Influence Sauna Review

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Alternate sauna for comparison, same environment


Update – 04/01/2021 – here’s a complete original copy for the Influence Sauna / Finnmark Designs disclaimer:

Influence Sauna Finnmark Design Lawsuit Threat
https://cleverleverage.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Influence-Sauna-Finnmark-Lawsuit-Threat-Over-Matt-Justice-Review-12-29-2020-FINNMRK.004L.pdf

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Update – 11/25/2020  – the discourse toward the bottom of this page is from last year, customer interactions & feedback, and my initial opinion based on the Influence Sauna advertising when launched in 2019 (and being bombarded with customer service queries). These new videos up top are my own opinion of my Influence Sauna.


Old Stuff Below:

December 5, 2019 – Here are my thoughts on the Influence Saunas from what I can tell given the information I’ve been sent.  I’m tired of being asked about this sauna, since every major natural health influencer is hitting their list mailing for these cats. Can’t blame them, but super annoying…

I love the idea behind this sauna, but there is literally no proof to back up the claims being made. It’s basically impossible to do a comparison for you guys without some real information regarding specifics like EMF levels, construction, etc…

I can’t find a single person that’s saying how great it is, truly using one or sitting in one… nor any of the naturopaths having them in their office.  So I don’t know, this isn’t a proper review, just sick of being inundated with questions about it everyday when the company doesn’t provide enough details with the marketing material claims.  Here’s a placeholder page for the video, so everyone that I can’t personally respond to can find it:

32 thoughts on “Influence Sauna Review”

  1. I have never felt the need to leave negative feedback, however, due to the expense of purchasing a sauna, I would like to make other consumers aware of my experience. Since I have followed Robin Openshaw of GreenSmoothieGirl.com for several years, when she recently established Influence Sauna, I, in good faith, ordered a sauna in November (2019) and received an order confirmation saying that I should expect a phone call from the shipping company in 5-7 days to schedule my delivery. I received an email on 12/19/19 saying my sauna had finallyshipped. I never did receive an email or a phone call from the shipping company; consquently, I tried following up with Influence Sauna a couple of different times. This was because their rep, Tonya, did not respond to my first email inquiry; when I emailed her a second time, she said on 01/06/20 that the shipping company was currently closed, but that she would follow up with them. Today is 01/09/20 and I have not heard back from Tonya at Influence Sauna. I am very disappointed and will likely contact our state’s office of the attorney general for assistance, since they say somewhere on their website that you cannot cancel an order once it has shipped. Perhaps the shipping company went out of business? What am I left to think? I will say that I am very concerned about the lack of customer service/support I would likely receive IF anything went wrong witht he sauna, should I ever receive it.

    Reply
  2. We need help. I can’t get Influence Sauna to respond to phone or email requests to report damage during shipping and I want a refund. But customer service says, “Kali Mason” takes care of reports of damage. My husband and I have many calls to her and emails. With only one email where all she says, can I call you right now? Well of course that was two days ago and I missed the email when it came in. We want to send it back. Not only are we extremely disappointed with customer service but I feel duped and ripped off, as I too have followed Robyn for several years. Any information you can supply will be greatly appreciated.

    Reply
    • Hi Diane,

      If it were a sauna company where I know the owners, I could give them a call for you. Unfortunately, I don’t know these folks. I’m not sure I can help, but let me know if there’s something I can do.

      Have you called their main phone number on the website a few times, and maybe try to get someone else? (866) 626-6532

      I would imagine you need to get Robyn’s attention somehow, I’m sure she can get you all fixed up. (I don’t know her either, or I’d call her for you) Perhaps try commenting on some of her YouTube videos, Facebook page, or greensmoothiegirl? Or send a contact form on a website she owns… that might help.

      Reply
    • Hello Diane –

      I am so very sorry for your frustration and I am happy to assist you.

      Here is the technical contact form for damage or return issues. https://influencesauna.com/contact-tech/.

      You are also welcome to email me and I will handle you personally. My email address is [email protected].

      We will get this sorted for you. Thank you for your patience.

      Regards –

      Laurie Roman
      Chief Marketing Officer
      Influence Brand Saunas

      Reply
  3. Today is 01/15/2020 and I am updating my comments above from early 01/09/2020. Later that day, 01/09, I received a response from a Naomi Mason (not certain of her position) who said that if I felt the need to contact the Attorney General , that she could not stop that, but that what she could do is “her job” and that she is doing the best she could. Tonya, the customer rep, then copied me on an email to the shipping company to ask if they could please get my sauna on their truck the next day, 01/10; the shipping company responded and said, “This shipment is on board today, 01/10.” Since a few days passed and we never received the promised phone call from the shipping company to schedule our delivery (absolutely necessary, since we both work), I emailed Tonya yesterday, 01/14, to ask about this. Tonya responded saying she would look into it and emailed me back this morning, 01/15, to apologize for the inconsistency of their shipping team and that apparently my sauna was not shipped on Friday, 01/10, as she was told. Tonya went on to say that the sauna is 100% going out today, 01/15, and again apologized, as they have shipped out over 400 saunas in 30 days and have another 800 coming in mid-February.

