We Tested the Best At-Home Laser Hair Removal Devices to Get Honeymoon-Ready

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• Fashion & Beauty

In This Article

• Our Top Picks
• Reviews
• How We Tested
• What to Look For
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Why Trust Brides

How (if at all) you decide to remove body hair ahead of your wedding celebrations or honeymoon is your choice, but one aspect of it we can all agree on is that none of the options available are entirely pleasant. The path to dolphin-smooth skin is paved with time-consuming treatments and painful results. Luckily, there have been a couple of techy advances in the past few years that make at-home laser hair removal a more appealing option.

From the comfort of your home, you can prepare for your upcoming bachelorette or honeymoon trip by zapping away strands and stubble with a tool smaller than a water bottle, reducing hair growth and welcoming you to a world without worrying about hair removal maintenance. How, exactly? The laser targets pigmentation in the hair follicle by converting it to heat and breaking it down over time so that it becomes weaker and grows back slower. Many of these devices use intense pulsed light technology (IPL) to achieve this, which has proven safe for at-home use and effective if you stay committed to your treatments.1

Here’s that catch: A dizzying array of options promising to deliver these effective, fast, and painless results. Over 12 weeks, the team at Brides tested 13 at-home laser hair removal devices. We evaluated the performance of each one, taking into account how easy it was to use, how many settings and modes each one offered, whether using it was painful, and if we found the treatment to noticeably limit hair growth by the end of the three months. Our research led us to several at-home laser hair removal devices that live up to their claims.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Nood The Flasher 2.0 at Amazon $199

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Best User Friendly:

RoseSkinCo. Lumi at Roseskinco.com

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Best for Sensitive Skin:

SALE

Ulike Sapphire AIR+ at Amazon $299 $209

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Best Wireless:

SALE

Jovs Venus Pro II at Amazon $360 $239

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Best for Travel:

Smoothskin Pure Mini at Amazon $119

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Best Overall

Nood The Flasher 2.0

$199 at Amazon View on Trynood.com $229 at Bluemercury.com

At its best, a top-notch laser hair removal device zaps away hair swiftly and efficiently, but this one also makes the process as painless and easy as possible. Additionally, its lightweight feel, intuitive set-up, and ergonomic design send it straight to the top of this list.

In under 15 minutes, our legs were hairless, which we credit to the wide treatment window that made it easy to target large patches of hair at once. We were especially overjoyed at how it took less than five strokes when we used it on smaller surface areas, like under our arms. Still, despite being slightly bulkier than other options, it fits nicely in our hands and allows us to target trickier regions effortlessly. Even more user-friendly features include a digital display that clearly showed which of the five intensity levels we were using and a convenient side button to notch the level up or down while we worked.

Moreover, we saw fewer signs of hair growth at six weeks, about halfway through our testing period. Plus, this pick is simply an incredible value—it already costs less than other options and offers a lifetime flash guarantee, so the brand will replace it for free if we run out.

Cordless: No | Intensity Levels: 5 | Flashes: 600,000

Best User Friendly

RoseSkinCo. Lumi

View on Roseskinco.com

This pick's chic minimal aesthetic and pleasing color options aren’t its only appeal; the handset also equipped us with everything we needed to achieve the smoothest skin, including exfoliating gloves and an easy-to-follow user manual.

We admired how, besides the six intensity levels, we could choose from three modes—stamp, glide, and auto—to target other body areas. We breezed through our lasering session as we could quickly stamp hair in smaller areas, like the bikini line and armpits, and seamlessly glide it over our arms without pressing a button. However, the auto mode may have been the most ingenious capability since it auto-detected when we touched the treatment window to our skin and only activated upon contact.

To our delight, our arm and leg hair started growing back slower and thinner after just a few weeks of use. Although we didn’t see quite as successful results around our bikini line, we’re pretty confident that with continued treatments, hair would be less patchy here, too.

For the most part, lasering our body with this tool was painless—though we recommend lowering the intensity to around three on your arms to avoid discomfort in this area.

