An infrared sauna provides many more benefits than their traditional counterpart. For instance, you do not have to waste several minutes for the temperatures to get hot enough, it's cost effective and the heat only penetrates your body, not the entire atmosphere around you.
These types of saunas have become very popular these days because of their amazing benefits. If you are looking for the best infrared sauna as per your individual needs, you have come to the right place! The ToiletsGuide team spent hours to locate, test and finalize the top 10 saunas from a myriad of options. Our shortlisted choices with a buying guide will surely help you make an informed buying decision.
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Why buy infrared saunas?
An infrared sauna produces infrared heat which is beneficial to your health in a lot of ways. In fact, it can change your body in manners that are beyond your imagination.
Unlike traditional saunas that use heat to warm the surrounding air, infrared saunas penetrate deep into your skin using soft heat in the form of the light spectrum. Interestingly, it triggers numerous positive health changes in the process. This is the reason they are known to have medical benefits.
Do you want to transform your body? Here are the reasons you should consider trying one.
- Improve blood circulation: When your body temperature rises, it triggers an increase in blood circulation which keeps your health in good condition. Moreover, when your blood circulates properly, it brings about relief to pain in the muscles and joints. Infrared saunas penetrate the blood vessels to boost circulation.
- Relief from pain: If you’re having some bodily pains like back pain because of one physical activity or the other, it can treat the pain and keep you relieved forever. Unlike massage therapy that works on the surface, ultraviolet infrared rays penetrate into the root cause of the pain to bring about lasting relief.
- Detoxification: With this type of sauna, your body will experience heat which will cause you to perspire. The toxins in your body will be removed along with the sweat. In turn, you will feel better and look fresher with a healthy liver.
- Immune system booster: One of the greatest ways you can improve your immune system is to use an infrared sauna. Spending time daily inside the sauna will help enhance the body’s abilities to combat cold and flu. Moreover, it will keep your body cells healthy and protected from diseases and conditions like cancer, candida, fibromyalgia, arthritis, cellulite, and Lyme.
- Relief from stress: As your blood circulation is improved, the muscles and joints become relaxed making you feel better. As you feel better, you’ll be relieved of stress which in turn will enjoy good mental health.
- Weight loss: Studies have shown that about 600 calories can be burnt within just 30 minutes of your time spent in an infrared sauna. How does this work? This is very simple; as your body temperature rises, your heart rate increases causing your body to work harder to stabilize the heart rate and temperature. Thus, your calories are burnt in the process and in turn, this helps you lose weight. Amazing, isn’t it?
There’s nothing good in life as feeling better each day. An infrared sauna can help you enjoy that! We will urge you to try one today to take care of your health challenges.
Things to consider when buying an infrared sauna
By now you must have known some of the usefulness of an infrared sauna. However, knowing the option that you should buy is equally important. This is why you should consider the following factors first
1. Size & Capacity
You should consider the number of persons that will be using the sauna at a time before buying. Most of them are designed to fit only 1, 2 3, or 4 persons. If it can accommodate more than 4, it’ll require the installation of an additional heater. If the size is small, it’ll take less room space and may even cost less compared to a bigger sauna.
2. Heating material (Carbon Fiber vs Ceramic)
The main heating material in an infrared sauna is either ceramic or carbon fiber. Either of the two does work effectively, the only difference is in the cost, size of the heater, and intensity of the heat produced.
Many of the high-end models have carbon fiber emitters because of its superior performance. Therefore, carbon fibers have good heat coverage and distribution.
Moreover, the heat from the plates of carbon fiber emitters is lower thus their infrared lights tend to penetrate more into the skin without taking much energy.
Ceramic heaters are equally good in terms of performance but their features are not as good as that of carbon fibers. However, ceramic heaters are cheaper than carbon fibers emitters.
3. Near vs far infrared
Both heat and light therapies are combined in near infrared saunas. The light has the ability to penetrate the human body up to nine inches. Also, these types of saunas emit lower levels of EMFs. They keep the air cooler while heating the body with the spectrum of light.
On the other hand, far infrared saunas have heating elements that emit light in the far infrared range. They do not offer light therapy, nor do they penetrate our body so well as their near sauna counterparts. But they are still great for regular use.
4. Build material
You should consider buying infrared saunas that are made from high-quality materials. Based on our experience, Cedar or Canadian Hemlock happens to be the most suitable material. Those made of high-quality materials may cost more, including the full spectrum ones; but they will certainly offer better performance in terms of heat containment and safety.
5. Heating surface
If your surface area is small, it will get heated at a faster rate. And if the plates are small, the heating process will be quicker. A large surface area will take more time to heat up but the heat will be evenly distributed. Also, the bigger the surface, the easier it is to manage.
6. Controls & ease of use
You should get one with controls that can be used easily. Some models are equipped with both remote and LED controls that allow you to alter the setting either from inside or outside.
By using the controls, you can easily select your preferred temperature. Moreover, you may consider buying the ones with built-in timers that allows you to set the duration for which you’re to spend inside the sauna.
7. Heater covers
The function of the heater covers is to keep your skin protected from the heater. If the heater is not covered, there is a tendency for you to be burnt. Choose a model that comes with heat covers to keep you safe.
8. Your safety
Your safety should be your main focus. Luckily, many of today's saunas have safety certifications, which indicates how safe you can be while using the products. Those brands with ISO or CE certifications are more reliable in terms of safety.
