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Glow & Current

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

Soft, warm light falling across skin - an illustrative image for the LED and red light mask section

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 MaskShark CryoGlow
Wavelengths633, 830, 415 nm630 nm red, blue, 830 nm infrared
Diodes648160 tri-wick, 480 light sources
IrradianceNot publishedNot published
Session3-9 minutes4-6 minutes by routine
Extra hardwareVibration therapyUnder-eye Peltier cooling and fans
Weight18.13 oz (514 g)Not published
Warranty1-year limitedNot published
510(k)K230293 (9 Jun 2023)K242796 (27 Nov 2024)
Cleared for acneNoYes
Manufacturer and FDA figures, checked 13 October 2026.

Quick picks

The short answer

#ProductBest forFDA clearancePrice
1
Soft, warm light falling across skin - an illustrative image for the LED and red light mask section. Illustrative only - not a photograph of this model.

Therabody TheraFace Mask

Wins on light coverage

maximum diode densityLocated
2
Soft, warm light falling across skin - an illustrative image for the LED and red light mask section. Illustrative only - not a photograph of this model.

Shark CryoGlow

Wins on indications

acne, and under-eye puffinessLocated

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

Soft, warm light falling across skin - an illustrative image for the LED and red light mask section. Illustrative only - not a photograph of this model.

Illustrative photograph. Not a picture of this model.

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

Wavelengths633 nm red, 830 nm near-infrared, 415 nm blue
LEDs648
IrradianceNot published by the manufacturer
Session3-9 minutes depending on program
Warranty1-year limited
ClearanceK230293, 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.

Soft, warm light falling across skin - an illustrative image for the LED and red light mask section. Illustrative only - not a photograph of this model.

Illustrative photograph. Not a picture of this model.

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

Wavelengths630 nm red, blue, 830 nm infrared
LEDs160 tri-wick LEDs delivering 480 light sources
IrradianceNot published by the manufacturer
RoutinesBetter Aging 6 minutes, Skin Sustain 4 minutes, Skin Clearing
ClearanceK242796, 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?
Yes. 510(k) K230293, cleared 9 June 2023, applicant Therabody, Inc., product code OHS - light-based over-the-counter wrinkle reduction. It is not cleared for acne.
Does the TheraFace Mask vibration do anything for skin?
Not to the photobiomodulation. It may help with jaw and temple tension, which is Therabody's core expertise, but it is a comfort feature rather than a skin intervention.
Which mask has more LEDs?
The TheraFace Mask, with 648 diodes against the CryoGlow's 160 tri-wick LEDs producing 480 light sources. Neither publishes irradiance, so neither count translates into a delivered dose.
Is the TheraFace Mask heavy?
Therabody publishes 18.13 oz, which is 514 grams. That is substantial for something worn on the face, and it is a consequence of fitting vibration hardware into a rigid shell.

Sources

Where this page’s facts come from

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