The Best Wood for Saunas
For nearly 20 years, High Tech Health has been producing saunas with Poplar wood. We are still probably the only American sauna company using it. Over the years, we have purchased Poplar from all over the world and have learned where to buy the absolute pinnacle of quality. The highest quality Poplar in the world is found in Europe. We buy ours directly from the top mills in Europe that have a long tradition of producing wood for the finest craftsman.
Species: Populus Tremula.
The specific species we use is called Populus Tremula, a true poplar, also known as "European Aspen". Unsurprisingly, it is found in the forests of Europe.
Note that what is often commonly called "poplar" in the United States is actually Liriodendron Tulipifera, which is not an actual poplar. Liriodendron Tulipifera is not desirable for saunas and we do not use it.
The Highest Grade
Mills often use different terms for the various grades of wood. We use the highest grade of poplar available at the finest mills. As you can see, the finest quality poplar has an extremely consistent color. It has a nice grain and is virtually devoid of mineral streaks, knots, and other such imperfections.
After harvest, the mill will process the finest logs into boards and dry them with a time-tested process of kiln drying combined with air drying.
Perfect for Detoxification
Essential to detoxification is an environment free from toxicants, and we know better than any other company how important it is to make a clean and safe product. From the beginning about 20 years ago, we developed our products to enable even the most severely environmentally ill people to detoxify. Critical to that is a sauna with almost no wood odor. Only poplar achieves that.
People with severe chemical sensitivity have a bad reaction to even the most minute amount of chemicals and will react to the off-gassing from even very small quantities of other woods. That is why the most demanding clinics only use poplar, such as Dr. William Rae’s Environmental Health Center in Dallas.
Poplar has the least wood odor of any wood used to build saunas. To the average person, poplar means a much more comfortable sauna. The strong wood odors of cedar and other woods do not dissipate much with time and end up being a constant distraction when you are looking for "the zone" relaxing in your sauna. And if you are looking to use essential oils in your sauna, it is critical to use a sauna that doesn't produce competing odors.
Years to Grow a Tree
Eco-friendly & Sustainable
Poplar trees only need between a quarter to a seventh the time it takes to grow a new cedar tree. This makes them inherently more sustainable.
Better for the Earth, and better for you.