How we score laser caps
One score out of 10 per device, from a formula you can check line by line.
Every device on Best Laser Cap gets exactly one score, the same on every page. It comes from 7 criteria, each rated from 0 to 10 on a fixed scale and weighted as below. One sentence on method: we compare what each brand publishes (product pages, spec sheets, guarantee and warranty terms, FDA wording) and we don't run our own trials of the devices. Prices were last checked on November 11, 2026.
The 7 criteria
| Criterion | Weight | How it is rated |
|---|---|---|
| Price (dated, US) | 25% | Price ÷ the median price of all devices we compare ($849): 0.35× → 10, 0.6× → 9, 1× → 7, 1.6× → 5, 2.6× → 3. Sale prices count as shown on the day we checked. |
| Light sources (lasers + LEDs) | 20% | Lasers plus LEDs, as the brand counts them: 12 → 1, 40 → 3, 80 → 5, 150 → 7, 272 → 9, 312 → 10. |
| Weekly time it asks of you | 15% | Minutes per week on the brand's own schedule (less is easier to keep up): 5 min → 10, 25 min → 9, 45 min → 8, 75 min → 6.5, 105 min → 5. |
| Money-back window | 15% | Months to ask for a refund: 0 mo → 0, 6 mo → 6, 7 mo → 6.5, 12 mo → 9; minus 1.5 when a fee or conditions apply (photo logs, restocking fee). |
| Warranty | 10% | Years of standard warranty: 1 yr → 4, 2 yr → 6.5, 3 yr → 8, 5 yr → 10. |
| Hands-free design | 10% | hands-free, cordless = 10; hands-free, plugs in = 8; handheld (you move it) = 4. |
| FDA clearance stated by the brand | 5% | FDA clearance stated by the brand = 10; nothing stated = 2. We quote the brand's exact words on each review. |
Values between two anchor points are interpolated in a straight line; values beyond the ends take the end score.
When a brand says nothing
A criterion the brand does not state scores 2/10. We can't give credit for something nobody has published, and it is fair to every brand: publish the spec and the score moves. A device needs a published price and at least 4 stated criteria to be scored at all.
The editorial scale
The weighted average gives a raw score. Every device we list is a serious current option, so the displayed score is placed on an editorial scale: displayed = 7.5 + 0.65 × (raw − 5), kept between 7.5 and 9.6 and rounded to one decimal. The order of the raw scores never changes. Labels: Excellent from 9.0, Very good from 8.5, Good from 8.0, Fair below.
Today the formula puts the iRestore Professional first, at 9.4/10.
Rankings by need
Our rankings for a specific need use the same criterion values with different weights. Those weights only set the order of that ranking; the score shown next to each device is always its one overall score.
| Ranking | Price (dated, US) | Light sources (lasers + LEDs) | Weekly time it asks of you | Money-back window | Warranty | Hands-free design | FDA clearance stated by the brand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 25% | 20% | 15% | 15% | 10% | 10% | 5% |
| Budget fit | 50% | 15% | 10% | 10% | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Helmet fit | 20% | 20% | 15% | 20% | 15% | 5% | 5% |
| Short-routine fit | 20% | 15% | 35% | 10% | 10% | 5% | 5% |
| Full-coverage fit | 15% | 40% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 10% | 5% |
| Handheld fit | 35% | 20% | 20% | 10% | 10% | 0% | 5% |
How we handle FDA wording and health claims
"FDA cleared" and "FDA approved" mean different things, so we quote each brand word for word and link the page we read it on. We make no health claims of our own: light-source counts, wavelength and output are treated as specifications, not as promises of results. Talk to your doctor before you start a device.
Prices
Prices are in US dollars, read on each brand's own US product page. Each review names the source and the date, and gives the regular price when the brand shows a sale. Shipping and extended warranties are shown separately and never folded into the price we score.
Money
Some links are affiliate links: if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes our scores. A brand cannot pay to move up. See the disclosure.