Have you ever considered the benefits of having an infrared sauna in your home? It is more than just a piece of furniture as it can trigger several improvements to your overall health and wellbeing.
Before now, people have relied on the conventional sources of heat to increase their room’s temperature to achieving some health benefits like pain relief, nursing of wounds, and skin care.
There are numerous brands of infrared saunas on the market, making it difficult for you to choose a good product. Nevertheless, we will help you to take care of that.
So, if your interest is to get the best infrared sauna for home use, this buying guide is packed with everything you’ll need to make the right choice.
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 imagining.
Unlike traditional saunas that uses heat to warm the surrounding air, infrared saunas penetrate deep into your skin by using soft heat in the form of light spectrum. Interestingly, it triggers numerous positive health changes in the process.
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 pains in the muscles and joints. Infrared saunas penetrate the blood vessels to boost circulation.
- Relief from pain: If you’re having some bodily pains because of one physical activity or the other, can treat the pains and keep you relieved forever. Unlike massage that works on the surface, infrared rays penetrate to 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 enjoy a good feel and a fresher look.
- 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 diseases like cold and flu. Moreover, infrared saunas will keep your body cells healthy and protected from diseases like cancer.
- Relief from stress: As your blood circulation is improved, the muscles and joints become relaxed making you feel better. As you feel good, 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 with 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 or 3 persons. If it can accommodate more than 4, it’ll require the installation of an additional heater. If the size of the sauna is small, it’ll take less room space and may even cost less compared to a bigger sauna.
2. Heater 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 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. 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 for its construction. Those made of high-quality materials may cost more but they will certainly offer better performance in terms of heat containment and safety.
4. Heating Surface
If your surface area is small, it will get heated at a faster rate. And if the sauna plates are small, the heating process will be quicker. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. The Warranty
It is important to check the warranty period of the brand before buying. 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.
9. Price
These saunas are available in various prices, ranging from $300 to $2000 based on their types, features, and specifications. The fact that a product is expensive does not imply it is 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.
How Did We Pick These Products?
We started our journey by making some fact checks on the various infrared sauna models on the market. We examined, tested, and analyzed the features and specifications of each of the saunas.
To bring you an in-depth review, we sought the assistance of community-based volunteers who surrendered their time and energy to test and make reports on each of the saunas examined.
In addition, we researched online to find the comments and ratings from customers who’d 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.
We continued our research by consulting various physiotherapists and health professionals who’d spent years with these products. They recounted some of their experiences with these products over the years which contributed immensely to the development of this buying guide.
After extensive research and tests, we developed some criteria for the selection of our top-rated saunas. This included price to quality ratio, 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 sustainable infrared sauna 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
After examining all the infrared saunas models in our collection, we came up with a list of products that are ranked and categorized based on their ratings and positive features. We have categorized our top picks to help you to spot the product that suits your budget and specifications the most.
Infrared Sauna Tips for Beginners
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 infrared sauna largely depends on the user’s insights into the use and functionality. So, if you are one of the newbies planning to take a sauna bathing session, you need to know the top infrared sauna tips to get the intended mental and physical benefits.
Let's dive into the heavenly bliss of a sauna relaxation with the right tips. The soft and gentle heat of the sauna will soothe both your body and soul. It helps 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, don't overstay in the sauna. 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 work great to relax your body and mind. Take a deep breath, forget all the worldly things, and enjoy the euphoria provided by an infrared 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 have been 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, persons you’re to use it with, space, and mobility.
If you’re yet to make up your mind on the type of sauna to buy, we have recommended the Radiant Hemlock 2-Person as the top choice. It 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 far infrared sauna especially if you’re low on budget. It is cheap, durable, and easy to assemble. It comes with high-quality features that will offer you a smooth and benefitting sauna session every time.
Our full spectrum sauna reviews cover the finest products you’ll find on the market. So, go ahead and choose the model that suits your needs.
