Why You Shouldn’t Use Laser or Solar Power Meters For Measuring Light Intensity from RLT Devices

Solar power meters, as well as Laser power meters, are inaccurate for measuring light irradiance from red light therapy units; here’s the proof.

Photograph by author

Light Intensity

Knowing the light intensity from your Photobiomodulation unit in mW/cm² is essential to obtaining a proper therapeutic dose. There are many manufacturers, authors, and scammers using improper instruments to measure this light intensity. In the case of solar meters and laser power meters, the measurement readings from these instruments are not accurate and do not reflect the actual light intensity being outputted by LED-driven Red Light Therapy units.

Solar Power Meters

Solar meters are notoriously inaccurate for measuring light irradiance from red light therapy units. Solar meters are broad-spectrum devices designed to measure sunlight, hence the name “Solar Power Meter.” Yet, despite this fact, many authors and even manufacturers use these devices to measure the narrow bandwidth light radiation from RLT. As you will see, when compared to professional laboratory reports and PAR meters specifically designed to measure LED light…