The Best At-Home Hair Removal Devices: 8 Compared (and One to Skip)

RBE top pick

Braun Silk·expert Pro 5 (PL5137)

Check price on Amazon See why it wins Compare all

The Braun Silk·expert Pro 5 is the most foolproof at-home IPL thanks to its truly automatic skin-tone sensor and fast flashing, making it our top pick. The Ulike Air 10 is the runner-up and the smarter value for most people, trading a little sensor sophistication for outstanding cooling comfort and speed.

At-home IPL (intense pulsed light) has gone from novelty to a useful tool, but the best-known devices differ far more than their marketing suggests. We weighed maker specs and a large volume of owner reports across seven IPL handsets and one at-home diode laser to sort them out. Three earn a clear buy, one is easy to skip now that better-equipped rivals cost about the same, and the rest are strong devices that only make sense for certain shoppers.

RBE top pick

Braun

Braun Silk·expert Pro 5 (PL5137)

Buy it

The most complete at-home IPL: a genuinely automatic skin-tone sensor, fast flashing, and a long track record.

Best for: Anyone who wants the safest, most hands-off experience and is willing to pay flagship money for it.

$$$$ · flagship

Why we like it

• Skin-tone sensor reads your skin and automatically adjusts each flash for a safe intensity, so there is no manual guesswork
• Braun quotes 5 minutes for both lower legs and about 10 minutes for a full body, gliding over the skin as it flashes automatically
• Rated for 400,000 flashes, with 10 intensity levels and a precision cap for smaller areas

Know before buying

• One of the most expensive devices here, and the sensor lockout will refuse to fire on darker skin tones
• Corded operation means you are tethered to an outlet

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Ulike

Ulike Air 10

Buy it

The comfort champion: sapphire ice-cooling plus dual lamps make fast, nearly painless full-body sessions.

Best for: Sensitive users who want speed and comfort without stepping up to flagship pricing.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• Ulike says its ice-cooling holds a 65°F contact temperature, which owners repeatedly describe as the most comfortable IPL they have used
• Two light sources deliver a wide window and quick flashes, so a full-body pass is short
• Ulike's SkinSensor adapts each flash to your skin tone, delivering less energy or none at all, which adds a safety layer

Know before buying

• Costs more than the simpler budget options
• The handset must stay plugged in

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

SmoothSkin

Pure Fit

Buy it

An automatic skin tone sensor and unlimited flashes at a mid-range price, on a small window with no cooling.

Best for: Buyers who want an automatic skin-tone sensor without paying flagship money.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• SmoothSkin's patented auto skin tone sensor sets the intensity of every flash and will not fire on tones it judges unsafe.
• Unlimited flashes, 10 intensity settings, glide and stamp modes, and three comfort modes: Power, Gentle and Speed.
• SmoothSkin quotes a 10-minute full-body treatment and includes a precision head for small areas like fingers and toes.

Know before buying

• The treatment window is small at 1.2 x 0.4 inches.
• No active cooling; the Gentle mode simply lowers the power.
• Corded, through a separate power pack.

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Philips

Philips Lumea IPL 9000 Series with SenseIQ (BRI984)

It depends

Four curved attachments and the longest warranty here, but its sensor only suggests an intensity and it is slower on legs than the Braun.

Best for: Buyers who want dedicated face, bikini and underarm attachments and a long warranty, and are happy to choose the intensity themselves.

$$$$ · flagship

Why we like it

• Four curved attachments (body, face with a red filter, bikini and underarm), the widest set in this group
• Philips states a 5-year global warranty and says this is its first Lumea IPL with both EU MDR and FDA clearance
• A skin contact sensor blocks flashes without skin contact, and a SmartSkin sensor detects skin tone

Know before buying

• Philips says the SmartSkin sensor suggests an intensity; you still pick one of five settings yourself, where the Braun sets it automatically
• Philips quotes 11 minutes for one lower leg, against Braun's 5 minutes for both
• Corded only, on a 2 m cord, and Philips publishes no flash count
• Priced at the top of the market, often as high as the Braun

Find it on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Silk'n

Silk'n 7

It depends

The largest treatment window here and a rotating head, at a flagship price and with no cooling.

