Near Infrared Saunas All Show Or Some Go?

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Looking for a near infrared sauna? It’s almost 2021 now, and everything written below is from years ago. Back in 2017, by functional medicine doc said I needed to be in a sauna like yesterday, in order to detox. She recommended a near infrared sauna tent, which I never bought, and tried to build. I never did buy into the idea completely, since the far infrared saunas I was using were so good.

However, this “near infrared sauna” thing is still a buzzword in the industry. In an effort to eliminate more confusion, I leave these pages up so you can see the evolution over the years.

At this point in time, I don’t recommend near infrared saunas the way the industry portrays them. You can build your own near infrared sauna tent for a fraction of what folks sell them for online, and the DIY Sauna Course will show you how to do that step by step.


With all the near infrared sauna marketing coming out this year, it’s hard to know what’s really the right type of sauna… and what’s a bunch of hogwash.

Let me save you some time: near infrared does not heat you up on it’s own. All these companies saying they have a “near infrared sauna” are stretching the truth.  If it’s a near infrared heat lamp bulb sauna, the heat from the lamp, and the far infrared portions of the wavelength, are what’s giving you a sauna experience.

How do I know this? Because I sit in front of true near infrared red light therapy panels, and you won’t break a sweat after two hours.

So you’ll hear all this crazy mumbo jumbo, such as, only near infrared:

  • penetrates all the way to the bone for a deeper detox
  • gives you a more complete detox than far infrared
  • without full spectrum, you won’t achieve the same health benefits as a regular sauna…

And on and on.  Please, don’t waste your money. If you really want near infrared added to your sauna, check this tutorial out that I put together showing you how to do it for $100 bucks.

note – everything below this line needs to be rewritten. Things have changed a lot in the past two years. The original $100 diy near infrared sauna shower conversion can be found here.


If you’ve seen my heavy metal detox article, you’ll know I started using infrared saunas based on the recommendation of my functional medicine doctor to detox from having mercury amalgam fillings for over 20 years. What I like about infrared saunas, is getting the body to heat and sweat to induce hyperthermia, is the most natural way I’ve found to get rid of heavy metals… particularly mercury and aluminum like I have.


Update – 02/10/19 – These are the 3 best sauna brands that tested the best

The EMF levels are comparable to the Dr Wilson NIR 4 bulb saunas I built, but the sweat is much much better with the far infrared. See the model I have here.  I like these so much so, that I might start selling them soon. The nice thing is, they are cheaper than the expensive alternative I was using before… which feels like a better value all the way around. (I’m surprised more people don’t know about these)

I was recommending the Sauna Space red lamp bulb sauna below (I stopped calling it a near infrared sauna, because there is some question from the research that red heat lamp bulbs even emit enough NIR at a distance of 24 inches for the body to even absorb), but after trying over 7 different saunas now, it’s pretty damn hard to justify recommending people buy a sauna tent for $3,000.00 that is nothing more than 4 bulbs, a wood frame, and some cloth.  (I suspect they build this unit for less than $500.00, since I replicated the entire thing with my DIY version for about $250.) 

While it might be a good fit for some people, and exactly what they’re looking for, I simply don’t feel right recommending a $3k sauna (tent) as the only option after trying several wooden saunas that are nicer and cost less money.  NIR argument aside, it’s still ungodly expensive for what it is.  And yes, I am aware of the newer Sanctuary model coming out, that will block incoming RF to create an emf free “sanctuary”, but until I see what the pricing is I still have a hard time presenting such an expensive product as the only option that I don’t even use myself.


What I don’t like about infrared saunas, is the price, dealing with pesky sales agents who try to sell you a $6,000 fucking sauna like it’s a stick of gum, and just the misinformation in general that could potentially cause further harm to myself and anyone I let use my sauna. Point being, just because a sales agent from the biggest and best sauna company SAYS they have a low emf sauna, no off-gassing laminates, and on and on, can potentially be bullshit. This drives me nuts so much, that I ordered my own set of emf meters (very expensive ones I might add) and started testing them myself. It’s the only way I can be sure that some expensive hot box isn’t going to destroy myself by cooking me like a microwave when I use it 5 days a week. However, this is also a unique opportunity for me to help others, and put this information together for other people, so they don’t have to go through spending tons of money on things that don’t work like I did. Hopefully this will help you understand what’s important about a near infrared sauna, and which models will be best for you and your budget. By the end of this article, you will be able to have a much better idea of what to looks for in your infrared sauna, and easily be able to select a model that’s right for you.


Get This Sauna Book & This Niacin Supplement Before You Start Your Weekly Sauna Sessions

Update – if you are going to start sauna treatments, I recommend you get these two things below and learn how to use them. I learned about the no-flush Niacin from Ben Greenfield. I bought this and it’s helped me to remember to replace essential minerals and electrolytes when using a sauna multiple times a week more intensely. (especially because I drink distilled water as well)

** Update #2 – This is an update to the above. I no longer recommend the “NO FLUSH NIACIN” for doing sauna detoxification. Instead, I buy the Solaray Niacin in 100mg capsules, so I can adjust the dosage to what I need at the time. You do not want to start with 500mg of flushing niacin if you’ve never taken it before. I know I mentioned all the research I did before, and the Ben Greenfield recommendations of niacinamide, but you need to be using the flushing version of niacin for saunas.

Clear Body Clear Mind
A Book On How To Use Saunas To Detox Your Body
The Book That Teaches You How To Use Niacin To Get Rid Of More Toxins While Using Your Sauna
Niacin
Niacin For Detoxing During Infrared Sauna Sessions
No Flush Niacin For Cleaning Out Toxins During Sauna Sessions

Top Rated Near Infrared Sauna Manufacturer Reviews

The below information is now outdated. Many so called near infrared sauna manufacturers are pointing to NASA research saying that near infrared saunas are better than far infrared. However, ever single one of these studies they cite, are on LED NIR sources. You simply cannot swap out that research and apply it to an incandescent bulb.

It is not clear to me that true near infrared does not heat you up and make you sweat AT ALL.

I’m working on a demonstration video to show you guys this, and stop the misinformation in the sauna industry that is false and misleading.

To be clear, you maybe get 10% of near infrared from one of these saunas, and that’s being generous. It’s the far infrared that is heating you up and doing all the work.

There are tons of sauna manufacturers these days, and further down below in this article we’ll cover the difference between near infrared and far infrared… Point being, not a lot of sauna manufactures market themselves specifically as being a “near infrared” sauna manufacturer, but instead call their saunas “full spectrum” and include near, mid, and far infrared.

With the exception of SaunSpace by Brian Richards, and by Denise, those are the only two infrared light driven, “near infrared specific” saunas on the market.


ClearLight – The Top Rated Low EMF Full Spectrum Sauna With Near Infrared

The below info is also outdated. When I first got started learning about saunas, everyone pointed to Clearlight touting how good the full spectrum is.  I would later learn, that these people have no idea what they’re talking about, and most of them have only ever used 2 saunas in their entire lifetime.

