Image via WikipediaI have done a ton of research on portable infrared saunas in my quest to find the perfect one for my home and decided to make it a little easier for others to discover just what they are looking for.
There is a lot to buying an infrared sauna , including the different brands, types of wood, the infrared heaters, overall quality and options. Pheww!
Traditional Saunas
In order to understand the benefits of a sauna lets take a look at the traditional saunas. The transitional steam sauna was a Finnish discovery that was first used a a winter mountainside dwelling. The word sauna is of Finnish origin and means to bathe. The original saunas were much like the modern ones that we have all seen at the gym or on TV. They achieve heat that is anywhere from 60 to 80 degrees centigrade and are normally heated stones which water is thrown onto to create steam. The steam and high heat of the room has many health benefits, including detoxification, muscle relaxation, better breathing and relief of overall aches and pains. For more on the benefits of a sauna click here: Benefits of a Sauna
Types of Portable infrared Saunas
There are a handful of different types of portable infrared saunas on the market. When you are looking to buy you want to make sure that the sauna you purchase is made of either solid Cedar or solid Hemlock. There are some inferior portable infrared saunas on the market that have a cheaper wood that is covered with Cedar veneers. This raises a couple issues. First of all the reason that most saunas are made from Cedar or hemlock is because of their resistance to decay and there soft wood qualities that prevent them from cracking when they expand and contract under heat. The second issue is that most veneers are held together with adhesive. The fumes from the adhesive can permeate the air when heated and even though you can't smell them you can be breathing less than desirable fumes.
Carbon vs. Ceramic
The two main types of infrared sauna heaters are ceramic based and carbon based. The ceramic infrared heater coils are similar looking to the heating element in an oven. They are coils that produce and reflect heat throughout the sauna. Ceramic and carbon both have pros and cons depending on the manufacturer that you talk to. The general consensus is that a carbon element is a bit safer and it will heat a sauna more evenly than its ceramic counterparts. The ceramic however normally will last a lot longer than a carbon heater.
For more on portable infrared sauna comparisons click the link infrared sauna comparisons
There is a lot to buying an infrared sauna , including the different brands, types of wood, the infrared heaters, overall quality and options. Pheww!
Traditional Saunas
In order to understand the benefits of a sauna lets take a look at the traditional saunas. The transitional steam sauna was a Finnish discovery that was first used a a winter mountainside dwelling. The word sauna is of Finnish origin and means to bathe. The original saunas were much like the modern ones that we have all seen at the gym or on TV. They achieve heat that is anywhere from 60 to 80 degrees centigrade and are normally heated stones which water is thrown onto to create steam. The steam and high heat of the room has many health benefits, including detoxification, muscle relaxation, better breathing and relief of overall aches and pains. For more on the benefits of a sauna click here: Benefits of a Sauna
Types of Portable infrared Saunas
There are a handful of different types of portable infrared saunas on the market. When you are looking to buy you want to make sure that the sauna you purchase is made of either solid Cedar or solid Hemlock. There are some inferior portable infrared saunas on the market that have a cheaper wood that is covered with Cedar veneers. This raises a couple issues. First of all the reason that most saunas are made from Cedar or hemlock is because of their resistance to decay and there soft wood qualities that prevent them from cracking when they expand and contract under heat. The second issue is that most veneers are held together with adhesive. The fumes from the adhesive can permeate the air when heated and even though you can't smell them you can be breathing less than desirable fumes.
Carbon vs. Ceramic
The two main types of infrared sauna heaters are ceramic based and carbon based. The ceramic infrared heater coils are similar looking to the heating element in an oven. They are coils that produce and reflect heat throughout the sauna. Ceramic and carbon both have pros and cons depending on the manufacturer that you talk to. The general consensus is that a carbon element is a bit safer and it will heat a sauna more evenly than its ceramic counterparts. The ceramic however normally will last a lot longer than a carbon heater.
For more on portable infrared sauna comparisons click the link infrared sauna comparisons
