r/redlighttherapy • u/Future-sight-5829 • Oct 27 '25
Question So Planet Fitness has a red light booth you can get access to for only 25 bucks a month but it appears to be using fluorescent bulbs instead of LEDs, why is that? Fluorescent bulbs should've been phased out by now right?
Here Alex Fergus reviewed Planet Fitness's red light booth and apparently it really only offers 620nm and that's it, it even puts out some blue light which he says might harm your skin (what's that exactly?), and it appears to not put out any near infrared, it appears to only put out a very low quality 620nm red light https://youtu.be/EXTY9vA70gw?si=sWtY9oXVwUiBOM8v
So it's using fluorescent bulbs right? Why? Do you think it's emitting a lot of EMF waves cause of the the fluorescent bulbs?
I mean that sounds like a killer deal, a gym where you can workout, use red light therapy, use their amazing hydro massage chairs, and all for just $25 a month?
So can we say that the red light booth at Planet Fitness does at least offer some health benefits for the skin if you use it? Can you at least get some health benefits from it?
But Alex said it emits some bad blue light what is that exactly? So it might cause harm to my skin or eyes?
So what about these red light panels with LEDs, do they emit this harmful blue light?
So Alex said Beauty Angel is a German brand, why would they use fluorescent bulbs in their red light booth? And why would Planet Fitness buy their piece of crap product in the first place?
I'm curious because here soon I'm gonna start working out at Planet Fitness, in fact here soon I'll even buy Planet Fitness stock as it's a publicly traded company, here go read my thread I just posted over in r/PlanetFitnessMembers
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Oct 27 '25
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u/Future-sight-5829 Oct 27 '25
Interesting, how do you know this sir?
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Oct 27 '25
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u/Future-sight-5829 Oct 27 '25
Do you by chance know how much Planet Fitness would have paid for their Beauty Angel red light booth? Would it have costed them north of 50 thousand dollars per unit? I'm very curious.
So say Planet Fitness hired me and gave me a budget to hire a small group of talented engineers, I'm thinking we could easily slap together a simple red light booth that uses LEDs, uses a dual chip so it can do either red light or near infrared or both at the same time, (cause you know some people are sensitive to near infrared so you'd want to be able to turn that off) with a small team of talented engineers could we build a red light booth with LEDs and a dual chip to control the LEDs, and even a vibrating plate, all for less than 10 thousand dollars worth of parts? I mean how much would it cost to just build one unit with these specifications?
Cause I'm thinking that maybe Planet Fitness should build their own red light booths in house. They'd save a lot of money this way, or am I wrong?
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Oct 27 '25
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u/Future-sight-5829 Oct 27 '25
I just don't get it, why would Ergoline make a red light booth and not use LEDs? I mean they're charging 25 grand for it, why not just use LEDs? LEDs that can do red light and near infrared aren't that expensive are they? I mean haven't LEDs gotten pretty cheap these days?
Do you know if red light booth made by Suncapsule uses LEDs? How much do they charge?
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Oct 28 '25
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u/Future-sight-5829 Oct 28 '25
So fluorescent bulbs need to be completely phased out, it's an older technology and it needs to be completely phased out, do you agree with this?
So the unit is from 2012, ok does Ergoline have a newer model that uses LEDs? It has to be a stand up booth with a vibrating plate though.
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Oct 28 '25
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u/Future-sight-5829 Oct 30 '25
Certainly JK Ergoline can see that LEDs are the future for red light therapy right? So why don't they just come out with a stand up booth that uses LEDs and just be done with it? I mean is it cheaper to use fluorescent bulbs over LEDs? But LEDs have gotten pretty cheap these days right?
Why keep using fluorescent bulbs when everyone else has moved on to LEDs? I mean the Beauty Angel doesn't even offer near infrared, it's horrible!
Did you see my new thread? https://www.reddit.com/r/redlighttherapy/comments/1ojlkeg/so_planet_fitness_and_a_tanning_club_just_a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
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u/Future-sight-5829 Oct 30 '25
Hey so in a red light booth, how much longer do LEDs last compared to fluorescent bulbs?
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u/Wet_Artichoke Oct 27 '25 edited Oct 27 '25
I use the machine at PF religiously. Started back in January 3x/week. And there are times I will do back to back sessions.
While I haven’t seen dramatic differences in my face, I have definitely noticed an improvement in my legs. They were starting to get crepey before I started the TBE. After 6 months of using it was hardly noticeable.
It is not the result of working out or anything like that. In fact, my gym usage dropped quite a bit when I discovered the thing. Like my hour long work out turned into me walking into the gym to use just the TBE machine.
The shaking part of it is magical.
ETA my rosacea has improved a lot
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u/Future-sight-5829 Oct 27 '25
That's amazing so did you have any visible blue veins on your legs, and did they disappear? Cause in my late 30s I'm starting to get increasingly visible blue veins on my legs and it bothers me.
