If you’ve found yourself stuck in the endless cycle of shaving or waxing, you might want to consider at-home IPL (intense pulsed light) and laser devices. Where shaving only cuts the hair, and waxing pulls it out at the root, IPL machines target the hair follicles, preventing hair from growing for several months.
While both types of device use light to target the pigment in hair follicles, laser options use a concentrated beam of a single wavelength (for precision), while IPL uses a broad-spectrum light that scatters over a wider area.
Lasers are more powerful and suited to professional, in-salon treatments, but recent developments in technology mean both laser and IPL have become safe and effective for home use, especially for those with lighter skin tones and darker hair.
One thing to note, though, is that there is a big difference between professional treatments and at-home alternatives. As you’d expect, in-salon treatments use stronger devices and have to be administered by trained technicians, so they tend to deliver results in fewer sessions, but professional treatments are often expensive.
While at-home devices are gentler, requiring more consistency and patience, they also offer flexibility and long-term savings, and can be used in the comfort of your own home.
These gadgets are expensive, though, and it can be hard to know which ones are worth investing in. That’s why I’ve tested a range of IPL and laser hair removal devices, costing anything from £200 to £1000, to see which ones really deliver salon-worthy results.
How I tested
I began by seeing how easy each machine was to set up and use. I also took note of the size and feel of the devices, how they felt when used on different areas of the body (namely legs and underarms), as well as how painful they were to use. I was looking for effective devices that justified their price tags. When considering which skin types each device is suitable for, I’ve used the Fitzpatrick scale, which runs from I (pale white skin) to VI (dark brown or Black skin)
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
With almost 15 years’ experience under her belt, Lucy Partington is a well-versed and respected editor in the beauty industry. She’s tested her fair share of beauty tech, including ghd and Shark hair tools. In her reviews, she offers her honest opinions and will only recommend products she believes are worth your money.
The best IPL and laser hair removal devices for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Philips lumea 9900: £539.99, Phillips.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Ulike air 3: £299, Ulike.com
- Best for darker skin – Silk’n 7: £499, Silkn.co.uk
- Best premium device – Braun smart IPL skin i-expert: £859.99, Boots.com
- Best for professional results – CurrentBody laser hair removal device: £579.99, Currentbody.com
Philips lumea 9900
One of the best-known at-home LED devices, the 9900 is sleek, comfortable to hold and easy to manoeuvre around different areas of the body. It has a clever ‘smartskin’ sensor, which is a real standout feature: it works by automatically adjusting the intensity of the light based on your skin tone, which essentially means you should get a safe and effective treatment every time.
The versatility of the device is also seriously impressive. It comes with four different attachments that are individually designed for the face, body, bikini line and underarms, with one tailored to fit the contours of those specific areas. Plus, there’s an option to use it both corded and cordless, which is a small but hugely appreciated feature that adds convenience, especially when treating hard-to-reach areas.
I was also a big fan of the app, which is more user-friendly than some of the others I tried, and I liked that it was able to keep track of treatment schedules as well as helping to ensure proper, effective usage.
Of course, there’s no denying this device is expensive, and the initial setup was a little bit confusing, because of all the attachments and various features, but I soon managed to get the hang of it.
There’s a reason the 9900 is one of the most popular at-home IPL devices on the market – it delivers on its promises, providing a convenient and effective at-home hair removal solution.
Buy now £428.99, Philips.co.uk
Ulike air 3
I was genuinely impressed with the performance and comfort of this device. The standout feature is the built-in sapphire ice-cooling system, which works to help keep my skin cool throughout each session, so there’s barely any discomfort, even if I’m using it at a higher setting.
The device itself is sleek and feels much more premium than the £300 price point, and it comes with a razor and a pair of protective glasses, which is a nice touch that some of the more expensive options didn’t have. This device is corded, but the treatment process itself is quick and smooth, and it’s fairly intuitive. The Air 3 is suitable for use on all areas, including legs, and the automatic flash mode helps speed things up, as I can glide it across areas without having to constantly click a button to activate the light when I move to a new area.