Cordless: No | Intensity Levels: Six | Flashes: 900,000

Best for Sensitive Skin

Ulike Sapphire AIR+

$209 at Amazon $299 at Ulike.com $229 at Currentbody.com

Any type of hair removal is daunting for those with sensitive skin—one wayward nick or shaving with an old razor and you have irritation for days and red bumps making an appearance in all of our bachelorette beach trip photos. This device solves these woes with some pretty nifty tech using a sapphire lamp head that cools our skin to 50 degrees Fahrenheit and provides a pleasant, soothing experience (not typically what you’d expect while working with lasers).

We also tailored our treatment to suit our skin’s needs by selecting from one of the five intensity levels, each geared toward targeting a different part of the body. This helped ensure our pain threshold was never met.

In addition to seeing a noticeable reduction in hair growth after using it for less than a month, another aspect that knocked this pick out of the park is its compact design, which felt lighter than an empty water bottle and made navigating the device like a pro so simple.

Cordless: No | Intensity Levels: Five | Flashes: Unlimited

Best Wireless

Jovs Venus Pro II

$239 at Amazon $300 at Jovs.com

Marrying luxury and utility, the JOVS hair remover’s sleek matte finish and wireless capabilities are only the baselines of what makes using it a truly opulent experience. From a self-cleaning charging dock to a skin-cooling setting, the brand thought of everything to make hair removal hassle-free (and, dare we say, fun?).

Whether you're wearing a mini wedding dress or opting for a low-cut style, we’d feel pretty confident about showing some skin during our nuptials since we were able to use it on even the most hard-to-reach areas, like our back, thanks to its 330-degree rotating head and L-shape that conformed to different parts of our body and made the treatment fly by in around 20 minutes.

With twelve settings total—six modes curated for different body parts and six intensity levels—it also boasts more features than any other devices we tested. The auto-flash mode was one setting we found particularly handy because it activated upon making contact with the skin, meaning we didn’t have to worry about simultaneously pressing a button.

Cordless: Yes | Intensity Levels: Six | Flashes: Unlimited

Best for Travel

Smoothskin Pure Mini

PHOTO: Amazon

$119 at Amazon View on Smoothskin.com

Considered to be one the first brands to launch an at-home IPL hair removal tool, Smoothskin re-invented its design into an even more travel-friendly design. The slim, compact device can be stowed in a carry-on for quick touch-ups while on the honeymoon.

Although you can modify its three intensity levels manually, we appreciated how the smart technology took much of the guesswork out of the process for us by automatically adjusting the level of heat emitted based on skin tone. And, since it only flashes when it makes contact with the skin, it's an excellent choice for sensitive skin and eyes— just be sure the front panel is facing you because otherwise, it's hard to tell when the lasers are activated. Another feature differentiating this product from competitors is the internal fan, which kicked on when we plugged it in and kept our skin from feeling overheated.

Cordless: No | Intensity Levels: Three | Flashes: Unlimited

How We Tested

We began the testing process by spending hours researching the most famous at-home laser hair removal devices before carefully selecting 12 options to try. Next, we set up our devices at home and familiarized ourselves with each by reading the instructions and user manuals. We noted how complicated it was to assemble the device, turn it on, and use it on our legs, chest, backs, underarms, and bikini area.

We only used the device as recommended by the manufacturer, closely monitoring our results and recording how effective it was at removing unwanted body hair every week. We also considered other factors, like whether we experienced any pain, how many features the device came with, and whether it impacted the texture of our skin. By the end of the three-month testing period, we assessed the look and feel of our skin before compiling our results to land on this list of seven top-rated picks.

