How We Review PEMF Devices

This page describes the rubric our device reviews draw on. Not every review covers every category: a research-based review can only go as far as the published specs and the evidence allow, and it gives a plain-language verdict rather than a score. List pages, like our best PEMF devices for home use, also weigh how well a device fits a particular use and how much research backs it; that page names the five criteria it used. Today, only our hands-on review (the OlyLife Tera-P90, which we own and use) publishes a numeric rating: one overall figure on a 5-point scale, without a per-category breakdown.

The five categories

• Intensity and coverage. The field strength the device actually delivers (in Gauss or microtesla) and how much of the body it treats. We use the manufacturer's published spec where one exists and flag when it does not.
• Build quality. Materials, durability, controls, and how well the device holds up with regular use.
• Ease of use. Setup, program selection, session length, and how much friction stands between you and a session.
• Support and warranty. Length and terms of the warranty, and how reachable and helpful the company is.
• Value. The score relative to price. A capable device at a fair price outscores a marginally better one that costs three times as much.

How we grade the evidence

PEMF is a health topic, so we hold health claims to a higher bar than marketing does. We tie claims to published, peer-reviewed research, and we grade that research honestly: strong, moderate, or limited. Some effects, like improved local circulation, have better support than others. Broad claims about curing disease do not, and we say so.

We are also precise about regulation. A device can be FDA-cleared (allowed to market for a specific use), FDA-registered (an administrative listing, not a clearance), or neither, sold as a general wellness product. These are not the same thing, and we never write "FDA-approved" for a PEMF device unless it documents that exact status.

Hands-on where we have it, research-first everywhere else

Most PEMF devices cost hundreds to thousands of dollars, so we do not pretend to buy and lab-test every one. Our reviews are research-first: we work from manufacturer specifications, independently verified pricing, FDA and 510(k) clearance records, and published peer-reviewed research. Where we have genuine hands-on experience with a device, we say so and add our own observations. For example, our OlyLife Tera-P90 coverage draws on a unit we own and have used. We label clearly what is hands-on and what is research-based, and we never dress up a spec-sheet summary as testing we did not do.

Whether a company runs an affiliate program does not decide a verdict. See how we make money.