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..."Dear Coastal Saunas, Thank you for spelling it out for me. My husband and I soon realized what we thought was a simple decision soon became more difficult than buying a car! Your articles, checklist and staff, brought me up to speed and within a weekend I was able to choose the infrared sauna that was best for my family."
-Becky M. - Montana
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"Tired of sitting at your computer? Print this page/buyers checklist out for future reference."
WHAT EVERY INFRARED SAUNA BUYER MUST READ
With the internet full of infrared sauna reviews all claiming to be the best, how is the consumer able to make the right choice? What kinds of heaters are best? Ceramic or Carbon-Based? How much glass should it have? What kind of wood is best? It can all be very daunting…so much so, you may decide it is too confusing to purchase one.
The intent of this article is to educate you, the consumer, on the FAR infrared sauna and the components that go into engineering not just a good sauna, but a great sauna. You should fully educate yourself in order to go forward with your sauna purchase from a position of knowledge. This will ensure optimum enjoyment and benefits for years to come. We recognize this is a significant investment…please take five minutes of your time to let us further educate you…here we go:
INFRARED HEATING PANELS:
This is a simple explanation of how the beneficial infrared heat is produced in an infrared sauna and delivered into your body. It is why we buy these in the first place right?
Ceramic Rods - Past Technology: The first technology devised to deliver infrared heat in saunas was the ceramic rod. This was an incredible breakthrough for the sauna industry, every infrared sauna had them and it was all the rave. I personally owned one and used it every night with good success, but ceramic heaters weren’t without their pitfalls. First, ceramic heaters are composed of glass rods which can heat an entire sauna but have to work very hard in the process making them extremely hot (up to 580 degrees!), becoming very uncomfortable to sit against, and in some cases may burn your back. Secondly, ceramic rods have a very limited surface area. This smaller surface area equates to decreased emission of the healing infrared rays. Ceramic heaters worked, just not as efficiently as one would desire. They have come a long way since then, but new technology continues to make ceramic heaters obsolete.
The New Technology: Out of demand for a more effective way of delivering infrared therapy, came the invention of Carbon-Based heating panels. Although more expensive to produce, they solved both of the downfalls of ceramic heaters. This new carbon technology enabled the heat to be delivered through a large flat panel instead of a small rod. Since this new technology has a 10x larger surface area than it predecessor, it is able to deliver over 10x the healing rays into your body. To visualize this, on a much smaller scale, try the following: Put a pencil besides a napkin (get the picture), the pencil represents the older ceramic heaters and the napkin represents the new carbon heaters. As you can see, the carbon heaters have a much larger surface area which equates to more infrared rays into your body.
THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGY
Carbonwave 360 flexible carbon panels. This is the very latest in carbon technology and has been proven to deliver the most beneficial rays in the industry. In the Carbonwave 360 system, you are surrounded with the new flexilbe carbon panels. Instead of infrared panels just on your back or to your sides, a Carbonwave 360 system surrounds you with panels; on your front, back, sides, feet and calves. The diagram below represents some of the benefits of the targeted areas a Carbonwave 360 system can penetrate.
SIZE AND QUANTITY OF INFRARED HEAT PANELS:
The next item you will need in your arsenal to become an educated sauna buyer is an understanding of the carbon panels themselves. Infrared saunas have anywhere from 1-12 carbon heating panels to deliver infrared heat. When you are comparing saunas (make sure your comparing the same size models), simply count how many infrared panels the sauna has as well as the size of the panels. You want large panels and lots of them. You also want the panels to surround you. Panels behind, in front, on the sides, on the calves and under the feet would give you the best coverage. REMEMBER, you can’t put heating panels where you have glass. Glass looks good, but make sure you still have plenty of heating panels directly in front of you, as you want the front of your body to get the infrared benefits as well. Ask the manufacturer how many square inches of surface area heat the heating panels have. If they don't know....move on, if they do...compare.
WOOD
This could be an article in and of itself (I may write one shortly!), but I will do my best to summarize. There are two predominant woods used in today’s home sauna kits; Hemlock and Cedar Hardwoods. The reason for this is not only the beauty of the wood, but its ability to resist mold, mildew, cracking and bacteria. Mother Nature took care of growing them but it is up to the manufacturer to ensure the wood is properly cured. If not cured and dried CORRECTLY, any wood can experience future cracking and warping. Curing these woods is a scientific and timely process dealing with temperature variables, humidity values, wood density/acidity, and much more. It is the sauna manufacturer’s responsibility to over see this process and make sure it is done to all specifications and within the appropriate time frame to avoid any warranty issues down the road.
