FDA Clears Solius Pro, the First Over-the-Counter Home UVB Panel for Vitamin D

Launching just in time to keep you out of the summer sun's harmful rays, personalized sunlight tech company Solius Labs' Solius Pro is a portable light panel that sits in a brand-new category: over-the-counter phototherapy technology, which was previously limited to medical settings. The FDA even created a new product code for the device in order to clear it for use without a prescription, per a press statement.

In the US, Solius Pro was specifically FDA-cleared to stimulate vitamin D production for people age 22 and older.

"Solius UVB light therapy provides 12x the healthy UVB [ultraviolet B] health benefits of the sun with 99% less total UV risk," Chris Kiple, CEO of Solius Labs, told CNET. "UVB light has been clinically shown to drive some of the body's most important biological processes."

This is not another SAD lamp

Solius is not like other light therapy products on the market, as they use different wavelengths in the light spectrum. "SAD lamps and red light devices use visible light and do not activate UVB-responsive biological pathways that are fundamental to health and longevity," explained Kiple.

The Solius Pro skin assessment

All it takes is one light therapy session per week, lasting less than five minutes, available rain or shine. However, the amount of skin-damaging UV radiation is mitigated. The statement released stated that a full year of these sessions delivers approximately the same total UV radiation as five minutes of natural midday sunlight, but with less risk.

Designed for home use, the $2,995 portable device measures 20 by 24 by 2.5 inches, is 7.1 pounds and has 132 UVB LEDs. It can be hung on a wall or door and plugged into a standard power outlet. Using Solius Pro's built-in sensor, the Solius app guides the user through a skin assessment that captures skin pigmentation measurements and analyzes them with a Solius algorithm to deliver a dose of UVB light therapy.

This personalization algorithm was created using about 10,000 skin samples from around the world, featuring a range of skin tones and pigmentation. To maintain safe, consistent dosing over time, the Solius system also incorporates skin response, therapy history, positioning data and user feedback for future sessions.

Where you'll receive your dose

"Safely dosing UVB light from natural sunlight is nearly impossible," Kiple said. "Even on sunny days, factors such as time of day, season, latitude, cloud cover, air quality, skin tone and individual UV skin sensitivity make it difficult to consistently achieve a clinically beneficial UVB dose without damaging the skin."

Plus, there's the difficulty of delivering the right amount of UVB to stimulate the body's beneficial biological pathways while remaining below an individual's threshold where sunburns and skin damage can occur. Solius's patent-pending skin analysis system makes dosing the benefits of UVB light from the sun possible but, according to the company, does so with 50% less total UV radiation than prescription narrowband UVB (NB-UVB) devices.

Once your assessment is complete, the app will guide your session, which is typically less than five minutes and designed to be used on your back, from the waist to the neck. The app will ensure you're wearing protective eyewear, monitor your position, track your session and progress and even prevent you from accessing the device in between sessions.

"The user's back provides a flat treatment surface that enables Solius to deliver a highly uniform UVB dose that ensures meaningful whole-body biological effects while keeping the face and eyes outside the therapy field," Kiple said.

How to know if Solius Pro is working

The goal is to provide users with biologically beneficial wavelengths of sunlight in a controlled environment, but with less than 1% of the total UV risk from sunlight.

Solius Pro uses a targeted UVB wavelength of 293 nanometers and concentrates 95% of its light output within the UVB action spectrum, which is associated with stimulating vitamin D production. It avoids UVA (ultraviolet A) wavelengths, which can cause skin damage and increase the risk of skin cancer.

When asked how users will know if Solius Pro is working, Kiple stated that "health outcomes can be tracked through objective measures such as vitamin D levels, DEXA scans [an imaging test that measures bone health and body composition], stool samples, blood pressure and validated patient-reported assessments."

For vitamin D production, which Solius Pro is FDA-cleared to stimulate, users can measure the impact with a baseline blood test before starting treatment and then serum 25-OH vitamin D tests after eight to 12 weeks of use, with retests every two to three months.

During an August 2025 randomized controlled trial funded by Solius, which included 69 people divided into treatment and control groups over 21 weeks, participants saw an average increase of about 10 ng/mL in serum vitamin D levels without skin damage or visible tanning.

"Many users report improvements in mood and energy shortly after treatment, along with better sleep, focus and overall well-being over time," added Kiple. "Beyond vitamin D production, researchers continue to study how UVB exposure influences bone health, cardiovascular function, immune signaling, metabolism and the gut microbiome." These topics are the focus of ongoing Solius research.

Solius Pro is not recommended for everyone

While Solius Pro is safe for most adults when it's used as directed, Kiple acknowledged that it's not for everyone, including people with photosensitivity disorders or a history of skin cancer.

In the aforementioned August 2025 trial, the Solius system was well tolerated, with no serious adverse events, but 52% of participants experienced minor adverse events, such as redness and itchiness.

Before use, it's important to review the device's user manual and speak to your doctor about any concerns.

"Consistent weekly Solius sessions help maintain the sunlight-driven processes our bodies rely on," Kiple said. "Over time, consistent Solius therapy may help address some of the physiological effects associated with insufficient sunlight exposure that often lead to increased risk of premature aging and disease."

The cost and when it ships

Available now in the US, Solius Pro costs $2,995 plus membership. Founding members get a free lifetime membership with access for up to eight people. Otherwise, a membership is $100 per year or $10 per month.

Solius Pro is HSA/FSA eligible, but with that type of purchase, membership is sold separately in the Solius app.

Included with the Solius Pro light panel are protective eyewear (otherwise $52), a skin measurement cone ($25), a hanging system ($100) and a 10-foot detachable power cord ($23). You also get 30 days to return your device and a one-year warranty.

Solius Pro will start shipping in July.