    I do understand that this is a new company, but wished they had ironed out all of the “kinks” before launching their product. It makes me very nervous as to whether they will truly be accessible for any follow-up support/service we may need with the sauna, should we decide to continue with the order (initially placed back in November). I am not certain what to think or how to proceed at this point.

    Reply
  4. I have been a huge Robyn fan for years. However, this sadly made me dislike her very much. I feel scammed and cheated. I should have purchased a sauna from your list, but I went with her because I have purchased items from her shop before. I have been told I would have already received my sauna. I can’t get ahold of anyone in customer service or at the company. I read what you suggested about commenting on social media and so forth, and I did that. A friend of mine purchased as well, and has not received it either! She even purchased it before me! She disputed her Credit Card!
    I can’t say how disappointed I am. I feel like they just wanted a quick buck. I called my Credit Card Company and I did a chargeback on my order. I just wanted to let other people know, so they do not go through the same frustration and disappointment I have been through. I will purchase something from the certified sauna list. Influence sauna just seems like a total scam!

    Reply
    • Hi Megan,

      Sorry you’re having trouble… I’m sure it’s not a scam, maybe something happened with inventory or distribution. (granted, it should be easy to get a hold of someone)

      There are enough emails from several of you now, maybe there is something that can be done. Who is the point person to contact or who specifically sold you the sauna?

      Reply
    • Hello Megan –

      I am so sorry for your frustration – I assure you that our company has the utmost level of integrity and you have not been scammed.

      Our response was overwhelming and we ran out of stock several times – we had ran into shipping delays with the holidays. We have learned from this and have put better systems in place to make sure this doesn’t happen again. We also replaced our shipping company.

      We have not handled you correctly and I am so sorry about that. We want you happy, please allow us to make this right for you.

      Please feel free to reach out to me directly – my email address is [email protected] and I will personally assist you.

      I hope you allow us to make this up to you, please know that we care.

      Laurie Roman
      Chief Marketing Officer
      Influence Brands Saunas

      Reply
  5. So sorry to hear that others have had issues with their Influence Sauna order. I, too, ordered from them based on Robin Openshaw’s reputation and have no doubt that the sauna is a quality product – something drastic must have happened with the order fulfillment process. Since I couldn’t reach anyone by phone and could only communicate via email, it finally occurred to me to copy the person with whom I spoke initially and placed my order with, John ([email protected]), whom I believe John is part of Robin’s family unit. After I included him on the email, John reached out to us by phone and was apologetic and understanding of our frustration; he promptly refunded our payment, at our request. I appreciated his professionalism and trust that they, no doubt, will iron things out soon. After cancelling my order and receiving my refund, I have placed an order for a Clearlight Sauna.

    Reply
    • Hello Raye –

      I am very sorry that this happened and cannot imagine your frustration.

      Robyn Openshaw and her team, myself included, care very much about your experience. We have taken many steps, put in many systems and replaced our shipping company to make sure, going forward, nothing like this ever happens again.

      I am sorry that we lost you – if there is anything that I can do to assist you in the future, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].

      Take good care –

      Laurie Roman
      Chief Marketing Officer
      Influence Brands Sauna

      Reply
  6. Lynne Koral Do the saunas you referred such as the radiant sauna have no plywood or off-gassing or other toxic woods like particle boards? Only real wood works. Also no wifi but bluetooth is all right? Also you don’t believe near infrared is necessary but good for healing? Have you tested the influence Saunas or Healthmate saunas?

    Reply
  7. I also have not received my sauna. I ordered it online, Jan. 27th, after watching an educational program with Robyn Openshaw through Trevor Cates site. I emailed support twice and called once with no answer. Three days later I received a message on my answering machine saying they had received my order but they did not repeat my order # so it sounded generic. No answers to my emails yet. Is this a scam? Do I need to contact someone?

    Reply
    • I received a call today saying my Sauna would arrive at their ware house April 17th. She gave me my order # and said everything looked good. I’ve also received 2 emails this week. I’d take my original comment down if I knew how.

      Reply
    • Travis, I received mine Monday. It looks just like the picture. My son put it together for me after work. It didn’t take long. Everything lined up well (even the screw holes) so it went together easy. It’s sturdier than I expected. I love how it looks. Everything seems to work fine.
      How to access a video and printable instructions were sent in the email with my shipment tracking number. I’m so glad I didn’t cancel because of the wait time.

      Reply
  8. It looks like they have since posted a couple videos on youtube with a trifield TF2 meter. Would that make you think differently? I still have not been able to get ahold of them.

