FREE · OPEN METHOD · v1.0

The WAIT Test™: How to Tell If a Red Light Therapy Device Can Really Work

Two devices can look the same on the box and deliver completely different treatments. One question tells them apart: can this device get the right light, in the right amount, to the tissue that needs it?

Score devices for my pet →How the test works
Every rule publishedScored for your pet, not in generalOur own device scored the same way
AL
Alon Landa, Electrical Engineer · 20+ yrs in medical devices
Updated October 2026

How it works

Scored for your dog, not for the box

Star ratings and spec sheets tell you“4.6 stars · 1,200 mW · 660 + 850 nm”Whether people liked it, and numbers you can’t use
The WAIT Test tells you“Can this device treat your dog’s hip, under your dog’s coat?”A clear answer you can act on, with every reason shown
The full frameworkTap any part to see what it checks and where to read more.
STEP 3Physics checks, not marketing claimsFour components scored from published specs anyone can verify. A device has to pass all four.
Step 1

Your situation

What are you treating, and where?

What goes in
Your pet’s size, the condition you’re treating, and the coat over the area.
Why it matters
A hip under a dark coat needs far more light than a wound on the surface. Every result is for one situation, never a general grade.
Where to find it
The WAIT Test™ Device Scorecard →Pick size, condition, and coatHow to Evaluate an At-Home Device →The full method, step by step
← Back1 of 7
Step 2

Safety gate

Is it eye-safe for home use without goggles?

If it passes
It moves on and gets scored on all four components.
If it doesn’t
It gets NOT SAFE FOR HOME USE and isn’t scored at all, however strong it is.
Where to find it
How to Evaluate an At-Home Device →The full method, step by stepThe WAIT Test™ Device Scorecard →Pick size, condition, and coat
2 of 7
Step 3 · Component W

Wavelengths

Is it the right kind of light for the target tissue?

What it looks at
Which wavelengths the device emits and whether they count for this target.
On a spec sheet
Wavelengths listed in nanometers (nm).
Where to find it
Wavelengths guide →The science and how to check itHow to Evaluate an At-Home Device →The full method, step by step
3 of 7
Step 3 · Component A

Average Power

Is there enough light to treat the whole area?

What it looks at
True average light output, not peak or electrical numbers, and whether it can cover the area.
On a spec sheet
Optical output in mW or W. Peak power and wall-plug watts don’t count.
Where to find it
Average Power guide →The science and how to check itHow to Evaluate an At-Home Device →The full method, step by step
4 of 7
Step 3 · Component I

Irradiance

Is the light concentrated enough to deliver the dose in time?

What it looks at
How concentrated the light is at the skin, which sets the dose and the treatment time.
On a spec sheet
Irradiance in mW/cm², and the distance it was measured at.
Where to find it
Irradiance guide →The science and how to check itHow to Evaluate an At-Home Device →The full method, step by step
5 of 7
Step 3 · Component T

Target Tissue

Does the light reach the target tissue?

What it looks at
How fur, distance, and placement decide whether the light reaches the target.
Why it matters
A dark coat lets through far less light than a shaved patch, and only a small share of what enters the skin reaches a hip.
Where to find it
Target Tissue guide →The science and how to check itHow to Evaluate an At-Home Device →The full method, step by step
6 of 7
Step 4

The result

Can this device deliver a useful dose for this situation?

Four possible answers
PASS · NEED MORE INFO · FAIL · NOT SAFE FOR HOME USE
Need more info
Nothing has failed yet, but a figure the company doesn’t publish could still decide the result.
Where to find it
The WAIT Test™ Device Scorecard →Pick size, condition, and coatBest Red Light Therapy Devices for Dogs →Our picks, ranked by resultsDevice reviewsComing soon
7 of 7Next →

The four components

What WAIT stands for

Each component answers one question about the device. Each card opens the full guide for that component.

W

Wavelengths

Is it the right kind of light for the target tissue?

The device must emit red or near-infrared light in a band that counts for the condition.Read the guide →
A

Average Power

Is there enough light to treat the whole area?

The device’s true average optical output must cover the treatment area in one session.Read the guide →
I

Irradiance

Is the light concentrated enough to deliver the dose in time?

The usable light at the skin must deliver the dose at each site within the time limit.Read the guide →
T

Target Tissue

Does the light reach the target tissue?

The light must get past fur and be applied the way the condition needs.Read the guide →
The rule: a device has to pass all four components. Strong on three and weak on one is still a fail.

The verdicts

Every device gets one of four results

The same colors appear in the Device Scorecard, so readers learn them once.

PASS

It can deliver a useful dose for that situation.

NEED MORE INFO

Nothing has failed yet, but a figure the company doesn’t publish could still decide the result.

FAIL

It falls short on at least one of the four components, even in the best case.

NOT SAFE FOR HOME USE

It isn’t eye-safe without goggles, so it isn’t scored.

Why there’s no single grade

One device, two different answers

The WAIT Test™ scores a device for a situation, not in general. Here’s one device, scored twice.

Example deviceWAITResult
Surface woundShaved patch
✓✓✓✓PASS
Hip arthritisDark coat
✓✓✓✕FAIL
What changed: Target Tissue

A wound only needs the light to reach the skin. For a hip, the dark coat blocks much of the light, and only a small share of what enters the skin reaches the joint. Same device, same specs. Only the situation changed.

Score devices for your dog →

Explore The WAIT Test™

Where to go next

Start with the Scorecard. Read the method when you want the details.

START HEREApply it to your pet

The WAIT Test™ Device Scorecard

Pick your pet’s size, condition, and coat, and see how every device scores, check by check.

Open the Scorecard → Compare devices

Best Red Light Therapy Devices for Dogs

Our picks, ranked by WAIT Test results.

See the picks → Learn the method

How to Evaluate an At-Home Device

The data you need, the decision rules, and worked evaluations of real devices.

Read the method → Background

Why there’s no FDA approval

Why the test relies on physics anyone can check.

Read more →
COMING SOON

Device reviews

One device at a time, with every result and its source.

Is red light therapy right for your dog?

Two minutes, vet-reviewed. Find out whether RLT fits your dog’s condition before you compare devices.

Take the 2-Minute Quiz →

How we keep it fair

Check our work

📖

Everything is published

Every rule, threshold, and device result, so anyone can check the work or test a new device.

🔬

Sourced thresholds

Doses and irradiance from the WALT proposed veterinary guidelines. Coat effects from a 47-dog study (Hochman-Elam et al., 2020).

⚖️

Conflict of interest

We make the Luma, one of the devices compared. It’s scored by the same rules, and its results include the situations where it fails.

AL
About the author

Alon Landa

BSEE, University of Pennsylvania20+ yrs medical devicesGPS & Hubble Space Telescope

Electrical engineer with more than 20 years of experience in medical devices, satellite systems, and pet health technology.

The WAIT Test™ was developed by MedcoVet. Method version: WAIT Test v1.0.

Book Consultation Trigger (do not delete)