9. The warranty
It is important to check the warranty period of the manufacturing company before buying it. You should understand that the longer the warranty period on the product the better. Moreover, you should examine the coverage of the warranty. This is because most of the warranty come with limited coverage while others are unlimited. If the warranty is long but the coverage is poor, then it’s almost useless.
10. Price
These saunas are available in various prices, ranging from $300 to $2000 based on their types, features, and specifications. The fact that a high rated model is expensive does not imply it is of high-quality; neither does a cheap product translate to poor quality. As a rule of thumb, the product to buy should have a good price-to-quality ratio that might fit into your pocket.
How did we pick these products?
Our picking process went through several stages. Initially, we ran a 30-hour online search to single out 20 of the highest rated models from the most reliable brands. That led us to the second stage of our research process which was 'Field-testing.'
We sought the assistance of community-based volunteers for the field tests. They came up with their reports on field tests after two weeks of thorough checking on each of the models. In addition, we researched online to find the comments and ratings from customers who bought and used these products. Also, we examined other infrared sauna reviews from various blogs and websites to understand their preference and expectations of a good-quality sauna. That helped us shortlist the top 10 models.
We continued our research by consulting various physiotherapists and health professionals with years of experience with these products. They recounted some of their experiences with these products that contributed immensely to the development of this buying guide. They also guided us as we developed certain criteria for our final list. This included size, capacity, ease of use, controls, build material, safety, heater component, warranty and much more.
We examined how each of the products fared above the other to enable us to develop a reliable and honest review. We are confident in what we have done so far, therefore, you can go ahead and select from any of the products that suit your preference.
Our top 10 product list
Still wondering what is the best infrared sauna on today's market? Check out each of our chosen models and see which one you can bring to your home today.
Few other products we also reviewed
Honorable mentions
There were so many choices from so many brands that we simply could not avoid mentioning other notable products in this review. Few of such brands include Health Mate, Physiotherm, Jade, Sun Stream, Sunray, jnh, Therasage (known for Thera 360), Groupon, LifeSmart, Heavenly Heat Sauna, Sunlighten (known for their Tourmaline & mPulse Believe), High Tech Health (known for Thermal Life), Clearlight (known for Sanctuary), Vital Health, Therasage, Heilsa, Better Life, DR Mercola Sauna, Golden Designs, Saunagen, Healthwave, Saunatec , SaunaSpace, Zen (Brighton), Iron Man, Tylo, Waterstar, Wayfair, Blue Wave, Sunlighten, Saunaray, Vitality, Firzone, Rejuvenator, and Therasage (known for Thera360).
Starter tips to maximize your benefits
Having an infrared sauna will do no good if you don’t know how to make the most of your session. The efficacy of an ir sauna largely depends on the user’s insights into the use and functionality. So, if you are a beginner planning to take a sauna bathing session, you need to know how to enjoy the heavenly bliss and keep it clean. The soft and gentle heat of the sauna will soothe both your body and soul. It will help refresh and reenergize yourself by increasing blood circulation, strengthening the heart and carrying nutrient and oxygen enriched blood to the skin surface and other vital organs. To get all these amazing health benefits, you must follow the tips given below.
1. Set the Right Temperature
This is the basic of using an infrared sauna effectively. Setting the appropriate temperature determines how much you will be benefited from a sauna. We recommend you start at a low temperature to examine your tolerance level. You can start from 110-130° Fahrenheit and gradually opt for a higher temperature as per your comfort zone.
2. Wear Appropriate Clothing
The fewer clothes you wear, the better it is for a sauna bathing session. Thick clothing may absorb the sweat resulting in uncomfortable and irritating situations. Let all of your sweat fall of the skin easily.
3. Stay Hydrated
As the high temperature will cause you to sweat profusely, you should stay hydrated during the sauna time to compensate for the loss of water. Remember to use quality bottles made of food-grade material.
4. Meditate & Do Yoga
The combination of meditation and sauna works great to relax your body and mind. Take a deep breath, forget all the worldly things, and enjoy the euphoria provided by your sauna. You can also do yoga during sauna bathing. A few simple poses will increase the flexibility of your body by reducing muscle stiffness.
5. Never Sleep in the Sauna
You shouldn’t spend more than 30 minutes at a stretch in a sauna. If you take a nap, chances are that you may not wake up in 30 minutes due to the extreme comfort. So, it’s better not to sleep in the sauna unless you have someone to wake you up after 30 minutes.
Final words
Infrared saunas are very useful in the treatment of high blood pressure, stress, immune system deficiencies, obesity, blood circulation issues, joint pains and much more. Choosing an infrared sauna will depend on your budget, the number of individuals you’re to use it with, space, and mobility. It's actually interesting that some go to the extent of trying out second hand or used or even DIY, custom or homemade infrared saunas to save money.
If you’re yet to make up your mind, we recommend the Radiant Hemlock 2-Person as your first choice. It has high ratings and comes with 6 carbon heaters, chemotherapy lighting, oxygen ionizer, bronze-tinted glass door, audio systems, LED controls, and a 7-year warranty. It is well-made and can last for a very long time.
Interestingly, you can opt for the JNH Lifestyles Joyous 2-Person especially if you’re short on cash. It is cheap, durable, and easy to assemble. It comes with high-quality features that will offer you a smooth and benefiting sauna session every time.
Aside from these chosen models, you can avail the health benefits from infrared therapy with different types of saunas e.g. laser, Himalayan salt, tunnel, Jacuzzi, blanket (like those from Higher Dose), sauna pod like Cocoon, and a lot more.
Go ahead and choose the model that suits your needs, whether for home or commercial use. Don't forget to share your experience with us!
