Welcome to my new review of the PlatinumLED Therapy Lights BioMax 600.
(Very soon I'll also publish a review of the BioMax 900).
Keep in mind that I'm reviewing the generation 2 version of the BioMax panels, which came out in 2021. If you're interested, you can also read my review of the 2019 PlatinumLED BioMax 600 version.
( If you want to buy a BioMax panel NOW then use this link for a discount: https://aferg.co/redled )
But first things first. You can view the new BioMax 600 panel - which is technically an updated and more powerful version of the previous panel - below:
(If you don't want to read my review and want to buy a panel, click THIS link to get 5% off)
During my review, I'll cover all the ins and outs of this panel, such as power output, EMF exposure, the value you're getting from this panel compared to the competition, whether the wavelengths that are emitted by the panel are the same as the company claims, and more.
And, because this review will be in-depth and I'll be covering lots of ground, I've included a table of contents for you below. You can choose to read the entire article or only the parts that you find most important.
Also, you might be interested in more content on red light therapy and want to compare the review you're reading now to other reviews I've carried out before. In that case, check my Excel sheet that contains the data of many earlier reviews on other companies, and my red light therapy buyer's guide.
But let's start with the table of contents:
If you only have 5 minutes, then watch this YouTube video for the most important lessons of this review! Also, grab a PlatinumLED panel HERE with for 5% off when clicking that link.
This section teaches you how to set up the wireless for the BioMax 600 or 900, both generation 1 and 2, and use the modular support. A non-wireless no-EMF option is also provided.
Below you find my 4-minute quick review video of the BioMax 600. I recommend watching that video if you don't have much time.
This short video contains all the most important lessons from me reviewing the panel, such as power output, value, and wavelength testing. The full review that's listed below will venture into much more detail.
So here's my short review:
I'm not writing all of my findings of the quick review out here because they're the same as the full review. You'd end up reading the same content twice, which is counterproductive for your time.
For my full review, watch the video below.
I've been using this panel for the last few weeks now so the time has come for me to publish a deep dive into this product.
Moving into this review, I had very high expectations for this panel because the generation 1 version of this panel was the winner of my 2019 red light therapy review series. Back then, the panel had really good power output, low EMF, and a great overall value proposition.
For that reason, I've been so excited to test how the generation 2 version stacks up.
Nonetheless, you might want to prefer to watch a video of my reviewing process of the new BioMax 600. In that case, watch the video below - the content in the blog post is the same as you find in the video, although ordered very differently in both setups:
Before moving into my review, let's consider the full spectrum of offerings of PlatinumLED first.
As you know, I'm reviewing the BioMax 600. PlatinumLED also offers:
So far the current PlatinumLED lineup. Observe that I'm reviewing the next to the biggest panel in their premium range here.
But first things first, let's consider one of the most important metrics out there, for many people:
The price of the PlatinumLED BioMax 600 is $899. With my discount link you save 5% and the price comes down to $855.
That price is quite good for what I call a body panel - which I define as having up to 300 LEDs. Body panels are great at treating large parts of your body or your entire body at one instant of time.
The smaller handheld panels don't allow you to treat large parts of your body or your entire body instantly. You can read my 2021 handheld review HERE.
Now, let's talk about shipping. Shipping is free in the US. Worldwide, the price is $80. I've tried many different locations to come to that $80 price tag and it's all the same for different locations.
I've tried the UK, Canada, and Australia, so I'm guessing it's the same for many other similar countries.
Then, then I've got one last tip: for many different locations across the planet, you can find the ETA for your country on the PlatinumLED page. The ETA tells you how much time it takes for the panel to reach your doorstep - which is great with the recent supply chain issues!
Lastly, PlatinumLED also offers financing. Current rates are 0%, although terms and conditions do apply. Make sure to read these terms and conditions before choosing a financing option for your panel.
