Posted on October 27, 2014January 19, 2015 by Sauna Guy

Far Infrared Sauna Reviews – Best Infrared Sauna for You?

Making Sense of All the Infrared Sauna Reviews

The positive changes you will experience by owning one of the best infrared saunas on the market can often be nothing short of amazing. But perhaps after reading even just a couple infrared sauna reviews, you are still wondering what really makes one brand different from the next.

A Sauna is a significant investment that you will own for many, many years, so you really want to choose the right one. But many look nearly identical, making it difficult to distinguish between them. And few have the quality to last for decades. So how do you choose?

We have compiled all the information you need to make an easy and informed decision. This is potentially one of the best decisions you can make for your health, and our sauna reviews are here to help guide you in that decision.

Which is the Best Infrared Sauna for You?

If you simply want a easy answer, and you want to own one of the best infrared saunas available, you can go straight to the review of Clearlight Saunas or the Health Mate review and pick the model that fits what you need and the size you are looking for. These are the best the industry has to offer – you cannot go wrong with either.

Unlike 95% of the saunas on the market, these will provide you with safe, non-toxic, well constructed models with lifetime warranties. Both of these brands use powerful safe heaters which are a combination of carbon and ceramic and both use wood supplied from the same supplier.

Which Saunas Pass the Four Critical-Criteria Test?

You want your sauna to work properly, effectively help you accomplish your health goals and be a valuable unit that lasts a very long time. Therefore, The four most important things to consider are safe EMF emission levels, non-toxic construction, actual power of the heaters and warranty.

Wood and Glue Used in the Sauna Cabin

You obviously want a sauna that looks good and fits your decor (just ask any husband that has made a critical error in this area). However the type of wood used is more important than how it looks. Thankfully all of our top recommendations also look Great.

The wood should be air and kiln dried only and not be of a type of wood which out gasses fumes when heated. Additionally only water based glue or no glue should be used as other glue give off toxic fumes when heated. It is counterproductive to deeply inhale these fumes as part of the detoxification process. Don’t buy a cheap sauna.

As far as wood type, while cedar smells great and gives an look of elegance, a few people are allergic to Cedar fumes. So many companies offering saunas in cedar also offer an alternative. Health Mate and Clearlight offer a few varieties of wood with Clearlight offering its Essential Line (all the quality and benefits of its top line while being its lowest priced product line) in Hemlock. Therasauna offers exclusively Aspen, basing that decision on wanting every saunas to be non-allergic for 100% of the market.

No infrared sauna review is complete without discussing the actual power of the heaters themselves, although this is often an ignored component in many purchase decisions. It is the power of the heater and the actual infrared that penetrates the user’s skin that determines the amount of detoxification and health benefits you will receive.

Therasauna and Health Mate excel in this capacity as they have powerful heaters. Clearlight also shines as it combines ceramic fibers into its carbon panels, the only manufacturer known to do this. This combination gives the best detoxification effect you can find in a sauna. A $700 sauna from a large store chain with unknown heaters will almost certainly be lacking in this.

Another brand, Rocky Mountain Saunas, has the standard carbon heaters which by themselves are inherently weaker. It also covers up to 60% of the heater surface with wooden slats, blocking a tremendous amount of the infrared which does not penetrate through wood very well. Refer to the review of this brand. Avoid a sauna that uses this many wooden slats over the heaters.

Although this one is a little technical, one of the most important criteria when considering any infrared sauna is the level of EMF (ElectroMagnetic Field) inside the sauna. For safety, you want the EMF level to be anything below 3.0 Milligauss (mG). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Swedish Government, and other Government Agencies have determined 3.0 mG to be the safe EMF level.

Ceramic heaters tend to naturally have lower EMF levels than Carbon Panel Heaters. Some of the cheaper carbon heater saunas can have EMF levels or 30-50mG and some well over 100 mG. However, the best sauna manufacturers have reduced their levels in recent years to below 5.0. A few have EMF readings approaching zero when measured a few inches away from the heaters. Clearlight Saunas, one of the early leaders in low-emf heaters, may be the only carbon panel manufacturer to not only have their levels tested by an independent lab, but to so also post those levels on their website.

Lifetime Warranty. That is what you want to look for. Out top recommendations all have lifetime warranties. The best saunas also have years of history of standing behind their products. One well known, high priced brand, reviewed here, has changed their company name at least once in the past few years, voiding all warranties. They also have a poor record for quality with many fires begin reported and verified. Another brand, Vital Saunas, has many posted complaints on many different sites including complaints of fires.

In earning our title of Best Infrared Sauna on the market, our top recommended brands pass the test on all four of these Critical Criteria. Your sauna should as well.