However, it is quite bulky, so using it in harder-to-reach areas might be a bit tricky. Like some of the other devices I’ve been testing, it’s unfortunately not suitable for use on very dark skin or very light hair. But, if I don’t fall into those categories, the cooling technology and overall ease of use make this device an extremely good option for the price
Buy now, ulike
Braun smart skin ipl skin i-expert
This device was easy to set up. I was immediately impressed with the app, which creates a custom treatment plan based on skin tone and hair type. It even sends reminders to help me stay on track. The device itself is sleek and easy to handle, but it is a shame it’s not cordless for the price.
The device comes with a sleek, suede-esque case and attachments to help me treat different areas of the body. The smaller head was great for using on the underarms, while the bigger attachment was good for larger areas, such as the legs. Braun’s IPL machine was also quick and convenient to use – a full-body session took me about 15–20 minutes.
Though I liked the app, it isn’t perfect. I found that it lagged a few times, and the Bluetooth connection was occasionally a bit hit or miss. While the machine is relatively painless, I noticed a little redness when I used it on a higher setting – nothing that didn’t subside relatively quickly, though.
Buy now £430.00
CurrentBody laser hair removal device
I was impressed with the speed of this tool: it has a super speedy flash rate, so I found that I could treat both legs and underarms in less than 20 minutes. Plus, CurrentBody’s device uses an 810nm diode laser, which penetrates deeper into the hair follicle than IPL devices. It felt painless to use, and it has a built-in cooling system that ensures skin feels comfortable throughout each session.
However, I found CurrenBody’s device quite bulky, and it isn’t suitable for the darkest or lightest of skin tones, so ensure you check your own compatibility before purchasing this beauty tool. It has a cord, too, so you might find it a little inconvenient. If it is suitable for you, I think its overall effectiveness, the technology and speed of use make it a worthwhile investment, but it’s very expensive.
Buy now £579.99, Currentbody.com
Silk’n 7
One of the major standout plus points of this device is the fact that the head rotates. It’s a simple feature, but it makes it much easier to treat those hard-to-reach areas. It includes three different treatment heads, and they cater well to different body parts. I would also note that the device feels intuitive to use, and I found the treatments relatively painless.
The Silk’n 7 IPL device has a cord, and though it’s fairly long, you will still need to be near a socket as you use it. However, it does come with a variety of different plugs, so you could potentially travel with it, if needed. Overall, this is an effective solution, but perhaps not a convenient one. Swapping all of the heads around could be pretty fiddly, and it takes a while to see the effect. It certainly works, but not quickly.
Buy now £499.00, Silkn.co.uk
Tria 4x hair removal laser
Like CurrentBody’s device, Tria’s uses laser technology instead of IPL for a more targeted treatment. This is one of the few cordless devices I tested, and I found it was quite easy to manoeuvre and hold, making it great for smaller areas, such as the chin and lip. There’s also a really useful digital screen that guides me through treatments, and I relied on it a lot when I first started using this device.
The most important thing to be aware of, though, is just how small the treatment window is. It’s not ideal at all for treating large areas, such as the legs, and even the underarms might take a while. It takes time and patience, but it works well for targeting fine female facial and upper lip hair, although it’s a big investment for such a small area. The powerful laser means this is much more painful than IPL – using the Tria can sting a little bit, and I can expect my skin to go red.
However, if I’m looking for precise, effective results where regrowth is most annoying – for me, that’s the upper lip and chin – this powerful tool will work wonders, but it’s only suitable for light to medium skin tones and darker hair.
Buy now £479.95, Tria
Bondi Body V2
The most affordable of all the devices I tested, this one is simple but effective. It’s literally just a case of plugging it in, and you’re good to go. It was also the only tool that came with safety glasses (which just look – and feel – like a pair of cheap sunglasses), plus it’s lightweight, comfortable to hold thanks to its ergonomic design. It doesn’t have any interchangeable heads like some of the devices I tried, but in some ways, that just helps to simplify the usage process.
It has eight intensity levels, so you can power up or down depending on skin sensitivity – I suggest starting lower and then working your way upwards, but note that there are only two buttons so it can take some time to find your chosen level, and it takes a few seconds between flashes for it to be ready to go again. You can also have it in auto mode or in manual mode based on your preferences.
