Dr. Pen A11 Review

The Dr. Pen A11, sold in the US as the “Dr. Pen A11 Ultima PRO”, is a home and salon microneedling pen with a 0–2.5 mm depth range, six speeds, a charging stand that pauses the motor, and a cord or a battery depending on which seller you believe. It has no FDA clearance. It is also the one consumer Dr. Pen that Health Canada licensed, for about a year, before the licence ended in December 2025 and the newer licence left it off. Dr. Pen US sells it for $319, and on this site’s standard cartridge schedule the first year costs $396.94. This review is based on documented evidence: nobody at this site has used the device.

The Canadian licence the A11 held, and lost

This is the A11’s most unusual fact. Health Canada’s Medical Devices Active Licence Listing (MDALL) shows licence 112281, “DR.PEN MICRONEEDLING SYSTEM”, class II, held by the same company as the brand’s current licence. Its device identifiers were A11, A20, A9 and the cartridge H14. It ran from November 27, 2024 to December 9, 2025.

The replacement, licence 114618 (“MICRONEEDLING SYSTEM”, first issued January 6, 2026, no end date), lists A20, A9, DP-MC9 and H14. The A11 isn’t on it. MDALL doesn’t say why it was dropped, and no public document found for this review explains it.

That matters because of what Health Canada said in 2021. Its December 16, 2021 advisory covers the “Dr. pen Auto Microneedle System. All models, including but not limited to, A1, A6, A7, A6S, E30, M5, M7, M8, N2 and X5, and Ultima versions.” The A11 isn’t named in the list. It is covered twice over anyway: by “all models, including but not limited to”, and by “Ultima versions”, since Dr. Pen US sells it as the A11 Ultima PRO. The advisory’s stated reason was that “Dr. pen microneedling pens and cartridges are not licensed by Health Canada”. For roughly a year that wasn’t true of the A11. Since December 2025 it is again.

Two further gaps. The only cartridge identifier on either licence is H14, while Dr. Pen US sells A11 cartridges in 12, 18, 24, 36 and 42 pins plus two nano types, none labeled H14. Whether H14 fits the A11 is unverified. And neither licence record says whether it covered home use.

Specs, and where the sellers disagree

Dr. Pen US (us.drpen.co) publishes a full spec list for the A11, which it did not do for the M8S. The trouble is that other sellers contradict it on three of the headline numbers.

	Dr. Pen A11	Source
Depth	“0-2.5mm needle adjustment range”	us.drpen.co
	“from 0.25mm to 2.5mm”	drpenonline.store
Speeds	“6 adjustable speed levels (up to 15,000 rpm)”	us.drpen.co; drpenonline.store also says 15,000
	“Up to 16,000 rpm with six speed levels”	drpen.io
	“RPM max 18,000”	Dr.pen Club
Power	“wired with a 2-meter cord or wirelessly”	us.drpen.co; drpenonline.store agrees
	“does not support wired mode”	Dr.pen Club
Battery	“700 mAh”, “Charging time: 1 hour”, “3-4 hours/one charge”	us.drpen.co; drpen.io also says 700 mAh
	“800 mAh”	Dr.pen Club
Default cartridge	18-pin, “0.18mm diameter”, “N-shape line design”	us.drpen.co (cartridge page)
Cartridge mount	“3-lock fixed cartridge connector and a backflow protection membrane”	us.drpen.co
Stand	“A11 Inductive Base” in the box	us.drpen.co
Body	ABS	Dr.pen Club
Weight	“Net Weight (Pen): 648g”	us.drpen.co
In the box (US store)	pen, “2x Round Nano-pin Cartridges”, inductive base, USB cable, adaptor, manual	us.drpen.co

Speed: 15,000, 16,000 or 18,000 rpm. Dr. Pen US and drpenonline.store say 15,000. drpen.io, which sells as “Dr. Pen Official”, says 16,000. Dr.pen Club says 18,000 in its model guide and again in a July 16, 2025 comparison, where it calls the A11 “significantly better” than the M5 on that basis. The highest figure is the one that circulates in comparisons. The brand’s own US store gives the lowest.

