One of the leading holistic remedies for hair loss is low-level laser therapy or LLLT. However, as with any technology, there are plenty of options on the market, and it can get confusing trying to determine the best product for you. When you are experiencing hair loss, the last thing you want to worry about is buying the wrong product, so here is a review of illumiflow vs. Capillus laser caps to help you out.

Both illumiflow and Capillus offer a variety of laser caps that primarily differ in how many diodes are used (aka how much effect they will have).

illumiflow offers two models: one for those just beginning to notice thinning hair and one for those with more advanced hair loss. Capillus, on the other hand, offers six different models.

The most powerful hair regrowth solution from both illumiflow and Capillus contains 272 individual laser-emitting diodes to help stop hair loss in its tracks and get you closer to your #hairgoals. We’ll break down the other models below, but here’s a quick side-by-side comparison of both company’s premier products.

As mentioned, both illumiflow and Capillus offer laser caps with less diodes for those who are just starting to lose their hair, or can’t afford the premier product. There isn’t a one-to-one comparison possible between illumiflow and Capillus, but we tried to get pretty close:

As you will come to find, Capillus routinely charges significantly more for the same or lesser product over illumiflow. We’ll break down the exact technology used in both and compare each company on a more granular level to help you decide which product is best.

When it comes to successful hair restoration, it all comes down to technology. Let’s take a look at the most important components of a laser cap’s technology:

• Type of Diode Used
• Number of Diodes Included
• Treatment Session Duration
• Safety (FDA Clearance)

As you may know, hair regrowth laser caps can be made up of laser or LED diodes. While the LED option will save you money, it is proven to be less effective than low-level laser therapy (LLLT).

If you’re new to hair loss, check out our in-depth article explaining exactly what LLLT is, here.

All Capillus and illumiflow laser caps exclusively use medical-grade laser diodes and do not include LEDs. This means that regardless of the company, you are working with high-quality hair regrowth solutions.

Lasers vs. LEDs Winner: Tie

With both companies utilizing laser diodes, the primary difference in their technology comes down to how many lasers are used in each hat.

The number of laser diodes is important because each individual laser is programmed to a certain wavelength and specific power output (industry standard is a wavelength of 650nm at 5mW each). This means that including more laser-emitting diodes will allow for more scalp coverage and allow the laser cap to try and spur regrowth within the hair follicles across more surface area. (more scalp coverage = more opportunities for hair regrowth and a visual change to hair thickness)

So, where do illumiflow and Capillus stand in regards to laser diodes? Well, it's a tie. Both companies' premier models offer 272 laser diodes allowing for complete scalp coverage. However, using the Capillus products with just 80 laser diodes may not be enough coverage for your scalp and result in wasted money.

Number of Laser Diodes Winner: Tie

When you buy a laser cap, it will come with directions for the amount of time you need to use it per week. If you have researched laser caps, you will see many disparities in the amount of time you need to use the laser cap. This all comes down to whether or not the laser cap uses a continuous light stream or a pulsing light stream. The difference between the two is that the continuous light stream can only be used in short stints as it can cause the skin to heat up and become uncomfortable. The pulsing light, however, has not caused the heating issues found with continuous light streams and allows your cells to rest during treatment and then be stimulated by stronger wavelengths. A review of clinical studies suggested LLLT delivered through pulsing light may be more effective, especially for cells deeper in the body.

All Capillus laser caps use continuous light streams, thus they can only be used for 6 minutes daily.

Illumiflow products, on the other hand, use pulsing light in an effort to give you the most effective treatment possible, and require 30-minute sessions every other day.

While the length of treatment is a personal preference, the theorized benefits of pulsing light push illumiflow products to the top of this category.

Treatment Session Winner: illumiflow

There are many laser caps on the market that do not have FDA clearance. FDA clearance is essential when investing in laser caps because it ensures the product's quality and safety for the consumer. Many products try to avoid FDA clearance since it is expensive and requires higher quality standards, so finding a laser cap with FDA clearance is the better choice for more quality results. The CapillusPro and the illumiflow 272 laser caps are both FDA cleared options.

