Hair growth caps & helmets · nine devices
Laser caps, LED caps and helmets for androgenetic hair loss, side by side on manufacturer-published specifications: light source, wavelength, published output, session length, regulatory status, fit and power. Where a brand stays silent, the cell says so. Face masks live in their own table.
Key facts
Spectrum coverage
Every published wavelength, plotted from 400 nm to 1100 nm. The red band marks 650–680 nm, where nearly every cleared home hair device emits; one device also reaches into near-infrared.
Side by side
Nine devices, alphabetical by brand. Where a manufacturer publishes no figure the cell says so — in this category the output column is where the silence lives.
| Brand & model | Light source | Wavelengths | Published output | Session | Regulatory | Fit & power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capillus CapillusPro | 272 laser diodes (no LEDs) | 650 nm | Not published (states 5 mW per diode) | 6 min, daily Continuous output, auto shut-off |
FDA cleared (stated; no number printed) · Class 3R laser · IEC 60825 | Rigid dome insert worn under a sports cap Rechargeable battery pack |
| CurrentBody Skin LED Hair Growth Helmet | 120 LEDs (no lasers) | 620–660 nm | Not published | 10 min, daily Single programme · built-in Bluetooth headphones |
FDA cleared (stated; no number printed) | Rigid helmet USB-rechargeable, cordless |
| Dr. Renú LED Anti Hair Loss Cap | 192 LED cores in 96 dual-chip modules (no lasers) | 660 nm850 nm | 30–45 mW/cm² (20–30 at 660 nm + 10–15 at 850 nm) | 10 min, daily Continuous, 10 Hz or 40 Hz pulse · 5 intensity levels |
No device-specific FDA clearance published | Soft fabric cap Rechargeable 2000 mAh USB-C, cordless |
| HairMax PowerFlex Laser Cap 272 | 272 laser diodes (no LEDs) | 655 nm | 1,360 mW total; no per-cm² figure | 7 min, 3× a week Class 3R lasers (<5 mW) |
FDA cleared (stated; site cites “8 FDA clearances”, prints no number) | Flexible cap with silicone liner Rechargeable battery pack, cordless |
| illumiflow 272 Pro Laser Cap | 272 laser diodes | 650 nm | 1,360 mW total; no per-cm² figure | 30 min, every other day Pulsed output, auto shut-off |
FDA cleared · prints K162071 on its FDA page | Lightweight baseball-style cap Rechargeable battery pack |
| iRestore Essential | 120 diodes: 51 lasers + 69 LEDs | 655 nm | 600 mW total; no per-cm² figure | 25 min, every other day Class 3R lasers (<5 mW) |
FDA 510(k) cleared (stated; no number printed) | Rigid dome helmet, 1.03 lb Corded; battery pack sold separately |
| iRestore Professional | 282 diodes: 82 lasers + 200 LEDs | 655 nm | 1,410 mW total; no per-cm² figure | 25 min, every other day Class 3R lasers (<5 mW) |
FDA 510(k) cleared (stated; no number printed) | Rigid dome helmet, 1.25 lb Corded; battery pack sold separately |
| Kiierr 272 Premier Laser Cap | 272 laser diodes (no LEDs) | 650 nm | 1,360 mW total; no per-cm² figure | 30 min, every other day Pulsed output, auto shut-off |
FDA cleared (stated; no number printed) | Soft baseball-style cap Rechargeable battery pack |
| Theradome PRO LH80 | 80 laser diodes (no LEDs) | 680 nm | 727 J per session; no per-cm² figure | 20 min, 2× a week Single programme, hands-free |
FDA cleared, Class II · prints K171775, K122950, K113097 · Health Canada · TGA | Rigid helmet, 15 oz Rechargeable 2200 mAh, cordless |
“Published output” means a figure printed on the brand’s own product page or manual. A total milliwatt figure cannot be converted into a dose without the treated area — only an output per cm² can. “FDA cleared” is not “FDA approved” — see the FAQ.
Evidence notes
A specification sheet says nothing about the quality of the evidence behind a device. One short, even-handed note per device — including the limits of each brand’s own numbers.
The Capillus CapillusPro uses 272 laser diodes (no LEDs) at 650 nm, in sessions of 6 min, daily.
Cites a 51% average increase in hair count after 17 weeks, from a double-blind study the brand says was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and managed by a neutral third party. The shortest session in the table — 6 minutes daily — but no total or per-cm² output figure to show how that dose is delivered.
The CurrentBody Skin LED Hair Growth Helmet uses 120 LEDs (no lasers) at 620–660 nm, in sessions of 10 min, daily.
Cites an 84-day, 31-subject study run by the testing lab Intertek — unusually for the category, the lab is named. Red light only, described as a 620–660 nm range rather than a single peak, and no output figure. The built-in Bluetooth headphones are a comfort feature, not a light mechanism.
The Dr. Renú LED Anti Hair Loss Cap uses 192 LED cores in 96 dual-chip modules (no lasers) at 660 nm, 850 nm, in sessions of 10 min, daily.
The only device in the table to publish irradiance per cm² — the figure a dose calculation actually needs — and the only one to add near-infrared at 850 nm, which has thinner hair-specific evidence than red. The counterweight: its efficacy figures come from third-party LLLT literature rather than a trial of this device, and it publishes no device-specific FDA clearance, which every US laser cap here claims.