Now after testing over 9 sauna brands, it is crystal clear to me what is sales hype bullshit marketing claims, and what it actually worthwhile.

I have to remove my previous comments on Clearlight saunas, since you barely absorb near infrared at distance. Since the supposed full spectrum heaters in the front of the sauna are at great length from the body, it is questionable if you your skin even absorbs any near infrared from these emitters at all.

They do however add heat to the sauna, but you can do that in the regular FIR saunas, so I don’t really see the point. But the whole full spectrum thing is a joke at best.

If you were to disable the “near” and “mid” infrared portion of the emissions and use the sauna, your experience would be much the same.  (near and mid are in quotes, because it is questionable that a decent percentage of the infrared output even falls into those categories.  I suspect if you were to analyze the output with a $4k spectrometer, you would see a pitiful amount of those bands of infrared… enough to wonder if they should even be saying that in their marketing.  But hey, it’s all about one-upping each other and selling more saunas to people right?  **rolls eyes**)

Clearlight is at the top of the list, because I have personally been to the Hippocrates institute, and value Dr. Brian Clements recommendations, which are usually on point as you can see in many of these talks. They use Clearlight exclusively at the institute for all patients that are there to heal from various diseases and cancer.

Clearlight Sanctuary Infrared Sauna - With Near Infrared Emitters AddedWhile I still have not personally tested the emf levels on my meters with Clearlight, I still stand behind the fact that they are going to be one of the best low emf saunas on the market. They have a unique patented method of mounting their emf emitters back to back, which is almost like wiring a set of speakers out of phase, subsequently cancelling each other out. (I know about this from my high school days of working at a car stereo shop after school, installing head units, sub woofers, etc…)

Their older models weren’t quite as good as the new ones, but even top athletic endurance bloggers like Ben Greenfield recommend Clearlight, ans use them themselves.

One thing to note, is that the near infrared on a clearlight sauna, comes from two front mounted near infrared heaters, unlike the LED near infrared emitters behind the wall panels of other brands like a Sunlighten below. I believe this is superior in design, and also keeps the heating elements farther away from your body as well, for an extra layer of protection. (you don’t want near infrared bulbs too close to you for too long, as you can see in my DIY near infrared sauna building tutorial.)


Sunlighten M Pulse Near, Mid, & Far Infrared Full Spectrum Sauna

You guessed it, this is outdated too, and flat out wrong. I don’t know how to explain this simply to you, other than to point out the design flaw that is so heavily marketed as a strong point.

Point blank, there is no other way to say this… You cannot, put a tiny 4″ x 12″ rectangular 50 led array, behind a cloth grill, and call your sauna full spectrum or near infrared capable.

Well, I guess you can, but you should also say that near infrared visible light, needs direct skin contact for you to absorb it. It doesn’t penetrate or go through things like far infrared. But then that would render the claims and benefits useless wouldn’t it?

If you went inside an M Pulse, and unplugged the near infrared led array, and then turned the sauna on and used it again, you wouldn’t feel a bit of difference.

I’ll let you decide where to go from here with this information…

Sunlighten has been endorsed by some big names, and you simply can’t ignore the build quality. Even Dave Asprey from Bulletproof loves his, and several other notable mini health celebrities also endorse Sunlighten.

Sunlighten Mpulse Infrared SaunaRight of the bat, the one thing that I don’t like about Sunlighten opposed to Clearlight, is the price. You’re going to pay over $5,000 dollars for an Mpulse Sunlighten model, and the only thing cheaper than that is going to be far infrared only… which we don’t want.

There is no question that the build quality is worth every penny however, it’s just a matter of you deciding if this fits in your budget or not. For me personally, I’m looking for the best bang for my buck. If I can get a low emf sauna that will get the job done and get my heavy metal levels down, I’m in. While I like gadgets and gizmos, they’re not essential for me improving my health.

The only thing that I didn’t like about the Mpulse, is from what I understand, the actual amount of near infrared you get from a sauna session in a Sunlighten sauna, is less than 20% since they use near infrared LED’s to power that portion of their sauna.


Related Reading: Sunlighten VS Clearlight: Which Is The Better Infrared Sauna?


SaunaSpace – The Best Near Infrared Sauna That’s Portable (great for apartments!)

I can’t believe I bought into this nonsense of an idea for $3k.  This is the biggest ripoff on the planet for nothing more than 4 $10 bulbs, some stick framing, and some organic cloth.

The whole near infrared thing is a sham anyway, as you’ll see in my video.

But to be charging people three thousand dollars for something they can make for $200, is a little nuts when it doesn’t even come with a door.

My FIR makes me sweat way faster than this ever did, I don’t have to rotate like a rotisserie, and I will never have to add a space heater to the enclosure to ramp up the temperature ever again.

I don’t recommend these at all, and I’m sorry to have ever spoken highly of them in the past. This was a naive mistake on my part, and the whole idea that near infrared will heat you up and make you sweat is a scam.

These people are riding on the NASA research on near infrared. But what they never tell you is that every NASA study is on LED bulbs at cooler temperatures. These heat lamp saunas use incandescent bulbs, which is an entirely different wavelength and type of design.

It is my opinion that near infrared saunas do not even exist, and this whole thing is a marketing ploy to create something another sauna company doesn’t have.

In my video showing you what a real red light therapy (or true near infrared) device does, you can see plain as day that I could turn it on for over an hour, and it will never make me sweat.

I’m sorry to have perpetuated this nonsense in any capacity back when I bought into these people’s false claims.

If you’re really hell bent on having these bulbs in your sauna, just watch the video where I show you how to mount them in any sauna for less than $100 bucks.

SaunaSpace is an extremely unique near infrared sauna, and there is only one other company that offers something even remotely close to it on the market.

Saunaspace Near Infrared Sauna Kit - Portable - Affordable - Low EMF
Near Infrared Portable Sauna Kit

The build quality and bulb quality is second to none, and for anyone looking for a portable near infrared sauna, that doesn’t zap the shit out of you with ultra high emf’s like some of these portable saunas, you can’t go wrong with Saunaspace pocket sauna.

Now I for one, think $3,000 bucks is a lot for a non wooden sauna, but for the right person this is the best fit for getting a sauna fitted in your closet, spare room, apartment, etc…

For a lot of people, space is a huge concern, and stops them from being able to have a sauna in their home at all. And let’s face it, using a sauna at the gym is just plain… nasty! Not to mention, there are probably several good sanitary reasons NOT to use a gym sauna at all, even if it is just a Finnish style steam sauna.

For true detoxing from heavy metals, plastics/BPA’s, and other pesticides, you want a near infrared sauna or a full spectrum sauna for sure. Saunaspace is also one of the only near infrared sauna companies to be listed on the Dr. Wilson approved sauna list.


Finding Saunas On Sale And Stock Warehouse Deals

This was a horrible idea.

