For years, microcurrent devices have been chunky, complicated, and not very practical. There is a much wider spectrum of options nowadays, especially with SolaWave, NuFace, and ZIIP.
These three brands often come up if you shop for microcurrent devices or skincare devices online. They’re by-far the most well-known, but are they any good? We’ll put them under the microscope today, and see how each one performs, and their use-cases.
We’ll also go through what microcurrent devices or skincare devices are, below, but you can skip right ahead to the side-by-side comparison and immediately get into the individual reviews.
For now, let’s talk about the claims that these devices have, and whether it translates into real life.
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Skincare Devices – What Are They & Are They Any Good?
Microcurrent devices are generally what people think of when they think of skincare devices. But all of the three devices, the SolaWave, NuFace, and ZIIP have combination of treatments that they can be used for, microcurrent treatment being one of them.
Usually, red light therapy, microcurrent, facial massages, and therapeutic warmth, are the therapies that these devices are capable of doing. We’ll go through which ones each one can do later on.
For each one, there’s research[1][2][3] that suggest that these are effective at improving appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, improving sagging, prompting healthier and smoother skin, increasing blood flow, and more.
They have a questionable reputation about effectiveness, but the general consensus is that they work, if done properly. It all depends on the device’s ability to provide the proper centroid wavelength, the proper microamps, the proper warmth, and so on.
Table Comparison – Side-By-Side
To put things in perspective, we compared the three skincare devices side-by-side. This can serve also as a TL;DR section if you want to get up to speed.
Here is the comparison of the three skincare devices- SolaWave, NuFace, and ZIIP:
| SolaWave VS NuFace VS ZIIP : Skincare Devices |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Advanced Skincare Wand – $149 | NuFace Trinity Complete – $525 | ZIIP Ox Series – $480 |
| Warranty | 1 – Year Warranty | 1 – Year Warranty | 2 – Year Warranty |
| What’s In The Box? | Not Disclosed. We Assume: Charger, the wand and a serum. | Trinity Device, Facial Trainer Attachment, Effective Lip & Eye Attachment, Wrinkle Reducer Attachment, Leave-On Gel Primer, Charging Cradle & Power Adapter. | ZIIP Ox Device, Charger & Gel. |
| Return Policy | 30 – Day Return Policy | 60 – Day Return Policy | 30 – Day Return Policy |
| Craftsmanship | Great 5/5 | Good 4/5 | Great 5/5 |
| Shipping | Free on orders above $100. | Free | Free |
| Shop Skincare Devices: |
SolaWave’s Advanced Skincare Wand Review
SolaWave have done an amazing job of manufacturing a device capable of four different treatments, and yet being as compact as a pen.
SolaWave really does get some style points for its design and easy-to-use size. The Advanced Skincare Wand has four different modes: red light treatment, microcurrent, therapeutic warmth, and facial massage.
This is the future as far as skincare devices go- small, compact, and practical.
Its battery doesn’t last very long if I’m honest. At most, you’re looking to get a maximum of 1 hour of usage. You might be thinking that isn’t that bad, but when you factor in the recharge time, it can get a bit unpractical. The time it takes to fully charge is 120 minutes.
However, this is what I expected when I saw the compact design and the size of the SolaWave. The pros and cons have to be weighed in, whether you prefer a longer usage, or a more compact design.
It’s made out of aluminum alloy and PC, and it is surprisingly sturdy and high-quality feeling for its size. Now, it’s unlikely that this device will rock your world and change your facial appearance within a week, but I think it’s targeted for a younger consumer base.
We’ll explain why that is when we put SolaWave head-to-head against its competitors.
Here are the pros and cons of the SolaWave Advanced Skincare Wand:
PROS
- Great design
- Small, compact, and practical
- Four different therapy modes
- Of great value
CONS
- Short usage time and long recharge time
- Not as effective as the others
NuFACE Trinity Complete Set Review
With NuFace we’re getting into more performance territory. Not to put down SolaWave Skincare Wand, but the NuFace Trinity is much more effective and performance-driven.
Still, like I said, this is not to put SolaWave down, they have radically different prices, and they target different consumers.
Anyways, for the review, we chose the NuFace Trinity Complete set, which is probably the set which most people opt-in for. It has a value of about $650, but they do have a lower price which is around $500.
I would say that they’ve done a pretty good job of designing this thing. It is chunkier than the SolaWave, but not to a point where it seems inconvenient. The trinity complete set comes with three different attachments: facial trainer, the effective lip and eye, and the wrinkle reducer. In English: the microcurrent header, the red-light header, and the massager.