    Reply
    • Not at all, show me the body voltage.

      Aaaand therein lies half the problem… here we are 5 months later, and I’m still getting customer service questions because a company can’t get back to their own customers. I’m over it.

      Reply
  9. My sauna came and we’ve been using it since May. I love it and so does my family. We are so glad we have it. It was worth the wait. It was easy to put together, looks nice in the corner of our basement and smells like cedar.

    Reply
  10. 11/15/20
    I just watched Robin’s presentation about this sauna too. I always check reviews before making any purchase, (especially at this price), and I’m so glad that I did! Sorry this couldn’t work out but glad I found out before placing an order.

    Reply
  11. I received an email promoting the Influence Saunas. I am currently in the market to purchase one, but I’ve been hit or miss in doing my research over the last couple of months. Honestly, I figured that stock would be short due to the pandemic. However, since I’m now receiving marketing materials and endorsements from other influencers, it appears that they are once again pushing sales. The claims really do seem wonderful; but, if it takes an act of congress along with a ton of patience to order and actually receive a mediocre product, I”d rather just take a hard pass on this company. Has anything changed for the better in the last year?

    Reply
    • Hi Hope,

      Sorry I can’t help you with this right now, currently under legal threat from Garret Gordon, founder of Finnmark Designs, supplier to Influence Saunas, and supported by the Green Smoothie Girl branded, Robyn Openshaw. (to my knowledge, that is the correct party)

      Unfortunately I can’t recommend or not recommend it at this time, I’m only allowed to report my own experience until this is resolved. If it’s exactly what you’re looking for, by all means buy it.

      No one should be deterred from purchasing any product of any kind, simply because one guy on the internet doesn’t like it.

      Reply
      • I have purchased the influence sauna after listening to Robyn Openshaw and Dr Eric Zielinski give a sauna “class”. I was feeling confident in who was promoting it and was looking for a sauna. I ordered in November 2020 and it arrived February 26, 2021 I feel duped as well – I did receive my unit but there are many problems with it, much shipping damage and according to instructions it appears that I am missing a major electrical wire on the base that plugs into the back panel. I have called for support and David cheerfully answered and suggested I send pictures of the damaged parts – many knicks and chips in the wood and the glass door is out of the wood completely meaning it’s stripped and will be difficult to fix. Yet David encouraged me to continue installation and sent an email to show me how to fix the door myself. Still waiting on replies from calls and emails sent after initial contact. I am so disappointed in this and I haven’t even been able to plug it in! I feel I’ve scammed in a major way. I am out the money , at least if you didn’t receive you could get your money back!

        Reply
      • Hey, Matt.

        I don’t know if you are aware that Garrett Gordon who founded Finnmark Design also founded a company called Valorem Consulting in 2009. The guy is a shark–and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way.

        Valorem, a tech consulting firm, had a client list that included Microsoft, Alaskan Airlines, and Post Foods. Gordon outgunned serious competition including Dell and Accenture. The latter acquired New York-based creative powerhouses Droga5 as well as Adaptly, an adtech company whose clients include Mazda and Prudential.

        Gordon also is the guy who put Luxsauna on the map with a sales and marketing strategy that he created after working on it for 4,000 hours. You can see where this is going. He needed a relatively high-profile reseller for his Finnmark Design line and he found one with a huge customer base.

        You had some harsh words about Influence’s initial rollout. You wanted proof of their claims but it wasn’t critical to their game plan. All Gordon had to do was recycle his marketing plan for LuxSauna and tweak it for Influence. But there was the 500-pound gorilla lurking in the room: the pandemic. That has crushed bigger
        fish than Valorem or Finnmark. It has caused massive problems for airlines with delays, canceled flights, and customer service. Iconic stores such as Macy’s and Burberry’s are shutting their doors in Chicago.

        The bottom line here is that Influence Saunas has a puppet master pulling the strings. Garrett Gordon is not a lightweight and to make matters worse for the competition, he is a brilliant middleweight. Don’t make the mistake of thinking he will go to the mattresses because a few “experts” on Youtube think his saunas aren’t as advertised.

        Bill Gates has Gordon’s name in his Rolodex. And judging from your more “mitigated” responses when talking about Influence, I’m guessing you get that he’s not your typical dime-store Infrared hustler.

        Reply
  12. DO NOT BUY THIS SAUNA! Like Wendy who commented I also feel scammed! this company is a huge disappointment! I have never felt this way in my whole life. I watched one of their webinars and I thought to myself this would be a great product to purchase. I have been a big fan of Green Smoothie Girl. However, not anymore! My sauna does not work as advertised! I got the 2 person one. I checked the EMF levels and they are through the roof!!! Also, the sauna does not get to 170! it only got to 155! The sauna does not look like cedar wood either! Does not smell like cedar! Wow, am I disappointed! This seems to be the only place to leave a negative review also!

