set up and how quickly we were able to zip through treating our legs (in just six minutes!) by using the convenient glide method, which auto-flashes as you steadily move the device along your legs. This is going to be a mainstay in our carry-on thanks to the handy velvet traveling pouch that you can store everything in — plus, it’s a convenient handheld size that takes up minimal packing room, even with the power adapter and cord.
We appreciated that there’s built-in UV protection thanks to a three-millimeter glass filter, plus there’s a Gentle Mode for sensitive skin (like the face and bikini area), although we found it comfortable and pain-free to use on Power Mode, which operates at a higher intensity level. The precision head and lightweight design were also handy for covering smaller areas, like our upper lip. After five sessions of weekly use, we noticed much less hair coming in along our legs, although our hair thickness remained about the same. Note that if you’re planning to travel abroad with this, you’ll want to check the voltage converter and adapter you have to make sure it’s safe to use where you’re headed.
Intensity Levels: 2 | Flashes: Unlimited | Suitable For: Full body and face
People / Ruby Grais
People / Ruby Grais