I'm a restless person, but as someone who exercises often for both personal gains and my job, I also know I need proper recovery, which means active or passive rest (sometimes against my will).
Recently, I've been exploring the best massage guns and alternative recovery tools in a bid to make what can feel mundane for some a little more exciting, when I got the chance to test the Bon Charge Red Light Therapy blanket elite soccer players trust for boosting recovery and sleep.
In fact, British Premier League soccer club Fulham FC have made Bon Charge a key player in the team's recovery process, which convinced me I needed to try it for myself. And given it has been described as a "cozy sleeping bag," I really couldn't say no as I watched the rain pouring down outside in the middle of June.
The question is: Does this red light therapy blanket actually work? I just found out. Here are three reasons I am already utterly hooked.
What is the Bon Charge Red Light Therapy Blanket?
The therapy blanket delivers high-powered red light therapy to your entire body, primarily promoting muscle relaxation, reduced inflammation, better sleep and skin appearance, exercise recovery and boosted energy. Bon Charge makes it clear that this is not an infrared blanket, which is more focused on heating the body.
Bon Charge uses lab-grade red light therapy in the form of two mats that can be used by two people or zipped together to create something similar to a sleeping bag you'd camp with, although this version is far more high-tech. It features high-powered red light LEDs designed to penetrate the body to promote restoration.
If the numbers interest you, the brand uses 660nm red light and 850bm near-infrared light, which, according to Bon Charge, "are the most studied and therapeutic frequencies of red and near-infrared light."
While it's not cheap — the red light therapy blanket retails at $1,999 — you do get a lot of bang for your buck given the quality of the blanket itself and the red light therapy you receive. Each purchase also comes with a user manual, adapters, protective goggles, controllers and a power cord.
You can use the controller to adjust light intensity and timer settings, plus there's a pulse mode that allows for deeper penetration of the light.
Unable to resist, I did a little digging into the research on red light therapy, which indicates there's some emerging solid evidence for skin rejuvenation, collagen production and complexion.
A 2025 meta-analysis published in Sports Health looked at 14 randomized controlled trials examining the effects on high-level soccer and volleyball players, focusing on muscle strength, muscle endurance and biochemical markers of muscle damage.
Researchers found red light therapy didn't really help athletes produce more force (a marker of strength), whereas volleyball players who received therapy before exercise could complete more reps, indicating potential muscle endurance gains. For soccer players, the endurance results were mixed.
When looking at muscle damage, soccer players who had red light therapy indicated less muscle breakdown, whereas volleyball players' results were more mixed. This could mean it's helpful for sports that include high levels of running and eccentric contraction.
Another meta-analysis found evidence to support pre-exercise red light therapy for recovery. It concluded "Significantly improved muscle endurance" while also aiding the recovery of muscle strength and injury markers.
It's worth mentioning that the FDA hasn't evaluated the statements made by Bon Charge about the benefits of the product, and it isn't intended to diagnose, treat, or cure.
3 reasons I'm already hooked on the Bon Charge Red Light Therapy Blanket
Here’s what went down when I cocooned myself in a recovery blanket.
1. It's super warm and cozy
I basically posted myself into this thing like a letter in an envelope, and I was surprised by just how warm and cozy it was. I'd give it a few minutes to warm up if you're trying yours on a cooler day, but there's definitely some heat to the blanket.
That said, it won't get you sweating or burning calories (that's not the point), and it shouldn't be used in place of an Infrared sauna blanket if that's what you're looking for.
10/10 for feeling like I could snooze all afternoon, and the timer gives you generous options so you can stay there for as long as you like. Personally, I find my mind wanders too quickly and I get bored, so I put a mindfulness exercise on YouTube, which helped me relax.
After 45 minutes, I felt like I'd been cuddled and genuinely felt sleepy and tension-free.
2. The pulse mode is my favorite feature
The blanket has a few preset settings you can flick through, and I'm still figuring these out, but I found pulse mode to be super relaxing. If you've ever had Reiki, it's a very similar sensation, but if you haven't, the best way I can describe it is like a gentle tugging at random points on your body, not unlike a very gentle electric shock.
It was quite invigorating and relaxing at the same time, but whether or not it would make a huge difference to results in the long-term is up for debate.
3. It felt powerful
Sometimes I find recovery technology a bit faddy, and you see a lot of products come and go in my job. This red light therapy blanket feels like it's really having an impact on my body, especially my ability to relax.
The light looks and feels strong because it is strong, and it's high quality. I advise your goggles for this reason. And it definitely feels like the light is penetrating the skin and warming your body without cooking you.
I didn’t feel much different physically after a few goes (I plan to report back on muscle recovery and long-term skin appearance), but mentally, I felt calmer and slower, which I liked. I also felt a little energized.
For a first hands-on, I'm super impressed, and I'll be reporting down the line to see how red light therapy impacts recovery and wellbeing as part of my routine going forward.
Follow Tom's Guide fitness on Instagram for more workouts, routines, tips, and tricks.
A post shared by Tom's Guide Fitness (@tomsguidefitness)
A photo posted by on