It’s important to note that this device isn’t recommended for darker skin tones or very light hair – something I realised when I tried to use it on my facial hair without much luck, but I did find it to be effective on larger areas, like legs and underarms.
While this tool isn’t a standout favourite, for the price point, ease of use, the results and ergonomic design, it’s an investment worth considering.
Buy now £299.00, Bondi-body.com
Foreo peach 2
A device that sits on the slightly more affordable end of the price scale, Foreo is a brand that I’m already familiar with, having used (and loved) one of its facial cleansing tools.
The tool itself has a large treatment window and flashes up to 120 times per minute, which means that full-body sessions were easy to achieve. I also liked that I could choose either Stamp Mode or Glide Mode depending on which area of the body I was using it on. However, after a couple of uses I did notice that it tended to overheat after just a few minutes of use – which meant it would then need a couple of minutes to cool itself down. I found this meant my treatment times were delayed and took much longer than they ought to have done, so I keep that in mind and ensure I’m building in more time than I think I’ll need.
It’s also worth noting that I did need to download an app to activate the Peach 2, but I didn’t notice that there was much use for it beyond that.
Overall, the Peach 2 isn’t a bad tool but annoyingly, it does have its downfalls. Still, with consistent use and patience, I do see an effective hair reduction.
Buy now £369.00, Cult Beauty
FAQs
What is IPL hair removal?
IPL stands for intense pulsed light. It’s a type of light therapy used to treat unwanted hair. It works by targeting a specific colour in your skin, and the higher the contrast between your skin and hair colour, the better, which is why it is often said to be most effective on those with light skin and dark hair. When the skin is heated, it destroys the hair follicle, preventing the hair from growing again.
What is the difference between IPL hair removal and laser hair removal?
IPL is similar to a laser treatment. However, a laser focuses just one wavelength of light on your skin, while IPL releases light of many different wavelengths. The light from IPL is more scattered and less focused than a laser. They both, however, penetrate the second layer of your skin (dermis) without harming the top layer (epidermis).
Sk:n clinic’s regional nurse trainer, Charlotte Lundy, reminds us that “IPL is usually only successful on clients with fair skin and dark hair”.
Are home IPL machines safe?
The light from an IPL at-home machine is much less concentrated than salon treatments, so they can be used safely in the comfort of your home, so long as you follow the manufacturer’s guidance.
How often can you use a home IPL machine?
It depends on the body part on which you’re concentrating. Most instruction manuals recommend using the home IPL device once every four weeks to catch the new hair that is starting to return in its growth cycle.
For legs, it is once every eight to 12 weeks, as the hair growth rate on this body area is much slower. It’s worth noting that if you’re anxious to exceed these time frames, it won’t speed up hair loss; in fact, it will probably do the opposite and may also lead to irritated skin.
How do at-home IPL machines compare with salon treatments?
Home IPL devices operate at a lower intensity than those used professionally; therefore, their ability to disable the hair follicle sufficiently is less than a salon treatment. However, it goes without saying that the convenience of being able to carry out the treatments at home, in your own time, is a game changer for long-term hair removal. Plus, there is a substantial financial difference, as professional in-salon treatments tend to be very costly.
Lundy says: “The main difference between treating hair removal in a clinic vs at home is the technology used. In the clinic, lasers are suitable for all skin tones and will often show quicker results and be more comfortable. At-home IPL devices will often take longer, especially depending on the speed of the machine.”
What to consider when buying an IPL hair-removal device
Are there any adjustments to skincare when completing IPL or laser hair removal?
Lundy says: “It’s always important to have good skincare at home, but we always request people avoid using retinol or any active acids to the area being treated for 48 hours pre- and 72 hours post-treatment. This is to help give the skin time to heal and avoid any adverse reactions.”
Sun care is another key matter. Lundy says those undergoing IPL or laser hair removal “must avoid sun exposure two weeks prior to treatment and two weeks post-treatment, and must wear SPF”.
The verdict: IPL and laser devices
We were impressed with all of the devices listed here. Although expensive, any of these products will deliver impressive results if you’re dedicated and consistent. However, both Philips and CurrentBody were standout favourites. If you’re sticking to a tiger budget, we would wholeheartedly recommend Ulike – it’s definitely up there with its more expensive counterparts.
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