The Perfect Infrared Sauna

An Infrared Sauna is a massive addition to a home and is one that will stay with the owner for many years.

Therefore it is very important to find the perfect sauna for your specific requirements for the best value. It is highly recommended that before buying an infrared sauna to compare different models of infrared sauna before making a decision. Below is a guide to comparing different types of infrared saunas.

Size, capacity and dimension of the infrared sauna

Infrared saunas are generally designed to fit two, three or more people. Normally when people are buying home saunas they tend to choose a two person infrared sauna as it is much easier to fit in to a home. However it is very essential to remember to check the actual dimensions rather than just the capacity. This is important because some sauna dealers will advertise their saunas as having a larger capacity than the dimensions will actually allow for, although these will by sold at very low prices.

Heating a sufficient surface area in an infrared sauna

Usually a two person infrared sauna will run at between 1600-1700 watts. However the size of the heating surface area will give completely different results, the larger the heating surface, the faster it will heat up and the more even the heat distribution will be. It is also a good idea to have underfloor heating in the infrared sauna.

Different types of heater in Infrared Saunas

There tend to be three main types of infrared heater, these are:

• Ceramic infrared heaters are made from ceramic tubes. They come at a fairly low cost and are small in volume; however they have a very high surface temperature which means they don’t distribute heat very evenly and they can be very hard to replace.
• Mica infrared heaters are made from mica rocks. The advantages to these types of heater are that they distribute heat evenly and have a low surface temperature, however because of the material the hard surface can crack easily and these cracks are not visible to the human eye which can be quite serious.
• Carbon infrared heaters are made out of carbon fibre glass. This type of infrared heating system seems to be the most efficient, they provide a low surface temperature, they distribute heat evenly, they are flexible and are the type that are most commonly used in medical devices such as incubators. There are also no known disadvantages or problems surrounding this type of infrared heater.

The material the infrared sauna is made from

Nearly all infrared sauna suppliers claim that their saunas are made from genuine 100% hemlock fir or red cedar. However the truth is that most saunas are actually just covered up by the wood they claim to be made of and are in fact made of a much lower quality wood. It is also important to look at the thickness of the wood because this can dramatically affect the insulation and heating up time of the infrared sauna. A crucial factor to beware of is that some sauna factories paint the outside of their infrared saunas in different colours to cover up cheaper, lower quality wood.

The thickness of the walls and glass of the infrared sauna

The thicker the walls and glass the better the insulation and the quicker the infrared sauna will heat up. Thicker wood panels will mean the overall structure is stronger therefore a better quality.

Before you finally find and purchase your perfect sauna you should consider these points:

Are there any medical or health conditions you have that might have that could prevent you using an infrared sauna?

Infrared heat is completely harmless for humans. Infrared heaters are even safe enough to use to heat premature babies in incubators in hospitals. However people with certain conditions or illnesses should not use infrared saunas or consult a doctor before use.

Where do you want your infrared sauna to be?

It is vital to choose a place that is level, dry and has low-humidity to place your infrared sauna. Nearly all infrared saunas are designed for indoor use, so, if you want yourinfrared sauna outside you must buy one that is specifically for outdoor use. Most importantly make sure that you have enough room for your infrared sauna before you actually buy it.