Infrared Sauna Buying Guide
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Wood Care in Your Infrared Sauna
Purchasing an infrared sauna can be a memorable experience. To ensure that you find the best sauna for your home, lifestyle and budget, be sure to ask the following questions:
- What really makes a good infrared sauna?
- What are the differences between infrared heaters?
- What are the benefits of the different infrared heaters?
- What type of wood is best?
- Why is a lifetime warranty important?
- How is the sauna manufactured?
- Why is heater placement important – should there be heaters on the front walls and side walls?
- What about floor heaters?
- Which heaters produce dangerous levels of EMF (Electromagnetic Fields)?
- Is a low ELF sauna important?
These are just some of the questions we have received over the last 21 years. We’ve put together this infrared sauna buying guide to help answer these questions. Feel free to give us a call at 1-855-469-0590. We are happy to help guide you through the infrared sauna buying process.
How Our Experts at Canada Wellness Can Help
✓ Learn more about infrared saunas.
✓ Browse frequently asked questions.
✓ Explore general maintenance information.
✓ Find the best infrared sauna for your lifestyle.
✓ Support and guidance from the experts.
The History of Infrared Saunas
For many years, only high-quality far infrared saunas dominated the market. Craftsmanship, for the most part, was very high. Wood materials used were Western Red Canadian Cedar and quality white woods, such as Basswood, Spruce, and Aspen. The majority of infrared heaters used were ceramic and metal, with ceramic being the preferred type because of higher infrared efficiency and infrared output. There was rigid quality control of woods and glues used. Electrical safety and consistent customer care had been the hallmarks of our industry at that time. There were less than a handful of manufacturers in the entire U.S. This was the state of the industry that we grew our company in. Quality was everything.
Over the last 10 years, however, as the internet expanded, low quality overseas manufacturing spawned numerous upstart companies importing containers of infrared saunas with little to no understanding of the therapeutic benefits of infrared therapy. They were selling a wooden box with heaters. Also, quality and after sales service did not seem to be a big concern. They offered low cost and low quality saunas on the internet and at big box stores… saunas as a cheap commodity.
We ordered different models from a few of the larger manufacturers and were immediately appalled at the quality of materials and construction and lack of safety down to even the basic wiring. The controls and heaters were cheap and substandard. The aesthetics were all wrong. Some had noxious odours from toxic glues being used in the manufacturing process. Others had horrible smells from the wood itself. Some of the woods had not been finished sanded; rough to the touch as you passed your hand over it. We also found staples, mismatched veneers, dangling and bare wires… not a quality product!
What was even worse was that most of these saunas had a combination of hazards ranging from high EMF levels being emitted from the heaters to toxic fumes. It was also evident that the manufacturer didn’t understand the basics of how infrared therapy works with the human body as there were multiple design flaws. For example, many of these companies did not know where to place the heaters for optimal effectiveness and healing, a critical mistake. Heaters positioned above the head do no good as it is the infrared wavelengths coming off the heaters directly that do the healing in an infrared sauna. Positioning heaters above the head just waste infrared energy that could be better used in the front of the sauna, or by the calves and sides of the body. This is a big functional mistake. The idea behind infrared therapy is to heal your body with the proper wavelengths so it is important to heat your front, back, and sides. Without proper heater placement, you will only receive partial benefit.
We take a different approach, with heaters kept low to keep the infrared heat aimed at and completely surrounding your body. There is no wasted infrared heat up over your head. You will get more benefits faster with the maximum amount of infrared heat being absorbed by your body.
When designing Clearlight® Sauna models the sauna design, new technology, idea, or manufacturing process must pass a few critical tests: Does it make rational sense to help to heal the human body? Will it help our customers increase their overall wellness and enjoyment of their sauna? Is it safe and does it cause no harm? If the answer is no on any of these, then we simply do not do it.
We believe purchasing a Jacuzzi® infrared sauna is one of the best investments you can make for your health and longevity. We pay close attention to every detail from start to finish to ensure that your sauna is of the highest quality materials and construction. We back these words with our Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because they are. Many companies are importing containers of the same saunas or saunas with only slight variations. Look at the keypad to tell which are from the same factory; it’s somewhat amusing. We’re flattered that they’ve decided to knock-off the look that we pioneered many years ago.
Quality of design and construction coupled with superior and innovative heating technology. We start with the highest quality woods. All saunas are built by hand to our strict 48 point Quality Control. No sauna leaves the factory without being fully tested and approved by two levels of quality control.
With the ETL and CE certification, we are bound to provide a high-quality product. We use no toxic glues. Our saunas are hand sanded, the handles and trim are hand crafted, the tongue and groove wood is colour matched to look beautiful and all Jacuzzi® Infrared Sauna modelsare designed to give you a lifetime of health and relaxation benefits.
Almost every other infrared sauna company uses industrial heaters that have been adapted to be used in an infrared sauna. Not willing to settle with industrial infrared heaters, we manufacture our own patented-pending infrared sauna heaters in our factory. We manufacture our True Wave™ combination Carbon/Ceramic far infrared heaters and full spectrum (near,mid,far) infrared heaters.
