A BioCharger is a tabletop wellness device that uses plasma gas tubes, pulsed electromagnetic fields, and light frequencies to supposedly “recharge” your body’s cells. Made by a company called BioCharger, the flagship model (the BioCharger NG) retails for $17,990 to $19,990 and is marketed to biohackers, wellness centers, and chiropractors. It looks like something out of a science fiction movie, with 12 glowing plasma tubes arranged around a polished aluminum ring, and sessions last 15 to 30 minutes. Whether any of this actually improves your health is a separate question, and the answer matters at that price point.
How the Device Works
The BioCharger NG combines four types of energy output: pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs), light from gas plasma tubes, voltage fields, and a range of audio and radio frequencies. Twelve plasma tubes, filled with six different noble and inert gases (two tubes per gas), light up during a session and emit different colors depending on the gas inside. A polished aluminum ring called a toroid sits at the top and distributes electric fields in a 360-degree radius. A brass arc rod produces visible electrical discharges, similar to a miniature Tesla coil.
The device connects to the internet and runs pre-programmed “recipes,” which are specific combinations of frequencies and light patterns selected through a built-in screen or app. The manufacturer claims access to a library of over 1,400 wellness frequency programs that are regularly updated. During a session, you simply sit near the device (not touching it) for 15 to 30 minutes. There’s no physical contact, no wearable component, and no reported downtime afterward.
What the Manufacturer Claims
The central claim is that your body’s cells have a measurable voltage, that illness lowers this voltage, and that the BioCharger can raise it back to healthy levels. The company compares your body to a cell phone battery: daily life drains your cellular charge, and the BioCharger plugs you back in. The marketing goes further, claiming the device “reenergizes weakened cells, revitalizes the body’s natural magnetic energy, aligns mind and body, raises cellular voltage, and restores the body’s natural health and wellness.”
The proposed mechanism is that the plasma tubes generate what the company calls “bio-photon light,” which bathes your body in a field of frequencies spanning radio, sound, and light spectrums. Each cell in your body then selectively absorbs whatever frequencies it needs. The company also claims that all disease stems from inadequate cellular voltage.
What the Science Actually Shows
There are no published, peer-reviewed clinical trials specifically testing the BioCharger NG. That’s a significant gap for a device making broad health claims at a premium price point.
Some of the individual technologies the BioCharger incorporates do have varying levels of research behind them. PEMF therapy, for instance, has been studied for bone healing and pain management, and some PEMF devices have FDA clearance for specific conditions. Red and near-infrared light therapy (sometimes called photobiomodulation) also has a growing body of research for wound healing, inflammation, and pain. But the BioCharger bundles these with unproven frequency concepts and makes claims that go well beyond what the underlying research supports.
The idea that all disease results from low cellular voltage is not an accepted principle in biology or medicine. Cells do maintain electrical gradients across their membranes, and these gradients are important for nerve signaling and muscle contraction. But the leap from that basic fact to “sitting near plasma tubes recharges sick cells” has no scientific support. Science-Based Medicine, a physician-run publication that evaluates medical claims, characterized the BioCharger’s claims as not credible.
How It Differs From Standard PEMF Devices
Standard PEMF devices deliver pulsed electromagnetic fields through pads or mats placed directly on or near the body. They typically target a specific area and operate within a defined frequency range. Some have FDA clearance for bone healing or post-surgical pain.
The BioCharger takes a broader, less targeted approach. It combines PEMF with light, voltage, and audio frequencies, delivering them to the whole body at once from a distance. Proponents describe this as a “broader spectrum of frequency-based stimulation” that includes photonic and voltage elements standard PEMF devices lack. Critics would point out that broader is not necessarily better, especially without clinical data showing the combination produces measurable effects.
What a Session Feels Like
You sit in a chair within a few feet of the device. The plasma tubes glow in various colors, and you may see small electrical arcs dancing along the brass rod at the top. Some users report feeling a slight tingling or warmth. Others describe a sense of relaxation or mild alertness afterward. Sessions require no preparation and no recovery time. The experience is more ambient than physical: you’re not hooked up to anything, and there’s no sensation comparable to, say, a TENS unit or massage.
Wellness centers that offer BioCharger sessions typically charge between $25 and $75 per session, making it accessible to try without the five-figure investment of buying one.
Cost and Access
The BioCharger NG Essential Edition costs $17,990, and the Professional Edition runs $19,990. Both include access to the full recipe library. The Professional Edition is designed for commercial use in clinics and wellness centers. There are no ongoing subscription fees publicly listed, though the device does require an internet connection to access and update its frequency programs.
Insurance does not cover BioCharger sessions or purchases. The device is not FDA-cleared or approved for treating any medical condition. It’s sold as a wellness product, which means it operates in a regulatory gray area where specific disease-treatment claims would be illegal, but general wellness language is permitted.
Safety Considerations
The manufacturer lists several groups who should avoid the device. Pregnant women and anyone with metal plating in or near their head should not use it. People with metal-based chemotherapy ports should stay at least six feet from the unit during operation, though beyond that distance the intensity is considered low enough for use. Children under 18 need a parent or guardian present during sessions.
Anyone with a condition triggered by light (such as photosensitive epilepsy) or electromagnetic sensitivity should consider their personal triggers before using the device. For most people, sitting near the BioCharger for 15 to 30 minutes is unlikely to cause harm. The more relevant risk is financial: spending nearly $20,000 on a device without clinical evidence, or delaying proven medical treatment in favor of frequency sessions.