Summary: I spent six weeks testing this red light intimate massager from LELO, my favorite luxury pleasure brand. The MONA™ Spectra is a G-spot vibrator and pelvic floor wellness device that combines the brand’s signature sexual tech innovations with advanced LED light therapy. Designed to target both G-spot stimulation and the vaginal tissues and muscles with gentle thermal energy and UV-free chromatherapy, the MONA™ Spectra ramps up all the benefits of self-pleasure. Committing to a regular routine helped me reduce hormonal vaginal dryness and pelvic floor heaviness — while delivering the deep, satisfying orgasms I can always rely on from a LELO toy.

What I loved about the LELO MONA Spectra:

  • This is a vibrator made by experts in the field, so all the usual specs are top-tier: Incredible vibration quality, tons of customizable settings, a battery that lasts forever, and a device that is 100% waterproof.
  • The LED light therapy also produces a gentle thermal warmth that made my vaginal muscles feel so relaxed in the best way.
  • The Good Trade readers can use code 20GOOD for an extra 20% off on all LELO products (stackable with current Black Friday discounts)!

Things to keep in mind:

  • This is my personal experience after six weeks of dedicated testing, and not a guaranteed outcome for all users who try the device.
  • Red light therapy benefits are best achieved over time, with a consistent routine.

Listen, I know I write a lot about LELO, and you might be wondering what else there is to say about one of their luxury vibes that I haven’t said before. But that’s the thing about LELO — they just keep upping their game. The ergonomic sex toy designs and innovative tech continue to evolve, and the brand’s insatiable ambition continues to create products that are just as multitasking and high-achieving as they are. And when it comes to personal wellness for vaginal support, I don’t think we deserve anything less.

As a perimenopausal woman who has given birth vaginally, I am no stranger to the struggles that so many of us experience after a certain age: The usual hormonal shifts I’ve been used to experiencing from my menstrual cycle have changed. The internal landscape of my pelvic floor has changed. It’s been gradual, a process of incremental shifts that, over time, add up. Everything looks the same, but I can tell that it’s not.

“As a perimenopausal woman who has given birth vaginally, I am no stranger to the struggles that so many of us experience after a certain age.”

The first big shift happened after I had a baby. It’s a tale as old as time, really: I started peeing a little bit when I sneezed or laughed too hard. I started needing lube more regularly — not just to get started, but throughout. And during some parts of my cycle, certain positions or sex toys started to feel uncomfortable — not quite painful, but definitely different. Distracting. After a year or so, it became clear that my at-home Kegel’s routine wasn’t going to cut it, and I started pelvic floor therapy.

Many of my initial symptoms were postpartum-related, and with therapy and Pilates, I saw big improvement on both my occasional urine incontinence and also some internal discomfort. But then I entered my forties and started having night sweats. Perimenopause had arrived.

I spoke with my pelvic floor therapist and my OB/GYN, and among their suggestions for continued vaginal health support was the same thing: Red light therapy. 

What is red light therapy for your vagina?

Red light therapy has been used for decades in sports medicine, particularly loved for muscle and tissue support in recovery. It’s been gradually making its way into other wellness spaces for the same benefits, and I’ve particularly been enjoying it in my skincare routine.

Red light therapy is a non-invasive treatment that utilizes particular wavelengths of red and near-infrared light that promote repair on the cellular level by targeting the mitochondria. What does this mean? It essentially boosts our bodies’ natural cellular repair functions, making everything from pain relief to wound healing more efficient.

“What does this mean? It essentially boosts our bodies’ natural cellular repair functions, making everything from pain relief to wound healing more efficient.”

With so much clinically backed evidence for the effects of red light therapy, is it any surprise that it would be beneficial to vaginal health, too? Red light can help boost adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and nitric oxide, two critical regulators of vaginal health. While nitric oxide oversees the vascular and muscle tone of the vaginal wall, ATP fuels lubrication production and manages structural tissue remodeling.

A paper analyzing outcomes of red light therapy on genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) found it to be a safe and effective treatment alternative to current practices: “Specific wavelengths of red and near-infrared light target cellular mitochondria. This process stimulates a surge in ATP production while triggering the local release of nitric oxide, accelerating tissue rejuvenation and blood flow without hormones.”

