Red light therapy at Planet Fitness is a walk-in booth called Total Body Enhancement that combines red light panels with a vibrating floor platform. It’s available at no extra cost to Black Card members, and each session lasts about 12 minutes. The booth is manufactured by Ergoline under their Beauty Angel line, specifically the RVT 30 model, and you’ll find one in most Planet Fitness locations.
How the Booth Works
You step into what looks like a standing tanning bed, but instead of UV bulbs, the panels emit red and near-infrared light in the 600 to 850 nanometer range. These wavelengths don’t tan your skin. They penetrate the surface and are absorbed by your cells, where they stimulate energy production at a cellular level. The idea is that this boost in cellular activity supports skin repair, reduces inflammation, and helps muscles recover after exercise.
The floor of the booth vibrates, and you can adjust the intensity from level 1 (a gentle hum) to level 4 (noticeably intense). This whole-body vibration is designed to increase circulation and encourage lymphatic drainage. Any feeling of looseness or reduced soreness right after a session likely comes more from the vibration plate than from the light itself, since red light’s benefits tend to build over weeks rather than minutes.
What a Session Looks Like
Sessions run for 10 minutes of active light exposure followed by a 2-minute cooldown. You select your vibration level, the door closes, and you stand inside while the red light panels surround you. Planet Fitness recommends using the booth two to three times per week with at least 24 hours between sessions, maintained over roughly 90 days to see meaningful results.
What you wear matters. Red light needs to reach your skin to do anything, so thick layers of clothing, especially synthetic fabrics like polyester and spandex, will block the wavelengths before they penetrate. Wear as little as you’re comfortable with: shorts and a tank top in light cotton or moisture-wicking fabric work well. Compression gear like tight leggings or sports bras can restrict circulation and reduce the benefit from the vibration plate. The booth is a private, enclosed space, so many members opt for minimal clothing.
What the Research Says About Skin
The skin benefits of red light therapy have the strongest clinical backing. In a controlled trial of 136 volunteers published in the journal Photomedicine and Laser Surgery, participants who received red light treatments twice a week saw significant improvements in collagen density, skin roughness, and wrinkle depth compared to a control group. Collagen density scores improved by an average of about 5.75 points in the red light group while the control group showed no change. Roughness measurements decreased meaningfully, and when independent experts evaluated wrinkle severity, 69% of the red light group showed improvement compared to just 4% of controls.
These results came from treatments using wavelengths in the 611 to 650 nanometer range, which overlaps with the output of the Beauty Angel booth. The catch is that clinical studies typically use medical-grade devices with carefully controlled power output and positioning. A gym booth treats your whole body at once from a greater distance, which means any single area of skin receives less concentrated light than it would from a targeted clinical device. You can still expect some benefit over time, but results will likely be more subtle.
What the Research Says About Muscle Recovery
If you’re using the booth after workouts, the muscle recovery angle is worth understanding. A systematic review and meta-analysis of photobiomodulation therapy (the clinical term for red light therapy) found that it produced a moderate reduction in post-exercise muscle soreness at 72 and 96 hours after intense exercise. More notably, muscle strength recovered significantly faster: at both 24 and 48 hours after a hard workout, the light therapy group showed large improvements in strength compared to those who received a placebo treatment.
That’s a meaningful finding for gym-goers. It suggests that red light therapy’s biggest practical benefit may not be pain relief in the moment but faster strength recovery between sessions. If you train the same muscle groups multiple times per week, that faster turnaround could translate to better performance in your next workout. The research used targeted application to specific muscle groups, though, so a full-body booth will deliver a lower dose to any one area. Using the booth consistently over weeks is more likely to produce noticeable effects than a single session.
Who Can Use It and What It Costs
Total Body Enhancement is included with the Planet Fitness Black Card membership, which typically runs around $24.99 per month depending on location. There’s no additional per-session fee. The standard Classic membership (around $10/month) does not include access to the booth. You don’t need to book ahead at most locations; just check in and use the booth when it’s available.
Realistic Expectations
Red light therapy is not a dramatic, overnight treatment. The skin and recovery benefits seen in clinical research required consistent sessions over weeks. Planet Fitness’s own recommendation of 90 days aligns with this timeline. Most members who report positive experiences describe gradual changes: skin that looks a bit more even-toned, slightly less soreness after leg day, or a general sense of relaxation from the vibration plate.
The booth won’t help you lose weight, build muscle, or replace sunscreen. It’s a recovery and skin-health tool with legitimate science behind the wavelengths it uses, delivered in a convenient, no-cost format for Black Card members. If you’re already paying for the membership, there’s very little downside to adding two or three sessions per week to your routine and evaluating how you feel after a couple of months.