- Being innovators in the infrared sauna industry, we have always set the trends that have guided the industry:
Our True Wave™ far infrared heaters are the only infrared heaters on the market that combine both the high output of ceramic with the long wavelength of carbon to produce a sauna session that is unmatched. Our True Wave™ full spectrum infrared heaters deliver more near infrared, mid infrared and far infrared than any other infrared sauna on the market. These heaters are designed specifically to heat the human body. - We are the industry pioneer of low EMF carbon based infrared heaters and offer the only low EMF full spectrum infrared sauna on the market.
- All Jacuzzi® Infrared Sauna models, including both the Premier™ and Sanctuary™ collections, include our ELF canceling technology.
Our Jacuzzi® Infrared Sauna models are the only infrared saunas designed by a doctor. Dr. Raleigh Duncan has dedicated the last 20+ years to researching and developing technology to help heal the human body and he has been researching infrared therapy and its benefits for even longer.
Our years of manufacturing infrared saunas go into every Jacuzzi® Infrared Sauna model While our sauna cabins are exceptional quality, with hand sanded panels, high quality close grain wood and attention to detail, the therapeutic benefits are our main focus.
Our research and development department is always researching and testing new components for your sauna so when you buy a Jacuzzi® infrared sauna, you are buying the highest-quality, most therapeutic infrared sauna available.
With our limited lifetime warranty for home use, we stand behind our saunas. This warranty covers the entire sauna; the wood cabin, heaters, controls and even the audio system. We will be here next year and five years from now should you need replacement parts or have any questions about the proper use or your sauna.
We believe that by committing to a lifetime warranty for our customers, it ensures that we build a high-quality infrared sauna that will last. This informs every manufacturing decision we make as we know we will have to support your sauna for many years to come.
When comparing far infrared sauna heaters you need to look at the size of the heater, the material that is producing the infrared heat, the quality of the heat and the surface temperature of the heater.
The two most common materials used in far infrared heaters are ceramic and carbon. Ceramic is a very efficient, effective material when heated to produce infrared heat. Ceramic has a very high emissivity rating, meaning it produces a lot of infrared heat. The drawback to ceramic heaters is that they tend to produce a shorter infrared wavelength. Shorter infrared wavelengths are not as readily absorbed by the human body so they are less therapeutic.
Generally speaking, Carbon infrared heaters produce a longer infrared wavelength. Carbon is very light so the heaters can be bigger and can run at a lower surface temperature. These low surface temperatures produce long wave infrared heat. Long wave far infrared heat is readily absorbed by the human body and will produce more desirable therapeutic results. The drawback of carbon heaters is that, while they produce high quality infrared heat, they do not produce a lot of infrared – they are weak. In technical terms, they have a lower emissivity rating as compared to ceramic heaters.
Most companies that use carbon heaters extend their heaters well up into the head region and almost to the ceiling in the sauna in an effort to try and get more heat into the sauna. They do this because of the low output of their heaters. This is wasted infrared heat as it is only heating the air over your head and not your body directly. We also believe heating the head directly is not recommended in infrared therapy.
Our True Wave™ far infrared heaters are the only infrared heaters that combine both carbon and ceramic into one heater for a truly exceptional infrared sauna experience. They are built by us and designed to heat the human body. True Wave™ Infrared Heaters produce the long wave infrared heat of a carbon heaters with the very high infrared output of a ceramic heater combined into one heater. It really is the best of both worlds and they are fantastic infrared heaters.
Within seconds of sitting in any Clearlight® Sauna model, you can feel the difference in the quality of the infrared heat. You will not find this heating technology anywhere else. It is exclusive to Clearlight® Infrared Saunas.
A full spectrum infrared heater emits all three infrared wavelengths: near (IR-A), mid (IR-B) and far infrared (IR-C). Some infrared saunas offer a combination of heaters to produce full spectrum infrared heat. The sauna may have one heater that produces far infrared, one that produces mid infrared and one that produces near infrared.
You will also see some infrared saunas that use low wattage (10-40 watt) LED’s to produce near infrared. Our belief is that LED near infrared light therapy is very effective for topical infrared treatments however, it is not suited for the sauna environment. You want to put the LED’s directly on your skin. The DPL Nuve by LED Technologies is a great example of an effective FDA approved near infrared handheld device. With LED near infrared embedded in the wall of the sauna, you would have to climb up on the bench to receive effective therapy as the LED’s should be right up against the area you are treating.
Clearlight® Infrared Saunas from the Sanctuary™ collection utilize a halogen full spectrum heater. We have the halogen bulbs built to our specific wavelengths and standards. Our True Wave™ full spectrum infrared heaters emit about 1/3 near infrared, 1./3 mid infrared and 1/3 far infrared and each heater is a full 500 watts of full spectrum infrared heat.
By offering all three wavelengths the infrared heat will penetrate deeper past the Epidermis and Dermis into the Subcutaneous layer offering maximum effectiveness.