The BioMax has a 3-year warranty. The 3-year warranty is decent but not the best out there as Red Light Rising has a 5-year warranty for their top product range, currently! The 3-year warranty is decent.
Lastly, there's a 60-day return policy. If you don't like the product you can send it back - at your own shipping costs - in the 60-day return policy period. PlatinumLED also charges a restocking fee that goes up to 20%, and I'm assuming they look how the box looks, the condition of the panel, and so forth.
Here's the good thing: the PlatinumLED box is clearly identifiable when it arrives at your doorstep because it very clearly contains the company's logo:
There's no bland box that doesn't allow you to identify what's in the box before you open it up.
Once you open up the box, you'll find the panel and some accessories that go along with the panel that I'll go into soon.
Here you can see me with the panel:
In total, the panel contains 200 LEDs and therefore qualifies to my "body panel" criteria of panels that have a maximum of 300 LEDs.
The panel is 36 inches tall, 9 inches wide, and 3 inches deep. In terms of size, this panel is similar to the Joovv Solo, although this BioMax 600 has more LEDs
The panel is made from a solid metal case. At the backside of the panel, there are 4 fans:
Also, there's the power cable plug and on the back and one plug for connecting multiple devices. The setup is pretty much foolproof.
Now, there is a nice added feature to this newer panel compared to the previous iterations - a grip:
The grips allow you to move the panel around much more easily. Those grips can be a big value add if you're an older person or if you're frail or simply if you move these panels around a lot between different locations!
This one panel weigh 22 pounds. For me that weight is no issues but I can very much imagine there could be in some situations.
On the side of the panel you'll see the vents and the PlatinumLED logo - don't judge me on the unflattering picture though:
Then, on the back, there are rubber feet to protect damage from the panel to your walls:
On the top, you find the screws with the metal hooks that any panel has nowadays, which allows you to suspend the panel. Suspending the panel with the trolley that's included in the box allows you to easily change the height of the panel.
Changing how high you suspend the panel can be important if you're big - often you cannot treat your entire upper and lower body at the same time.
Next up, at the side of the panel, you can see the new control panel:
That change in the control panel is probably the biggest change I've seen in this product from the first generation.
The panel no longer has any physical buttons anymore. Instead, there's a touchscreen that allows you to control all your usage of the panel.
The panel itself, moreover, only comes in a white design. Some other companies give you options what colors to choose, but that's not the case here. Fortunately, the design looks really good - it's simple and it isn't outdated and it looks quite nice.
Some panels are quite ugly or don't have a nice design or don't have nice colors but that isn't the case here.
Setting the panel up was super easy. You just take the panel out of the box, find the power cable, plug the power cable into both the panel and power outlet, and you're good to go after using the control panel.
So what's included in the box?
As you already know, PlatinumLED also offers 2 types of stands. First up, here's the mobile rack stand:
Then, there's the horizontal stand:
You already know why I recommend these racks in some situations. However, after having a first look at the panels, I thought it would be nice for you to see how these racks look when they're being used with a panel.
Of course, using multiple panels together also allows you to treat a larger area and achieve a higher power output in total.
Next up, I got into the real testing of the panel:
First a little background on this panel:
As you now know, the BioMax 600 has 200 LEDs. These LEDs are single-chip 3W LEDs. The internal components of the new BioMax 600 should have improved though, which should result in increased power output as claimed by PlatinumLED.
I'm quite looking forward to testing that claim!
Also, the beam angle on these LEDs is 90-degrees, meaning that the power will emit straightforwardly from all the LEDs.
So let's talk some more about the wavelengths of this panel:
The new iterations of the BioMax range use 630nm and 660nm in the red light therapy range, and the 810nm, 830nm, and 850nm in the infrared part of the range.
That setup is different from the standard 660nm and 850nm, but it's the same as the first version of the range.
First of all, I've checked the wavelengths emitted by this panel:
The 660nm peak claimed by PlatinumLED comes down to 663nm in reality with my spectrometer.
