The short answer (prices checked 11 October 2026)
- Cheapest per session: Haarlosy IPL at £89.99, £7.50 a session over a year of monthly use and £2.50 over three years.
- Best value from a big brand: Philips Lumea 9900 at £339.99, £28.33 a session in year one, with four attachments and a skin sensor.
- Best for a low-sting start: Ulike Air 2 Max at £199.99 (£16.67 a session), the upgraded Air 3 with ice cooling.
- "Permanent hair reduction", used by three of these six listings, is a term from US device clearances meaning a long-term reduction in regrowth. It does not mean hair stops growing.
Cost per session assumes 12 sessions a year, the same basis as Look Into's UK At-Home Beauty Device Cost Index.
At-home IPL is sold as a one-off purchase that replaces the salon, so the honest way to compare devices is by what each session costs. This guide prices six devices sold on Amazon UK per session over one year and three years, from £2.50 to £51.05, and explains what the word "permanent" on their boxes actually means.
IPL targets the pigment in the hair, so it works best on dark hair against paler skin. It does little for blonde, red, grey or white hair, and most home devices are not cleared for the deepest skin tones. Check the maker's skin-tone chart before you buy.
How Look Into made this guide: desk research, not a hands-on test. We shortlist on UK availability, compare published specifications and warranty terms, and read verified UK owner reviews, discounting incentivised ratings. Prices in the comparison table are pulled live from Amazon UK. Look Into has not handled these products: every figure comes from the maker, the listing or a named source, read on the date shown.
Prices in this table come live from Amazon and can change through the day. Prices quoted in the text were checked by Look Into on 11 October 2026, so the two can differ.
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Prices and specs last checked by Look Into on 11 October 2026 · next check 6 December 2026 · how we picked
At a glance, cheapest per session first
| Device | Best for | Price (11 Oct 2026) | Per session, year 1 | Per session over 3 years | Skin sensor named on listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haarlosy IPL | Cheapest first device | £89.99 | £7.50 | £2.50 | No |
| Ulike Air 2 Max | Low-sting start | £199.99 | £16.67 | £5.56 | No |
| Philips Lumea 9900 | Face and fiddly areas | £339.99 | £28.33 | £9.44 | Yes (SenseIQ) |
| Braun Silk-expert Pro 5 | Best overall | £344.98 | £28.75 | £9.58 | Yes |
| Ulike Air 10 | Fast cooled sessions | £369.99 | £30.83 | £10.28 | Yes |
| Braun Smart IPL Skin i-Expert | App-guided plan | £612.55 | £51.05 | £17.02 | Yes |
Per session = price divided by 12 sessions a year (36 over three years), assuming the device keeps working and you keep using it. Prices are as shown on each linked Amazon UK listing on 11 October 2026.
The six devices, cheapest per session first
Haarlosy IPL
Cheapest first deviceIf you are not sure IPL will suit you, this is the lowest-cost way to find out. It has ice cooling and five intensity levels, and the listing tells you to check that your skin tone and hair colour are suitable before buying.
The catch: no skin-tone sensor, so the safety judgement on each flash is yours. It also had only 56 ratings when we checked, far less owner feedback than the big brands. An earlier Haarlosy model in this guide is no longer available.
Ice cooling, 5 levels · £89.99 on 11 Oct 2026 · £7.50 a session in year one
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Ulike Air 2 Max
Low-sting startUlike lists this as the upgraded Air 3, which this guide recommended until it went out of stock. It keeps the ice-cooling window and adds a USHR mode, at £199.99 with 196 ratings.
The catch: no skin sensor named on the listing, so you set the level yourself, and its "professional salon results" line comes with no stated basis.
Ice cooling, cordless · £199.99 on 11 Oct 2026 · £16.67 a session in year one
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Philips Lumea 9900 Series (BRI951/01)
Face and fiddly areasFour shaped attachments for body, face, bikini and underarms, with the SenseIQ sensor and SkinAI in the app. At £339.99 it was cheaper than both Braun devices on the day we checked.
The catch: only 5 were left in stock when we checked, and the app step is extra faff if you just want to get on with it.
