NuFACE Mini Review, Is the Smaller Device Worth It
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
Read bio
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
Read bio
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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The NuFACE MINI+ is NuFACE's entry-level cleared microcurrent device, listed as a $250 Starter Kit, with three intensities and a five minute routine, but it does not publish its output, offers no stronger setting and adds a yearly gel cost.
This review covers what you need to decide, such as:
- what the MINI+ costs and what comes in the kit
- how it compares with the TRINITY+
- the yearly cost of the gel
- who the MINI+ suits and who it does not
- how it compares with other brands
and many more!
We make a competing device, PureLift, and we still recommend the MINI+ for anyone who wants the best known name at the entry level.
Key Points:
NuFACE lists the MINI+ Starter Kit, which includes gel and a brush, at $250.
It holds FDA clearance K191672 and offers three intensities, with NuFACE describing a five minute routine.
NuFACE does not publish the output of the MINI+.
NuFACE gels start at $35 for 1.69 oz, and the MINI+ is designed around NuFACE's own gels and activators.
The MINI+ is a strong entry-level choice, while people who want a stronger setting or a published output should look elsewhere.
What the NuFACE MINI+ is
The MINI+ is a smaller, lower priced version of NuFACE's flagship TRINITY+. It uses two spheres to pass a low microcurrent through the skin into the facial muscles.
It holds FDA clearance K191672, which you can look up in the FDA 510(k) database, a step explained in our guide to checking a clearance.
Prices and specifications were checked on brand and retailer listings in October 2026 and change often, so confirm them before you buy.
Price and what is in the box
NuFACE lists the MINI+ Starter Kit at $250, and a Bluemercury listing at the same price included the MINI+, a 1.69 oz Aqua Gel Activator, a 0.5 oz Silk Creme Activator and a brush.
The device runs on a rechargeable lithium ion battery, listed as 350 mAh.
Features
Three intensities
The MINI+ has three intensity levels. NuFACE does not publish the current behind each level.
A five minute routine
NuFACE describes a five minute routine for the face and neck, which makes it easy to fit into a morning or evening.
App and smart features
NuFACE pairs its newer devices with an app for guided routines. Check the current model page for what the app offers.
NuFACE MINI+ vs TRINITY+
The TRINITY+ is $395, has interchangeable attachments for the eyes and lips, and is cleared under K212947 and K201782.
The MINI+ is smaller and less than half the price, and covers the face and neck with one head.
Buy the MINI+ if you want a simple routine. Buy the TRINITY+ if you want the attachments. Our TRINITY+ review is in our NuFACE TRINITY+ review.
The real yearly cost
NuFACE gels and activators start at $35 for 1.69 oz, with larger 3.3 oz and 10 oz sizes. The kit gel runs out within weeks at five sessions a week.
Add the gel to the device price when you compare. The full math is in our two year gel cost article, and our guide to NuFACE gels is in our gel for NuFACE article.
Who the MINI+ suits
Anyone who wants a cleared device from the best known brand at the entry level.
Anyone new to microcurrent who wants a gentle, simple, five minute routine.
Anyone who travels and wants a small device.
Who should look elsewhere
Anyone who wants a published output figure. TheraFace PRO, FOREO BEAR 2 and MyoLift publish one.
Anyone who wants a stronger EMS setting on the same dial.
Anyone who wants to avoid branded gels. 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, and they work with any water-based conductive serum.
Our direct comparison is in PureLift Face vs NuFACE MINI+, and a ten device comparison is in our best microcurrent device for face article.
Results to expect
Like any microcurrent device, the MINI+ works on muscle tone. Expect a subtly firmer, more lifted look after several weeks of regular use, not a facelift.
A randomized controlled trial by Kavanagh and colleagues, published in 2012, measured the effect of facial electrical stimulation after twelve weeks of regular use. What NuFACE results look like is in our NuFACE before and after article.
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 the NuFACE Mini worth it
For an entry-level cleared device from the best known brand, yes. It does not publish its output and adds a gel cost, and the FOREO BEAR mini is a lower-priced cleared option.
How much is the NuFACE Mini
NuFACE lists the MINI+ Starter Kit, with gel and a brush, at $250.
What is the difference between NuFACE Mini and Trinity
The TRINITY+ is $395 and has interchangeable attachments. The MINI+ Starter Kit is $250, and the device is smaller and uses one head for the face and neck.
How long does the NuFACE Mini take
NuFACE describes a five minute routine for the face and neck.
Is the NuFACE Mini FDA cleared
Yes, under 510(k) number K191672.
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.