| This tends to be one of the most viewed pages on our website. Many
people have tried one or the other type of sauna, but few have been
able to try both. Likewise, Infrared Saunas are relatively new compared
to traditional saunas, and many people are simply not familiar with
them. Unfortunately, addressing these differences has proven problematic
for a number of other infrared sauna companies. We would like to
take this opportunity to clear up what misinformation we can.
TRADITIONAL SAUNAS
With a traditional Finnish (or hot rock) sauna, the sauna heating
element (an incoloy rod) heats the surrounding air (not the body
directly), resulting in a very hot environment, with air temperatures
in the 180F to 220F range. The body then reacts to this negative
environment, and begins to sweat in an attempt to cool the skin
and thus the body. The sauna user can adjust the humidity within
the unit to protect the body’s mucous membranes (lungs, skin,
eyes, etc.) by splashing water on the heating element. This is why
traditional Finnish saunas are often understood to be filled with
steam.
FAR INFRARED SAUNAS
An infrared sauna does not heat the surrounding air to the same
degree that a traditional sauna does. Instead, it heats the body
directly with infrared heat waves, raising the body's core temperature
instead of its surface temperature. The result is a dramatically
lower ambient temperature, typically in the 100F to 130F range.
It is subsequently not necessary to raise the humidity within the
sauna, which means that an infrared sauna won't be filled with steam
in the same way. Infrareds also require a significantly shorter
warm-up time than traditional saunas, again because it isn't necessary
to raise the air temperature as high in order to begin your sauna
therapy session.
As a result of these lower temperatures, infrared saunas are better
suited for those who find the extreme temperatures of traditional
saunas to be claustrophobic or oppressively hot. Similarly, they
may be more appropriate for those who suffer from chronic illnesses
and who would be looking to take daily sessions, as they can be
more effective at releasing toxins from the body.
Finally, these lower temperatures allow you to stay in the infrared
sauna for longer periods of time. This in turn results in more sweating
than you would by using a traditional sauna for, say, half the time.
You would likely sweat similar amounts if you were to stay in either
sauna for the same periods of time, but the infrared sauna just
makes staying in the sauna longer much more feasible.
SWEAT ANALYSIS
There is, regrettably, too much misinformation out there related
to the levels of toxins released by these two sauna types. As sauna
veterans, we've heard people claim that 15% to 20% of your sweat
will contain toxins. We believe this to be completely misleading
and lacking any proof. Hundreds of different conditions in your
body will affect how many toxins are released. Yes, we do subscribe
to the belief that Infrared Saunas will lead to the release of more
toxins than traditional saunas, but in no way do we offer up such
unsubstantiated numbers.
One of the biggest differences is related to the duration of time
that can be spent in the sauna itself. Many people argue that in
terms of volume, both infrared saunas and traditional saunas will
result in the same amount of sweat per minute spent inside the sauna.
We don't deny this, but it's important to understand that traditional
saunas are much hotter than infrared saunas. This means that most
people are able to spend a great deal more time in an infrared sauna
than a traditional sauna, simply because the heat is much more comfortable.
These longer sessions mean that in practice, more sweating tends
to occur in an infrared sauna than a traditional type.
INSTALLATION
Finnish saunas usually come as pre-cut units and you must build
the sauna into an allotted space within your home. The installation
of this unit can take weeks to complete. On the other hand, infrared
saunas are modular, meaning that the unit has already been pre-built
for you and will arrive ready for assembly. Even if you find a modular
hot rock sauna, these typically take several times as long to assemble
compared to an infrared sauna, and they often require electrical
upgrades. You can also place an infrared sauna anywhere in your
home, on virtually any surface. If you remodel, you can easily move
the sauna, and if you move, you can bring the sauna with you! In
short, infrared saunas tend to be much more portable and versatile
than traditional Finnish saunas.
POWER REQUIREMENTS
Most
Finnish saunas run at 240 Volts and between 12 and 30 Amps, thus
generally
requiring some rewiring work. While infrared saunas normally run
on a 110v between 15 and 20 amps.
Manufacturers typically make the switch to 240Volts because units
will run more efficiently; in other words, do not be dissuaded from
buying a traditional hot rock sauna because you’ve been told
it will cost you much more on your electric bill—while it
will cost more that is simply another tactic used by other infrared
sauna companies to attempt to convince you to go with infrared saunas
above all else, and is very misleading.
PRICING DIFFERENCES
To many, the greatest advantage of an infrared sauna is the lower
price. Since an infrared sauna will run at a much lower temperature,
and lower moisture content, using cedar wood is simply not necessary.
Cedar has been used in traditional saunas because it stands up very
well to the moisture in the air. But cedar is also a much more expensive
wood and needlessly raises manufacturing costs for infrared sauna
companies. Also, infrared sauna heaters are typically guaranteed
for life. Because you add water to the mix in Finnish saunas there
tends to be a lot more wear and tear, often requiring replacement
after 5 to 7 years. Furthermore, infrared saunas do not require
vapor barriers to insulate the inside of the unit.
All of these differences result in the price of an infrared sauna
being much lower than the typical cost of a traditional Finnish
hot rock sauna. Traditional saunas can also have potential installation
costs, since they are often not as easy to install as an infrared
sauna. Although both types of saunas have their benefits, there
is really no denying that infrared saunas tend to cost much less.
It is worth noting, however, that with similar sized units you shouldn’t
notice a significant difference in the operating costs of either
type of sauna. Yes, traditional saunas will take a longer time to
heat up (from 30 to 45 minutes), but compared to, say, a hot tub
(which must stay on 24/7), the difference is negligible. This is
yet another area where many infrared sauna retailers bend the truth
to potential customers, saying that traditional saunas will cost
you double or more than infrared saunas; that statement is simply
not true.
THANK YOU!
We hope that you've found this buyer's guide useful. If you didn't
get a chance to read through all of the information yet, you can
go to the beginning, and see what more there is to learn. If you
still have questions or have comments about the information in this
guide, please don't hesitate to contact us.
PLEASE NOTE: The information in
this infrared sauna guide is free to print and distribute as long
as it is not modified in any way. Any publishing of this information
on the Internet does require a link placed back to this site.
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