Best for: People treating large areas who want a big window and a head that reaches awkward angles.

$$$$ · flagship

Why we like it

• Three attachments with 5.1, 2.5 and 1 cm² windows; Silk'n calls the 5.1 cm² window the largest on the market.
• An automatic mode lets the skin sensor pick one of five energy levels, and the device will not fire on skin it reads as too dark.
• A 360° rotatable head with six positions, up to 120 pulses per minute and 600,000 pulses of lamp life.

Know before buying

• Priced at flagship level alongside the Braun.
• Corded; Silk'n includes a 3 m extension cord rather than a battery.
• No active cooling, and the galvanic eHPL benefit rests on Silk'n's own claims.
• Your hand must touch the electrode plates on the handle for eHPL to work.

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Tria

Tria 4X Hair Removal Laser (2nd Gen)

It depends

A cordless 810 nm diode laser with far higher stated output than any IPL here, for small areas rather than full-body sessions.

Best for: People targeting small, stubborn areas such as the face and underarms who want a cordless device.

$$$$ · flagship

Why we like it

• Tria rates its maximum output at 20 J/cm², against the 6.5 and 6 J/cm² it cites for the Braun and Philips IPLs.
• The only cordless device in this comparison, with around 30 minutes of treatment per charge.
• A skin sensor in the base must read a safe skin tone before the device unlocks.

Know before buying

• One charge covers roughly half a leg, so full-body routines are slow.
• Tria publishes no spot size and suggests a soothing gel for the warming sensation.
• Rated for Fitzpatrick skin tones I to IV only, a narrower range than some IPLs claim.
• A 1-year warranty at a flagship price.

Find it on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

JOVS

JOVS Pro II 360

It depends

Sapphire cooling and a swivel head like the Ulike's, with a thin, inconsistent spec sheet and no published skin sensor.

Best for: Buyers drawn to cooling and a rotating head who are comfortable choosing settings themselves.

$$$ · premium

Why we like it

• JOVS describes a 12.5 cm² sapphire cooling surface aimed at painless sessions.
• A 330° swivel head for awkward angles, plus a separate skin rejuvenation head.
• JOVS states FDA clearance and suitability for Fitzpatrick skin types I to V.

Know before buying

• No automatic skin-tone sensor is described, so intensity choice across its six modes is on you.
• The page gives the flash interval as 0.5 seconds in one place and 0.6 seconds in another.
• No treatment window size, lamp life or power source is published.
• Priced close to the Ulike, which publishes a skin sensor alongside its cooling.

Find it on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

We'd skip it

Nood

Nood The Flasher 2.0

Skip it

A likeable, affordable handset that simply does less than similarly priced rivals.

Best for: Budget-focused beginners with clearly suitable skin and hair who want the cheapest way in.

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• One of the lowest prices here and pleasantly simple to operate
• Owners report mild, comfortable flashes and steady reduction with consistent use
• Nood offers a lifetime flash guarantee, with no cartridges to replace

Know before buying

• No automatic skin-tone sensor, so you set intensity yourself and carry more responsibility for using it safely
• Nood lists a 1-second flash rate, slower to cover large areas than the dual-lamp Ulike, which flashes every 0.5 seconds in Fast mode
• For not much more money, competing devices add sensors, cooling, or speed

See our pick instead Find it on Amazon anyway Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

We do not run our own lab. Instead, we weighed maker specs and a large volume of owner reports to see where these eight devices genuinely differ, then weighed the factors that actually affect results and daily use: whether the device has an automatic skin-tone sensor that sets a safe intensity for you, how comfortable each flash feels, how quickly you can cover a large area, whether it runs corded or cordless, lamp longevity, and honest value at each price. IPL is a commitment of several weeks before you judge it, so ease of use and safety features matter as much as raw output. We also kept one hard limit front of mind: every IPL device relies on the contrast between dark hair and lighter skin, so none of them suit very light hair or the darkest skin tones.

This is the device to beat. Its standout feature is a skin-tone sensor that reads your skin and automatically adjusts each flash for a safe intensity, which removes the single biggest source of user error. Braun quotes 5 minutes for both lower legs and about 10 minutes for a full body: you glide it over the skin and it flashes automatically. It runs corded, is rated for 400,000 flashes, and includes a precision cap for smaller areas. The catch is price: it sits at the top of the market, and its sensor will lock out on skin it judges too dark to treat safely. If you want the most hands-off, foolproof experience and will pay for it, this is the one.