The HairMax PowerFlex Laser Cap 272 uses 272 laser diodes (no LEDs) at 655 nm, in sessions of 7 min, 3× a week.
Backs its claims with seven brand-run studies totalling 460 participants — the largest clinical programme claimed in this table. A careful reader will notice the same product page states the wavelength as 655 nm in its specification block and 650 nm in another section.
The illumiflow 272 Pro Laser Cap uses 272 laser diodes at 650 nm, in sessions of 30 min, every other day.
One of only two brands here that prints a searchable 510(k) number, K162071. The product page cites no quantified trial of the device itself — its headline claims are about LLLT technology in general.
The iRestore Essential uses 120 diodes: 51 lasers + 69 LEDs at 655 nm, in sessions of 25 min, every other day.
Shares its clinical evidence with the Professional: a brand-run double-blind study reporting a 43.2% average increase in terminal hair count over 16 weeks is quoted for both models. The base unit is corded — the battery is a paid add-on.
The iRestore Professional uses 282 diodes: 82 lasers + 200 LEDs at 655 nm, in sessions of 25 min, every other day.
The highest diode count in the table at 282 and the highest published total output at 1,410 mW. Its efficacy evidence is the same brand-run 43.2% study quoted for the cheaper Essential.
The Kiierr 272 Premier Laser Cap uses 272 laser diodes (no LEDs) at 650 nm, in sessions of 30 min, every other day.
Its headline results — +29 hairs/cm² against +3 for placebo — come from LLLT literature rather than a Kiierr-run trial of this cap. On paper it is near-identical to the illumiflow 272 Pro: 272 lasers, 650 nm pulsed, 1,360 mW, 30 minutes every other day.
The Theradome PRO LH80 uses 80 laser diodes (no LEDs) at 680 nm, in sessions of 20 min, 2× a week.
The most regulatory paperwork in the table: three searchable 510(k) numbers plus Health Canada and Australian TGA listings. Its trial is brand-sponsored but sham-controlled and double-blind. The 680 nm wavelength sits above the 650–660 nm the rest of the category uses, and 80 diodes is the lowest count here — coverage and dose are different things.
Questions
There is no head-to-head consensus. The low-level light therapy literature for androgenetic alopecia includes both source types, and the FDA has cleared devices built on each. Lasers emit coherent light and most of the established US caps use them exclusively; LEDs are cheaper per diode and can cover the scalp more densely. Of the nine devices here, 5 are laser-only (Capillus, HairMax, illumiflow, Kiierr and Theradome), two combine lasers with LEDs (both iRestore models) and two are LED-only (CurrentBody and Dr. Renú).
What the source type does not settle is dose — and dose is the number almost nobody publishes. Treat “laser vs LED” as a design difference, not a verdict.
Only one of the nine publishes irradiance per square centimetre: the Dr. Renú LED Anti Hair Loss Cap states 20–30 mW/cm² at 660 nm and 10–15 mW/cm² at 850 nm. Theradome states a per-session dose of 727 joules. Five others publish a total milliwatt figure (600–1,410 mW), which cannot be converted into a dose without knowing the treated area, and two publish no output figure at all.
That is the single biggest gap in this category’s specification sheets: session length is meaningful only when multiplied by an output the brand actually states.
One of nine: the Dr. Renú cap adds 850 nm near-infrared to its 660 nm red, in a 2:1 red-to-infrared ratio. Every other device in the table emits red only, between 620 and 680 nm.
Worth knowing in both directions: near-infrared penetrates deeper than red, but the hair-specific clinical literature is built mostly on red at 650–680 nm — the range every cleared US laser cap here uses. The extra wavelength is a genuine difference, not a guaranteed advantage.
Not on its own. Diode counts here run from 80 (Theradome) to 282 (iRestore Professional), and four devices share exactly 272. Count mainly determines how evenly light reaches the scalp; the dose is output per area multiplied by session time — and Theradome, with the lowest count, publishes more regulatory paperwork than any 272-diode cap.
Treat diode count the way the mask table treats LED count: a coverage figure, not an efficacy figure.
Eight of the nine claim FDA clearance, but only 2 print a searchable 510(k) number anywhere on their own site: illumiflow (K162071) and Theradome (K171775, K122950 and K113097). The Dr. Renú cap publishes no device-specific clearance at all — the only device here that does not claim one.
As on the face-mask side: these devices are FDA cleared, not FDA approved. Clearance means substantial equivalence to a device already on the market plus safety testing — a manufacturing and safety signal, not proof the device will regrow your hair.
More than any other specification. Capillus wants 6 minutes every day; Kiierr and illumiflow want 30 minutes every other day; HairMax 7 minutes three times a week; Theradome 20 minutes twice a week; the iRestore helmets 25 minutes every other day; the two LED devices 10 minutes daily.
Follow the manual for the device you own rather than borrowing a neighbour’s schedule — Capillus explicitly warns that exceeding its recommended time or frequency can have a negative effect.
The brands themselves converge on roughly four to six months. iRestore and Capillus quote 16–17-week study windows, Theradome claims visible growth at 90 days, CurrentBody frames a 16-week programme, and Kiierr and illumiflow describe visible regrowth at four to six months. Nothing in this category claims quick results.
Every quantified figure above comes from brand-run or brand-cited studies — treat the timelines as the manufacturers’ own expectations, and expect to commit to months of consistent use before judging any of them.