Here’s that catch: There are a dizzying array of options promising to deliver these effective, fast, and painless results. Over the course of 12 weeks, the team at Brides tested 13 at-home laser hair removal devices and 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-month period. In the end, our research led us to uncover seven of the best at-home laser hair removal devices that live up to their claims.
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.
How (if at all) you decide to remove body hair ahead of your wedding celebrations 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.
Best Overall
nood The Flasher 2.0
NOOD
View On Amazon
$199
View On Trynood.com
View On Bluemercury.com
$229
At its best, a top-notch laser hair removal device zaps away hair swiftly and efficiently, but this one also does an excellent job of making 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 totally 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 fit nicely in our hands and allowed us to target trickier areas 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.
What’s more, at six weeks, about halfway through our testing period, we definitely saw fewer signs of hair growth. 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 do run out.
Cordless: No | Intensity Levels: 5 | Flashes: 600,000
Brides / Samantha Aronson
Brides / Samantha Aronson
Best User Friendly
RoseSkinCo. Lumi
RoseSkinCo.
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, in addition to the six intensity levels, we could choose from three different modes—stamp, glide, and auto—to target different 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
Brides / Daniela Galvez
Best for Sensitive Skin
Ulike Sapphire AIR+
Ulike
View On Amazon
$299
View On Ulike.com
$299
View On Walmart
$219
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 were also able to tailor 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
Brides / Kyle Tran
Brides / Kyle Tran
Best Wireless
Jovs Venus Pro II
JOVS
View On Amazon
$300
View On Jovs.com
$300
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 we’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
Amazon
View On Amazon
$119
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-friendlyWe can stow a slim, compact device in a carry-on for a quick touch-up while we’re on our 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 that differentiates this product from its competitors is the internal fan, which kicked on as soon as we plugged it in and kept our skin from feeling overheated.
Cordless: No | Intensity Levels: Three | Flashes: Unlimited
Brides / Ruby Grais
Brides / Ruby Grais
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