Additional Features

Chromotheapy (colored light therapy)

Control Panels on the Inside and Outside

Heaters behind and beside the lower legs

Heaters on the Front of the Cabin

Removable back rests

The Best

The top recommended brands that pass all the above tests are HealthMate (ceramic heater), as well as Clearlight (Carbon with Ceramic Fibers) and Therasauna. Each brand uses different types of heaters, have different approaches to style and design, and cover a wide price range. The individual reviews on these brands will help guide you to the best infrared sauna for your home.

For those on a restricted budget, a 4th brand to consider is Better Life Saunas. We believe these to be a step down from the top three and the standard carbon panels in Better Life Saunas will not have the power of the carbon/ceramic True Wave panels used by Clearlight. However, this brand is carried and sold by Therasauna, likely making it an acceptable alternative.

Posted on October 19, 2014October 16, 2015 by Sauna Guy

Clearlight Infrared Saunas – Are They Really the Best?

Clearlight Saunas – Clearly the best by Design?

You have likely heard that Clearlight Saunas are the best far infrared sauna on the market. What makes Clearlight infrared saunas so much better that they are endorsed by and used by the top doctors and health professionals? Is it the right sauna for you?

We have compiled information from 2 years of research including comparisons of many saunas and discussions with many infrared sauna manufacturers and will summarize all of that research here to help you make the best decision for you and your family.

My Readers get a Discount – Tell them CODY the SAUNA GUY sent you.

Sauna Works, the maker of the Clearlight Sauna, was founded by Dr. Raleigh Duncan almost 2 decades ago with the goal of providing quality, effective infrared saunas that are safe to use in a market full of inferior and sometimes dangerous saunas. But are their claims of providing the best saunas backed up by evidence?

Clearlight sauna reviews – What do they reveal?

The many Clearlight sauna reviews that are available show that consumers and medical leaders alike are exceptionally pleased with their saunas. Very notable are Doctors and clinics such as Doctor Whitaker of the Whitaker Wellness Clinic and Hippocrates wellness center that endorse and use Clearlight Saunas with their patients. Other nutrition and longevity-aware industry leade3rs also use this brand of sauna in their own homes. In fact the owner of the Top health related blog own two in his home.

It was after this careful study and discussions with many of these true experts and reading their reviews that I purchased a Clearlight infrared sauna for my personal use in my home and have been exceptionally pleased with it. I interviewed several experts including a case manager at Whitaker Wellness Clinic, Hippocrates, the top prolotherapy doctor in the US, and others and without exception they recommended Clearlight.

What makes Clearlight Infrared Saunas So Different?

Unique blend of Carbon and Ceramic Fiber Heaters

A second feature of the Clearlight saunas which provides tremendous benefits are the heaters themselves. Many heaters are weak carbon or even sprayed on carbon with offers little to no infrared benefits at all. Comparing saunas, many look the same with carbon heaters extending nearly up to the ceiling at the back and on the sides. This is often done to compensate for the low output heaters that are used in inferior saunas. This is needed to provide enough heat to warm up the interior of the sauna.

While almost every carbon heater sauna looks the same, it is very noticeable that Clearlights heaters extend only about halfway up the sides of the sauna interior, stopping about at the shoulder level. This is mainly due to the powerful heaters the company uses. Their heaters are actually a combination of the beneficial Carbon heaters with Ceramic fibers in the carbon. The ceramic provides stronger, focused heat. This provides the user with a faster warm up time and better infrared penetration. As well, the cranium itself is not directly heated as there is no real need to heat up a users head.

Heaters behind the legs and to the sides and importantly also in the front provided infrared to the entire body.

This process is benefited by incorporating natural fiber in your diet in the form of fruits, vegetables and even smoothies for detox which have become very popular. The fiber will bind to the toxins that are released into the digestive system during the sauna session, preventing them from being reabsorbed into the body.

True low emf heaters?

While other sauna manufacturers are finally beginning to reduce the dangerous emf output of their heaters, Sauna Works was the first to pioneer and offer Clearlight as a truly low to no-emf infrared sauna and a few sauna companies have now attempted to copy their results.

The company doesn’t just state low emf but they back that up with independent test results. Those results are posted on this website. EMF not only surrounds us daily from all forms of electronic devices, but EMF can be dangerous and harmful to long term health if exposed at high levels. Keeping the emf levels below 3.0 Milligauss is considered a safe level for extended sauna sessions. Currently Clearlight’s saunas are nearly zero EMF with ratings of 0.2 mgs. Many other saunas have EMF ratings of 10-30 and at least one has levels over 170.

Other Safety Features

Another critical aspect of a safe sauna is one that does not use any toxic glues or other

chemical in and on the wood. Heating those toxic chemical in a confined space combined with deep breathing is a situation that, while prevalent with cheaper saunas, should be avoided entirely.

The benches on the upper lines of saunas have reversible benches, chromotherapy, smart phone charging stations and many other features not found on their Essential line of saunas.

