Choosing Between Infrared Sauna Heaters

Deciding to purchase your own infrared sauna is a big step. Good job on making that smart decision. You'll find that an infrared sauna is the best thing you can do for your health. The next thing you'll need to do is evaluate what kind of all the infrared sauna heaters is most beneficial to you.

You've probably discovered by now that there is a big difference between conventional and infrared heaters for your sauna. Conventional heaters are a box filled with heated coals and can emit steam; infrared heaters are more like panels in appearance.

The functionality of traditional heaters versus infrared heaters is quite different, too. Traditional heaters work by conduction and convection they heat up the air, and the air heats us up. Infrared heaters, on the other hand, heat us directly rather than going through the medium of the surrounding air. Think of sunlight but without the damaging ultraviolet rays. The heat released is more efficient and effective than traditional heaters.

Infrared heaters for your sauna are most often composed of ceramic or carbon. Ceramics are less durable and take longer to warm up, but are more efficient. Carbon fiber heaters come in flat plates that heat up faster, have more durability, and emit a less powerful heat. The most highly-regarded type are ceramic heaters, although the differences between the two are too small to matter.

Surface temperature is a critical feature to examine with any infrared heater. You want the lowest surface temperature possible, aiming for anything with a temperature under 480 degrees. Lower temperatures mean a longer infrared wavelength, which produce a more potent and effective heat.