The CapillusPro received FDA clearance to use their device with men and women on January 31, 2017. Less than a month later the illumiflow 272 was also approved, citing seven years of testing, research, and design.

While the CapillusPro was approved three weeks before the illumiflow 272, they were only sold in laser clinics and not yet available to the public. Making CapillusPro the first FDA cleared laser cap and making illumiflow the first FDA cleared laser cap available to the public.

FDA Winner: CapillusPro (sold by doctors) and illumiflow (direct to customer)

Your budget is a significant factor when buying the right laser cap for hair loss. You want quality performance, but you also don't want to go into debt to have it. So, let's look at Capillus vs. illumiflow in regards to the pricing.

Out of the two options above, the CapillusPro laser cap is significantly more expensive. The CapillusPro laser cap will cost you $2,999 versus the illumiflow 272 laser cap priced at $1,149. That is a $1,850 difference between the two. 

It is also important to note that over the last year the illumiflow 272 averaged a price of just $799 due to the numerous sales offered. You can save even more money with illumiflow by purchasing one of their refurbished options instead.

So, in regards to cost, illumiflow is the clear winner.

Price Winner: illumiflow

Rebate programs are a great way to earn money back on products you purchase. At this time, Capillus does not offer a rebate to its customers; however, illumiflow provides up to $300 in rebates. Many rebates make you jump through hoops in order to get paid, but illumiflow makes it easy and only requires a few before and after pictures or video testimonial. The processes for any of the two rebates are simple and make shaving an additional $300 off your hair regrowth solution pretty easy.

Since only illumiflow currently offers a rebate program, illumiflow is the clear winner in the rebate category.

Rebate Program Winner: illumiflow ($300 in potential savings!)

You might be wondering which of these two options have the most value. Since they both have the same technology and FDA clearance, how do you know which one is the best choice for you? And why the major difference in price?

Well, it all comes down to how these products are sold. The CapillusPro laser cap passes along distribution costs to their customers. Capillus sells to a distributor (first level of markup), the distributor sells to a retail outlet (second level of markup), and the retail outlet sells the product to the end-user (third level of markup). This is why you will pay up to $1,850 more for their product.

At illumiflow, the distribution model is quite different. With a dedication to making this technology more accessible and affordable, illumiflow sells directly to the consumer.

This means that both products are high-quality, but illumiflow uses a different distribution method, passing along better savings to you. When comparing the value of Capillus vs. illumiflow, you pay about $4.22 per laser diode for the illumiflow 272; however, with the CapillusPro, you pay about $11.03 per laser diode.

In regards to overall value, illumiflow is a clear winner with its high-quality and affordable pricing.

Now it's time to dive into the warranty and refund policies of Capillus vs. illumiflow. Warranties and refunds are important because they give you confidence in the product you are buying.

Capillus offers their customers a 6-month money-back guarantee and a 3-year warranty. To return your product, it needs to be in like-new condition. In comparison, illumiflow offers a 6-month money-back guarantee, with no questions asked, and a 5-year warranty on all laser caps.

Since illumiflow provides an extra 2 years for their warranty and hassle free refund process, illumiflow is the clear winner in this category.

Warranty & Refund Winner: illumiflow

Now that we've had a chance to look at some comparisons between illumiflow and Capillus, let's look at a few Capillus reviews specifically.

Capillus has a number of products listed on Amazon, with many products receiving a range of reviews. Their most reviewed product is their CapillusUltra laser cap which has received over 180 reviews.

While there are a number of reviews praising the product and saying that they have seen results after a few months, there are other recent customers that haven't been as lucky.

Other reviews explain that not only did the product not work for them, but the they also weren't happy with the return policy.

Along with the problem with the return policy, some were upset with the fit and comfort of the product.

When looking into your product, ensure you are looking at what previous customers have said.

Finding the right laser cap for your hair loss requires some research and diligence. You want to find a laser cap that is affordable, safe, FDA cleared, and effective. While both the Capillus and illumiflow laser caps are high-quality, illumiflow is the clear winner regarding overall value. With the illumiflow laser cap, you get high-quality laser performance for a price tag you can feel good about.

Check out real customer reviews and the free holistic hair guide you receive with purchase.