Facial Toning Device NuFACE, How It Compares to Other Brands
Medically reviewed by
4 independent reviewers
Andrew Conrad Barile, PT, DPT
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) | Licensed Physical Therapist (PT) | CEO and Founder, Xtreem Pulse LLC
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Dr. Andrew Conrad Barile is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and the CEO and Founder of Xtreem Pulse LLC, the engineering company behind PureLift. He earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Daemen College and is a licensed physical therapist.
He brings over two decades of clinical and entrepreneurial experience across physical therapy, craniosacral therapy and medical device innovation, built on a working knowledge of human anatomy and muscle physiology.
For PureLift LAB he reviews how current is delivered across all ten levels, from sub-sensory nanocurrent and skin-level microcurrent to motor-level EMS, and how the Infuse pass fits into the same ten-minute routine.
Bertica M. Rubio, M.D.
Board-Certified Physician, Dartmouth Medical School | Medical Director, Antiaging Regenerative Medicine Clinic
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Dr. Bertica M. Rubio is a board-certified physician and Medical Director of the Antiaging Regenerative Medicine Clinic in Redlands, California. She earned her Doctor of Medicine from Dartmouth Medical School and completed her pediatrics residency at UC Irvine Medical Center.
With decades of clinical experience, she specialises in age management medicine, regenerative medicine, wound healing and growth factor therapies, and her practice integrates evidence-based medical science with advanced aesthetic treatment.
For PureLift LAB she reviews articles for medical accuracy across the whole dial, from the gentle nanocurrent and microcurrent settings through to muscle-level EMS and the Infuse pass.
Daniel Grinberg, MD, FACS
Board-Certified Otolaryngologist | Head and Neck Surgeon | Fellow, American College of Surgeons | Mount Sinai
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Daniel Grinberg, MD, FACS is a board-certified otolaryngologist and head and neck surgeon at ENT and Allergy Associates in West Nyack, New York. He earned his medical degree from Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
He completed his otolaryngology residency at New York University Medical Center, serves as Assistant Clinical Professor at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and is a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the American Academy of Otolaryngology.
For PureLift LAB he brings a wider clinical lens, connecting at-home facial stimulation from microcurrent to EMS to the anatomy underneath, with the same rigour we apply to every device specification.
Prof. Dr. med. Ivo Buschmann
Chair of Angiology, Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg | Clinic Director, University Clinic for Angiology
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Prof. Dr. med. Ivo Buschmann is Chair of Angiology at the Medizinische Hochschule Brandenburg Theodor Fontane and Clinic Director of the University Clinic for Angiology at the Brandenburg University Hospital.
He trained at the University of Hamburg, was a Max Planck Society Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research, and held senior consultant posts at the Charite Universitatsmedizin Berlin before his appointment as Chair in 2016.
One of Europe's leading authorities on arteriogenesis, with over 150 peer-reviewed publications and US and EU patents, he reviews for PureLift LAB how the evidence on electrical stimulation is read and where its limits lie.
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NuFACE is the best known facial toning device and holds FDA clearances, but it does not publish its output and requires a branded gel, while several rivals publish output figures or work with any conductive serum.
This comparison covers what separates NuFACE from other brands, such as:
- the NuFACE models and what each costs
- how NuFACE compares on published output
- the real yearly cost of the branded gel
- where a rival is the better choice
- where NuFACE is the better choice
and many more!
We make PureLift, one of the brands compared here, so every competitor figure comes from that brand's own published material as checked in September 2026.
Key Points:
NuFACE lists the TRINITY+ Starter Kit at $395, the MINI+ Starter Kit at $250 and the FIX at $175, and all three hold FDA clearances you can look up.
NuFACE does not publish an output figure, while TheraFace PRO publishes 500 microamps, FOREO BEAR 2 publishes up to 680 microamps and MyoLift Mini publishes up to 400 microamps.
NuFACE requires a branded gel from around $35, which adds a running cost that devices working with any conductive serum avoid.
NuFACE is the better choice if you want the most familiar brand with a cleared device at the entry level.
No study has compared NuFACE with another consumer device head to head, so results depend more on regular use than on the brand.
The NuFACE range
NuFACE TRINITY+
The flagship at $395, with interchangeable attachments and clearances K212947 and K201782. Our review is in our TRINITY+ review.