When I bought a cheap sauna from Costco, it was nothing like the claims. Then I later bought one from Amazon because of those fake consumer reports… even worse.

I don’t recommend any of these big box online outlets anymore… you never know what you’re going to get from China in some of these saunas. The sauna industry is still currently unregulated, and there is no policing between the product claims being made, and what you get in the box whatsoever.

Some people have asked if I know of anywhere to get closeout sauna models on sale, since money is tight. I don’t really know of any that I would personally vouch for or have used myself, but you might try Saunas.com and Wayfair for closeout/sale items. However, most of the exact same saunas for sale on Wayfair, are also available on Amazon… and I’d feel a LOT more comfortable buying one sold by Amazon in case I didn’t like it and can send it back. (just make sure you buy one that specifically says at the top: “Shipped and sold by Amazon.com.”


Near Infrared Saunas On Amazon

People on Amazon reviews have normally only ever used a single sauna in their entire life. I realized that most people think any sweating means it’s a good sauna.

These reviews with 5 star raving ratings, are coming from people who really don’t know what they’re missing.

I found this out the hard way by buying into the fake claim of “no emf” JNH Lifestyles sauna on Amazon. everyone said it was so good, and then when I got it it was a pile of junk.

It was right then that I realized these poor people have no idea they are being mislead, and are literally buying a stack of firewood… that’s how bad the build quality was.

There are also several other options that look good on Amazon, and are much more affordable, I just can’t vouch for where their made or if some of their parts come from China or not.

EMF levels are always a huge concern to me, and I might consider purchasing some of the amazon models and hand testing them in my home for you guys, just to help offer more affordable models that you can know for certain are safe to use.

After all, you wouldn’t put your kids, or a loved one in a microwave… so let’s not pick a sauna that does the same thing right?

At any rate, there are several infrared saunas on Amazon that have rave RAVE RAVE reviews, and their customers couldn’t be happier.

There’s even some really good reviews that I value myself, by verified purchasers who seem to have good knowledge of electrical and magnetic fields as well. This review of the JNH sauna, is really good, as is this review of the Dynamic sauna brand.

The only thing I would note about that first review, and I’ll quote it right below, is you can’t always trust a cheap Trifield emf meter to give you accurate emf measurements. I would like to see the same test with a higher end meter like the Acoustimeter and a UHS2 Gaussmeter. The important thing to know, is that almost no sauna is ZERO EMF… just remember that before falling for a “no emf” sales gimmick!

One of our main requirements was a sauna with very low EMFs. I had noticed other companies offered copies of their EMF certifications on their websites, but JNH told me the Intertek report was confidential so that was a bit of a red flag. Thankfully I happen to have a TriField EMF meter 🙂 JNH’s website states the heaters are tested at 0-0.6mG with “0” distance (right up next to it). With the sauna running, at the top of each element it does, in fact, test at less than .6mG. As you move the meter down the element they bump up to about 1.2mG, probably getting higher as it approaches where the power source enters the element. This is why I bumped one star off the rating. The bottom of the 4 upper elements in the sauna is where the main part of your body is, so really you’re being exposed to the 1.2mG of EMFs, not the .6mG. (While this is all controversial, most “safe” levels are considered under 1mG.) And while I believe JNH’s “zero EMF” guarantee refers to the elements only (and in all honesty, my thoughts are that this is misleading! It is NOT zero EMF. But it is generally pretty low.), be aware that the closer you get to the control panel or the power box, the EMFs are quite high–nearly 500mG for both. My suggestion–if this concerns you, sit mainly on the other side of the sauna! You could also put a huge chunk of smoky quartz or black tourmaline in the sauna to neutralize some of the EMFs. Overall, the EMF levels in the ENSI model are most likely much, much less than other models, which is what we were looking for. – J Slight


The Top 3 Rated Infrared Saunas On Amazon

Below are the best selling options of infrared saunas on Amazon that I would consider buying. Not all are near infrared, but not all of use have a near infrared budget either. I still believe some type of sauna is better than no sauna at all… just as long as it’s low emf as possible!

Keep in mind not all sauna companies offer the ability to add near infrared heaters to a far infrared sauna. So like above, when you see me talking about adding the near infrared components to a Clearlight sauna, that isn’t universal across all brands. I’m not certain if every single on of these companies offers both a near and far infrared heater in their specific models, or if they are all full spectrum options with mid, near, and far infrared heaters.


JNH Lifestyles – The Most Popular Infrared Sauna On The Entire Amazon Marketplace

JNH Lifestyles Infrared Sauna Price Range: $999 – $2,400

Click here to see the current price of 2017-2018 models

Quick Specs:

  • No chemical build materials, no plywood, and no adhesive contaminants
  • UL listed components and ETL approved
  • Low emf models available

JNH Lifestyles Infrared Sauna


Dynamic Saunas

Dynamic Saunas


The Benefits Of Near Infrared Sauna

As indicated by Dr. Wilson, near infrared sauna lamp therapy provides the following benefits, in addition to detoxing the body naturally from heavy metals, plastics, toxins, pesticides, and food additives from processed food stuck in our fat cells and lymph system.

  • Detoxifying internal organs
  • Eliminating bacterial infections, viruses, fungus, parasites, etc… from heat therapy
  • Stress management via relaxing the nervous system
  • Many athletes report an improvement all areas across the board
  • Increased energy (1)
  • Weight loss & cellulite reduction
  • Heals skin from the inside out

Why I’m Interested In Infrared Lamp Therapy And Use A Sauna

About 6 months ago, on 5/2/17, I had my first mercury amalgam filling removed. Shortly after the last one was taken out, I went to see a functional medicine doctor to find out why I was constantly tired all the time. One of the things that came up on my hair analysis, was heavy metals. Both aluminum and mercury were higher than normal, and I began taking supplements that help detox the body of heavy metals.

Mercury Fillings And Heavy Metal Detox

I wanted to try some chelation therapies, but was a little afraid to after doing a metric shit ton of research, and finding out that it can be really hard on your kidneys using certain chelators. So I opted to start using Metal Free instead, and began going to a float tank place nearby, and paid for individual sauna sessions. My very first infrared sauna session, was in a Sunlighten Mpulse sauna… which is a full spectrum sauna consisting of near, mid, and far infrared modes.

After my very first session, it was like someone had “turned the lights back on” upstairs, and I could suddenly think clearly, without brain fog. But those results weren’t permanent, and within a day or two I bask to feeling shitty again.

I would later learn that, what you see on a hair test level is not always an indication of how much of that particular metal you have in your body. Our fat cells store a large majority of our contaminants in the body, and getting them out safely can sometimes be challenging like in the case of mercury. But that’s where saunas come in, particularly near infrared saunas that heat you up from the inside out!

A near infrared sauna can make you sweat up to 6 times the amount of toxins as opposed to just sweating on a run or something, and not using one at all. Needless to say, daily sauna therapy is now on my radar and daily regimen.