The bottom line? Red light therapy is proving to be a gentle, non-invasive, and inexpensive treatment for supporting vaginal wellness.

The MONA Spectra from LELO

I’ve got my red light mask, but I was pretty sure lying in Happy Baby pose in front of it wasn’t going to be the most impactful treatment method. Luckily, LELO was already several steps ahead of me.

The MONA Spectra red light vibrator is everything we’ve come to love from the Swedish luxury pleasure brand, with a beautiful, ergonomic design that is both comfortable to use and very good at what it does.

“The MONA Spectra red light vibrator is everything … with a beautiful, ergonomic design that is both comfortable to use and very good at what it does.”

Like every LELO product I’ve ever tried, the MONA Spectra comes with a charging cable, silky storage pouch, warranty registration card, instruction manual, and sample packet of the brand’s lube (my absolute fave).

The exterior of the device is a body-safe, satiny soft silicone that glides easily over delicate tissues (and is, crucially, very easy to clean). The MONA Spectra is gently ribbed in a twisting spiral, which complements the vibration settings for a variety of sensation combinations.

As a vibrator, it is a top-tier toy: The MONA Spectra has eight patterns for use on its own, with two additional available on the app. There are 16 intensity settings as well, so you can enjoy everything from a murmuring purr to a more powerful growling roar. LELO’s patented SmoothRise™ technology makes the transitions between settings and intensities seamless, so there’s no risk of jarring you out of the zone at the crucial moment.

The red LED light is set by default, but the rest of LED lights (blue, green and NFR) are app-controlled, so you will need to download the free LELO app to connect the device before use. Luckily, it’s a breeze by Bluetooth connection. Toggle between the UV-free near-infrared light (850nm), green for targeting pain relief (525nm~535nm), and blue for anti-inflammatory effects (465nm~475nm) in the app settings. After a few minutes, the LED array produces a gentle thermal energy that feels warm in the best way, stimulating blood flow to help relax the muscles, which makes the whole experience generally more comfortable.

Hand holding a LELO brand LED light therapy wand next to a teacup with a lemon slice.
A hand holding a glowing green LELO skincare device next to a teacup with a lemon slice.
The MONA Spectra has red light, infrared light, blue light, and green light settings all accessible through the app.

My experience with the MONA Spectra

The MONA Spectra is a review-first launch from LELO — meaning that the brand is putting the authentic, real experiences of dedicated reviewers at the forefront. I followed their suggested guidelines to incorporate testing into a dedicated personal routine, using the device four times per week for six weeks in order to get a thorough sense of longer-term effects from consistent use over time. My main takeaway? This might be the easiest self-care routine I’ve ever kept.

“My main takeaway? This might be the easiest self-care routine I’ve ever kept.”

As with all my LELO toys, I knew I could expect the device to be pretty intuitive. Plug it in and the light blinks while it’s charging, going steady when it’s ready. Hold the button and it turns on. Toggle the arrows and the + and – symbols to change around settings and intensity levels. The MONA Spectra’s vibration quality is high, and I enjoy it on both my clit and my G-spot. The tapered end of the vibrator makes it easy to insert, and the silky silicone and twisting ribs are smooth and comfortable, offering just enough extra friction to play with when you need it.

A hand holding a white LELO wellness device, with a lit candle, lemon slices, and eucalyptus sprigs on a white towel.
A hand holds a Lelo brand light therapy wand with red LED lights illuminated along its oval head.
Is this the most luxurious red light therapy device we could use at home? This user thinks so.

At first, I tried using the MONA Spectra just for the light and thermal therapy, but I always turned the vibrations on after a few minutes. Technically, you could use this as a simple internal light therapy device without masturbating. Simply lube it up, insert into the vagina, turn on the light therapy setting of your choice, set a 15-minute timer, and then go on with your day. If you’re looking for a quick and easy hit of red light therapy on your vagina, you’re covered!

“I tried using the MONA Spectra just for the light and thermal therapy, but I always turned the vibrations on after a few minutes.”

This user is not going to leave any potential orgasms on the table, so my particular routine always included using all setting options combined. Since I am combining therapies with masturbation, I also incorporated clitoral stimulation with insertion, alternating where I positioned the vibrator in order to achieve orgasm.

