Kineon Move+ is an advanced red light therapy device that uses a combination of lasers and LEDs (also known as photobiomodulation) to effectively treat joint pain by improving blood flow to the affected area, in turn triggering the regrowth of cartilage tissue and balancing the body’s inflammatory response.
Note: When I tested the Kineon Move+, it was called the Reviiv Knee+. The company rebranded in September 2022, and I updated this review to reflect the new name.
Over the past few weeks, I used Move+ to effectively treat a persistent shoulder injury I sustained last year while doing bench presses.
In this Kineon Move+ review, I’ll explain why the device is more effective than most other red light therapy products on the market, as well as how it can help you treat common joint issues — such as knee or elbow pain and inflammation caused by arthritis (including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis).
Kineon Move+
Summary
Kineon Move+ is an advanced red light therapy device that uses a combination of lasers and LEDs (also known as photobiomodulation) to effectively treat joint pain by improving blood flow to the affected area, in turn triggering the regrowth of cartilage tissue and balancing the body’s inflammatory response.
Benefits of Photobiomodulation for Joint Pain
Photobiomodulation (PBM) is scientifically proven to be an effective treatment method for a variety of joint-related issues, including (but not limited to):
- Sports injuries (such as ACL or meniscus issues).
- Excessive wear and tear (such as osteoarthritis).
- Chronic inflammation (such as rheumatoid arthritis).
Photobiomodulation is effective because it increases oxygenated blood flow to the treatment area, thus speeding up the body’s natural healing process. Additionally, PBM triggers the regrowth of damaged cartilage tissue, which is crucial for the treatment of osteoarthritis and other degenerative joint issues.
PBM also balances the body’s inflammatory response without impairing acute inflammation, which is a critical mechanism for the body to heal.
You can learn more about why inflammation is crucial for optimal tissue healing, as well as the science behind photobiomodulation, in my article about the benefits of red light therapy for joint pain and arthritis.
If you don’t have time to read that article right away, here are the top four benefits of photobiomodulation:
- Heals cartilage by increasing stem cell production.
- Reduces inflammation by decreasing the expression of pro-inflammatory factors.
- Increases blood flow to the treated areas by dilating blood vessels and triggering the growth of new blood vessels.
- Reduces pain by suppressing pain signaling molecules.
Kineon Move+ is an advanced wearable photobiomodulation device that delivers all of the above benefits.
If you’d like to take an even deeper dive into the topic, read my article on the health benefits of red light therapy, which goes further into the science.
Kineon Move+ Review
Pros
- Effective.
- Easy to use.
- Great battery life.
- Clinical-grade technology.
- Affordable.
Cons
- The device automatically turns off every five minutes.
- There is no app that allows you to set the desired treatment length.
Kineon (the company behind Move+) developed this red light therapy device out of a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to help people treat acute and chronic knee pain caused by injuries, wear and tear (sometimes resulting from excess body weight), and chronic inflammation (which can lead to autoimmune issues such as rheumatoid arthritis).
What most people don’t know is that poor dietary choices often cause chronic inflammation. Check out my article about plants vs. meat to learn how the toxins in plant foods increase your risk of developing gout, rheumatoid arthritis and other issues.
Move+ can be used to help treat virtually all joints and muscles — including ankles, calves, thighs, hips, shoulders and elbows — thanks to its adjustable and elastic straps.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been using an early prototype of Move+ to treat the strained ligament that attaches my left bicep to my left shoulder.
Dual-Light Therapy
Move+ leverages dual-light technology that combines medical-grade laser technology with traditional LED lights to improve the light’s penetration depth. The latter (combined with proper dosing) is important for effectively treating both injured tissue around joints and larger muscle groups.
Most red light therapy devices on the market rely solely on LEDs, which don’t offer the same focus, dosing and penetration depth of laser light.
Another thing that differentiates Move+ from similar devices on the market is its pulsed wave (PW) technology. Most competing devices leverage constant wave (CW) technology and, as I explain in my article about the benefits of red light therapy for joint pain, “PW uses short pulses of light at a relatively high energy level, whereas CW uses a constant stream of light at a relatively lower energy level. Thus, the benefit of using pulsed light devices is that they allow for the use of higher energy (which improves penetration depth) without inflicting tissue damage.”
Use Cases (Modular Design)
One of the things I love most about Move+ is its versatility, which is thanks in large part to its modular design. Out of the box, Move+ comes with three light modules that are attached to adjustable elastic straps, forming a circle. Each of the three straps also features a clip that makes it easy to wrap the light modules around your knee, thigh or other body parts.
Note: Kineon is developing additional strap options to make the treatment of certain body parts (such as the lower back) more convenient. I’ll share images as soon as I’ve gotten my hands on some of those upcoming straps.