Related Reading:


Dangers Of Cheap Infrared Saunas To be Aware Of

Made In China


Wood Off-gassing


Not Having Low EMF Emitters


Poor Third Party Testing Of Magnetic Fields And Electric Fields (EMF Ratings Bullshit)

One of the things that’s most attractive about near infrared saunas using red heat lamp arrays, is that there is very very little emf. So little, there really isn’t any point in emf testing NIR saunas, as long as they’re designed modeling the Dr. Wilson’s original design like the DIY NIR array I built, or the SaunaSpace configuration.

But the emf test reports have mostly been making their headway, because all the far infrared sauna manufacturers started using them in their marketing. The trouble with these so called third party testing companies, is that they’re being shipped the heating elements from the sauna manufacturers, which means they’re tested outside the sauna itself.

This poses a lot of problems, but most importantly, you can’t get an accurate measurement of EMF levels without physically being inside of a sauna with everything running. The wiring in the walls contribute to just as much, if not more emf, than the heaters themselves. Just look at my infrared sauna review videos and you can see this with your own eyes and my meters.

For the most part, third party emf reports are worthless. You want to see a live video, with a person using multiple emf meters, so you can get an average level, and the native environment accounted for.


Resources:

87 thoughts on “Near Infrared Saunas All Show Or Some Go?”

  1. Thank you for all the time and effort you are putting into this topic. I am waiting to buy a new sauna after you get done test them. Thanks again and keep up the good work. Tim

    Reply
      • Wow….first time thinking about actually buying a Sauna. I have thought about it for a long time to aid the detoxification process. But have always been worried about things for China, and any country making products where the construction adds to the toxicity. Near Infrared seems to be the way to go with ultra low EMF. I saw your many updates. Thank you very much for your efforts. Have you narrowed it down anymore to a Sauna or two?

        Reply
        • Hi John,

          Far infrared would be my recommendation… it’s the workhorse in any sauna that gives a good detox sweat. Yep, I’ve been using strictly the FIR one’s all year, and recommend them 100%.

          Reply
          • Hello. Thanks for the article. I too am getting my mercury fillings removed. I have 9 of them. Super scared and hope I found the right dentist to do it. But I do have a far infrared sauna at home and have a small, hand held electric magnetic field tester. Can I use this to see if my sauna has low emf readings? I bought this sauna about 10 years ago. Thanks so much and any info would be helpful. 🙂

  2. Thank you for the guidance on here. My wife and I are ready to buy a sauna right now but it is a crazy marketplace with every “review” or “education” site being really a thinly veiled sales pitch for THEIR product.
    I am trying to figure out:

    How important it is to get full spectrum vs just far?
    What level of EMF is acceptable for daily 30+ minute use?

    Once I can get those answers I believe we will be good to go. Hope to see an update here soon!

    Reply
    • Hey Wes,

      Yep, that’s the same thing that happened to me… Every time I turned around, everyone’s sauna was the “best,” has this feature or that gidget, and blah blah blah… Most of it turned out to be hogwash.

      Well, full disclosure, I’m not a doctor or a scientist, so everything is just my opinion. But after testing more saunas than I care to count at this point, I don’t believe everyone needs full spectrum. I’d even go so far as to say, a lot of “full spectrum saunas” aren’t really delivering full spectrum at all. If you look at the research behind the different infrared wavelengths, very few produce enough in each range (at close enough distance) to create any significant exposure. There is a reason why you stand just a mere couple inches away from a Joove lamp, and a lot of sauna companies are simply copying that led mechanism, and throwing it in a sauna anywhere they can. Trouble is, it’s way too far away from you when LED based. Some of it is just another marketing gimmick to get a leg up on a competitor.

      But without boring you with more techno mumbo jumbo, you didn’t mention your intention for you and your wife using the sauna? This is most important, since some people just want to lose weight, get red lamp therapy benefits, while others want to do a detox, etc…

      I bring this up because, if you’re anything like me, and want to detox heavy metals, I think the near infrared saunas that use red heat lamps is going to be too slow for you. I like the feeling I get from them, but when it comes to generating a super deep penetrating sweat for detoxing toxins, it’s simply not as fast as FIR in my experience. Regardless of any marketing, it’s the far infrared that’s doing most of the work in all these saunas on the market.

      As far as emf is concerned for long term exposure, my personal desire is to be under 1mg to do a niacin detox (1hr sessions, 60 + hours/30days), but that’s overkill exposure wise for most people. I believe anything under 2 – 3mg in the seated position, is safe for regular use. From there, worrying about EMF does more harm than the EMF levels themselves if they’re under that limit. A person can easily drive themselves crazy with this stuff, especially after talking to several sources, which ultimately negates the benefits of going in to a healing sanctuary in the first place.

      Price range matters too, you didn’t mention your budget? Hope that isn’t too much information thrown at you, just trying to cover everything you’d want to know. (other people can learn from the answers in these comments too, so I spend a lot of time on them, and am happy to do it.) 🙂

      Reply
      • So I have been watching Ty bollinger’s series on cancer treatment. And they recommended near infrared versus far infrared they didn’t really explain why although I’m not done with all the episodes just wondering if you have any knowledge of why the one doctor recommended near .
        My email is [email protected] . Could you please email me your answer I can never find these comments a second time

        Reply
        • Hi Holli,

          Yes I’m very familiar with the red lamp therapy saunas if that’s what they’re referring to… I’ve built two of them so far, but unfortunately I’m not familiar with Ty Bollinger or the cancer treatment, so I don’t know if it’s that or something like a Joove led NIR. (full disclosure, I am not a doctor, and my opinions of my own experiences should never replace licensed medical advice from a physician)

          I wouldn’t go so far as to say they are truly emitting near infrared though, since the research shows a few other things at play for good NIR absorption like, distance to the body, concentration of wavelength, etc… However, based on my own experience, the red lamp incandescent bulb saunas do wonderful things for your skin, and I do like them. But for sweating out heavy metals like I want to do, they simply do not deliver that deep penetrating river sweat that you get with a far infrared sauna.

          Part of a lot of the cancer benefits of using any infrared sauna, is the heating of the body itself, depending on the application. So whether you’re talking near, far, mid, matters not in a lot of cases… it’s the heating of the body, having a healing sanctuary, integrating it into a ritual meditation time, creating a soothing protocol to give the body the right environment to heal itself, eliminating toxins and potential heavy metals to allow for re-balance, thus allowing the immune system to strengthen and eliminate bad cells on it’s own, etc…

          If you can go into a bit more detail, I may be able to point you to some better research that is specific to your application. Not sure if you’re trying to help a family member or this is for you, but there are lots of good videos buried on YouTube as well I can point you to.

          I have a playlist here that has a hyperthermia protocol video in it that you might find very interesting.

          Reply
  3. Wow Matt, what a fantastic response! Thank you so much, I appreciate that.