The way that the headers attach seems well-designed as well, it is super easy to switch out headers during usage.
With the chunkier design, you do get more up-time, which translates to two weeks of battery life, if you’re doing 20-minute treatments every day. Quite impressive. To charge fully, you’re looking at about 12 hours.
At the beginning we touched on the fact that the NuFace Trinity will perform better than the SolaWave, and that’s true in all three different modes- red light therapy, microcurrent, and the massager.
Here are the pros and cons of the NuFace Trinity Complete set:
PROS
- More effective and performance-driven
- Two weeks of 20-minute sessions per day
- Overwhelming amount of positive customer feedback
- Easy-to-use
CONS
- The complete set is the only set that comes with multiple therapy modes
ZIIP Ox Series Review
ZIIP is definitely in a league of its own. It has an unusual design for such a device, but it does look promising. It isn’t as easy to use as the NuFace Trinity, but it still not that bad.
The reason I say that ZIIP and the ZIIP Ox Series is in a league of its own is because they mainly focus on one thing. They don’t come with any red-light treatment, but what they do have is nanocurrent and microcurrent technology that beats the other two.
Once you factor in the fact that with the ZIIP app you’ll also get some sophisticated waveform combinations, it sounds like it is very effective. And it is, the Ox Series device has a stellar customer review rating.
Some are negative I will admit, with customers stating that they didn’t see any results, but these type of skincare devices vary in terms of effectiveness from subject to subject. The majority though, have had stellar results.
Which brings me to my next point, and that is, for who and for what is the ZIIP Ox Series for? I think the Ox Series is way different to what SolaWave and NuFace offer, and it’s more suited for lifting up and sculpting your skin. Those that experience sagging and similar imperfections, this might be the best device from all three for that.
With that said, let’s go over the pros and cons for the ZIIP Ox Series:
PROS
- Very unique
- Uses complex waveform combinations
- Great for lifting & sculpting
- Easy to use
CONS
- Doesn’t have red-light therapy mode
Head-To-Head Comparisons
All three devices have a lot of skin health-improving capabilities. But even though they’re regularly put in the same box so to speak, they’re radically different in terms of who they’re for.
In the upcoming head-to-head battles, we’ll go over in our opinion which device is best for which scenario.
SolaWave VS NuFace & ZIIP – One Against Two
The SolaWave Advanced Skincare Wand is pretty modern. It’s crazy to think that microcurrent devices have come to a point where they’re as big as a pen. But the smaller size does have some disadvantages.
For one, NuFace and ZIIP beat it in terms of performance. This is thanks to their chunkier design and higher power output. But that doesn’t mean the SolaWave loses this battle. It is perfect for certain individuals and scenarios.
Do you want to keep your skin healthy and smooth out minor imperfections? The SolaWave Wand is perfect for that. It’s usually for younger individual that want to promote minor skin health improvements, and keep their skin looking young and healthy.
So, if you’re one of those, SolaWave will not only give you the performance you need, but it’s also a killer value. It’s much more inexpensive than the other two.
Nevertheless, the other two have their place as well. So, if you’re looking for more performance and you need to smooth out some wrinkles, then the other two are a much better idea.
NuFace OR ZIIP – Which Is Better For Me?
To get straight to the point, I think both of these devices have a lot of positive effects. But one is definitely easier to use and more convenient, with a few more modes available.
That’s the NuFace Trinity. The reason why it might be better overall is thanks to its ergonomic design, more treatment modes, and the better value. So, if you want to get the best out of every treatment mode, NuFace is the one to go with.
Particularly if you want to add some vibrance and color to your skin, thanks to the red-light header that comes with the NuFace Trinity complete set.
On the other hand, ZIIP can be enough for most people. People that struggle with sagging and need some sculpting and some facial strength. If your only goal is to sculpt and improve your skin strength, maybe the best option is ZIIP.
The Verdict: Skincare Devices
Despite my doubts about the effectiveness for these so-called skincare devices, they’ve kind of grown on me. I’m much more open to the idea that red-light technology adds vibrance and color to your skin, that microcurrents can drastically improve the facial composition and improve overall facial health.
But the conclusion we came to earlier, each device is more suitable for certain individuals and/or scenarios.
The best overall, in my opinion, is the NuFace Trinity. It’s a good deal considering the fact that there are three different treatment modes. It packs a punch, and that’s definitely one of the reasons it is the most well-known out of all three.
The SolaWave Wand is enough for younger adults or those that want to keep their skin healthy. It has lesser performance, but surprising performance for its size and price.
And lastly, we think ZIIP Ox Series is for those that have saggy skin or need to increase facial skin strength.
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