NuFACE MINI+
A smaller version, listed by NuFACE as a $250 Starter Kit and cleared under K191672. How it compares with our entry model is in PureLift Face vs NuFACE MINI+.
NuFACE FIX
A small pen-style device at $175 aimed at the lines around the eyes and mouth, cleared under K240564 and K182424.
NuFACE against the other brands
NuFACE vs ZIIP HALO
ZIIP HALO costs $399.99, runs nanocurrent and microcurrent, holds clearances K212342 and K161484, and also requires branded gels priced from $29.99 to $79.99. Neither brand publishes output. The full comparison is in NuFACE vs ZIIP HALO.
NuFACE vs FOREO BEAR 2
FOREO BEAR 2 costs $339 and publishes up to 680 microamps. We could identify a clearance for the original BEAR, K200803, but not for BEAR 2. See FOREO BEAR 2 vs NuFACE TRINITY.
NuFACE vs Therabody TheraFace PRO
TheraFace PRO costs $419.99, publishes 500 microamps, holds clearance K212238 and adds LED and percussion. See TheraFace PRO vs NuFACE TRINITY.
NuFACE vs MyoLift
MyoLift Mini costs $329 and publishes up to 400 microamps, with the MyoLift QT cleared under K213078. See MyoLift QT vs NuFACE TRINITY.
NuFACE vs PureLift
PureLift Face costs $499, publishes up to 7 mA at 500 ohms and holds clearance K190269. Our devices run nanocurrent at level 1, microcurrent at level 2 and EMS from level 3 to 10, plus an Infuse pass, on one dial, with a ten minute session and no more than three minutes per side of the face.
Because the dial extends into EMS, our output is in milliamps, a different technology class rather than a stronger version of microcurrent. See PureLift vs NuFACE.
Side by side summary
NuFACE TRINITY+, $395, published output not stated, cleared, branded gel required.
NuFACE MINI+, $250 Starter Kit, published output not stated, cleared, branded gel required.
ZIIP HALO, $399.99, published output not stated, cleared, branded gel required.
FOREO BEAR 2, $339, up to 680 microamps, original BEAR cleared.
Therabody TheraFace PRO, $419.99, 500 microamps, cleared.
MyoLift Mini, $329, up to 400 microamps, MyoLift QT cleared.
PureLift Face, $499, up to 7 mA at 500 ohms, cleared, any water-based conductive serum.
Every published figure across the market is in our table of published output figures.
The yearly cost of the gel
NuFACE requires its own gel, starting around $35. Used five times a week, a tube runs out within weeks, so the gel can add well over $100 a year.
ZIIP has the same model with its own gels. Devices that work with any water-based conductive serum, including ours, avoid this running cost.
The two year math is in our article on branded gel costs.
When NuFACE is the better choice
When your budget is around $250 and you want a cleared device from the best known brand, the MINI+ is the better buy than anything of ours.
When you want the brand with the most reviews and the most professional familiarity.
When you want a gentle microcurrent-only routine with no stronger EMS setting.
When another brand is the better choice
When you want a published output figure, TheraFace PRO, FOREO BEAR 2 and MyoLift publish one and NuFACE does not.
When you want to avoid a branded gel.
When you want microcurrent and EMS on one dial, which NuFACE does not offer.
A checklist for any brand is in our guide to choosing a facial toning device.
Do not use any facial current device if you have a pacemaker or other implanted electronic device, if you are pregnant or if you have epilepsy, and skip broken or irritated skin. The full list is in our safety article.
Frequently asked questions
Is NuFACE a facial toning device
Yes. NuFACE devices use microcurrent to tone the facial muscles for a firmer, more lifted look with regular use.
Which NuFACE device is best
The TRINITY+ at $395 is the most versatile, the MINI+ Starter Kit at $250 is the entry-level option and the FIX at $175 targets lines around the eyes and mouth.
What is better than NuFACE
No study shows another consumer device gives better results. Rivals differ on published output, gel requirements, price and technologies.
Do you have to use NuFACE gel
NuFACE requires its branded gel. Some other devices, including ours, work with any water-based conductive serum.
Is NuFACE worth the money
It is the best known cleared device, and the MINI+ Starter Kit at $250 is the entry-level way in. The ongoing gel cost should be added to the price.
This article sits inside our full map of the category, where we set out all 33 devices we track, what each one carries and what each brand publishes: Nine Technologies on One Dial, What the Rest of the Market Actually Carries.