What’s neat about the light modules is that they’re all linked together via Bluetooth. If you turn one on, the other two will also turn on. The same is true when you turn one of the modules off.
I’m hoping that in the future, the built-in Bluetooth capability means you’ll be able to control the device via an app, especially with regard to setting the desired treatment time. Currently, the device automatically turns off after five minutes (the default treatment time), so you have to manually turn it back on twice to reach 15 minutes (which is the ideal treatment time according to my research).
How to Use Move+
Move+ is a passive treatment device. All you have to do is wear it around the joint or muscle group you want to treat and turn it on.
I usually treat my shoulder while watching an hour of TV in the evening with my wife. From my perspective, the passive nature of Move+ is a major differentiator from the other red light therapy devices I’ve used in the past (including Solio Alfa+) because it makes it easy to keep using it.
If I have to do something beyond wearing the device — like massage the affected area — I’m much more likely to stop the treatment regimen before the issue is fully healed. That’s a problem because many joint issues require a certain treatment length (several weeks to several months) to be effective.
I noticed significant improvements in pain and shoulder mobility after about a week of using Move+ for 15 to 30 minutes each day. If you suffer from knee pain due to a degeneration of cartilage tissue or an ACL tear, you’ll likely require several weeks of treatment to allow your body to repair (or regrow) the damaged cartilage tissue.
Battery and Charging
When I started writing this review, I had no idea what Move+’s battery life would be. I just started using the device for up to 30 minutes a day, several days in a row, before recharging it using the magnetic charging dock it comes with.
I never ran out of battery during that period, and because the light modules don’t have a battery life indicator, I had no clue what the charge level was at any given time. Out of curiosity, I asked Kineon and the company told me that the battery of each light module lasts for more than four hours of continuous use (or 24 10-minute sessions).
The device comes with a wireless charging dock, but you need to connect it to a power source with a USB-C cable. One thing I’ve noticed is that it will only charge when using a USB-A to USB-C cable (which is the type of cable that comes with Move+). In other words, the charger won’t work with a USB-C to USB-C cable (and a matching USB-C power adapter).
As a result, I had to hunt down an old 5-watt iPhone charging brick, as Kineon does not include a wall plug with the device (just the USB-A to USB-C cable).
I experienced this issue with a pre-production model, and had hoped the problem would be ironed out by the time the final Move+ device hit the market. Unfortunately, it still has not been addressed.
As far as charging speed is concerned, the modules take 4-5 hours to charge from 0% to 100%. I usually charge them overnight so they’re ready for use the next day.
The Move+ has an LED battery light indicator the reflects the following charge bands:
- Green indicates a 50-100% charge.
- Orange indicates a 20-49% charge.
- Red indicates a 0-19% charge.
Pricing
Move+ retails for $499, but it’s worth noting that it has been on sale for $379 since the pre-launch phase.
If you decide to purchase the device, use code MKUMMER to get 10% off your order.
My Experience With Kineon Move+
I’ve been dealing with shoulder pain since the summer of 2021. And up until recently, I did not dedicate sufficient time to healing the damaged tissue.
I want to make it clear that I’m not talking about taking a break from working out. After all, not using injured joints or muscles for an extended period is counter-productive, because it limits blood flow (which is an important aspect of the healing process) and causes the affected tissue to weaken even more.
Instead, I’m referring to the use of the recovery tools I already had, as well as consistent execution of the movement exercises prescribed by my physical therapist.
To be honest, my shoulder issue wasn’t debilitating enough to encourage me to make the required recovery efforts a high priority. After all, I could still perform most workouts with little to no pain.
That’s why I got so excited when I learned about Move+: it’s a passive treatment device that doesn’t take time away from everything else I want to do, allowing me to treat my shoulder for 15-30 minutes each day while watching TV, reading a book or hanging out with my family. As a result, I used the device every day for the past few weeks and I’m seeing incredible results.
Before I started using Move+, my shoulder pain would stay at relatively low levels when I wasn’t using my shoulder and bicep muscles. But as soon as I started doing push-ups, overhead presses or muscle-ups, the pain would intensify in the days following the workout.
Since I started using Move+, I can perform any type of movement without further aggravating my shoulder. Instead, my pain has been gradually receding and my shoulder’s range of (pain-free) motion has increased.
I completely attribute these improvements to using Move+ and, as a result, I’ve started making the device a regular part of my recovery routine. In other words, I’ll use the device to increase oxygenated blood flow to joints and muscle groups that are sore or fatigued from previous workouts, even though they are not injured.
I should also mention that I received two Move+ prototype units because I thought one was defective when I couldn’t get it to charge using a standard USB-C cable (see the Battery and Charging section above for more details on what I mean by that). Once I started using a USB-A to USB-C cable (like the one that came with Move+), the charger worked just fine and so I had an extra unit to play with.