The Ulike is the value pick that most people will actually be happiest with. Its calling card is sapphire ice-cooling, which Ulike says holds a 65°F contact temperature, and owner after owner describes it as the most comfortable IPL they have tried. Two light sources give it a wide treatment window and quick flashes, so full-body sessions stay short, and its SkinSensor lowers or withholds energy on tones it reads as too dark. It costs more than the budget devices and, like most, must stay plugged in, but for comfort and speed per dollar it is hard to beat.

The SmoothSkin Pure Fit makes the strongest value case in this group. SmoothSkin’s patented auto skin tone sensor reads the skin and sets the intensity of every flash, and it refuses to fire on tones it judges unsafe, which is the same hands-off behaviour that makes the Braun our top pick, at a mid-range price. It offers 10 intensity settings, glide and stamp modes, three comfort modes (Power, Gentle and Speed), unlimited flashes and 66 to 122 flashes per minute, and SmoothSkin quotes a 10-minute full-body treatment. Four skin contact points keep it from flashing into the air, and a precision head covers fingers, toes and the upper lip. The compromises are physical: the treatment window is small at 1.2 x 0.4 inches, there is no active cooling, and it runs corded through a separate power pack. SmoothSkin also states that red, white and grey hair will not respond. Buy it if you want an automatic sensor without paying flagship money.

The current US Lumea 9000 is the BRI984, which replaces the cordless BRI958 that Philips’ US catalog no longer lists, and it is now corded only. Its strength is coverage: four curved attachments, a 4.1 cm² body window, a 2 cm² face attachment with a red filter, and 3 cm² bikini and underarm heads. Philips backs it with a 5-year global warranty and says it is its first Lumea IPL with both EU MDR and FDA clearance. A skin contact sensor stops it flashing without contact. The catch is the sensor: Philips says SmartSkin detects your skin tone and suggests an intensity, and you choose from five settings yourself, which is a step down from the Braun’s automatic adjustment. It is also slower, with Philips quoting 11 minutes for one lower leg against Braun’s 5 for both, it publishes no flash count, and the price often matches the flagship Braun. If dedicated face and bikini attachments and a long warranty are what you want, it earns its keep; if not, you can get comparable results for less.

The Silk’n 7 is the IPL that tries hardest to cut session time on big areas. Its largest attachment has a 5.1 cm² window, which Silk’n calls the largest on the market, against 4.1 cm² on the Philips body head, and two smaller windows of 2.5 and 1 cm² handle the bikini line and upper lip. A 360° rotatable head with six positions helps on awkward angles, Silk’n quotes up to 120 pulses per minute and 600,000 pulses of lamp life, and an automatic mode lets the skin sensor set one of five energy levels or refuse to fire. Silk’n’s eHPL pairs galvanic energy with the light and says that allows lower intensity; that is the maker’s claim, and it only works when your hand touches the electrode plates on the handle. It is corded, with a 3 m extension cord, a razor and a case included, and it is priced at flagship level alongside the Braun. Buy it if a big window and a rotating head matter more to you than cooling.

The Tria 4X Hair Removal Laser is the one device here that is not IPL. It uses a single 810 nm diode laser, and Tria rates its maximum output at 20 J/cm², against the 6.5 J/cm² it cites for the Braun and 6 J/cm² for the Philips Lumea 9000, taken from their user manuals. Tria says it is the only FDA-cleared laser for permanent at-home hair reduction. It is also the only cordless device in this comparison: a charge gives around 30 minutes of treatment, which Tria says covers roughly half a leg, or both underarms and the upper lip. A skin sensor in the base must read a safe skin tone before the device unlocks. The trade-offs are coverage and suitability. Tria publishes no spot size, suggests a soothing gel for the warming sensation, rates it for Fitzpatrick I to IV only, and backs it with a 1-year warranty at a flagship price. It suits small, stubborn areas like the face and underarms more than full-body routines.

The JOVS Pro II 360 competes with the Ulike on comfort. JOVS describes a 12.5 cm² sapphire cooling surface, a 330° swivel head for awkward angles and a separate skin rejuvenation head, and it states FDA clearance. The spec sheet is where it falls down. The product page gives the flash interval as 0.5 seconds in one place and 0.6 seconds in another, publishes no treatment window size, no lamp life and no power source, and does not describe an automatic skin-tone sensor, so assume intensity selection across its six modes is on you. JOVS says it suits Fitzpatrick skin types I to V and dark blonde to black hair, and recommends two to three sessions a week. It costs less than the Braun or Philips but sits close to the Ulike, which publishes a skin sensor alongside its ice-cooling. Consider it if the cooling and rotating head appeal and you are comfortable choosing settings yourself; otherwise the Ulike is the safer version of the same idea.