    Price range: Best value/dollar regardless, but would be comfortable going up to 5-6k if needed for the right sauna.
    Goals: – General health – Reduce muscle soreness/enhance healing from our workouts (mostly strength training)
    – Detox/Cell health

    It is a mess of marketing hype out there for these products and almost everyone who has a podcast, blog, or website is being paid by the manufacturer so the promotional bias is fearsome.

    Be Blessed,
    Wes A Holland, AAMS

    Reply
    • You’re welcome! Okay got it. Can you wait 2-3 weeks for a couple other options thrown into the mix? I have another batch of saunas coming after the 12th, just have to get them put together. I’m confident one of them is going to be the cats meow, just want to test it out myself before I start talking about it.

      My personal opinion is that you’d be happier with a FIR over the near from what you’ve mentioned, but only you can decide for sure. In the meantime, you could find a local health spa and pay for a couple sessions to try out a sauna or two… that is what I did in the beginning. (but I built a red lamp therapy array that everyone is calling near infrared saunas, and it just doesn’t deliver a deep penetrating sweat like the other one if that’s what you’re after like I am)

      Reply
      • 2 to 3 weeks for a purchase of this magnitude? You bet! I subscribed to the YouTube channel and will check back here periodically to follow the progress. Also feel free to email me with any other info/discussion, I enjoy a good discourse with likeminded individuals about health matters.

        Be Blessed,
        Wes A Holland, AAMS
        [email protected]

        Reply
  4. Thank you very much for sharing your sauna search!
    I started looking for an infrared sauna last fall and haven’t bought one yet because of all the reasons you shared. The first one had triplex wood on the roof, back and in the seats. The sales person asked me what EMF is.
    An intensive search led me to Sunlighten or Clearlight saunas. I will be following your reviews about both of them. And still hope the ideal sauna will show up 🙂

    Reply
    • Hi Michelle!

      Yeah it’s tough, there is so much misinformation out there, it’s almost like wading through quicksand at this point. I’m with you, it’s a large purchase decision, and the way the return policies are written if you go through the terms of service docs, you have to pay an arm and a leg to return your sauna, and the manufacturer basically gets to cover almost all of their hard costs. Crazy.
      Haha, yeah that would be a red flag lol. I should have some new stuff to report in two weeks… next batch of saunas enters the states next week! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Have you reviewed Health Mate? Why would you not want a Sunlighten option with just Far Infared?
    I look forward to more information. I’ve been in the market for over a year!

    Reply
    • Hi Lindsay,

      No I haven’t, I don’t have it on the list either… There doesn’t seem to be anything different about the Healthmate’s, so I’m not sure there’s any reason to buy one?

      I’m not sure, but isn’t it just one of these: https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/health-mate-infrared-sauna.html

      Their marketing seems to portray they’re not made in China, but Health Mate (or PLH Products Inc., the parent company) definitely imports some type of saunas directly from China just like everyone else.

      Health Mate Saunas Made In China?

      Sunlighten Signature with FIR is fine, I’ll be updating the information on all the posts over the next couple of months, now that I’ve personally tested a lot more saunas. (I’m on #7 or 8 now, and the new ones are coming next week)

      Reply
  6. Hi Matt,

    Thank you so much for clearly explaining all the benefits of a sauna. I have been in the market for one for my wife who has Rhemutoid Arthritis but I don’t have the biggest budge. I was thinking about the 3 person jnh one on Amazon but I’ve seen a few people’s reviews state that EMFs we’re very high. I saw the review you posted about the sauna and wondered if you knew if they were really high or not?

    Thank you,
    Andrew

    Reply
    • Hey Andrew,

      Yes the regular model is higher emf, and the Ensi (claimed “no emf” models) are low emf. The only trouble with the one I bought, is that it does not get hot enough to get a good sweat… But you would never know this unless you tried a bunch of saunas. (I think what’s happening in the Amazon reviews, is that people do not know what they’re missing… it would be like never doing Crossfit before, and then thinking it’s the mother of all workouts after trying it the first time. Only to be reborn when trying to run your first Ironman, lol. Same idea… if you’ve never done a sauna sweat before, anything that’s hot will seem good to the inexperienced. Trouble is, especially for arthritis in my experience, is it’s the depth of the sweat that counts)

      Point being, not sure if JNH throttles the power supply or what, but it didn’t work well at all, and looked like it was made from scrap wood. (I have the review videos and photos almost done, because I’m well aware that the way I talk about it comes off as though I’m over indulging, but I can assure you I’m not stretching the imagination at all… it’s fit for a bonfire, literally.)

      Here’s a sneak peak to give you an idea of what mine was like until I get the review finished:
      https://cleverleverage.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/jnh-lifestyles-infrared-sauna-no-emf-review-false-amazon-advertising.png
      https://cleverleverage.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/jnh-saunas-made-from-wood-scraps-and-furing-strips.png
      https://cleverleverage.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/jnh-sauna-delivered-full-of-sawdust.png
      https://cleverleverage.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/jnh-lifestyles-infrared-emitter-built-from-scrap-wood-coming-apart-right-out-of-the-box.png
      https://cleverleverage.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/2500-bucks-for-cracking-wood-panels-from-jnh-ensi-infrared-sauna.png
      https://cleverleverage.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/jnh-lifestyles-no-emf-ensi-review-real-emf-levels.png

      Reply
      • Hi Matt,

        My budget is not very high. That is why I was interested in the JNH sauna because it was a good price. But I completely understand what your saying. The whole reason I’m looking to buy one is to help my wife with her arthritis.

        As for emfs I’m just cautious. I read a lot of research on them and want to expose myself as little as possible.

        I’d prefer a 3 person sauna at least just to be able to do it with her.

        If you have any recommendations that would be great?

        Reply
        • I hear ya, totally understand. Well I’m not sure which one to recommend to you since you didn’t throw out a figure for the budget… I did offer to chat with you real quick if you want to get really specific, offer is still open if you like.

          The cheapest 3 person I know of with the good low magnetic heaters in it, is about $3,700. But there is another 2 person that is still a good size for two people closer to $3k if you don’t mind it being a little bit more narrow. There are other things to consider other than price too, since you’re talking about a larger size sauna. You’ll need to know if you have a 20amp circuit in your house, or can have one installed if not, etc… Most of the smaller ones run on 10-15 amps circuits, but when you get into the bigger sauna cabinets, more heaters are required to heat the larger space… leading to larger power supplies and more heaters, increasing the power requirements.

          Alternatively, if you’d rather not afford the $1,800 for the mini to get her going (no judgement here either… hell, there’s been times I didn’t have money for food, so I totally understand no matter what your situation is), I can make you a video tutorial on how to build a heat lamp sauna if you’re fairly handy. It will be a bit of work, and won’t work as well as the far infrared, but specifically for arthritis it’s still fairly effective according to several folks I’ve talked with. It will look something like the red lamps on the left in the top image here. Not my first recommendation after building two of them myself, but can get you by in a pinch.

