Comparing Saunas
Wood
Poplar is the most expensive wood to buy of all the woods that saunas are made from. We use poplar for one important reason: it is and always has been the wood of choice for health clinics world-wide. Even the most discriminating clinics, such as Dr. William Rae’s Environmental Health Center in Dallas, Texas only use saunas made from Poplar wood. Only Poplar has allowed some of the very sickest people to detoxify.
Near vs Far Infrared
Some companies have started adding near infrared to their saunas, sold as "full spectrum" infrared saunas. There is confusing information circulating about the risks versus the benefits of near infrared. As we always do, we thoroughly researched this topic, and found some significant risks of near infrared exposure.
First of all, there are no published peer reviewed studies on the use of near infrared in a sauna. In other applications (lasers and LEDs), near infrared has been found to have harmful effects, including cataract formation, skin aging, and even skin cancer.
On the other hand, there have been dozens of studies on far infrared saunas, and countless proven benefits, with none of the risks of near infrared.
We have compiled and summarized the research here:
EMF: Magnetic Fields
A sauna cannot be "low EMF" unless it addresses all three kinds of EMF (see Understanding EMF for more information). High Tech Health’s saunas are designed to expose their owners to the least total EMF of any sauna available.
Many companies claim their heaters have very low average magnetic fields, but the most important consideration is the MAXIMUM magnetic field you might be exposed to. The maximum magnetic fields from our heaters are lower than all of the competition. We ensure this by designing better heaters and manufacturing our heaters with higher precision than any other company.
READ MORE
EMF: Electric Fields
A sauna cannot be "low EMF" unless it also minimizes electric field exposure. Experts consider minimizing electric field exposure to be equally as important as minimizing magnetic field exposure.
All High Tech Health saunas feature Bio-Resonance Heaters that are designed to produce ZERO electric fields. With our Transcend saunas we took this even further. Transcend saunas are the world's first saunas to also include electric field mitigation throughout the entire sauna cabin resulting in the lowest total EMF of any sauna.
Beware. Despite the necessity of addressing electric fields, virtually all saunas claiming to be “low EMF” (and “ultra low EMF”, and “no EMF”) have no electric field mitigation in them whatsoever. In fact, panel heaters (especially carbon heaters and variations of carbon heaters) expose users to fairly high electric fields. If EMF is important to you, NEVER buy a sauna from a company that does not address all three kinds of EMF (see Understanding EMF for more information).
Infrared Heaters / Emitters
The internet is filled with sauna companies marketing their heaters, but what heater is the one right choice? As you might expect from seeing so many different options available, there is no one right choice, but there are good reasons to avoid some heaters and the saunas that use them.
Safety Certifications
Safety certifications are one of most important yet most overlooked and least understood aspects of buying a sauna today. And, unfortunately, its not just the customers that do not understand it well, but also even many of the manufacturers!
Assembly
All infrared saunas are delivered as a set of panels, typically: 4 walls, a roof, and a floor, with a couple smaller panels making up the bench. Different companies use different methods to attach the panels together: there are latches (used by High Tech Health), magnets, and “hooks” or "keys" (used by most saunas that don't have latches). This may seem like all there is to the decision, but there are other factors contributing to how easy a sauna is to assemble or disassemble (should you want to move it). While it may seem that saunas do not differ much when it comes to assembly, the fact is that the process to assemble a sauna can be quick and painless, or a rather frustrating experience.
Environmental Concern
We see ourselves as a 'detoxification company' rather than a 'sauna company'. Probably because of this we are the only company selling infrared saunas that places importance on the environment. It is the indiscriminate contamination of our environment that has produced a world where everyone needs to be serious about detoxification and we feel that to be serious about detoxifying people means we need to be serious about doing our share for the environment.
Lighting
Lighting can seem like such a small detail when it comes to buying a sauna, but we are serious about our products and even this detail has been thought out.
Warranty
Every company will tell you their sauna comes with a warranty that lasts a certain period of time. Unfortunately, that is usually all they say. That is not enough information to compare warranties. For instance, no matter how long their warranty is, every warranty we know of excludes use in a public location, such as a doctor’s office or clinic. High Tech Health’s sauna warranties have no such limitation. Perhaps they offer a very long warranty instead, but if they have such high confidence in their product, why does their warranty require the product not be used a lot? We think we know why.
Company History / Does it Come Recommended?
A great many sauna companies make false claims about their company history. A popular one seems to be to “embellish” how long their company has been in business. While you could look online at records of incorporation to see if a company is telling the truth, a great many people won’t go to that effort, especially if a sales person seems trustworthy. Its important that you consider everything with a healthy does of skepticism.
Country of Origin
Like most products today, High Tech Health saunas are produced internationally. They are designed in the United States. We get wood from Europe. We get electronics and wood finish from Korea. We use heaters from a Scandinavian company. Virtually all saunas are assembled in Chinese factories today.