Low EMF Infrared Saunas
Our True Wave™ far infrared heaters are the original carbon based infrared heaters with virtually no EMF (Electromagnetic Fields). We pioneered this technology for use in infrared saunas. More and more research is being conducted into the harmful effects of EMF. That is why our research and development department spent over two years developing both patented and patent pending methods to eliminate virtually all of the EMF from our heaters. Many of our competitors still have EMF levels 20 to 50 times higher than our True Wave™ infrared heaters. With an average EMF level of less than 1milligauss (mg), when tested directly on the heater, it is well below the CDC’s recommendation of a maximum of 3mg.
Dr. David Carpenter, Dean at the School of Public Health, State University of New York, believes it is likely that up to 30% of all childhood cancers come from exposure to EMF’s. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns “There is reason for concern” and advises “prudent avoidance”.
Martin Halper, the EPA’s Director of Analysis and Support says “I have never seen a set of epidemiological studies that remotely approached the weight of evidence that we’re seeing with EMFs. Clearly, there is something here.”
Some health effects linked with EMF are:
- Memory Loss
- Depression
- Loss of Energy
- Irritability
- Inability To
- Concentrate
- Weakened Immune
- System
- Chronic Fatigue
- Headache
Dr. Duncan, the founder and designer of Clearlight Infrared Sauna® models, has always ensured that the therapeutic results of your sauna are our number one priority. Seeing the research and information available on the harmful effects of EMF, we felt that if there was a chance that high levels of EMF can cause health issues, we needed to find a way to bring the levels down as low as possible. We were the first company to accomplish this with our True Wave II, far infrared heaters and True Spectrum, full spectrum heaters.
To find out more about EMF and its effects.
ELF (extremely low frequency) is also referred to as the electric fields or dirty electricity. There are some people that are very sensitive to ELF and have various reactions including sleep disruption and agitation and there is some link to cancer as discussed in this Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Bulletin:
Al Clearlight Infrared Saunas® include our ELF canceling technology. While EMF is canceled in the heater itself, we have to go to great lengths to cancel the ELF from our saunas.
To create a safe environment for you and your loved ones, we:
1. Run the electrical wires through metal conduit
2. Twist the wires to cancel the ELF and EMF
3. Protect all electronics with foil shielding
4. Carbonize and ground the fishnet mesh that covers our heaters to ground and cancel the ELF
Western Red Canadian Cedar is considered by many to be the best wood to use for saunas. Other woods commonly used are spruce, basswood and redwood.
Western Red Canadian Cedar (WRCC) wood is often used for the following reasons:
1) WRCC wood is a soft wood that resists cracking and splitting caused by the heating up and cooling down in the sauna. No sauna wood lasts longer than cedar wood.
2) WRCC wood contains aromatic oils that are known for their healing and cleansing properties to aid detoxification during your sauna session.
3) WRCC wood is naturally antifungal and antibacterial owing to the unique properties of cedar oil. This is especially important in the sauna where bodies, moisture and heat combine to make the environment perfect for molds and bacteria.
4) WRCC wood is one of the most beautiful woods available ranging from a very light honey to a deep walnut shade.
5) Cedar wood smells good and gives you a true sauna experience. WRCC is considered non-aromatic cedar and has a very subtle smell and is satisfying to the senses.
6) Cedar wood can be easily sanded inside the sauna to remove any stains caused by perspiration and to bring back the fresh cedar smell.
Sauna users who are very sensitive to smells (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) may want to consider a sauna made of white woods like Basswood. These woods have less of a smell than WRCC and may be more comfortable for people with MCS.
We use Eco Certified grade “A” clear Western Red Canadian Cedar or Basswood. All of our Clearlight Sauna® models are available in both Cedar and Basswood. Our commitment to our customers is to provide the highest quality products. Our Eco Certified woods meet three sustainability standards as part of our green initiative
When buying an infrared sauna it is important to understand why a Limited Lifetime Warranty on the entire sauna is important. Our Limited Lifetime Warranty covers all of the parts of your sauna for manufacture defects for as long as you own it.
Almost every other infrared sauna is only covered under a 7-year warranty or less. If something goes wrong with your sauna in year 8 the manufacturer is not obligated to provide parts for saunas older than 7 years.
All Clearlight® Infrared Sauna models installed for home use are covered by our Limited Lifetime Warranty. Your sauna is warranted to be free from manufacturer defects for as long as you own it.
Be sure to ask when researching infrared saunas if the company offers a True Limited Lifetime Warranty.
If you are using your sauna in a commercial environment, we offer a complete 5 year warranty.
Price v.s. Quality
There is the old saying that applies, you get what you pay for.
Clearlight® Infrared Saunas are the highest quality infrared saunas on the market today. Give our specialists at Canada Wellness a call or send us an email and we will help you find the best sauna for your budget, home and lifestyle.
Contact Canada Wellness Today
Don’t just take our word for it, hear what our customers have to say. Watch nearly 75 video testimonials from our customers describing the benefits they have received from their Clearlight® Infrared Saunas. When you’re ready to get started, give our team a call and speak with an infrared sauna specialist.
