Shark CryoGlow LED Mask review: ‘A brilliant treatment tool with bonus benefits’

Shark, the tech company behind some of the best beauty and home innovations have just launched their first LED mask. My expectations were pretty high, but to cut to the chase, I’m thoroughly impressed with this facial tool.

I’ve seen first-hand the difference the best red light therapy devices can make to skin. Whether that’s the red light therapy benefits or using light therapy for acne, I’m a vocal, almost evangelical advocate for LED masks.

I was incredibly lucky to be one of the first people to test this mask. I’ve had my hands (or rather, face) on this bad boy for a month, and I’ve used every setting, treatment plan and benefit. I can say with confidence that this is a truly brilliant facial tool. Here's why.

Our senior beauty editor's full Shark CryoGlow LED Mask review

Our first impressions of the Shark CryoGlow LED Mask

The Shark CryoGlow LED Mask box is sleekly packaged has everything you need, including the mask, charging cable, carry case and extra eye patches to make the Cryo setting fit your face (more on that later), as well as the user guide.

The mask itself is smooth and solid in a quite futuristic pale grey. It has eye, nose and mouth holes, so you won’t feel claustrophobic wearing it. I find these structured masks much better than the more flimsy silicone ones - they're more substantial, and to me feel more comfortable to wear.

The straps at the back form a hat shape, so you can pop it on top of your head rather than strapping yourself in with velcro. Because of the eye holes and straps, you can comfortably walk around while wearing it and carry on with any tasks - the remote even has a little clip that you can attach to clothes so you’re hands-free. It’s quite heavy at 555g for the mask alone, but considering the treatment plans are quite short, it’s pretty easy to manage.

How does it perform?

There are 4 treatment settings. The Under-Eye Revive mode, which just uses the cryotherapy setting and can be used between 5-15 minutes - it's a useful little pick-me-up if you’re prone to puffiness. The two main LED settings are the Better Ageing programme (which takes 6 minutes) and the Blemish Repair mode (which takes 8). Both treatments can be used with cryotherapy and cycle through a combination of red and blue light therapy for an all-encompassing treatment. Lastly, there’s the Skin Sustain mode which takes just 4 minutes, if you just want a quick daily treatment. I mainly used the Better Ageing and Blemish Repair mode, for a more intensive treatment.

The thing that impressed me most about the Shark CryoGlow LED Mask is how user-friendly it is. The remote really talks you through the whole process, from the setup (it even has a little graphic to show you how to adjust the straps on the mask) to explaining different treatment plans and tracking your progress. It even counts down the treatment time by the second so there’s no mystery as to how much longer there’s left. It’s also very complimentary when you finish a programme which is good if you thrive on praise (I do).

Now onto the cryotherapy feature - the main USP of the mask. The cold setting really is quite frosty - it’s a little bit of a shock to begin with, especially if you don’t cope well in the cold. As someone who's always about 20% too hot, it’s not an issue for me, but it did take a few seconds to adjust to it. Handily, there are three levels to choose from - I started on 1, working my way up to 2 and 3. If you’re a cold-phobe, don’t worry - you can also just switch it off altogether to focus on the light therapy.

How does it compare to other LED maks?

Two things set this aside from other masks I’ve tested - the cryotherapy setting and the remote. The cooling sensation offers an impressive USP which really does revive and soothe skin. It makes an instant difference to puffiness or irritation and it means that this tool is an instant fix that also provides more long-term results. The cryotherapy benefits also mean that the Shark CryoGlow LED Mask is a brilliant treatment to calm menopausal skin and hot flashes.

The remote is almost the most impressive thing for me - it’s so high-tech and almost thrilling to use. It taps into the old iPod user in me - even down to the wheel to toggle through options. It really holds your hand through the whole treatment, making it incredibly easy to cycle through the different programs, adjust the cool setting and track your progress. This is much better than many other LED masks where it’s a series of morse-code-esque clicks to reach your intended programme.

Shark CryoGlow LED Mask: Our verdict

This is an absolutely brilliant facial tool. As someone who’s tried a lot of LED masks (and is quite devoted to my Dr Gross Spectralite Faceware Pro), I was amazed at how truly innovative this product feels. While a lot of other masks can be a bit fiddly or convoluted, the Shark CryoGlow LED Mask is designed to feel easy to use - I’d say it’s quite a delight.

It could be argued that the cryotherapy setting might not be hugely necessary - this is a brilliant standalone LED mask without it - but it’s an innovative USP which makes an immediate difference to the skin, and gives the whole experience a more sensorial feel.

With all of this in mind, the price is even more impressive to me. At almost £270, it’s cheaper than most others on the market while feeling sturdier than the celeb-fave CurrentBody (at £400 with just the red light setting), and more high-tech than my beloved Dr Gross (a whopping £465). While it's still a big investment, I’d say for the money, this is the best LED mask option on the market, while still being one of the cheapest - and most fun to use. In a word - or 2 - I’m wowed.