Head to head
Therabody TheraFace Mask vs Shark CryoGlow
Two rigid masks, two located clearances, two pieces of extra hardware. One adds vibration, one adds cooling, and only one of those changes what the light is doing.
By Selena H. · Published October 13, 2026

Illustrative photograph, not a picture of a specific device.
Disclosure: Glow & Current earns a commission when you buy through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. It does not change which device wins or what we say about it — here is exactly how we are funded, and here is how we evaluate devices.
Specifications
Specifications side by side
| Therabody TheraFace Mask | Shark CryoGlow | |
|---|---|---|
| Wavelengths | 633, 830, 415 nm | 630 nm red, blue, 830 nm infrared |
| Diodes | 648 | 160 tri-wick, 480 light sources |
| Irradiance | Not published | Not published |
| Session | 3-9 minutes | 4-6 minutes by routine |
| Extra hardware | Vibration therapy | Under-eye Peltier cooling and fans |
| Weight | 18.13 oz (514 g) | Not published |
| Warranty | 1-year limited | Not published |
| 510(k) | K230293 (9 Jun 2023) | K242796 (27 Nov 2024) |
| Cleared for acne | No | Yes |
Quick picks
The short answer
| # | Product | Best for | FDA clearance | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ![]() Therabody TheraFace Mask Wins on light coverage | maximum diode density | Located | |
| 2 | ![]() Shark CryoGlow Wins on indications | acne, and under-eye puffiness | Located |
Prices are checked live and stamped with the date they were read. No live price is held for these listings right now, so every button reads “Check price on Amazon” rather than showing a number we cannot stand behind. Last price check: October 13, 2026.
Vibration vs cooling
Which extra feature is worth having
Neither changes the photobiomodulation. Both change the experience, and one of them has a clearer rationale.
Cooling does something physically measurable to the periorbital area: it reduces puffiness, immediately and visibly. Whether that is worth paying for depends on whether under-eye puffiness is one of your actual complaints, but the effect is real and not in dispute.
Vibration is pleasant and may help with tension in the jaw and temples. Therabody's whole brand is percussive therapy, so the feature is on-brand rather than bolted on. What it is not is a skin intervention, and it adds weight to a mask that already weighs over half a kilogram.
The light itself
648 diodes versus 480 light sources
The TheraFace has the higher count and it is the only comparison on this page where diode numbers are close enough to be interesting. Shark's tri-wick arrangement puts three emitters in each of 160 packages, which is a different engineering approach to the same goal: more sources, more evenly spread.
Neither publishes irradiance, so neither count converts into a dose. Both are rigid, so both have the stand-off problem at the cheekbones. On the light alone this is close to a draw, and anybody telling you otherwise is reading a marketing page.
Regulation
The clearances differ in a way that matters
K230293 covers the TheraFace Mask under OHS, wrinkle reduction. Notably, the applicant is Therabody, Inc. itself rather than a contract manufacturer, which gives a slightly shorter accountability chain than most of this category.
K242796 covers the CryoGlow under the same code but with acne named in the indications. The TheraFace carries blue diodes at 415 nm and is not cleared for acne; the CryoGlow carries blue and is. If acne is your concern, that difference is the whole comparison.
In detail
Every pick, and why
Wins on light coverage
Therabody TheraFace Mask
Therabody · Best for maximum diode density
648 diodes across red, near-infrared and blue with K230293 cleared under Therabody's own name, plus a published one-year warranty. The highest diode count of any rigid mask here.
The highest diode count of the rigid masks, with vibration therapy layered on top of three wavelengths.
Specifications
| Wavelengths | 633 nm red, 830 nm near-infrared, 415 nm blue |
|---|---|
| LEDs | 648 |
| Irradiance | Not published by the manufacturer |
| Session | 3-9 minutes depending on program |
| Warranty | 1-year limited |
| Clearance | K230293, 9 June 2023, product code OHS |
FDA clearance located
510(k) K230293 (TheraFace Mask, cleared 9 June 2023, applicant Therabody, Inc., product code OHS - light-based over-the-counter wrinkle reduction).
What works
- A located 510(k) for this exact device
- Red, near-infrared and blue in one mask with a published warranty
- Vibration is a real differentiator if you use it for tension as well as skin
What does not
- No published irradiance
- Rigid, heavy, and it sits away from the skin at the cheekbones
- Vibration adds cost that does nothing for the photobiomodulation case
Specifications from Therabody product page; FDA 510(k) K230293, checked 13 October 2026.
Wins on indications
Shark CryoGlow
Shark Beauty · Best for acne, and under-eye puffiness
K242796 names inflammatory acne explicitly, which the TheraFace clearance does not, and the under-eye cooling is the feature owners actually use daily. Three selectable routines against a fixed program set.
A rigid LED mask with an under-eye cooling plate, and the only device in this category whose 510(k) explicitly covers both wrinkles and inflammatory acne.
Specifications
| Wavelengths | 630 nm red, blue, 830 nm infrared |
|---|---|
| LEDs | 160 tri-wick LEDs delivering 480 light sources |
| Irradiance | Not published by the manufacturer |
| Routines | Better Aging 6 minutes, Skin Sustain 4 minutes, Skin Clearing |
| Clearance | K242796, 27 November 2024, product code OHS |
FDA clearance located
510(k) K242796 (CryoGlow FW3XXXX, cleared 27 November 2024, applicant SharkNinja Operating LLC, product code OHS). The indications cover red and infrared for lines and wrinkles, and red, blue and infrared for mild-to-moderate inflammatory acne.
What works
- A located clearance that names acne as well as wrinkles, which almost none of this category does
- Under-eye cooling is a genuine feature, not a spec-sheet filler
- Three selectable routines instead of one fixed cycle
What does not
- Rigid shell does not conform to the face the way silicone does
- No published irradiance
- Heaviest and bulkiest option here
Specifications from FDA 510(k) K242796; Shark product listing, checked 13 October 2026.
The decision
Who should buy which
- TheraFace Mask if you want the highest diode count, you want the vibration, or a published warranty matters to you.
- Shark CryoGlow if acne is part of the picture, or under-eye puffiness is, or you want shorter selectable routines.
- A flexible mask instead if your face is narrow or your nose bridge prominent. Both of these are rigid, and the flexible options are covered in the main roundup.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
Is the TheraFace Mask FDA cleared?
Does the TheraFace Mask vibration do anything for skin?
Which mask has more LEDs?
Is the TheraFace Mask heavy?
Sources
Where this page’s facts come from
Read next
Keep going
- Therabody TheraFace Mask review
648 diodes, vibration therapy and a clearance in Therabody's own name, in a rigid shell that weighs 514 grams.
- Shark CryoGlow review
A dual-indication clearance, under-eye Peltier cooling and three routines, in a shell that does not conform to your face.
- CurrentBody Series 2 vs Therabody TheraFace Mask
Flexible silicone and three wavelengths against a rigid shell with 648 diodes, vibration and a published warranty.
- The best LED face masks, ranked on what you can actually verify
Nine masks ranked on wavelengths, diode counts, brand-stated irradiance and located FDA clearance numbers.
- LED masks with a clearance number you can actually look up
Every LED mask with a located 510(k), listed with its number, clearance date and product code - plus the ones that returned nothing.