Considering that one of my friends who is a workout buddy has had bad knees for many years, I decided to loan him one of the two units to see if it could help him regrow some of the damaged cartilage tissue he’s had for decades.
He reported significant improvements within a short period and recorded a short video (below) to share his experience with the device:
Side-By-Side Comparison
Since I’ve tested and used a variety of recovery and pain-relief strategies as part of my active lifestyle, I created the table below to give you an overview of how those strategies compare.
| Photobiomodulation (PBM) | Red Light (LED) | Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) | Percussion Therapy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increases blood flow | ★★★ | ★★☆ | ★☆☆ | ★★★ |
| Deep tissue penetration | ★★★ | ★☆☆ | ★☆☆ | ★★★ |
| Blocks pain signals | ★★★ | ★☆☆ | ★★★ | ☆☆☆ |
| Triggers cartilage regrowth | ★★★ | ☆☆☆ | ☆☆☆ | ☆☆☆ |
As you can see, PBM is superior to most other devices as far as pain relief and improved recovery are concerned.
On a side note, I also leverage cold plunging (aka cold therapy) regularly, but not to treat acute inflammation.
Acute (short-term) inflammation is an important mechanism that allows the body to heal faster. More importantly, I don’t use ice packs or cryotherapy to treat sore muscles or reduce inflammation, because it’s less effective than photobiomodulation and, in some cases, even counter-productive.
Dr. Aaron Horschig, a doctor of physical therapy, explains in this blog post why you should “walk it off” instead of putting ice on an injured or fatigued muscle or joint.
Move+ vs. PBM Treatment at a Clinic
One of the key advantages of Move+ is that you can take the device with you to treat your joints wherever you are, instead of having to travel to a treatment facility.
Additionally, treating chronic joint issues at a clinic or doctor’s office is significantly more expensive. A year’s worth of laser or red light therapy treatments can easily cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Frequently Asked Questions
Move+ can help treat various acute and chronic issues, including injuries (MCL, ACL, meniscus, muscle tear or sprain), as well as inflammatory conditions including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout. Additionally, you can use Move+ to speed up your recovery after surgery or intense workouts (muscle fatigue or soreness).
Move+ is an advanced photobiomodulation device that leverages both laser diodes and LEDs (dual-light technology) to deeply penetrate tissue. Most red light therapy devices on the market use only LEDs that can’t penetrate the tissue deep enough to provide optimal benefits.
Additionally, the light-emitting elements of Move+ have been engineered to deliver a focused beam of light for optimal penetration.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) reduce pain and lower inflammation. While that sounds appealing, reducing acute (also known as functional) inflammation is counter-productive because it impairs the body’s natural recovery processes.
In other words, popping a few ibuprofen after an intense workout slows down recovery and leads to further degradation of cartilage tissue.
While impairing acute inflammation is bad, studies have shown that the chronic use of NSAIDs can actually promote chronic inflammation. That’s really bad and reason enough to remove NSAIDs from your medicine cabinet.
Move+ (and photobiomodulation in general) has no such side effects, and it doesn’t negatively impair acute inflammatory processes. Instead, Move+ promotes oxygenated blood flow to allow the body to quickly heal the affected tissue.
To see results, I recommend using Move+ for at least five minutes twice a day. For optimal results, I recommend extending your treatment time to 15 minutes twice a day.
Move+ runs for more than four hours on a single charge. Once the batteries are completely empty, you can recharge them in 4-5 hours using the magnetic charging dock.
Yes, you can definitely share Move+ with another person. There are no personalized settings you’d have to worry about.
Move+ comes with straps you can easily adjust for an optimal fit.
I always consider surgery a last resort, but there are cases where it can’t be avoided. But even then, you can use Move+ to speed up your post-OP recovery.
As of this writing, Move+ is not available on Amazon.
No, Move+ is not covered by medical insurance because it’s not considered a medical device as per FDA regulations.
Kineon Move+ Review: Final Thoughts
Move+ is an effective laser therapy device that uses photobiomodulation technology or PBM. PBM has been shown in several studies to effectively treat various types of joint pain (including arthritis) by triggering the growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) and cartilage tissue, as well as by balancing inflammation.
I’ve been using Move+ to successfully treat a stubborn shoulder injury that had been bugging me for almost a year. Together with my Sunlighten infrared sauna, my cold plunge, PowerDot and Theragun, Move+ has become an essential part of my recovery toolkit.
Do you suffer from chronic joint pain or have you sustained a recent injury to your knee? If so, I encourage you to give Move+ a try to speed up your recovery efforts.
I’m a healthy living and technology enthusiast.
On this blog, I share in-depth product reviews, actionable information and solutions to complex problems in plain and easy-to-understand language.
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