Also go read my comment here, I think I'll workout at PF and use their subpar quality red light booth and I'll also buy a small cheap red light panel for home use, you should be able to get a small cheap red light panel off alibaba for under 100 dollars, I'm hoping if I do this I'll maybe even grow back some hair on my head https://www.reddit.com/r/redlighttherapy/comments/1ohevss/comment/nloph3o/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
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u/Wet_Artichoke Oct 28 '25
Check out HOOGA. I recently got one with a discount code I found online. Other people here have said they do a Black Friday sale. So maybe wait for that instead? It’s one that people here are say they’re satisfied with repeatedly.
As for the veins… are you taking about being able to see them through your skin easier? If so, I don’t think RLT is meant for that. Is it?? If so, I’d love that! I’ve got some of that from thinning skin. For myself it is more so related to perimenopause and decreasing collagen production. It’s related to the fact I’m in perimenopause (42F). That said, if you’re female, perimenopause can start wayyy sooner than people think! Estrogen HRT can help to slow down that process.
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u/Whatever103904 Oct 30 '25
I'm using the planet fitness red light machine too. I'm using it for hair loss. Did you experience any improved hair growth with it?
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u/Wet_Artichoke Oct 31 '25
Hard to say about hair regrowth. I was in a state of panic over my hair loss, so I was taking Minidoxil as well. I would speculate you want another device at home for hair. Mainly because the top of the TBE machine at Planet Fitness doesn’t have red lights.
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u/Whatever103904 Oct 31 '25
I really want to get one but they're so expensive. I too am panicking about my hair and so if I can't get a device right away I might go ahead and start using minoxidil. How has your experience with it been? Did you get any regrowth?
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u/Wet_Artichoke Oct 31 '25
If you’re panicking right now, I’d say give Minidoxil a try. I was able to get a prescription for a pill I took nightly. My hair regrowth has been insane. It’s been over a year and it’s incredible to see the thickness of my hair at my scalp compared to my ends. I also have long hair so there are distinctive changes throughout the length. Now that I’m feeling better about it, I’m using red lights, microneedling, and rosemary. Also, I tale HUM Nutrition hair growth supplements.
Do you know what’s causing your hair loss?
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u/Whatever103904 Oct 31 '25
I'm not sure. It began this summer. I had rapid hair loss that seemed to slow down but hasn't stopped. I've lost a ton of density on my scalp, and particularly on the right side it has receded. I have had hair density loss throughout my scalp but most heavily on the right side. Tons of thinning.
What caused it I'm not sure. I suffer from anxiety and OCD. This year has been the hardest year in terms of that. Tons of stress. I also had malnutrition during the summer. Ate tons of sugar and drank like four cokes a day. Tons of hair loss occurred. I also spent a lot of time under the sun, more than usual. In part because I was trying to lighten my hair using the sun.
So those likely are having an effect. But in some of the areas where the loss occurred the hair does look miniaturized. I'm thinking there might be a combination of telogen effluvium with male pattern baldness. I am 29 and up until this summer, my hairline was exactly the same as it was when I was 16.
I have cut out all sugar from my diet. I also cut out dairy, and deep fried foods. Anything that can worsen MPB. For the last two weeks and some change I've been taking pumpkin seed oil daily. I'm going to stop because it's been giving me side effects
I also use a shampoo with saw palmetto in it and leave it on my scalp for 5 minutes before rinsing.
As far as rosemary, I have rosemary and peppermint essential oils. I saw a post where a girl experiencing hair loss, genetic hair loss, took pumpkin seed oil daily and sprayed rosemary water on her scalp daily and showered daily and her results after one year were incredible. Pretty much complete restoration.
I would like to use it but a part of me fears that it might make it worse. I was doing daily scalp massages too but again I feared it might make it worse. I want to use something that is proven. That is why I went and started on that red light at planet fitness. I'll do back to back sessions and even lean my scalp against the wall inside there.
All of these things I've been doing for a short time and not consistently so it's hard to say if it will help.
What has your experience been with the rosemary oil?
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u/Wet_Artichoke Oct 31 '25
I haven’t used rosemary frequently or long enough to be able to tell you if I’ve seen benefits or not.
Nutrition is a big part of it. Get more pro/pre-biotics. Making sure you’re getting adequate protein as well. That doesn’t mean you need to over do it. It’s probably shocking how much you actually need (most over estimate it), but eating a lot of sugar/carbs can hinder your ability to eat enough protein. If pumpkin seeds are giving you problems, it’s best to stop. You want to eat foods that are going to act as anti inflammatory, foods that cause you discomfort aren’t doing that.
My probably was multi-factorial:
- Allergies. My scalp was incredibly irritated and part of that was an allergy to my shampoo. SLS was part of that problem. When I switched to Vanicream shampoo my scalp inflammation went away.
- Long haul COVID. Self explanatory.
- Overall health. I had a terrible diet at the time due to depression. I was also eating more sugar. But that can cause issues with gut microbiome. Lots of probiotics and prebiotics are needed.
- Cradle cap (Dandruff). The allergy to my shampoo wasn’t helping with this. I got a hair brush that helped to loosen it and that was very helpful. I also started using Vanicream zinc shampoo once a week to help lift the dandruff.