There is nothing wrong with the Nood, and that is almost the problem. It is one of the cheapest devices here, refreshingly simple to operate, and owners find its flashes mild and its results steady with consistent use, helped by a lifetime flash guarantee and no cartridges to buy. But Nood lists no automatic skin-tone sensor, so intensity selection and safety are on you, and at one flash per second it is slower to cover large areas than the dual-lamp Ulike. Because devices with sensors, cooling, or more speed now cost only a little more, the Nood is the one we would pass on unless the lowest possible entry price is the deciding factor.

Who should buy which

• Hands-off safety, budget no object: the Braun Silk·expert Pro 5 (PL5137). Its sensor sets every flash for you and Braun quotes about 10 minutes for a full body.
• Sensitive skin: the Ulike Air 10. Ice-cooling and dual lamps make it the most comfortable fast option here.
• Automatic sensor on a mid-range budget: the SmoothSkin Pure Fit. It adapts every flash to your skin tone and never runs out of flashes, if you accept a small window.
• Large areas and awkward angles: the Silk’n 7. The 5.1 cm² window and rotating head cut time on legs and backs.
• Face, bikini and underarm attachments: the Philips Lumea IPL 9000 Series with SenseIQ (BRI984). Four curved heads and a 5-year warranty, with intensity chosen by you.
• Small, stubborn areas without a cord: the Tria 4X Hair Removal Laser (2nd Gen). A rechargeable diode laser with the highest stated output here, best kept to the face and underarms.

Braun Silk·expert Pro 5 vs Ulike Air 10: which should you buy?

These are our two winners, and the choice comes down to what you value. The Braun is the safety and speed leader: its skin-tone sensor means you never guess at settings, and Braun quotes about 10 minutes for a full-body session. It also asks for the one of the highest prices in this lineup. The Ulike counters with the comfort that owners rate highest, thanks to active ice-cooling, plus dual lamps that keep sessions fast, all at a lower premium. If you want the most automated, worry-free experience and the budget is there, take the Braun. If you have sensitive skin, want short comfortable sessions, and care about value, the Ulike is the smarter buy for most people.

What to look for

• A skin-tone sensor: automatic intensity setting is the biggest safety and ease-of-use upgrade; the Nood lists none, and JOVS describes none for the Pro II 360.
• Suitability for your coloring: IPL needs dark hair and lighter skin, and does not work on very light, gray, or red hair or the darkest skin tones.
• Comfort features: active cooling, like the Ulike’s, makes a real difference on sensitive areas.
• Speed and window size: wider heads and gliding or dual-lamp designs cut full-body time dramatically.
• Corded vs cordless: cordless helps with awkward angles; corded never stalls on battery. Every IPL here that states a power source is corded; the Tria laser is the cordless exception.
• Total cost over time: unlimited-flash devices avoid cartridge costs, but a higher upfront price can still buy meaningful features.

Our final take

For most shoppers this is a two-horse race. The Braun Silk·expert Pro 5 is the most complete and foolproof at-home IPL device, and it is our overall pick for anyone who wants the safest, most automated experience and will pay a flagship price for it. The Ulike Air 10 is the value runner-up and the one we would recommend to the widest audience, thanks to standout cooling comfort and quick sessions at a lower price. The Philips Lumea IPL 9000 Series is worth its premium only if its face, bikini and underarm attachments and 5-year warranty are a priority for you. And the Nood Flasher 2.0, while perfectly pleasant, is outclassed by rivals that offer more for similar money. Whichever you choose, remember that IPL rewards patience and consistency, works only on suitable hair and skin combinations, and is not a substitute for professional advice if you are unsure it is right for you.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: Braun Silk·expert Pro 5 (PL5137) vs Ulike Air 10.

More in Beauty & Grooming

At-Home IPL Hair Removal, Explained Plain-English guide → Braun Silk·expert Pro 5 (PL5137) vs Ulike Air 10 Head-to-head → The Best Jewelry Organizers: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) LED Face Masks: Which to Buy and Which to Skip The Best Lighted Makeup Mirrors: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) The Best Lip Balms with SPF: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)