Four attachments, corded or cordless · £339.99 on 11 Oct 2026 · £28.33 a session in year one
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Braun Silk-expert Pro 5 (PL5100)
Best overallA safe first choice for most people. Braun says its skin tone sensor reads your skin and sets the flash strength automatically, so you are not checking a chart mid-session.
The catch: the listing promises "up to 6 years of smooth skin" and "permanent reduction in hair regrowth", both footnoted. Its rating was 4.4 from 38 when we checked, lower than this guide previously said.
Auto skin-tone sensor, corded · £344.98 on 11 Oct 2026 · £28.75 a session in year one
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Ulike Air 10
Fast cooled sessionsUlike's ice-cooling window chills the skin as it flashes, and the current listing names a skin sensor, which an earlier version of this guide said it lacked. It has by far the most ratings here, over 3,600.
The catch: £30.83 a session is £14 more than the Air 2 Max for the same cooling idea, and the title's "Permanent Hair Reduction" means less than it sounds (see below).
Ice cooling, skin sensor · £369.99 on 11 Oct 2026 · £30.83 a session in year one
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Braun Smart IPL Skin i-Expert (PL7321)
App-guided planBraun's top model pairs its skin tone sensor with an app-led treatment plan, which helps if you lose track of which areas you did last week.
The catch: at £612.55 it is the dearest per session here by £20, and only one was left in stock when we checked. Its longevity claims are based on what the listing calls app data from consumer self-assessment.
App treatment plan, auto sensor · £612.55 on 11 Oct 2026 · £51.05 a session in year one
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What "permanent" means on an IPL box
Three of the six listings in this guide use the word: the two Braun devices ("permanent reduction in hair regrowth") and the Ulike Air 10 ("Permanent Hair Reduction"). The phrase comes from US device clearances. An FDA clearance document for a laser system defines it plainly: "Permanent hair reduction is defined as long-term stable reduction in the number of hairs regrowing after a treatment regime."
So the claim is about fewer hairs coming back, not none. Expect top-up sessions, which is why this guide prices each device over three years as well as one.
Across the first 20 unsponsored Amazon UK results for "ipl hair removal device", read on 11 October 2026, 14 mention skin tone or a skin chart, 12 give a timescale in weeks, 6 use the word "clinical" and 2 use "permanent".
Questions people ask about IPL
How much does at-home IPL cost per session?
At 12 sessions a year, the six devices here cost £7.50 to £51.05 a session in year one and £2.50 to £17.02 over three years, using prices checked on 11 October 2026. The longer you keep using the device, the lower the cost per session.
Does at-home IPL actually work?
For the right hair and skin combination, it reduces how much hair grows back and slows regrowth, usually after a course of regular sessions followed by occasional top-ups. It works best on dark hair against paler skin, and does little for blonde, grey, red or white hair.
Is IPL hair removal permanent?
No. Where a listing says "permanent hair reduction", it is using a term from US device clearances that means a long-term stable reduction in the number of hairs regrowing. Plan for top-up sessions.
Does it hurt?
Most people feel a warm flick. Devices with ice cooling, such as the Ulike models and the Haarlosy, aim to take the edge off. Sensitive areas like the bikini line feel it more, so start on a lower setting.
Can I use IPL on my face?
Only if the device is cleared for facial use, and never around the eyes or on the brows. The Philips Lumea 9900 comes with a face attachment.
Corded or cordless?
Corded devices flash without stopping, which suits large areas like legs. Cordless ones are easier to angle for underarms, bikini and face but need charging. The Philips Lumea 9900 works both ways.
Sources
- US FDA 510(k) K024260, Candela GentleLASE, for the definition of "permanent hair reduction", read 11 October 2026
- Amazon UK: the first 20 unsponsored results for "ipl hair removal device" and the six product listings linked above, read 11 October 2026
- NHS laser hair removal page, read 30 August 2026 for the UK At-Home Beauty Device Cost Index; the NHS has since withdrawn it
For every device here priced per session alongside LED face masks, see Look Into's UK At-Home Beauty Device Cost Index.