Remington IPL6500 vs Remington IPL6000.
How do these hair removal systems from Remington stack up against each other?
Remington i-LIGHT Pro Review Summary
Both these models are highly effective and the results can be seen extremely fast. You may need to repeat treatments less often than with the Philips Lumea ranges but it depends on your hair and skin type.
The IPL6000 is good for those who want to try out IPL treatment and who really want very fast and effective treatment. It comes with three replacement bulbs and it’ll be a reasonably long time before you need to replace them, let alone re-buy them. But you will have to if you want to keep using it for years.
The IPL6500 is only a fraction more expensive but comes with an Infinity bulb with 65,000 flashes and this alone makes it worth the extra money. The IPL6000 bulbs only have 1500 flashes each so this is really a no-brainer at the end of the day.
Both devices are corded and are attached to their power bases which have to be plugged into the wall. The power bases are neat and have indicator lights on them but at the end of the day, you still have to deal with a cord.
For the money, you might want to look at the Philips Lumea SC2007 or SC1997 or indeed others in the range. Remington models don’t have a bikini attachment and instead you have to choose a different power setting to cope with this sensitive area. Philips do have a separate attachment and it feels that the Lumeas overall are better thought-out. Not to mention cordless for the same money.
These are fast and effective tools and you really won’t need to use them often at all. However, in the grand scheme of things, I think the Philips Lumea range is a better value for money and genuinely hassle free.
In-Depth Review
Remington is a company with over a hundred years of history behind it and it’s been one of the world’s main produces of small, personal appliances for decades. Usually striving to create products at the forefront of technology, this is a household name with a great reputation.
What do the Remington IPL systems come with?
IPL6500 i-LIGHT Pro comes with:
- 1x IPL6500 i-LIGHT Pro
- 1x Power Base
- 1x Infinity bulb
- 1x Instruction Manual
IPL6000 i-Light Pro comes with:
- 1x IPL6000 i-LIGHT Pro
- 1x Power Base
- 1x Bulb refill pack (3 bulbs in one pack)
- 1x Instruction Manual
Packed with impressive technology...
These two Remington i-LIGHT Pro IPL systems are jam packed with Remington’s impressive technology and both come on neat stands that do more than just hold the device and keep it tidy.
Neither of these devices are cordless but instead rest in the corded power base with keeps them secure. The base also features an amazing skin sensor, which ensures than it’s only used on appropriate skin tones and that the setting is correct for you. This power base plugs into the wall and looks pretty cool too. Both the IPL6000 and the IPL6500 feature this.
Both models also feature two modes...
Multi-Flash Mode
This mode is ideal for easy, larger areas such as legs, stomachs, backs and chests. Designed for continuous motion, the device will keep flashing at two second intervals as you move it from one section to the other. This makes larger areas fast and easy to treat and you’ll be hair free in no time at all.
Single-Flash Mode
This mode is much better for small and hard-to-reach areas such as underarm, bikini and face. With you controlling when the device flashes, you can spend the time you need getting it into position without unexpected flashing.
Five light intensity settings, and Remington's ProPulse technology...
Both models also feature five light intensity settings and you can choose the setting that’s most suited for you with the help of the skin sensor. With facial attachments that feature a 2cm window, both these models are suitable for female facial hair below the cheekbone.
Remington’s ProPulse technology is used in these IPL machines and it’s their name for the fundamental process. The ProPulse light targets hair in the growth phase and this means that after three treatments, all hair should have been effectively treated. Like the Lumeas, the light reaches the hair follicle and temporarily shuts it down, ceasing growth. It then takes around two weeks for the remaining hair to shed by itself and with repeated treatments, you’ll remain hair free and delightfully smooth.
The body attachment is smaller than the Philips Lumea version at 3cm as opposed to 4cm. Nevertheless, the process is still reasonably quick and with the multi-flash mode you can get your legs done in no time.
>>> Click Here to see Pricing and Reviews on Amazon <<<
For him and for her...
Remington are keen to stress that both these models are unisex and can be used on both the female and the male body. The only limitation for men is that they’re designed for female facial hair and won’t be effective on the much tougher male facial hair. Other than that though, they can be effectively used on male chest and back hair as easily as female hair.