          Reply
  7. I was told by a holistic doctor to get a sauna to raise my temperature. I ordered a therasage but have not received it because it has been on backorder for some time. I am thinking of canceling my order. I need one with very low EMF, one person portable sauna. The therasage was $800. Are there any better ones or any you would recommend for my needs. I just can’t figure this out. I want to raise my temperature without harmful effects and can’t spend more than $800-$1000.

    Reply
    • Hi Roxanne,

      Sounds like a good recommendation from the doc!

      I haven’t used a Therasage specifically, but I’ve tested multiple other brands of portable saunas, and it didn’t go so well.

      The cheapest sauna I know of that’s similar to what I personally use, would be $3,000’ish after shipping, which is a bit more than you’re looking to spend.

      I would recommend either saving up for a good sauna, and doing a DIY shower conversion for about $200 to get you by in the meantime. Do you have a walk in shower at your house, or a tub style shower? Alternatively, check on your local Craigslist and find a decent used sauna is what a lot of people do in the beginning.

      Reply
      • I got my Therasage and love it. It claimed that it has very low EMF and when I checked that it shows very little. I would recommend them for anyone who wants a portable sauna.

        Reply
      • Hi Matt,

        Thanks so much for sharing all of your research. My mom suffers from Rheumatoid Arthritis and we’re in the market for a sauna. Cost is a factor. You mentioned in one of your comments that doing a DIY $200 shower conversion may be a good way to go. Any recommendations? I did a quick search and there are steam spa conversion kits. Is that what you had in mind?

        Thanks! Any help is appreciated.

        Reply
  8. Matt,
    I have been researching saunas for some time. (I was diagnosed with heavy metal issues over 30 years ago. Used sauna therapy within the last 3 years. LOVED IT!) Ready to purchase. Decision is between Clearlight/Jacuzzi Sanctuary 3 and Sunlighten mPulse Conquer. The cost is not a factor. I want the most effective results with the least negatives. (I.e. best heaters; carbon vs. ceramic; best woods; position of heaters; low EMF and low ELF; warranty; customer service, etc.). What wood do you recommend? What is has your research shown on Carbon vs. ceramic heaters? Between these two models, what would your recommendation be?

    Reply
  9. Hi Matt,
    Nice job on your post. I bought a JNH Joyous 3 person Sauna. Was told by the company that the EMF’s were very low. To try and get what I thought would be FIR and NIR exposure, I then hung a 4 bulb fixture (like the one in Sauna Fix) on one wall to the left of the glass door and in front of the bench and put a stool in front of the fixture which now has four 250 Watt Phillips Red Heating Bulbs. I don’t sit on the Sauna Bench. When I sit on the stool and look at the fixture, the bench is on my right and door is on my left. I rotate 180 degrees every 15 minutes or so. I measured EMFs when sitting on the stool. I know the EMFs would be from the Carbon FIR heaters. To my great disappointment, the EMFs measured sky high. However, I found that if I disconnected 3 of the 8 carbon heaters (the ones nearest to my stool) that the EMF readings were now acceptable. The temp gets up to 140 with either the 5 FIR heaters alone, or with the addition of the 4 Red Heating Bulbs. I work up a good sweat with both systems working and it feels great. In researching bulbs further, I have found another one – Ruby Lux NIR – A Near Infrared bulb that I’m considering purchasing instead of the Phillips Bulbs. They are 4 – 5 times more expensive but still affordable. Have you read anything comparing bulbs. I heard that bulbs that heat up the Sauna are not producing the amount of NIR (or the correct wavelength – 660) that we would like. I’m even considering hanging something like a full body Joovv on the wall across from the 4 bulb fixture to get even better NIR exposure. I’m looking for detox and general wellness from the Sauna. Luckily, I I’m fairly healthy and feeling pretty good, but this is a hack that I want to get right and am not ready to toss out the JNH. Is what I’m doing making any sense whatsoever? Do you think that moving the stool a little distance from the carbon heaters lessens the FIR exposure too much? Any thoughts would really be appreciated. Hard to find someone that seems knowledgeable that isn’t also selling something. Thanks in advance.

    Reply
    • Hey Chuck,

      Great comment, yep I understand perfectly… I’ve been through the exact same thing.

      I’ll have to make you a video because this will get pretty long. But in short, I have every brand of heat lamp bulb on the market, and there isn’t much difference between them. However, I’ve found that heat lamp bulbs don’t emit much near infrared at all, despite what people have been cleverly pitching. (true near infrared does not make you sweat)

      All of these full spectrum saunas, near infrared saunas, or whatever the clever marketing name of the day is for them, are almost all emitting primarily far infrared. Less than 10% of the total energy output is even in the near infrared spectrum, doesn’t matter if it’s heat lamps, ceramic tube heaters, supposed combo carbon panels, etc…

      I have one of these on the way that you’ll probably be interested in: **nir-therapy-kit-addon.jpeg

      Should be here in a few weeks, but I can make you a video that answers your other questions along with this Joov style NIR panel that will be in my sauna.

      Yeah I mean the farther you are away from the carbon panels, the less intense the infrared is going to be. But the important thing is that you’re sweating. The magnetic field fall off rate is pretty steep, so just being 6 inches away should result in pretty low readings in the seated position. There won’t be any EMF from the heat lamps ever, just from the cords powering them. But they are screamin hot, and I have rotated like a rotisserie many a nights. lol

      Reply
  10. Hi Matt,

    Thanks so much for your super informative article! I’m looking to purchase a sauna and would love someone such as yourself who has done so much research and testing to tell me which one would be best. I am looking for overall health and wellness, but to the maximum degree. I want major detox (heavy metals, excess hormones, general toxins etc), and just repair at a cellular level. I have various different hormone issues and imbalances and have found over the years that detoxing has always made me feel better but I want to really ramp up the function of my detox organs with heat therapy and then of course aid in the elimination of those toxins. Price is not an issue, I just want the maximum benefits with the least amount of negatives (EMF’s, chemicals in the glues/other materials used to build the Sauna, etc). Can you advise one for me? Is there one that has true NIR and FIR benefits that will get me really sweating? Thanks so much! Feel free to email me with your response!
    (redacted)@gmail.com

    Regards,
    Courtney Rollo.

    Reply
  11. Hi Matt,
    My name is Courtney and I am in the market to purchase a Sauna and came across your article. Very informative, thank you. I’m wondering if you can help me narrow it down based on my needs. I am looking for A deep detox, and have been told that heat therapy is something I should try to detox heavy metals and stimulate my sluggish organs to regulate my hormones and overactive immune system. Can you recommend one that has the maximum benefits and the minimum risks such as emf exposure or exposure to chemicals used in adhesives and other materials used to build the sauna. Budget is not an issue as I figure if I’m going to get one and invest lots of time using it, I want to get the most out of that time. Feel free to email me with any suggestions at (redacted)@gmail.com . Thanks again for the article, hope to hear soon!

