Novaa Light Pad vs Nushape Therapy Wrap (Nushape Coupon)
The NovaaLab pain relief pad is probably the most popular item I feature on this site. The Nushape Therapy Wrap costs more, but is it worth it? Novaalab and Nushape each have red and near-infrared light to stimulate cellular repair. So which one should you buy?
The NovaaLab Light Pad is a workhorse design with a lower price and a longer return period than the Nushape Therapy Wrap. The Nushape is an elegant work of art with high-quality materials, but it costs more and has a short return period.
Nushape is more expensive but this $50 coupon brings down the price (Use coupon RED for $50 off).
Why Red Light Therapy is Getting Popular
Delivering red light therapy in a wrap holds the light energy against the body. It cannot reflect off the skin and escape. That’s how wraps can be less powerful than panels but still create great results.
The NovaaLab Light Pad is a popular pain relief device with a generous return policy and low return rate. The Nushape Therapy Wrap is a luxury pain relief wrap with a short return window. They both relieve pain when used 20 minutes per day, at least 5 days a week.
Products Mentioned in this Article
Learn More About These Wraps
I’m fond of the NovaaLab and the Nushape. I’ll show you the features so you can decide which one you like more.
- This article goes into depth on the NovaaLab Light Pad: NovaaLab Light Pad Review: Customers Trust this Brand
- This article helps you choose between the Light Pad and the Extra Strength Laser: Which NovaaLab Device is Best for Neuropathy Pain Relief?
- This is about the Nushape Lipo Wrap, which is frankly a larger version of the Therapy Wrap and perfectly suitable for pain relief: The Benefits of Nushape Lipo Wrap and How to Use It
The Benefits of Using a Wrap
The panels that throw red light at you are popular, but I’m not sure why. I have one a respected manufacturer gave me. I use it at times for generic infrared exposure. When it comes to treating arthritis and pain, I use a wrap, not a panel.
A wrap allows you to put the light right on the skin. This means that no light is lost to spread or reflection. The skin contact forces the light into the skin where the mitochondria find and process it.
Wraps are the maximum photon absorption factor in my health routine.
The Benefits of Red Light Therapy
Red light therapy works on a cellular level, so it works wherever we have cells, which is everywhere.
The science has been around since 1967, and there’s no doubt that red light therapy offers these benefits and more:
Using red light therapy, expect a reduction in:
- wrinkles
- acne
- arthritis pain
- muscle pain
- exercise soreness
- symptoms of depression, anxiety, dementia, and brain injury
- time for wounds to heal
and an increase in:
- collagen production
- energy production
- circulation
Where to Use a Red Light Pad
You can use a pad for collagen production, but it’s not really built to be used on the face.
Get a pad to relieve of pain and skin issues anywhere on the body. That includes:
- feet
- ankles
- legs
- torso
- butt
- back
- arms
- neck
- chest
That means that you can put it around the head, but it’s not ideal as it makes it hard to breathe!
Comparison of the NovaaLab Light Pad to the Nushape Therapy Wrap
Use the table to compare the wraps, then we will discuss what these values mean below the table.
| Features | NovaaLab Light Pad | Nushape Therapy Wrap |
|---|---|---|
| Wavelength | 660nm and 850nm | 660nm and 850nm |
| Number of LEDs | 360 | 600 |
| Treatment Area | 15.7″ x 9″ | 20″ x 5″ |
| Irradiance Output | 200 mW/cm^2 (see article) | 100 mW/cm² |
| FDA Classification | Class II | Class II |
| Weight | 0.6 lbs. | 1 lb. |
| Power Plug | Included | Included |
| Session Length | 20 minutes | 20 minutes |
| Battery | Not available but you can use any cell phone battery | Optional battery |
| Return Policy | 60 days | 14 days |
| Price | $299.90 | $499 (use coupon RED for $50 off) |
Why Choose the NovaaLab Light Pad
The NovaaLab Light Pad’s strength is in the device’s return policy and price.
Why Choose the Nushape Therapy Wrap
The Nushape Therapy Wrap’s strength is in its quality of materials.
But What About the Irradiance?
If you look at the table and say, “But the NovaaLab irradiance is twice as much as the Nushape,” I want you to understand how irradiance works.
