Which touch receptors respond to light touch in human skin?

In human skin, the touch receptors that respond to superficial light touch are free nerve endings, hair follicle receptors, and Meissner corpuscles.1

These receptors are part of the broader category of mechanoreceptors, which convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals. While other receptors, such as Merkel endings and Ruffini endings, respond to touch pressure, and Pacinian corpuscles are specialized for detecting vibration, the three mentioned above are specifically identified as the primary monitors for superficial light touch.12