    Reply
  12. Matt,
    I would really appreciate your help. There is so much info out there and it is hard to know what to believe.
    I have been reading your articles and I trust your opinion. I am looking for a deep detox and healing. I may need a separate unit for near infared which I am hoping will help with skin cancer. The sauna needs to fit 4 or more so there is room to stretch or lay down. It will be outside but we live in San Diego so winters aren’t a factor, only sea air. Price doesn’t really matter. I am more concerned with quality and benefits. I would get the one you have but I don’t think that it is big enough. Right now it is between Clearlight and Sunlighten but I am open to whatever you might suggest. Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Hi Crista,

      Is it going to be completely covered like under a patio? If not I would go with an outdoor sauna, so it’s designed to withstand diagonal rain if you’re putting it on the corner of a back patio. Electrical requirements won’t matter much between brands for a sauna of that size… you’ll need to run a 220 line with a dedicated breaker. I would also run a conduit of 120 alongside it to the pad where it’s place, in case you want to add landscape lighting or path lighting for night time use in the future. (just assuming here, hard to know what the layout is)

      Reply
  13. Matt, I was exhausted after reading your article on saunas. I kept scrolling down hoping to get to the real answers — which took forever, sifting through crossed out text in between your updated comments. Even at the end, you didn’t really go into big details, apparently, you are still researching. Good grief!

    Reply
  14. There is the Sauna Fix sysyem that has been through extensive testing, including the ROHS certification for contaminates, the EMF directive, and others. It is the most tested, UL listed and inspected, near infrared sauna lamp. Now it comes with a radiant enclosure having an R12 insulation factor. The outside has a beautiful warm wood grain pattern, heavy duty zippers, and comes in two sizes. The convertible radiant sauna tent allows three positions, so you can stand up, sit down or lie down during the sauna session. The larger Hot Yoga Studio allows exercise with near infrared therapy to enhance flexibility, reduce pain and shorten workout times. Additionally with the internal partition a smaller enclosure can be used for a sauna, or the whole studio can be used as a family sauna. The Sauna Fix near infrared lamp and radiant tents are portable, totally non-toxic, have organic cotton webbing so you dont have to worry about GMOs, pesticides and herbicides from cotton canvas daunas on the market. The system is also green, because absolutely no preheat is required, and people sweat in half the time as all other brands of saunas.

    Reply
    • Jesus, any other self promotional info you’d like to add?

      This comment should come with a giant disclaimer.

      *A note for readers – sweating in half the time compared to ALL other saunas is quite a claim. An unfounded one at best. While this may be true by comparing other heat lamp sauna brands, from my testing the time-to-sweat in a heat lamp sauna, doesn’t even come close to a well powered FIR sauna.

      Reply
  15. I tried Saunalite twice in Florida on a treadmill walking with a few brief sprints for 15 minutes and wow that was a skin bliss!

    Reply
  16. So do you have a top 3 near/far infrared sauna list? I usually trust Hippocrates recommendations too. What about High Tech Heath International out of Boulder Co. They have a nice unit with all the right claims. Your thoughts?

    Reply
    • Hi Lisa,

      I’d love to work with HTH, but they don’t have an updated model anywhere in Orlando for me to try. And I don’t think I’ll be buying one after their rep Renee spammed the ever living shit out of all my YouTube videos. I’m happy with my super low emf models too, so the search is pretty much over for a good affordable sauna, even though I personally love ceramic saunas. (a lot of people do not enjoy the hot spots like I do)

      Reply
  17. Hi Matt, have you used the JNH lifestyles Joyous 3-Person or the Joyous Corner sauna? $1357 at Home Depot or $1499 at The Modern Spa, respectively. Thoughts? Thank you!

    Reply
  18. Thank you Matt! I noticed their site also says the sauna should not be in a high moisture area. Is this true if all brands? Mine will be going into a large bathroom but even with the size of the bathroom, it still gets steamy during showers. Which brands, if any, are suitable for higher moisture areas?

    Reply
    • Hi Tracey,

      Yep, most all indoor saunas aren’t rated for moisture like an outdoor sauna. That said, I have many many many people installing them in their master bath.

      Usually as long as it’s not getting splashed with water from a shower, it’ll be fine. Do you have an exhaust fan?

      Also, while we’re at it, a lot of people call me and say they’ve been told they should worry about moisture/mold INSIDE the sauna. This is a complete fallacy. There is so much infrared heat in a decent sauna, that it dries everything to the bone. I’m even hard pressed to stop my aromatherapy cup from completely drying out just during a single sauna session if that gives you any indication.

      Just thought I’d throw that in there while we’re talking about it!

      Reply
  19. You Tha Man Matt….Thanks for the help! I was thinking about converting my water closet into a sauna. Its 6’x3.5’x8′ , has a window for venting, tile flooring, and a porcelain god for a seat. I bought 3 in-ceiling 2 light heat lamps on Amazon for $11 each (open box). Was going to get an electrician out here for a light install bid, but wanted your thoughts on the idea?

    I’m trying to get gadolinium out of my body…avoid mri contrast, it’s a plague Matt

    Did you remove your amalgam fillings and metal crowns first ? I got a bio dentist saying I should also remove my 2 Root canal teeth and put a bridge in. Seems excessive imo.

    Are you still good with Enterosgel being the best binder? The made in Russia part has me a little leery….I wonder if Trump uses it 😉

    Thanks again Matt

    Mike

    Reply
    • Hi Mike,

      It depends on what the heat lamps are… if this is your only option, sure. If you can get in far infrared, it would be a lot better.

      Yes I had them removed first, but if I had it do all over again I would start sauna’ing regularly before doing any dental work, so you can lower the body burden of metals accumulated over decades before removing the source. Of course you want to remove the source as quickly as possible, but some people tend to change once those are removed.

      Yep, still like Enterosgel, and I also like Ultra Binder if you want something that latches on to everything under the sun.

      Reply
      • Ok…the good near infrared ones, right? I was thinking if I installed all six in that small room it would get plenty hot in there to sweat good and no emf or chemical wood problem. A Good far infrared sauna is bucks and needs a space. You like that Therasage portable 360?

        Every tried a product called “Bind” by Systemic Formulas? How about the coffee enema detox?

        Reply
        • Hi Mike,

          Losing track with all the different types of questions… No I don’t consider them “good” near infrared sources, just continuing to use the same terminology as to not confuse. They’re not really near infrared at all, I’ve got other blog posts on it if you’d like to compare. I just figured if this was your only option, it’s better than doing nothing. 6 bulbs was pretty hot on the one I built, just make sure you have more than adequate space to rotate like a rotisserie, or else you will burn in less than 10 minutes on one side… not ideal.

          Reply
          • Sorry I do tend to ask multi subject questions at times(heavy metal toxicity symptom perhaps)

            Rotate like a Kenny Rodgers rotisserie chicken Matt ? No thanks, but that sure was some good chicken. He made ” a pretty mean bird”

            So using the heat lamps is just is a scam? That $3000 one in the tent is a total ripoff? This Dr Wilson is full of it?

            Did you find that the L Ron Niacin Flush works ?