Half of the models can be plugged into an normal 15 amp socket without requiring additional wiring. The others require a 20 amp socket.

Infrared saunas provide a host of health benefits including cardiovascular improvements, improved skin condition, heavy metals detox far more than a traditional sauna, relief of joint pain, weight loss and improved sleep.

Saunas are air dried and carry a lifetime warranty which few other companies offer and covers everything on the sauna, wood, heaters, even the Radio. The heaters are rated for 30,000 hours of use. The only thing not covered for a lifetime are the lights and this warranty has the backing of over 15 year history of the company.

The saunas are first assembled at the factory, run for 8 hours and then disassembled and shipped. The assembly of the saunas, which arrives pre-wired, requires no tools as the panels snap together. Assembly takes about 1 hour for 2 poeple and assembly instructions are provided.

Infrared saunas are one of the best things a person can do to improve their health and AllInfraredSaunas will provide the sauna and information to help anyone make the proper choice for a sauna that will fit their needs.

Posted on October 19, 2014October 14, 2016 by Sauna Guy

Low Emf Infrared Sauna – Why This is So Important

Low Emf Sauna – Why is this So Important

Choosing a low emf sauna is a critical factor when selecting a sauna. Carbon Heaters have many advantages over Ceramic heaters when used in a sauna, however, carbon inherently emits higher emf (Electro Magnetic Fields) which are measured in milligauss (mG). While both the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Sweden Agencies consider levels below 3.0 milligauss to be safe, many saunas currently on the market have levels of 10-30 mG and a few are even over 100 mG. Extended exposure at these levels can be dangerous to your health. and should be avoided.

Fortunately it is possible to find saunas which operate at a level low enough to be considered low emf saunas and it is even possible to find no emf saunas. The sauna that was the first to have a carbon heater which was low emf is Clearlight and they continue to lead the way with what can now be considered no emf infrared saunas.

What makes selecting a sauna that is in this category is the various different ways that manufacturers test and share this information. Levels are highest right next to the neater and drop as you move away from the heater. Many companies will test at distances away from their heaters and therefore report lower readings.

The only company I am aware of that reports independent testing results is Clearlight. Their heaters were independently tested by testing lab VitaTech Electromagnetic and the results, which were taken directly on the heater, are posted on their website. I have included there results here as well. It is important to note that when sitting in these specific saunas a couple inches away from the heaters, it is essentially zero.

What exactly is EMF – Electro Magnetic Fields?

Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) are electric energy waves at frequencies below 300 cycles per second. We encounter electromagnetic fields on a daily basis which are emitted from hundreds of electrical devices including power lines, cell phones, television and computer screens, fluorescent lights, microwave ovens, and even house wiring.

In the past several decades, these levels from human-made sources have increased as new technologies and new uses of electricity have increased. Research into the dangers of increased exposure have also increased In the past decades. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) created a program called the California Electric and Magnetic Fields Program to study and educate regarding these potential health risks of continued exposure.

Is EMF harmful to You?

It has been suggested that nearly a third of the population has sensitivity to emf levels and approximately 3% can have severe reactions to exposure. Studies have shown that people using a cell phone before the age of 20 have a five times greater risk of brain cancer.

In the California EMF report published in 2002 stated that “To one degree or another, all three of the DHS scientists are inclined to believe that EMFs can cause some degree of increased risk of childhood leukemia, adult brain cancer, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and miscarriage.” and indicated that levels below 3mg are safe.

The study is on the California EMF Program website found here.

Dr. David Carpenter, Dean at the School of Public Health, New York State University believes that likely 30% of all childhood cancers could result from exposure to EMFs. The EPA has warned “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.”

Concern exploded after Paul Brodeur wrote a series of articles in the New Yorker Magazine in June 1989. Because of Paul Brodeur’s reputation. his articles had a catalytic effect on scientists, reporters and concerned people throughout the world.

The Department of Energy reported in 1998 that “It has now become generally accepted that there are, indeed, biological effects due to field exposure.”

During 1989 and 1990, research gained more exposure when Paul Brodeur wrote a group of articles in the New Yorker Magazine which raised awareness to many scientists. Even stronger articles were written in Time magazine, the Wall Street Journal and Business Week. Soon after specials on EMFs aired with Ted Koppel at ABC and on CBS’s Dan Rather reports.

The health effects reported to be linked to high levels vary but include memory loss, headaches, a weaker immune system, Depression and energy loss.

Conclusion

While some studies have been inconclusive on the level of danger, when choosing between a low emf infrared sauna and one that has stated levels of 30-175, it makes sense to strongly consider the sauna you know will not pose any dangers, especially when these saunas also have the best penetrating infrared heaters offering the highest levels of infrared benefits.

It was those considerations, combined with the recommendations by Whitaker Wellness Clinic, Hippocrates and others that promoted me to purchase a Clearlight Sauna for my persona use.