Product comparison · Handheld Devices

CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen vs Solawave Bye Acne

The CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen scores 4.5 and ranks 16th of 26 in Handheld Devices; the Solawave Bye Acne scores 5.0 and ranks 8th of 26 in Handheld Devices. The Anti-Acne Pen leads on warranty & support.

All 11 CurrentBody products
CurrentBody Anti-Acne LED Pen

CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen

$80 · 16th of 26 in Handheld Devices

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  • Warranty & Support — 4 against 2
4.5
vs
5.0
All 6 Solawave products
Solawave Bye Acne

Solawave Bye Acne

$69 · 8th of 26 in Handheld Devices

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    Across everything we scored, Solawave Bye Acne sits 0.49 ahead.

    Verdict

    Bye Acne ahead · +0.49 (5.0 vs 4.5)

    Pick the CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen when

    Warranty & support matters4vs2

    A longer warranty matters2 Yearsvs1 Year

    Pick the Solawave Bye Acne when

    A criterion we do not score decides itthe Bye Acne leads on none of the ones we do

    Scored 8 October 2026 from published specs and owner reviews. We don't buy or test units. How we score

    Most common complaints

    From each product's own owner reviews and retailer ratings.

    CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen

    • Suited only to occasional spots (Beautymone)
    • Vibration uncomfortable (Tabitha Isobel)
    • Tedious across several spots (both creators)

    Solawave Bye Acne

    • Three minutes per spot is slow, per one owner
    • Must be held in place throughout (Harper's Bazaar)
    • Too tiny for more than a spot or two (several reviews)

    Where the CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen and Solawave Bye Acne differ

    Scores on a 0–10 scale. Each row is one criterion, biggest difference first.

    Warranty & Support

    +2 CurrentBody
    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen
    4.0
    Solawave Bye Acne
    2.0

    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen: 2 Years · Solawave Bye Acne: 1 Year.

    Verification

    tied
    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen
    2.0
    Solawave Bye Acne
    2.0

    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen: Registered or listed only · Solawave Bye Acne: Not stated.

    Wavelength Spec

    tied
    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen
    5.0
    Solawave Bye Acne
    5.0

    Coverage

    tied
    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen
    1.0
    Solawave Bye Acne
    1.0

    Build Quality

    tied
    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen
    5.0
    Solawave Bye Acne
    5.0

    Ease of Use

    tied
    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen
    7.0
    Solawave Bye Acne
    7.0

    Value

    tied
    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen
    9.0
    Solawave Bye Acne
    9.0

    Light Output

    one side unscored
    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen
    —
    Solawave Bye Acne
    —

    What CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen and Solawave Bye Acne owners report

    Independent sources, scored for each model. Anti-Acne Pen on 5 of five, Bye Acne on 5.

    Reddit

    tied
    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen
    5.0
    Solawave Bye Acne
    5.0

    The CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen reading covers the whole brand.

    What they say

    CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen

    • Reddit has no owner report on the Anti-Acne Pen; it comes up only as a suggestion in r/redlighttherapy and in an r/30PlusSkinCare question whose replies discuss masks instead.
    • An r/30PlusSkinCare thread asking whether CurrentBody's face mask is worth it (44 comments) leans positive where expectations stay modest, while a second r/30PlusSkinCare thread, titled "Don't waste your money with them", describes a broken promotional gift, a missing item and slow customer service.

    Solawave Bye Acne

    • Reddit barely covers the Bye Acne.
    • In a September 2025 r/Ulta thread one owner calls it good for the occasional pimple, using it when she feels one coming, but slow at three minutes per spot and too small to use all over.
    • In a September 2022 r/Skincare_Addiction thread an owner with sensitive, acne-prone skin says it works if used consistently, with her spots calming after two to five sessions.
    • A January 2024 r/30PlusSkinCare thread on sanitizing it is not counted because Solawave's own account posts in it.

    Google

    +1 Solawave
    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen
    6.0
    Solawave Bye Acne
    7.0

    Both readings are about these exact models.

    What they say

    CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen

    • Both written tests are on units CurrentBody supplied.
    • Beautymone (March 2024) reports small spots gone after one to three sessions over a month and says widespread breakouts suit a mask better, and Unfading Beauty (February 2025, affiliate code) reports her partner's spots cleared by day three or four, with inconsistent use.

    Solawave Bye Acne

    • Harper's Bazaar (June 2022), which earns commission, rated it 4.0 out of 5 after two weeks of testing, praising the three-minute sessions and a size that targets single spots, while noting it has to be held in place and used only once a day on each spot.
    • Mashable (May 2023), testing a unit Solawave sent, saw her skin stay about the same over two weeks, found one 30-minute charge lasted the whole test, and thought its launch price of $99 steep for a device too small to treat more than a spot or two; it now lists at $69.

    YouTube

    +1 CurrentBody
    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen
    6.0
    Solawave Bye Acne
    5.0

    The Solawave Bye Acne reading covers the whole brand.

    What they say

    CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen

    • Brazilian Girl Channel (March 2024, 3,312 views, made in partnership with CurrentBody) reports a breakout calmed overnight.
    • Tabitha Isobel, a skin specialist whose channel earns commission (April 2024), saw jawline spots reduced within four days but found the vibration uncomfortable and three minutes per spot tedious.

    Solawave Bye Acne

    • The one video on the Bye Acne, Doctor Sarah's (March 2023, 8,888 views, affiliate links, not sponsored), walks through Solawave's claims and published research on light therapy rather than a long-term test of the device.
    • Solawave's other independent YouTube coverage is about its 4-in-1 wand, where Britt Witkin's 90-day review on a brand-sent unit found the skin felt smoother but saw little change in fine lines.