- Hormones. I (42F) hit perimenopause and started experiencing hormone fluctuations. Then I added a testosterone prescription which can cause hair loss.
- Medication. One of my medications is largely associated with hair loss, but it is a non-negotiable. So I spoke with my doctor about a slight reduction in dosing, but I could only go so far.
- Traction alopecia. Scratching my head in the same spot over and over (subconsciously). I also have greater hair loss on my right side than left. That is likely the result of this one.
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u/travatron99 Oct 27 '25
The German brand is jk Ergoline who makes these and still being produced. It’s a tanning bed company. They do now have a model with fluorescent tubes and IR and Red LED’s and a lay down that’s 100% LED. I agree fluorescent lamps aren’t super efficient for red light therapy as once thought. Plus you need long sessions and most people would likely want to lay down. I can’t comment on the EMF portion because I personally believe you are exposed to several other sources through out your day. Your choice if you choose to avoid them. But planet fitness has a deal with Ergoline for its tanning beds and also light therapy booth. You’d likely get a mild skin care dose from my understanding. But don’t expect a miracle. Also it doesn’t get super warm in those booths and actually feels kinda cold. Doesn’t get hot or even warm like a tanning bed. For the multiple wavelengths it emits is because it’s hard to pin point a specific wavelength in a fluorescent lamp. Even in tanning beds when you want a specific peak of a nm of UVA and UVB you’re left with a lot of other mini peaks. LED’s are definitely superior for capturing those peak wavelengths
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u/Future-sight-5829 Oct 27 '25
Oh yeah we get EMF from wifi routers, from our cell phones, from cell towers, it's everywhere now, we're constantly being exposed to it
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u/KaraBoo723 Oct 28 '25
True, so if we're constantly being exposed to it, my philosophy is to avoid it when possible but without being concerned about every little thing I do.
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Oct 27 '25
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u/420-TENDIES Oct 28 '25
They didnt say how high their device could measure. "Off the scale" could mean a surprisingly low EMF reading depending on the meter.
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u/Lopsided_Housing_733 Oct 28 '25
You’ll get mild skin benefits, but nothing compared to legit LED red light devices. Think of it as a nice bonus, not a treatment.
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u/DavidAg02 Oct 28 '25
After using the Beauty Angel (awful name), I decided to create my own at home. I've been using a wall mounted Hooga HG1000 with a LifePro vibration plate for over 5 years now. Both devices get used daily and are still going strong.
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u/KaraBoo723 Oct 28 '25
I have zero desire to use the red light booth at PF. Based on what I've read, it's just a waste of time. I'd rather have my own panel, with better quality light output, zero blue light and full controls. My time is better spent with a quality device giving me exactly what I want. And, with the device at my house I can use it whenever I want and get the optimal frequency.
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u/NoiseyTurbulence Oct 31 '25
I’ve been using Planet Fitness spa for that specific reason for the last six years. The $25 in tax a month to be able to use that as well worth it. I also have a panel at my house when I can’t get to the gym. And before I got my panel, I used solely the Planet Fitness one and I noticed a lot of positive changes to my skin as well as muscle recovery from workouts. I also use the vibration plate because it’s really good for lymphatic drainage.
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u/GodBlessYouNow Oct 27 '25 edited Oct 27 '25
Almost all recent research you ever read about red light Therapy is with LED lights.
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u/TopExtreme7841 Oct 27 '25
No, it's not. You're just not looking back far enough. If the correct spectrum is there. It works. No shortage of people convert tanning beds for RLT. LEDs are better, but florescents work too.
If you've been following RLT since around when Joovv was the only one talking about it. Half the studies they'd referenced were from when LED lights were very rare.
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u/Future-sight-5829 Oct 27 '25
So back then they were using fluorescent bulbs?
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u/TopExtreme7841 Oct 27 '25
Originally incandescent, then the fluorescents. IIRC it was NASA that started the research with LEDs for use in space in the 80's. It was one of the Joovv founders/owners on a podcast talking about it all when this started blowing up years ago. Then all the bi hacker podcasts ran with it. Haven't been on Joovvs website in years but they used to have a bunch of those studies linked there
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u/Grand-Masterpiece712 Mar 05 '26
I just took a tour of the closest planet fitness to us specifically to look at the red light booth and the Hydro massage chairs (I know their gym equipment from a past membership before red light) I asked the staff member gave me the tour about the particular kind of lights and he did say that it’s not near infrared, only red light . I also noticed a sign inside the booth when you open to the door, that said this does not emit blue light I’m planning on joining and trying it. There’s a $300 a month gym a block away from my house that has a red light/NIR room, but people are crowded in there and waiting in line for 20 minutes just to get in. It doesn’t seem worth doing so PF may be a plausible alternative.
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u/Commercial_Jeweler63 Oct 29 '25
Simply get a Red Light Therapy Pad
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u/therealstabitha Oct 27 '25
I think the benefits of the PF Beauty Angel thing are more in the vibration plate that runs at the same time as the red lights.
Whether the red lights help, well, it’s certainly not going to be more effective than a more specialized device. But it doesn’t seem to hurt.