Hair needs to be pre-treated in the initial treatments and shaving is the best and easiest option. This cuts the hair back to a minimal length to allow the flashes of light to penetrate as easily as possible to the hair follicles. While pre-treatment can be seen as a faff, it’s only the first couple of times that you’ll really need to do it. After three treatments, the hair should be gone.
Bulbs and Replacement Parts
The main difference between the i-Light Pro IPL6000 and the i-Light Pro IPL6500 is the amount of flashes and system for dealing with replacing the bulbs. The IPL6000 has a bulb that lasts for 1500 flashes, not that much when you consider the standard Philips Lumea has 250,000 flashes! However, the IPL6000 does come with three replacement bulbs and you can buy further replacements (as long as they keep making them).
The problem with this is the selling point of the Lumea – this is supposed to be a faff-free device that takes the hassles out of hair removal. While you won’t need to replace the bulbs very often, just the fact that you do at all is a bit annoying. It means that you’ll need to remember to replace and remember to order new ones when the time comes. This adds to the initial cost of the device as well while the Lumeas are genuinely one-off purchases.
The IPL6000 also has a bulb life indicator in the power base, letting you know how much life it has left before you’ll need to change it.
The IPL6500 has an Infinity Bulb, which ‘never needs replacing’. This makes it sound more like the Philips Lumeas, which have lifetimes stretching between 5 and 10 years without ever changing the hardware. However, the Infinity bulb actually only features 65,000 flashes which sounds like a lot but is only half the lifespan of one of the lowest range Philips Lumea IPL systems (at 140,000 flashes).
Again, it does seem you can buy replacements (even though Remington says you never have to) but these are relatively expensive and if you were to keep doing it you’d likely be better off with a new machine.
>>> Click Here to see Pricing and Reviews on Amazon <<<For those who want to be using IPL for years to come and really want to only buy one machine for the foreseeable future, it’s annoying that Remington has a relatively short-sighted definition of ‘never’ needing to replace the bulb. The fact is, if you use this for over two years you’re going to need to consider a new bulb and if you use the IPL6000 you’ll need to replace the bulb you have for sure.
Safety
As with Philips Lumea systems, these Remington models have in-built skin touch sensors around the window. An indicator light will come on when this area senses that it has full contact with skin and won’t flash until that happens. This is very important, especially for the multi-flash setting where it’ll flash by itself every 2-3 seconds. This safety feature ensures that, regardless of setting, it’ll only flash when in full contact with skin and won’t accidentally flash in your eyes while you’re moving it about.
Discomfort
Slight discomfort is common with the Remington i-Light Pro models and they recommend that you turn down the intensity settings for more sensitive areas or if you’re uncomfortable with the sensation. Thicker hair will require more energy (thus heat) and this can result in a stinging or tingling sensation.
Like all IPL systems, these Remington models are not suitable for a variety of skin conditions, health conditions or some skin types; notably, very dark skin or very light hair. It’s crucial that you read the user manuals and never use the IPL system if you have any of the stated conditions within it or an unsuitable skin or hair type.
It’s also advised not to go over the same area twice during one treatment. This is tricky with all IPL systems and many users suggest using an eyeliner pencil in white to mark the sections that have been done, especially on the legs. The manufacturers recommend completing the treatment in a grid pattern but really, whatever works best for you.
The final word on the Remington i-LIGHT Pro
Both these modes are highly effective and certainly rival the Philips Lumea range for hair-free skin. You start seeing results immediately and it requires very infrequent treatments to keep skin smooth. The Remington IPL6500's Infinity bulb with 65,000 flashes makes this model worth the extra money.
4/5
The Good Stuff:
- It's very effective at keeping skin smooth.
- Very smart looking piece of kit
- A very good price
- The Infinity bulb on the IPL6500 lasts a lot longer than the IPL6000
The Bad Stuff:
- The bulb has a short lifetime compared to Philips Lumea
- Expensive to re-buy bulb
- Both the IPL6500 and IPL6000 have a cord