    Amazon

    +1 Solawave
    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen
    6.0
    Solawave Bye Acne
    7.0

    The CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen reading covers the whole brand; the Solawave Bye Acne reading covers its product line.

    What they say

    CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen

    • The pen is not listed on Amazon US.
    • CurrentBody's most-rated device on Amazon US is the LED Face Mask Series 2, at 4.1 from 699 ratings, split 71 percent five-star against 15 percent one-star.
    • Its critical reviews centre on reliability, including masks that stopped working after about a month.

    Solawave Bye Acne

    • The original Bye Acne has no rated Amazon US listing live: Solawave's storefront now sells the Bye Acne Pro, a larger version with 24 LEDs and six times the original's coverage area, at $89.
    • That listing, sold by Solawave, holds 4.0 from 60 ratings, split 57 percent five-star against 15 percent one-star.

    Owner reviews

    +3 Solawave
    CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen
    5.0
    Solawave Bye Acne
    8.0

    The CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen reading covers the whole brand.

    What they say

    CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen

    • No US retailer rates the Anti-Acne Pen from enough reviews to count.
    • Costco's CurrentBody Face & Neck Kit, the earlier Series 1 masks, holds 3.7 from 55 reviews, 25 of them five-star and 8 one-star, and its critics name discomfort around the eyes and nose bridge, loose straps and brightness.

    Solawave Bye Acne

    • Ulta's listing for the original device in Periwinkle and Charcoal holds 4.3 from 56 reviews, all written on Ulta, with 40 five-star against 9 at one or two stars and a 70 percent recommend rate; Target sells the same Ulta listing at 4.2 from 57, one review file rather than a second pool.
    • Owners there like the quick sessions and small size and several report calmer early spots, while critics call it too tiny for more than a spot or two and some saw no change.
    • Ulta's separate $89 Bye Acne listing holds 3.1 from 7, too few to read, and Walmart's $89 V2 listing carries 4.6 from 24 ratings, almost all labelled incentivized.

    CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen vs Solawave Bye Acne: pros and cons

    What each one does well, and where it falls short.

    CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen

    What we like

    • $79.99the lowest-priced CurrentBody device
    • Published peaks at 415 nm blue and 633 nm red
    • 3-minute spot sessions with a beep
    • Cordlesscharges over USB-C in 1.5 to 2 hours
    • 0.71 oz

    What holds it back

    • Sold as FDA clearedthe cited 510(k) names other models and not this pen
    • Stated 30 mW/cm2 has no independent measurement
    • One spot at a timetedious across several
    • Vibration uncomfortableper one reviewer
    • No eye protection includedthough CurrentBody warns blue light is harmful to the eyes

    Solawave Bye Acne

    What we like

    • $69, the lowest-priced Solawave device
    • Published peaks at 415 nm blue and 630 nm red
    • 3-minute spot sessions that end on their own
    • Cordless and pocket-sized
    • Ulta 4.3 from 56all native reviews

    What holds it back

    • Sold as FDA clearedno 510(k) or listing found
    • No LED countmaterials or output published
    • One spot at a time
    • Not for Fitzpatrick skin types V or VIper Solawave's own page
    • One-year warranty

    CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen vs Solawave Bye Acne: the numbers

    Price, scores and rank, then only the specs that differ. Green marks the side with more.

    4.5
    Overall
    Usability4.6
    Social5.6

    16th of 26 in Handhelds

    5.0
    Overall
    Usability4.4
    Social6.4

    8th of 26 in Handhelds

    • Claimed irradiance
      CurrentBody25-49 mW/cm2
      SolawaveNot listed
    • FDA status
      CurrentBodyRegistered or listed only
      SolawaveNot listed
    • Warranty
      CurrentBody More2 Years
      Solawave1 Year
    • Dimensions
      CurrentBody3.14 x 1.18 x 1.18 in
      SolawaveNot listed
    • Weight
      CurrentBody0.71 oz
      Solawave0.25 lb (shipping)

    Same on both

    • HandheldDevice type
    • Blue (400-499 nm), Red (620-680 nm)Wavelength bands
    • Not measuredMeasured irradiance
    • None verifiableSafety listings
    • BatteryPower
    • Under 5 minSession length

    We earn a commission if you buy through these links. It never changes a score.

    Not sold on either one?

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    More from CurrentBody

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    More from Solawave 2 scored in Handheld Devices

    Solawave 2-in-1 Skincare Mini
    Top scoredSolawave 2‑in‑1 Skincare Mini$119$50 more
    6.4
    What’s different
    • Wavelength bands: adds Near-infrared (800-880 nm)
    • FDA status: 510(k) cleared, not Not stated
    Pick it ifVerification matters7vs2

    CurrentBody Anti‑Acne Pen vs Solawave Bye Acne: common questions

    Is the CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen better than the Solawave Bye Acne?

    On our scores, the Solawave Bye Acne is ahead, 5.0 against 4.5. The CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen leads on warranty & support (4 against 2).

    Which is cheaper, the CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen or the Solawave Bye Acne?

    The Solawave Bye Acne, at $69 against $80: $11 less.

    Which has the longer warranty, the CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen or the Solawave Bye Acne?

    The CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen: 2 Years, against 1 Year.

    What do owners say about the CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen and the Solawave Bye Acne?

    Across 5 independent sources scored for both, the CurrentBody Anti-Acne Pen is ahead on YouTube; the Solawave Bye Acne is ahead on Google, Amazon and Owner reviews; Reddit is level.

    More handheld devices comparisons

    More head-to-heads with these two, plus the full brand comparison.

    Scores calculated 8 October 2026 · Products excluded where fewer than two independent sources cover them ·  · How we score

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