Corded or not. The manufacturer’s US page offers “Dual Power Options” with a 2-meter cord. Dr.pen Club’s comparison says the A11 “does not support wired mode, so it can only rely on the built-in battery to work”. drpen.io describes only “cordless operation”. Possibly there are two hardware versions under one name, but that is a guess, and nothing public confirms it.

The stand. Dr.pen Club says “Only the Dr. Pen A11 comes with an inductive holder base. Place the pen on the base and it pauses automatically, then resumes at the same speed when you pick it up.” Of all the A11’s features, only this one has no counterpart in the other Dr. Pen models reviewed here.

The 648 g weight is printed as the pen’s net weight, which is far above the 94 g Dr. Pen gives for the A20, so it may describe the boxed set. Unverified.

Comparison of Dr. Pen M8S and Dr. Pen A11
byu/MTPskintech inMicroneedling

Google indexed that r/Microneedling thread, titled “Comparison of Dr. Pen M8S and Dr. Pen A11”, in a Russian translation. Its snippet, translated, says the A11 “offers higher speed, touch control and the convenience of auto-pause”. The speed claim depends on which spec sheet the poster read: at Dr. Pen US’s own figures the A11 (15,000 rpm) is slower than the M8S as most sellers list it (16,000).

Who it suits, and who it doesn’t

Suits: someone in the US who has already decided to microneedle at home or in a salon, wants the auto-pause stand, and will buy from a seller with a written warranty.

Doesn’t suit: anyone in Canada, where the A11 is now off the brand’s licence and back under the 2021 advisory. Anyone who wants an FDA-cleared pen. The brand’s only cleared model is the Dr. Pen A20, a prescription device.

Running cost

Dr. Pen US prices every A11 cartridge pack (12, 18, 24, 36 and 42-pin, round and square nano) at $59.95 for 10, checked October 6, 2026. On this site’s standard schedule, one full-face session every 4 weeks with one new cartridge each, 13 cartridges a year:

• per cartridge: $59.95 ÷ 10 = $5.995
• a year of cartridges: 13 × $5.995 = $77.94
• first year: $319.00 + $77.94 = $396.94
• each later year: $77.94

Cartridges come in tens, so 13 means two packs ($119.90) and a first-year outlay of $438.90, with seven spares. The US box holds two nano cartridges only, and the store says “Microneedling cartridges will need to be purchased separately if required.” On the day of checking it was adding a free 36-pin pack and a derma stamp to pen orders (“T&Cs apply”). A 36-pin head is a different tool from the 18-pin default, so that offer may or may not replace a purchase.

Elsewhere, drpenonline.store lists the A11 at $249.00 and drpen.io at €195.95. Their cartridge prices weren’t checked, so no yearly figure is given for them, and which sellers ship genuine stock is unverified.

The A11’s 18-pin cartridge page says “Microneedling treatment for acne scarring can only be performed once every 3-4 weeks”. The M8S cartridge page on the same store says “once every 4-6 weeks”.

FDA status

The A11 has no 510(k). The FDA’s clearance records hold one Dr. Pen device, K230420, the “Dr. pen Microneedling System” from Guangzhou Ekai Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., decided August 11, 2023 for prescription use “to improve the appearance of facial acne scars in adults aged 22 years and older”. That is the A20. Our FDA lookup lists every cleared pen, and clearance versus approval explains what a clearance covers.

The A11 page on Dr. Pen US ends with “This product may not have been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration”, followed by “In accordance with FDA authorisation, microneedling pens are intended for use by individuals aged 22 years and older.” The A11 has no FDA authorisation. The age line is borrowed from cleared devices.

What owners say

There’s little to read. Dr. Pen US shows a count of 41 reviews on its A11 page, hosted by the seller. Trustpilot refused an automated request for the brand’s page (HTTP 403), so the complaint record is unverified.