It is unlikely that the NovaaLab is 200 mW/cm^2. It is much more likely that the NovaaLab and Nushape are both 100 mW/cm^2.
When you use them for 20 minutes on the skin, you probably get the same dose of light.
The Solar Meters Overstate Energy
To get the correct irradiance, you need to use the right kind of light meter.
Everyone in the red light therapy business knows that they’re using the wrong type of meter. There are one or two exceptions, manufacturers who will tell you what I’m telling you.
Most companies use solar meters that overate energy by a factor of two. So divide their stated value in half to get closer to the real energy value of the light.
Is More Better?
Mostly, those, marketing departments are depending on you to believe that “more is better.” The 200 is better than the 100, right?
No, I’m afraid not. The 200 mW value is there for all the people who are not reading this article, who naturally believe that more is better, and who will be impressed by a high number.
You can’t really blame the companies for doing this. They’re fighting an impossible battle.
If they use the right meter to measure their device, it will appear to the uneducated buyer that their product is “weak.”
So they’re trapped in an unregulated market where the fact that red light therapy is the low-energy delivery of light goes right over people’s heads.
They overstate their products’ irradiance by a factor of two, pointing to their meter’s output as evidence.
OK, but it’s the wrong kind of meter.
How Much Light Do You Get?
Now, to see how this works, know that an accurate irradiance requires the right kind of meter, as well as the time per treatment, and the distance of the light from the target.
Do you see how the pads’ instructions are 20 minutes at zero (0 inches) (on the skin)?
And do you see that Novaa’s irradiance is twice the Nushape’s?
Most solar meters overstate energy by a factor of two.
Interesting that such similar pads have exactly twice as much or 50% as much of the other’s energy.
It fits perfectly with using a solar meter to measure the NovaaLab light output.
The NovaaLab is 200% greater than the Nushape. The Nushape is 50% as much as the Novaa.
What’s much more likely is that the NovaaLab is overstated by a factor of two.
The pads’ irradiances are equal.
200 mW is Hot
For more evidence, note that 200 mW per sq. centimeter would feel very hot, and the NovaaLab is warm, not hot.
The problem is that in red light therapy, a 200 mW device is too powerful. NovaaLab is appeals to people who think that more is better because that’s how marketing works.
If I am right, then the NovaaLab is off by a factor of 200% (it is two times the Nushape irradiance). If we take half (50%) of the stated irradiance, it is not 200 but 100 mW/cm^2.
That would make much more sense.
Which is Better, NovaaLab or Nushape Return Policy?
Because 99% of the red light therapy companies use solar meters, we’re going to skip past the difference and assume that these devices offer the same irradiance.
It’s a marketing problem that we can deconstruct, so let’s move on to the real differences between these two pads.
I know from sales figures that both the Nushape and the NovaaLab have very low return rates. People try them, and they feel better, so they keep them.
If you use a NovaaLab for 60 days and don’t feel better, you can return the Light Pad.
If you use the Nushape for 14 days and don’t feel better, you can return the Therapy Wrap.
That is the biggest difference between these two pads.
Which is Better, NovaaLab or Nushape Treatment Size?
The NovaaLab wrap is 15.7 x 9 inches. (141.3 sq. in.). The Nushape Therapy Wrap is 20×5 inches (100 sq. in.).
The reason the Nushape feels larger is that it is longer. So it wraps around the back and around the tummy. It just is not as tall, covering 5 inches of height rather than the Novaa’s 9 inches.
Which is Better, NovaaLab or Nushape Price?
The NovaaLab retails for $600. You can usually get it on sale for $299.90.
The Nushape retails for $499. Use coupon code RED for $50, effectively making the price $449.
So why the difference in price?
Having used both wraps, I can tell you that Nushape is a luxury brand, and NovaaLab is a workhorse brand.
By this, I mean that Nushape uses the best, most comfortable neoprene material. The stitching is beautiful, the texture is soft and comfortable.
NovaaLab is strong too, but without the feeling of elegance, you get with Nushape.
If you are the kind of person who won’t shop without heels and makeup, then you want the Nushape for its understated elegance.
If you are the kind of person that just wants to get the job done with a device that won’t break, then you want the Novaa.
Get the NovaaLab Light Pad at the NovaaLab website here.
Get the Nushape Therapy Wrap at TheTherapyWrap website here. Use coupon RED for $50 off.
