Infrared saunas are becoming increasingly popular. They’re an excellent relaxation remedy, and they offer health benefits too. However, the art of sauna buying can be difficult to master.
With so many cheaper options available, picking the right sauna can be a challenge, especially if you’ve never purchased saunas before.
Here’s a quick guide to buying the right IR sauna.
Table of Contents
1. The art of sauna buying: Take a test drive
Would you buy a car without taking a test drive? Similarly, taking a sauna is the best way to determine if it’s suitable for you. When shopping for a sauna, find a dealer that allows you to try before you can make the final buying decision.
When testing a sauna, there are a few things to look for. First, check out the design. Make sure there are no external buckles. Also, pay close attention to furniture quality and detailing. Coarse grain wood peels over time, so always go for a sauna with fine-grained wood.
Lastly, find a sauna with comfortable seating, custom molding, and well-designed windows and doors.
2. Pick the right wood
Making the right wood choice is an essential aspect of the art of sauna buying. You can select the wood you like, but it’s always better to go for smooth western red cedar or vertical grain hemlock. Both hemlock and cedar offer lasting beauty.
In addition, be sure to select a wood that’s certified form a forest. Certified woods come with a guarantee that they’ve been planted and harvested with the best practices in place. However, certified woods are likely more expensive. You can also opt for cheaper alternatives available online if you’re willing to compromise on quality.
3. Hunting for health benefits is the art of sauna buying
Construction is important. Saunas constructed out of screws and joints last longer than saunas with parts stuck with glue. Most cheap saunas use glue to keep the components in place. These products lack true craftsmanship.
Besides lack of quality, glue-based saunas are also harmful to your health. When you heat the sauna, the glue evaporates, emitting hazardous gases. Screw-based saunas, on the other hand, ensure the purest air quality.
4. Don’t just buy a sauna; Also opt for delivery, installation, and warranty
No matter what product you buy, peace of mind is crucial. The primary purpose of a sauna is relaxation. And its benefits will be oppressed if you have to take care of the delivery and installation process all by yourself. Instead, pick a company that does it for you.
The sauna company should take care of everything ranging from delivery to setup and installation, and that too in a few hours. If you don’t keep these things in check beforehand, you’ll have to go through the hassle of installing the sauna yourself. You can, of course, hire installers separately, but why take the pain when the sauna provider can take care of it?
Warranty is another factor to consider when selecting a sauna. Make sure the company you select handles warranty issues. The last thing you want is to pay a hefty fee to an electrical because your sauna stopped heating a month after installation.
5. The art of sauna buying: Carbon heat panels over ceramic heat panels
When selecting a sauna, you’ll come across two types of heat panels: carbon and ceramic. The panels of cheaper saunas often include coils or ceramic rods. However, carbon panels are more superior.
High-quality carbon panels offer better far-infrared heat. They heat up quickly and transmit heat broadly, thereby avoiding heat spots in your sauna. Despite uniform heating, your room won’t get too hot as traditional saunas do. This allows you to sit closer or even lean against carbon panels, something not possible in saunas with ceramic panels.
Carbon panels also provide increased heat absorption. They cover a greater surface area, allowing you to get a better sauna session. They tend to heat up three times faster than ceramic panels.
When choosing saunas with carbon panels, always look for ones imported from Japan. Saunas are a big thing in Japan. Thus, sauna panels produced there are excellent in terms of heat emission and penetration.
6. Pay close attention to the number and placement of sauna panels
Most saunas come with panels on either side of the door and under the seat. Some better models also include panels on the sides of the sauna, providing greater heater coverage.
Once you’ve picked the right type of sauna, it’s time to select the number of panel heaters. The more you have, the quicker your sauna will heat up, and the faster you’ll begin to sweat. So, always look for the maximum number of heat panels. As fewer panels take longer to heat, they’ll also spike up your energy bills.
Let’s also quickly discuss the ideal placement. A wall-to-wall hating system is the best. It ensures complete heat enveloping with no hot spots or cold spots.
7. The art of sauna: Inside and out control panels
A majority of saunas have control panels placed on the outside. This is not the right way to go. You should have a control panel inside the unit as well, so you don’t have to go out of the sauna to make any changes.
Ease-of-use is another factor to consider when selecting a sauna. The control panels should be digital and easy-to-use. You should be able to make changes easily and quickly instead of spending minutes figuring out what a button does.
8. Sizing in the art of sauna buying
Infrared saunas come in various sizes, ranging from 1-person to 6-person. There’s no right or wrong choice when it comes to size. Pick a size based on the amount of space you have in your home and the number of members who’ll be using the sauna.
Conclusion: The art of sauna buying
All in all, buying a sauna depends entirely upon your needs and requirements. But to enjoy the best experience, you’ll need to follow some rules. So, keep in mind the tips discussed above to purchase the best IR sauna for your home.