    Reply
    • Martin I can’t help you with this, you need to contact the company directly… this is not my company.

      If you scroll up, you can see Laurie’s contact info:

      Please feel free to reach out to me directly – my email address is [email protected] and I will personally assist you.

      1-866-626-6532

      I hope you allow us to make this up to you, please know that we care.

      Laurie Roman
      Chief Marketing Officer
      Influence Brands Saunas

      Reply
  13. Very disappointed in this sauna. I can’t believe I bought into the “hype” Matt I just found your website, after I have been dealing with my broken Influence sauna. The dang thing keeps shutting off halfway through the session. My husband is an engineer and he is used to working on electrical stuff. He can’t get this to work. I have tried to call the company, and David answered. He said he would send me an email, or someone from customer service would. IT HAS BEEN 2 weeks! This might as well be used for firewood at this point. It keeps beeping, and turns off 5 mins into it. I am fighting this on my Credit Card!

    Reply
    • Suzane, this seems like a spam comment double posting as Martin within 10 mins of each other from the same ip block in Cali. Not cool, not necessary.

      I’m sure you’re upset, but I’ve temporarily banned your ip just a heads up… can’t have you doing that.

      Guys I’m not sure what I can do to help here, this is not my company. You will have to contact them directly for refunds, support, etc..

      —————————-

      A rep named Laurie posted her contact info for support if you scroll up:

      Please feel free to reach out to me directly – my email address is [email protected] and I will personally assist you.

      1-866-626-6532

      I hope you allow us to make this up to you, please know that we care.

      Laurie Roman
      Chief Marketing Officer
      Influence Brands Saunas

      Reply
  14. I must preface this by saying I have only sat in an infrared sauna once before purchasing an influence sauna. So my experience is limited. However, my opinion of the product is positive. Smells great (cedar), feels like quality construction, and gets hot! I have the 2-3 person model which I actually purchased secondhand off Facebook marketplace locally. Personally, I can’t imagine what else I would want out of an infrared sauna besides lower body voltage (see Matt’s EMF review).

    Reply
  15. Hello all,
    I finally received my sauna from influence, and it took a lot longer than they promised. Set up was very easy, and the sauna has no damage. My complaints are that the sauna does not get hot enough. I have the 2-3 person that runs off a standard 15 amp. I did all there troubleshooting. The sauna only gets to 150ish after 2 hours of continuous running. The sauna looks nice, and smells nice. However, for the amount of money I spent I wish I would of gotten something that heated up a lot quicker, and I wish it would of gotten to the temp they promised. If it was a $1500 sauna it would be worth it. Not worth over $4,000. That I just my two cents.

    Reply
    • Hi Eddy,

      I’m surprised. Mine feels pretty dang hot when using it, though it does show 170 F on the control panel after an hour. When it’s maxed out at 170 F, and I measure the temp inside with a standalone meter, I get 136 F. But this is infrared: cabin temp does not equal infrared output as with any brand.

      Still investigating why it has such high EMF… there is a giant 120 milligauss magnetic field in it, along with the 7,100 mv or so of body voltage, from several hundred volts of electric fields.

      In my opinion, the temp is plenty hot enough regardless of who is arguing about advertised temperatures. It works fine, feels just like any Healthmate sauna.

      On the other hand, this does not appear to be a low emf sauna… currently double checking since these Influence/Finnmark people have been threatening me, as well as their own customers. So far so good, everything checks out compared to what I said thus far. (even worse in some cases, emf and voc wise)

      ————————————

      Influence Sauna/Finnmark disclaimer – anyone who reads this should also know that these people allegedly claim that I am not an unbiased paid blogger, don’t do actual sauna reviews, don’t do accurate testing, and that I specifically recommend folks buy an affiliated competitor sauna (such as a Clearlight or other) instead of an Influence sauna. (or some variation of that)

      Additionally, apparently a NASA award winning company has tested their sauna for EMF after I made my original statements, and go on to claim that I have no idea what I’m doing, make mistakes at every turn, etc… I’m paraphrasing my interpretation from memory here, you can read the letter below to see the exact wording and their opinion on my testing.

      They go on to attach over 10 + prominent figures/influencers in the health space, along with some actual MD doctors appended to their legal letterhead, which is very odd. But whatever, I’m required to add this disclaimer and show you this while I investigate further so you have the full picture.

      At the end of the day, either I’m totally full of shit, or someone knows something I don’t.

      You can find an original copy here: Finnmark/Influence Lawsuit Threat Over Matt Justice Sauna Reviews

      Reply
  16. Appreciate your feedback and comments on your thread. I have been contemplating getting one, but may hold off for a bit since I don’t want to purchase something I’ve never used with the potential of it not being what I actually require.

    Reply

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