There are a lot of red / NIR light therapy panels out there, and they are mentioned by every influencer and in longevity blogs. After watching the latest Huberman podcast and checking out some studies on light therapy I was surprised how thin the research is.

A general problem seems to be the lack of natural light and working all day indoors in close range to monitors and cheap LED room lighting.

Some of the positive red light study results can be replicated by exposing people to classic light bulbs which have a light spectrum closer to natural light than cheap LEDs. Even full spectrum LEDs don't seem to solve this. It is not 100% understood why.

Some studies were done in northern countries like Sweden, where people don't get a lot of exposure to natural light, especially during winter.

There are a ton of red light panels and some offer a broad range of wave lengths but some lack the wavelength which most studies use, because those LED are more expensive. Look for medical grade or high quality devices and wave lengths that treat your problem.

Different types of light and panels need different types of exposure. Some target the skin others deeper tissues.

Summery

Long wave length and red light therapy devices seems to be best for people who are indoor most of the time and are exposed to lots of LED lighting. Its unclear if they really provide an advantage to natural light. A cheaper alternative is to spent more time outside during low UV times or install some classic or halogen bulbs.

High quality devices could help with specific problems but because there are a ton of devices out there with very a big range in quality its unclear if there is a general longevity effect with these panels.

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