            Therasage’s Portable sauna in a bag, it’s affordable at $800, any knowledge if its any good ?

            Coffee Enema’s and Juice detox is the Gerson Therapy
            “Bind” comes from Dr Jay Davidson

  20. I have the Therasage Portable sauna and love it. I didn’t want anything stationary anyway, plus the portable was much more economical. This particular sauna is Low to no EMFs. I checked mine myself.

    Reply
    • Sounds legit. How about you post the video of you testing it, so we can see for ourselves, instead of taking your word for it from someone we don’t know? Normally when people post things like this, it’s just the company themselves using an alias to try and promote their product.

      I don’t care either way, but if you’re going to make a claim, at least back it up with some type of evidence.

      Reply
    • Thanks Roxanne…. What possibly bothers me is that if you sweat all those toxins out in that fabric bag, how do you clean them out after?

      I watched interviews with the founder and he has done his research it seems, seemed like at good guy just wanting to help others…like Matt here

      Matt….how high a Niacin dose have you worked up to? 5000 mg sounds crazy excessive to me.

      Reply
      • Hi Mike,

        Not high at all, less than a gram. But I haven’t done the full month long protocol yet either. For some reason I am very sensitive to Niacin, and flush hard on 100mg so I’m taking it super slow. (slower than most report)

        Once I get done moving, I’ll be back on the horse and will finish the complete detox.

        Reply
  21. Moving ?….Not into “The Super Power Building ” in Clearwater ?! 😉

    There is no difference between red near infrared and clear infrared heat bulbs is that correct?

    Reply
  22. I don’t know Matt …that Cruise dude is doing halo drops at 50…Niacin Injections stat ! I wonder what brand of Sauna’s they use over there at the Pyramid Of Purification ? ….”Show Me The Money” Sauna’s ?

    I’m reading that red bulbs are really only cosmetic for food purposes and so baby chicken’s don’t peck at each other if injured. Clear bulbs provide the same near infrared rays, red is just painted red to imply heat.

    Reply
  23. I have a Sunlighten Mpulse. After testing the magnetic fields around the heaters, I called Sunlighten and they sent a new power control box that they said emits about 50% less magnetic fields. I have not yet retested. In the meantime, Saunaspace did a recent interview with Dr Mercola and the conclusion is that NIR is much more beneficial than FIR. So, I purchased the Saunaspace lights and will place them inside my Sunlighten and get FIR and NIR in the same session. I agree that you cannot trust the manufacturers and need to rely on independent research regarding EMF and the benefits of FIR vs NIR. I relied on a sauna dealer who has posted many sauna reviews and tests on Youtube before buying my Sunlighten through the dealer. I paid around $4,400 for the Mpulse 3 person sauna.

    Reply
  24. Hey Matt…Have you looked at IV edta chelation heavy metal detox vs Sauna and binders heavy metal detox at all ? How do they compare/ contrast and do you have an opinion on which is better?

    Thanks

    Reply
  25. Im in the process of opening a sports recovery center and will be installing a sauna. The process of narrowing down companies, to go full spectrum or not, etc etc is exhausting. In your opinion, what is the best sauna for this application? Budget 4-6K. Thanks

    Reply
    • Hi Josh,

      Are you doing build out and have control over the electric, or are you limited to pre-existing 15 amp circuits only?

      That would change my answer quite a bit, but most likely a no frills far infrared sauna like the Radiant, CL Premier, or similar. If it’s going to get beat on everyday, less things that can break is a good idea. (unless you want a fancy LCD control panel, that you can lock people out of… pros and cons to that. As a customer renting sessions, I hated that. If the attendant made any mistakes with the settings, there was nothing I could do to change anything, and was already naked in the sauna…)

      Reply
  26. Have you ever tested Sauna Ray out of Canada supposed to be the top of the line for athletes .ceramic heaters made in USA .and all else made in Canada.. Is there a reason why you haven’t tested saunaray just wondering

    Reply
  27. Hi Matt,

    I am considering purchasing a Radient Health Sauna – E-2H 2 Person Elite Model as per your previous review. My concern is your long term test results may change – like a few of the others have over time. Are you confident this is a good sauna, I have an auto-immune disorder and my hair test came back with metal results like yourself. This is a big decision for me, one that I hope changes my life for the better (health).

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Hi Brad,

      Great question and valid concern. Yep it’s solid.

      Of course I can’t do anything about a company updating stuff or coming out with new products in future years… it would be like me telling Chevy not to change the Corvette this year. But what I can do, is make sure the vetting is at such a high standard going forward, that it would only bump a sauna a spot or two, yet all remain great safe choices for folks.

      One of the reasons I raised the emf standards for 2019, is to take care of this for the future. New saunas may come out next year that test better, or they may not pass the test at all like some you won’t find on the Certified Sauna list. If they do, great… another good options for folks.

      But by raising the standards (and setting a baseline, something the industry lacked as a whole) this ensures from 2019 and beyond, even older saunas are vetted so highly, that it will only be a marginal improvement instead of a monumental one.

      (hope this makes sense!)

      Now it’s as simple as a yes or no… saunas either pass the test and are in line with the standards, or they’re not. (past, present, and future)

      Reply
  28. Have you tested any sun rays Saunas they’re made in Canada I’m looking to purchase one wonder if you did any reviews on the EMF ratings on them

    Reply
  29. Hi, Matt. Thanks for all your research. I’m curious why on some of your pages, the Sunlighten youtube video testing is not linked anymore. Did they come after you or something? I’m deciding between a Sunlighten and a Radiant Health. Do you have a link where you are in a Sunlighten Signature Series doing your EMF, RF, EF, tests? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Jan,

      I don’t. I’ll be testing one again, but it’s going to be a bit. To be fair, I wasn’t testing body voltage way back then, and not a lot of electric field testing either. I would just ask them what the electric fields are in the Signature… if under 200 v/m, you should be good to go. (the m pulse is going to be higher of course)

      Reply
      • Matt, I asked about EF, and they said “it doesn’t matter.” “It’s nothing to worry about.” I also asked about RF, and they said there’s no radio frequency in there. I also asked about dirty electricity and they said that has nothing to do with saunas. I’m so confused.

        Reply
        • Hi Jan,

          This is precisely why you don’t see them listed on the certified sauna list. It’s not that they don’t make good saunas, but the company as a whole is not geared toward mitigating electric fields. It all comes down to what is most important to you. I’ll have to shoot a video to answer your other comment, it’s a lot to type. If there’s anything else you want added, let me know.

          Reply
  30. Matt- Anyway for a 5 min conversation live?
    I am so confused, even with all this research- Was thinking SUNlightehn Mpulse — general health and anti age desire here- detox- but seems you don’t support them either?

    Reply
    • Hi John,

      Sure use the 800 number at the bottom of every page. If I’m traveling or in Maine when you ring in, make sure to leave a message and give me a couple days to respond when there’s cell coverage.

      Reply

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