Next up, there's the 630nm wavelength, which results in a 632nm reading on my spectrometer:
Then, It tested the near infrared wavelengths. This reading was a little bit different as the outcome of the readings moved around a lot.
The explanation is that the LEDs on the panel are not all the same. So, only a few of the LEDs on the panel are geared towards 810 and 830. For 850, it's more in the PlatinumLED panels. The same is true for the red wavelengths, more power goes towards 660nm than 630nm.
Hence, the readings you get at different LEDs also differ from each other.
So, let's break the findings down a bit more. Here's a spot where lots of light in the 810nm wavelength light was spotted:
The peak around 810nm perfectly aligns! Next up, there's 830nm - you can see that the power output in this range is the same as 810nm, so it aligns very well once again:
And, lastly, there's the 850nm wavelength peak, which should be the highest as PlatinumLED claims much more power goes there:
That's about a 1nm wavelength difference from what PlatinumLED claims, so that's very good once again.
Nevertheless, when moving around the panel and taking multiple measurements, sometimes I would come across an LED that emitted much more 810nm and 830nm.
Also, you're getting a ton of light exposure throughout the whole spectrum. These lights are not lasers, and hence, there's no very steep peak. Instead, in this case, you're getting light exposure from 720nm all the way to the high 800s.
You'll want to know whether the panel you bought really has a high power output, right? For that goal, I've once again used my spectrometer for some new measurements.
Peak power is always measured at the middle of the panel because readings are generally the highest there.
I've tested peak power in 3 main areas. The outcome was:
How do these numbers compare to the generation 1 BioMax? Well, the original BioMax had a power output of 66 mW/cm2. The 92.9 mW/cm 2 is thus 40-50% higher than the original, which is a substantial upgrade!
The 92.9 reading is also by far the highest reading I've tested so far!
Here you can see me testing the power output with a spectrometer:
Well, there I'm testing the red light, which makes the process less well visible. Below you can see me testing the near infrared light, which is invisible to the naked human eye:
And, because I'm testing for peak power, I'm using the highest number I come across.
Also, because peak power can be deceiving because a panel can emit a lot of light at 1 part of the panel, I'm also testing for average power output. For that metric, I test 9 different spots on the panel, 3 at the top of the panel, 3 in the middle, and 3 at the bottom. I then take the average of these 9 measurements.
That average power output came down to 71.6 mW/cm 2 , which is still very great. The average power output can once again be used to calculate another outcome, the total power output.
To get the total power output, I multiply the average power output by the surface area of the LEDs. The outcome of that total power output is 101.2W, which is quite good!
Again, if you want to compare these numbers to other panels, check my Excel sheet that contains the data of many earlier reviews on other companies, as well as my red light therapy buyer's guide .
Next up, let's consider how much Wattage this panel draws:
The wattage draw tells you how much energy a panel is consuming when it's activated. I'll test the Wattage draw of red and near infrared combined, red only, and near infrared light only.
Generally, a higher Wattage draw denotes a higher total irradiance of a panel. However, some electricity still needs to be used in the control panel, the fans, etcetera, so the measurement is not 100% accurate.
Here's the outcome of the wattage draw test:
For this Wattage-draw test, I use a simple power meter that measures how much Watts are drawn from the electric grid:
Once more, if you want to compare these numbers to what panels of competing companies score, check out my Excel sheet.
I do the hotspot test by placing the BioMax 600 six inches away from the wall. I then look at the visual pattern of the red light, as the near infrared light is not visible to the naked eye:
At this point, you can see that the power output isn't spread out perfectly evenly. Some points get more 660n, some points more 630, and the near infrared is also not uniformly present.
It's not just the BioMax panels that have this panel, but many different panels have this issue.
Also, if you stand farther away than 6-inches, the "polkadot" pattern largely disappears. And because this panel is a lot more powerful than its predecessor, you can actually stand away farther.
