Key Takeaways
- Andrew Huberman and Joe Rogan both put red light therapy in front of large audiences, which is a big reason the category went mainstream.
- The core mechanism their guests describe is real: red and near-infrared light is absorbed in the mitochondria and can support ATP production.
- Popularity is not proof. Whether a panel does anything comes down to wavelength, irradiance, and the distance the irradiance was measured at.
- Hale is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by either show. Judge any panel on its published specs, not on a podcast mention.
Andrew Huberman and Joe Rogan are two of the biggest reasons red light therapy moved from niche recovery tool to mainstream biohacking staple. If you searched for what either of them has said about it, you probably want two things: an honest summary of what the podcasts actually covered, and a way to tell whether a given panel is worth buying. This page does both.
Disclosure: Hale is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Andrew Huberman, the Huberman Lab podcast, Joe Rogan, or The Joe Rogan Experience. This article summarizes publicly available podcast discussion and the underlying science. It does not represent any statement by these individuals about Hale or its products.
What Huberman Lab Actually Covered
Andrew Huberman is a Stanford neuroscientist, and his podcast has covered light and health in detail. The most-cited example is episode 68, Using Light (Sunlight, Blue Light & Red Light) to Optimize Health, which walks through how different wavelengths affect the body. More recently he hosted vision researcher Dr. Glen Jeffery for a discussion on red light, metabolism, and the effects of LEDs.
The mechanism those episodes describe is the same one the photobiomodulation literature has studied for years. Red and near-infrared light is absorbed by the mitochondria, the part of the cell that makes energy, and that absorption can support ATP production. That is the biological basis for why researchers study red light for skin, recovery, and cellular repair. It is a real, published mechanism, not a podcast invention.
What Joe Rogan Has Said
Joe Rogan has discussed red light therapy on The Joe Rogan Experience, usually in the context of recovery and general performance, and those conversations reached a huge audience. That exposure is a big part of why searches for red light panels spiked. It is worth being clear about what that means and what it does not: a popular host using a category is a signal of interest, not a clinical endorsement of any one device, and Rogan has not made any statement about Hale.
Popularity Is Not the Same as Proof
Here is the honest part most brand pages skip. A podcast mention tells you a category is popular. It does not tell you whether the specific panel in front of you delivers a useful dose. Two panels can both be called "red light therapy" and deliver wildly different amounts of light to your tissue. The interest is real. The evidence is real for the mechanism. But the buying decision still comes down to specs.
The Three Specs That Actually Decide It
If you take one thing from the science these shows reference, make it this: dose is what matters, and dose is set by three numbers.
- Wavelength. Most studied benefits cluster in the roughly 630 to 850 nm range, with some deeper near-infrared work up toward 1060 nm. A panel that publishes its exact wavelengths lets you match it to what you are trying to do.
- Irradiance. This is how much light energy actually reaches you, in mW/cm2. Too little and sessions do nothing useful. It is the single most important output number.
- Measurement distance. This is the one buyers miss. Irradiance falls off fast with distance, so a number measured at 3 inches looks far higher than the same panel measured at 6 inches. When you compare two panels, compare them at the same distance or the numbers are meaningless.
We built a plain-language reference for all of this in the PBM dose canonical table, and a deeper explainer in red light therapy wavelengths explained. If you are choosing a panel right now, the best red light therapy panels guide walks through the specs head to head.
Where Hale Fits
Hale's whole approach to this category is to publish the numbers instead of leaning on hype or celebrity association. The RLPRO panels list eight wavelengths from 630 to 1060 nm, publish irradiance with the measurement distance stated, and carry an FDA device listing plus Health Canada Class II licensing on the larger models. That is not a claim that a podcast host uses them. It is an invitation to check the specs yourself, which is exactly what the underlying science would tell you to do.
One accuracy note, since it comes up constantly in this space: red light panels in this category are FDA-listed, not "FDA-cleared" or "FDA-approved." Any brand using those last two words for a general wellness panel is misstating the regulation. Hold every seller, including us, to that standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Andrew Huberman recommend a specific red light brand?
Not on the episodes referenced here. Huberman Lab has covered the science of red and near-infrared light and hosted researchers in the field, but this article does not attribute any brand recommendation to him. Evaluate panels on published wavelength, irradiance, and measurement distance, not on association with a podcast.
Does Joe Rogan use red light therapy?
Rogan has discussed red light therapy for recovery on The Joe Rogan Experience. This page does not claim he uses or endorses any particular brand, and he has made no statement about Hale.
What wavelengths do these podcasts talk about?
The discussion centers on red and near-infrared light, broadly the 630 to 850 nm range that most photobiomodulation research uses, with some interest in deeper near-infrared. The exact figures matter more than the labels, which is why a panel that publishes its wavelengths is easier to trust.
Is red light therapy actually proven, or is it just a trend?
The mitochondrial mechanism is well studied, and there is real research on skin, recovery, and other outcomes. It is also an area where marketing runs ahead of the evidence. The safe position is that the mechanism is legitimate and the results depend heavily on delivering an adequate dose, which loops back to specs.
If you came here from a podcast clip, the most useful next step is not to buy the first panel you see. Check its wavelengths, its irradiance, and the distance that irradiance was measured at. That is the part worth getting right before you spend anything.