Cedar has been used for centuries in homes and furnishings due to its elegance and resistance to mold, mildew and pests. Its oils have been historically utilized for aromatherapy treatments, perfumes and soaps to name a few. From closets and drawers to dog beds and hamster cages, its ability to resist odors is unsurpassed. I am often asked if it is bad for you or toxic. If you are extra sensitive to the smells in shampoos, soaps, perfumes and candles, the same would apply with cedar and you may opt for the Hemlock wood. Aside from individuals with such sensitivities, cedar is completely safe. I personally love the aromatherapy of the cedar sauna as it fills up my home. That being said, it of course comes down to your individual taste. Both Hemlock and Cedar will naturally darken over time, adding to its timeless beauty. The Cedar wood is a reddish brown color and the Hemlock is lighter in color such as Maple or Pine. You may want to consider this if you are trying to match any other furnishings or décor.
SAUNA OPTIONS
Yes, that’s right, OPTIONS. I know you are not buying a car, but we like options, right? And, of course, we like them all the better if we don’t have to pay for them. If you do have to pay, you’d better know why. This is where I come in. Here is the run down on most of the options out there and why you might care.
Stereo/AM/FM/CD player: In my opinion a MUST HAVE. Sure you could use your MP3 player, but when those ears start to sweat, your headphones will get wet. Also, while not in your sauna, you can still hear the stereo in the room if you turn it up. I will often turn it on for some background music in my room…added bonus.
Oxygen Ionizer: This is a small device which introduces Ions to purify the air. With all the toxins you’ll be releasing, this is a great bonus! Think of it as an air freshener on steroids.
All Glass Tempered Doors: If you have any claustrophobia issues (like my wife), this is a must have! All glass doors really give you an open feeling while sitting in the sauna.
Inside/Outside Soft Touch Controls: When you’re outside the sauna you are able to turn it on, set the temperature, and adjust the lighting without opening up the door. If you are inside the sauna you need to be able to adjust the previous without letting the valuable heat out. The term soft touch controls means it has a solid surface, much like microwave buttons. This facilitates easy cleaning and sterilizing, which in my book makes it a must have.
LED lighting: Not a must have but LED lighting is not helpful for reading but gives an elegant feeling as well. The most quality of saunas will not only have LED’s on the inside but will also have crown molding over the front of the sauna with inset LED’s, adding to the beauty of its overall appearance.
Cup Holders/Magazine Racks: Cars have them, why not saunas? Sure you could set your drink on the bench, but don’t blame me the 5th time you knock it over. The magazine rack does keep the sauna nice and tidy.
Adjustable Vents: Feeling a little HOT? Well it is a sauna. The nice thing about a vent is that it gives you a blast of cold air AND you can adjust the temperature to your liking. But, if you don’t want to pay for a vent…just open the door.
DVD / MP3 / LCD: Don’t feel like reading? Love movies? Have a good motivational DVD to play? Not necessary, but a nice option. Don’t want to spend the extra? Put your sauna in front of your TV, or easier yet, you’re TV in front of your sauna.
Chromo Therapy Lighting: I wasn’t sure on this one until I started using it. Basically chromo therapy is the use of different color lights to create different moods. Our website goes into detail as to the various colors and their effects on your moods. If you would like to read more, click here. It’s a nice option to create different settings and moods inside your sauna by simply scrolling through seven different color options. Can’t decide? Press a button and have them rotate through all seven colors. We liked this option so much that all of our saunas come with Chromo therapy at no additional charge.
That should give you a basic overview of your choices but please email me if you see or hear any options I did not cover.
SAFETY
This is a big one. There are a lot of knock off products out there sneaking their way into the country. What am I referring to? Saunas with faulty and unsafe electrical wiring! No ifs ands or buts about this one. For you and your family’s safety, you MUST purchase a sauna that is ETL approved to meet America’s highest safety and performance standards. It takes a lot of time and money to get these approvals which is why many manufacturers bypass it. How do you know what to get? That’s my job. Below are the safety seals available and the definitions for each.