What to Look for in a Laser Hair Removal Device

• Portability: Consistency is critical while using these devices, so you’ll want a small and lightweight model to fit anywhere your travels take you. You can’t go wrong choosing any option on this list, as we found all of them light and compact. Plus, despite advertising some innovative technology, these devices don’t typically come with bulky attachments. Instead, they may only include a chord — or none if you opt for a wireless model.
• Cost: We won’t deny that these devices are an investment, but one that pays off in the long run. Consider the average cost of one professional hair removal treatment—it can range anywhere from $200 to $500, depending on what area of the body you’re targeting. It may still require you to revisit for another session down the road. Many at-home laser hair removal treatments initially cost around the same price. Still, they come with unlimited flashes or lifetime guarantees, so while you may have to perform more frequent touch-ups, you’re saving money by putting in a little extra work.
• Settings: Especially for those with sensitive skin, having multiple settings is vital so you can tailor your intensity to fit your desired comfort level. You may also want to seek out a device with various modes that cater to various areas of your body for the quickest, most efficient results. Luckily, most options typically have at least two: A glide and stamp setting. The former consistently emits light as you sweep it across your body, whereas the latter allows you to target smaller areas of the body by manually pressing a button.
• Comfort: You can expect some minor discomfort during your treatment— we’d describe it as similar to tiny pinches or snapping your skin with a rubber band. Places on your body with thinner skin might hurt a tad more (think: your bikini area, knees, and ankles), but nothing should feel unbearable if you’re following directions, never going over the same area twice, or stacking pulses. "A little pinkness and irritation around the hair follicle are normal,” says ​​Dr. Anthony Rossi Jr., MD, founder of Dr. Rossi Derm. You are zapping your body with lasers, but there are ways to mitigate the pain by using a device with an internal fan or one with cooling technology to soothe irritated skin.

FAQ

• How does laser hair removal work?

  In short, Lasers target hair and convert it to heat, thus breaking down the dark pigmentation and damaging it to the point where hair won’t grow back. Most of the options on this list target hair through IPL, which uses multiple light wavelengths instead of one long stream of light. Not only is this safe for non-professionals (hello, us), but IPL emits a larger footprint using less light, thereby covering more surface area and making the process go by quicker.

• How effective is at-home laser hair removal?

  Dr. Rossi says that at-home laser hair removal can effectively reduce hair growth if you’re committed to sticking with a schedule. To make them safe for use by a nonprofessional, they emit much less energy than what you’d receive in a treatment center. However, staying consistent and keeping the tool handy for touch-ups should lead you to eventually only see the stray hair here and there. Remember that if you start using this device two weeks before your honeymoon, you may not see results in time, so starting treatments at least six weeks before your celebrations is best.

  
  It’s also essential to note effectiveness varies based on your hair’s pigmentation. “There are two types of melanin: Eumelanin, which makes up black and browns, and then there’s pheomelanin, which makes up reds and pinks,” explains Dr. Rossi. Since laser hair removal is targeted to pick up on darker pigmentations, these treatments probably won’t work super well on those with blonde or red hair.

  
  Additionally, at-home laser hair removal devices work best on areas with a noticeable contrast between skin and hair. Those with darker skin tones may risk burning their skin if the device cannot differentiate between hair color and tone. Thankfully (and finally, technology has advanced so that people of color can take advantage of these products. For example, they can adjust their intensity based on the user’s skin tone. Still, if you fall into this category, speaking with your doctor or dermatologist before using one never hurts.

• How do I prep my skin for laser hair removal?

  Before you embark on your at-home laser hair removal journey, you must test the product before your bachelorette trip, wedding, or honeymoon to check for skin sensitivities. We recommend performing a patch test on a small, unnoticeable area of your skin and waiting a few days to see how your skin reacts to the device.

  
  If you don’t notice any long-lasting irritation or changes in skin color after a few days, start with clean, dry skin free from any lotions, oils, or soap residue before using a laser hair removal device. “You don’t want anything that impedes the transfer of the laser energy from the device into the skin,” says Dr. Rossi.

  
  And while your skin doesn’t need to be smooth ahead of time, you should shave your body free of any long hairs. Dr. Rossi doesn’t recommend plucking or waxing hair before treatment because “that pulls the follicle out, whereas shaving the follicle is still there, it’s just underneath the skin, so you can still target it with the razor,” says Dr. Rossi. Once finished, slather on a hydrating lotion or gel to calm the skin and avoid irritation.

Why Trust Brides

Irene Richardson is a writer covering fashion and beauty trends for Brides, Byrdie, InStyle, and others. For this article, she drew on research from the Brides testing team, who scoured the market for the most effective at-home laser hair removal devices. She also tapped insights from Dr. Anthony Rossi about what you should expect from an effective and safe at-home hair removal device.

• Dr. Anthony Rossi Jr., MD, is a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Dr. Rossi Derm.