A search of the FDA’s MAUDE adverse-event database on October 6, 2026 found nothing naming the A11. Searching by model number “A11” returned only unrelated devices (dental implants and radiotherapy software). The two reports naming Guangzhou Ekai concern other models: a July 2021 malfunction report listing “A8, A6, A6S, A7” and an October 2023 injury report for an A6S. MAUDE reports are unverified submissions and don’t establish that a device caused an event.

Dr Pen A11 & M8 comparison?
byu/KT21257 inMicroneedling

That thread, “Dr Pen A11 & M8 comparison?”, appears in Google in a German translation. Its snippet has the poster saying they own an M8 that is “a bit old” and asking how the two compare: an upgrade question, the typical shape of A11 discussion on Reddit.

Warranty, returns and privacy

The A11 page says “1-year warranty provided”, and the store’s refund policy matches: products are “eligible for repair or replacement for a period of 12 months from the original invoice date”, covering “component and manufacturing defects”. It does not cover faults “caused by the use of such cartridges”, meaning third-party cartridges or ones “not received or purchased directly from us”.

Change-of-mind returns exist but are narrow: a “14-day Change of Mind return from the date of purchase, subject to a 20% restocking fee”, only for items “In new, unopened condition, including plastic wrap remaining sealed”, with return shipping at your cost. The policy also rules out returns “based solely on dissatisfaction with treatment results”.

The privacy policy is a Shopify template that shares browsing and purchase data with advertising partners and still carries the line “[INSERT OTHER COOKIES OR TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES THAT YOU USE]”. The footer and terms name eShopping Group Pty Ltd, an Australian company, as the operator. No data incident was found.

How it scored

• Safety (3): Capped at 3: the 2021 advisory covers “all models” and “Ultima versions”, and the A11 left Health Canada’s register when licence 112281 ended on December 9, 2025; within the cap, sterile ethylene-oxide cartridges and a “backflow protection membrane” count for it, while the pen page both tells you to “sterilize cartridges before treatment” and calls that step “entirely optional”.
• Build (5): Needle gauge, connector and backflow membrane are described, but no depth-accuracy data, a battery figure that differs by seller (700 or 800 mAh) and a printed 648 g weight that looks wrong leave it at the neutral score.
• Performance (7): 0–2.5 mm, six speeds, cord or battery and an auto-pause stand per the manufacturer’s US page, held back by sellers who disagree on top speed by 3,000 rpm and on whether a cord works at all.
• Value (6): $319 + 13 × $5.995 = $396.94 in year one at Dr. Pen US prices, in the $300–450 band, with a box that ships without microneedling cartridges.
• Service (4): A 12-month warranty, a 20% restocking fee on sealed change-of-mind returns and no complaint record that could be read. The store’s refund and warranty terms are shared by every Dr. Pen model it sells, so they score the same on each review.
• Privacy (4): Dr. Pen US (us.drpen.co) uses one Shopify template privacy policy for every model: it shares data with advertising platforms and still contains an unfilled “[INSERT OTHER COOKIES OR TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES THAT YOU USE]” placeholder. No incident was found. The same policy gets the same score on every Dr. Pen review.
• Evidence (3): PubMed returns no study of the A11, its US page cites an “FDA authorisation” it doesn’t have and calls microneedling “non-invasive”, and a reseller (drpen.io) advertises “Clinically proven results”.

Alternatives

• Dr. Pen M8S: the A11’s closest sibling, with the same 18-pin default and three-latch mount, $299 at Dr. Pen US, never licensed in Canada and also uncleared.
• Dr. Pen A20: licensed in Canada alongside the A11 in 2024, and kept on the 2026 licence. FDA-cleared for prescription use; $599 at Dr. Pen US, which asks buyers for a license number.
• Derminator 2: a corded pen from a different maker, and the one Reddit users weigh against the A11.

Dr pen A11 or Derminator 2?!
byu/Necessary_Mix9313 inMicroneedling

That thread is titled “Dr pen A11 or Derminator 2?!”, indexed in a Slovak translation. The snippet, translated, praises “better device quality and better performance” and a build “with strong magnets so the needles stay on your skin as short a time as possible”, without saying which of the two pens it means.