For the first few weeks, the only thing I really noticed was the new-to-me sensation of the thermal energy near the end of my sessions. It is not hot, but it’s definitely noticeably warm, and the effect was generally orgasm-friendly and comfortable.

I always use a little lube for insertable toys, so I usually used one pump of LELO’s personal moisturizer to start. Depending on how long I am using the toy, I might need to reapply lube multiple times. One thing I started to notice with consistent use of the MONA Spectra is that I didn’t seem to need more lube after that first pump. At first I thought it might have been due to where I was in my cycle, but after four sessions during my luteal phase it was confirmed: There was definitely more natural moisture present than usual.

A LELO branded massager illuminated in red light, partially submerged in soapy water.
Hand holding a white, curved LELO personal massager emitting a bright red light from a row of LED indicators.
And since the MONA Spectra is 100% waterproof, so it makes a perfect companion for bathtime.

Then one day I was on a walk when I realized I really needed to pee. I had about a mile to go before I was home, so I worked on activating my core and hoping for the best. I was about a block away from home when I ran into a neighbor on a walk with her toddler and new baby. I stopped to chat with them, and the toddler, annoyed that he wasn’t getting enough attention, shouted “Hey, watch this!” before attempting a cartwheel that ended with him plonking spectacularly on his bottom. On impact, he let out an enormous trumpet of a fart. We all burst out laughing.

It wasn’t until I was opening my door that I remembered I’d been holding in my pee — and that I hadn’t leaked at all, not even after cackling at the impromptu slapstick routine courtesy of my neighbor’s toddler.

“Do I think that the red light therapy has been enhancing all my other work in repairing and strengthening my pelvic floor? Absolutely.”

Do I think that masturbating with a red light therapy device four times a week cured all of my postpartum incontinence entirely by itself? No. Like I mentioned, I have been to pelvic floor therapy and practice Pilates. But do I think that the red light therapy has been enhancing all my other work in repairing and strengthening my pelvic floor? Absolutely.

I use red light therapy on my skin for results that are visible to me, and I also rely on infrared sauna sessions to help aid muscle recovery from weight lifting. So it’s not such a huge surprise for me as it is a pleasant confirmation that my vagina can benefit from red light therapy, too.

Is the LELO MONA Spectra worth it?

Let me be clear: Do I think that integrating red light therapy into a vibrator is a good idea? 100% yes. After testing the LELO MONA Spectra for six weeks, I saw an increase in vaginal moisture — both during sex and overall. I noticed an improvement in general pelvic floor comfort at all phases of my cycle. I noticed a decrease in instances where I’d been experiencing urine incontinence. And the only thing that had changed in my regular personal wellness routine during these six weeks? The MONA Spectra.

“Let me be clear: Do I think that integrating red light therapy into a vibrator is a good idea? 100% yes.”

I know there are an overwhelming number of recommendations out there for women to optimize their health and wellness. It can feel impossible to pick and choose from so many imperatives to optimize every moment of every day, and to try to figure out what to prioritize with our budgets, time, and energy. What we ultimately choose to invest in is a deeply personal decision.

If sexual health and wellbeing is top of your list, the MONA Spectra might just be the multitasking device you need. For $299, you’re investing in both your pleasure and your vaginal health — and with special code 20GOOD, you can get it for 20% off. (The code is also stackable on any other discounts, and can be used for any LELO device!)

Self-pleasure can be a radical act of resistance in a world that makes us feel guilty for resting, and trying to find our way out of the productivity culture hamster wheel is no mean feat. So if you need a little boost to not only begin incorporating pleasure into your self-care routine but to actually protect that time, the MONA Spectra might be the perfect gateway you need: Red light therapy works best when used consistently over time, after all. And if you get an orgasm on the side? Even better.

Stephanie H. Fallon is a Contributing Editor at The Good Trade. She is a writer originally from Houston, Texas and holds an MFA from the Jackson Center of Creative Writing at Hollins University. She lives with her family in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, and she is the author of Finishing Lines, where she writes about her fear of finishing, living a creative life, and (medical) motherhood. Since 2022, she has been reviewing sustainable home and lifestyle brands, fact-checking sustainability claims, and bringing her sharp editorial skills to every product review. Say hi on Instagram or on her website.