Lastly, this panel doesn't have pulsing, unlike the LightpathLED and the Joovv Solo 3.0.
In this section I calculate the value you're getting for your hard-earned dollars (or other currencies!)
As the panel has 200 LEDs, and the discounted price is $955, the price per LED is $4.37.
The price per total Watt, at 101W, is $8.45. That number is quite good, overall, compared to what I've tested so far.
As always, I've tested 3 things in this section: 1) radio waves; 2) magnetic fields; 3) electric fields.
The outcome on EMF? No detectable levels!
For this test, I've used my Cornet EMF meter once again. Great results!
Next up, noise pollution. If you don't know why noise pollution matters, read THIS guide.
The outcome of the test? 51.8 dB.
Also, if you find it important, the panel is even made in an FDA-approved facility and has FDA class 2 medical approval.
Next up, I've tested the new and souped-up control panel:
The on/off button obviously works to activate lights of the panel or to deactivate them.
The timer button allows you to predefined how long the panel should be running. The times are preset to 10, 15, and 20 minutes and you can also change the time manually per minute.
Next up, "custom mode" allows you to allocate a certain % of maximum total power output to both the infrared and red light parts of the light spectrum:
Here you can put your red light at 50% and near infraed at 100%, or red light at 100% and near infrared at 0%.
This ability to customize your sessions is really neat, especially given the ease of use of this control panel.
As you might know, I love innovation in the red light therapy space, and here PlatinumLED has done a great job!
Lastly, you can drop the power output in the red part of the spectrum to 1% and use the device for background lighting!
Here's what I found after using this panel for a few weeks:
How does this BioMax 600 compare to other offerings on the market?
Personally, I'd only get the BioMax 600 if I were on a very tight budget and couldn't afford the BioMax 900!
But how about comparing the BioMax 600 to competitors' offerings? Let's explore:
Now the real battle begins.
In my opinion, the main competing panels are the Joovv Solo 3.0 and the MitoPRO 1500 By Mito Red.
Let's consider how well the BioMax 600 stacks up:
Now that I've compared the panel to the competition, there's one last thing to do:
Here are my final likes and dislikes after using the panel for a long time:
Overall? I like it a lot! The panel is great and it's an improvement on the best panel of 2019. I still think the BioMax 900 is a better buy, and I'm going to review that unit soon!
( If you want to buy a BioMax panel NOW then click use discount code that you get by following this link: https://aferg.co/redled )
If you're interested in learning more about how I set up the modular support through the wireless function, check this video:
I'm really surprised PlatinumLED Therapy Lights made a great panel even better. I mean, the power output is 40-50% higher and there are new features on the panel such as the improved control unit.
Unless some much better panels come along, I'm pretty sure the panel will do great in my upcoming 2021 review series. Even though I keep saying it, I can now finally say that I'm soon going to publish that review soon!
If you want to learn more about how I go about testing these panels, then read my red light therapy buyer's guide. Also, I know I've said it before, but check my Excel file where you can keep track of all of my red light therapy reviews.
More reviews coming soon, including one of the BioMax 900 - I'm really curious to see how that beast holds up!!
Update: Comparison Video For BioMax 600 & 900
Also check out other videos of mine, such as my BioMax 900 review video, and the comparison video of the 600 and 900. First up, my BioMax 900 review video:
Then, my comparison video:
If you haven't seen my review for the PlatinumLED Wall Mount, check out this video:
This blog post was written by Alex Fergus. Alex is a ISSN Sports Nutrition Specialist, Fitness Professional and certified Superhuman Coach who continues to expand his knowledge base and help people across the world with their health and wellness. Alex is recognized as the National Record Holder in Powerlifting and Indoor Rowing and has earned the title of the Australian National Natural Bodybuilding Champion. Having worked as a health coach and personal trainer for over a decade, Alex now researches all things health and wellness and shares his findings on this blog. Learn more about Alex's Credentials HERE.
Join Over 30,000+ Subscribers!