FAQ

Is the Dr. Pen A11 FDA approved? No. It has no FDA clearance or approval. The only cleared Dr. Pen is the A20 (K230420), for prescription use on facial acne scars.

Is the Dr. Pen A11 licensed in Canada? Not now. It was on Health Canada licence 112281 from November 27, 2024 to December 9, 2025, and it isn’t on the current licence, 114618.

Is the “Dr. Pen Ultima A11” the same as the A11 Ultima PRO? They appear to be names for the same model. Dr. Pen US titles it “Dr. Pen A11 Ultima PRO Microneedling Pen” under SKU DP-PEN-A11, and no seller found for this review lists a separate Ultima A11 with different specs.

How fast is the Dr. Pen A11? 15,000 rpm according to Dr. Pen US. drpen.io says 16,000 and Dr.pen Club says 18,000, so the true top speed is unverified.

Does the Dr. Pen A11 work while plugged in? Dr. Pen US says yes, with a 2-meter cord. Dr.pen Club says it “does not support wired mode”. Check the listing you buy from.

Sources

• Dr. Pen US, Dr. Pen A11 Ultima PRO product page and product data (checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/products/dr-pen-a11-ultima-pro-microneedling-pen
• Dr. Pen US, 18 Pin Replacement Cartridges for Dr.Pen A11 (checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/products/18-pin-replacement-cartridges-for-dr-pen-a11-10-pack
• Dr. Pen US, Professional A11 Skin Needling Treatment Starter Bundle (checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/products/professional-a11-skin-needling-treatment-starter-bundle
• Dr. Pen US, refund and warranty policy (checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/policies/refund-policy
• Dr. Pen US, privacy policy (checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/policies/privacy-policy
• Dr. Pen US, terms of service naming eShopping Group Pty Ltd (checked 2026-10-06): https://us.drpen.co/policies/terms-of-service
• drpenonline.store, Dr. Pen A11 (checked 2026-10-06): https://drpenonline.store/product/dr-pen-a11/
• drpen.io, Dr. Pen A11 product data (checked 2026-10-06): https://www.drpen.io/products/dr-pen-a11
• Dr.pen Club, “All Dr. Pen Models: The 2026 Complete Guide” (checked 2026-10-06): https://drpenclub.com/dr-pen-models/
• Dr.pen Club, “Dr. Pen M5 vs A11” (July 16, 2025): https://drpenclub.com/dr-pen-m5-vs-a11/
• Health Canada advisory, “Dr. pen microneedling devices are not authorized for sale and may pose health risks” (December 16, 2021): https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/advisory-dr-pen-microneedling-devices-are-not-authorized-for-sale-and-may-pose-health-risks-898811970.html
• Health Canada MDALL, licence 112281 (checked 2026-10-06): https://health-products.canada.ca/api/medical-devices/licence/?id=112281&lang=en&type=json&state=archived
• Health Canada MDALL, device identifiers on licence 112281 (checked 2026-10-06): https://health-products.canada.ca/api/medical-devices/deviceidentifier/?licence_id=112281&lang=en&type=json&state=archived
• Health Canada MDALL, licence 114618 (checked 2026-10-06): https://health-products.canada.ca/api/medical-devices/licence/?id=114618&lang=en&type=json
• Health Canada MDALL, device identifiers on licence 114618 (checked 2026-10-06): https://health-products.canada.ca/api/medical-devices/deviceidentifier/?licence_id=114618&lang=en&type=json
• FDA 510(k) database entry for K230420: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K230420
• FDA 510(k) summary for K230420: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf23/K230420.pdf
• FDA MAUDE via openFDA, manufacturer “ekai” (searched 2026-10-06): https://api.fda.gov/device/event.json?search=device.manufacturer_d_name:ekai
• FDA MAUDE via openFDA, model number “A11” (searched 2026-10-06): https://api.fda.gov/device/event.json?search=device.model_number:A11
• PubMed search, “dr pen a11” (searched 2026-10-06, no results): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=dr+pen+a11
• Trustpilot, Dr. Pen (HTTP 403 on 2026-10-06, unverified): https://www.trustpilot.com/review/drpen.co