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INTERTEK'S ETL SEMKO STANDARDS FOR THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA Electrical Testing Laboratories (ETL) was founded in 1896 by Thomas Edison, and is one of the oldest product safety testing laboratories in the world. Certification by ETL and ETL-C assures you that all Signature models have been tested to meet both US and Canadian safety and performance standards. |
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INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION Our manufacturing facility has implemented a quality management system in order to maintain the highest standards in product development and quality assurance |
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CE CERTIFIED EUROPEAN SAFETY STANDARDS The CE Mark is a requirement for products sold to the European Market. The CE Mark identifies a product as complying with the health and safety requirements spelled out in European legislation and is mandatory for equipment operating in the European Union (EU). |
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RoHS DIRECTIVE The RoHS Directive stands for "the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment". This Directive bans the placing on the EU market of new electrical and electronic equipment containing more than agreed levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. |
Besides these approvals, all of our electrical wiring is encased in metal fireproof conduit. Why is this important? You DO NOT want faulty electrical wires touching dry wood! Also, rememer to ask the sauna manufacturer your considering if they have ever had any safety recalls...this is very good to know.
WARRANTY
So you’ve done your research, found a sauna and are ready to buy. Consider however, what is the company’s policy if one of your expensive panels goes out. Do they come with a lifetime warranty? Are they easy to replace? Does your manufacturer stock them? Make sure you fully understand the terms of your saunas warranty BEFORE you purchase your infrared sauna.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
This area should probably be listed first. The sauna you buy is only as good as the company behind it. If you call or email the company, do they respond the same day? Next day? If not, BEWARE! What about future problems after your purchase? Our belief is that the customer is #1. Not just before the sale, but years down the road.
Let’s Recap
What is the best infrared sauna you can purchase?
A quality sauna manufactured with properly treated wood, and large carbon-based panels surrounding your whole body with a Carbonwave 360 system. The optimum sauna will have all the options you desire, as well as all the safety approvals available. It should be backed with a lifetime warranty and unsurpassed customer service. Our company can guarantee we will meet these requirements. Our employees are knowledgeable and always eager to answer your questions.
A Note from the President of Coastal Saunas Inc.
Thank you for spending some time to further educate yourselves on the complexities of far infrared saunas. I hope that this article has been helpful to you and has added some clarity to your questions regarding your sauna purchase. All of the saunas we sell meet or exceed the expectations written in this article. I have made myself available to answer any questions you may have regarding your sauna purchase, which often call centers and over eager salespeople aren't eager to do. This industry is a healthy one and your purchase should be too. I have allocated time for this during the following hours and look forward to hearing form you:
OCTOBER 2, 2008
Monday - Friday 10:00am-4:00pm (PST)
Saturday - 9:00am -12:00pm (PST)
DIRECT: (619) 847 - 2626
Regardless on which manufacturer you choose, congratulations on taking these important steps towards better health and we wish you a healthy tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Timothy Davids
Coastal Saunas-CEO
619.847.2626 DIRECT
1.800.327.5122
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CHECKLIST TO COMPARE A COASTAL SAUNAS WITH OTHERS
| Specifications | Write the sauna you are comparing here | Specs of a Coastal Sauna www.coastalsaunas.com 1.800.327.5122 |
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| Surface Area of heating panels in square inches | Malibu: 3800 sq inches |
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| Number of Panels | Malibu: 8 =front, sides, back, calves, feet Delmar: 9 =front, sides, back, calves, feet Newport: 9 =front, sides, back, calves, feet Hollywood: 15 =front, sides, back, calves, feet |
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| How many Front Heaters | 2 |
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| How many Back Heaters | 2-4 |
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| How many Side Heaters | 2 |
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| How many Calve Heaters | 1-2 |
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| How many Foot Heaters | 1 |
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| Type of Panels (circle one) | Ceramic (good) Carbon (great) Flexible Carbon (the best) |
Flexible Carbon |
| Capacity | Malibu: 1-2 Delmar: 1-3 Newport: 1-4 Hollywood: 1-5 |
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| Construction | Tounge and Groove construction for a clean look and no buckles. |
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| Constant Infrared Option | Yes |
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| Maximum Temperature Limits | 150F (5 degree increments) |
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| Chromotherapy Lighting (7 built-in LED lights). | Yes |
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| Crown Molding | Yes |
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| Outside/Inside LED Lights | Yes |
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| Ability to change LED lights from inside the sauna instead of on disassembling the ceiling. | Yes |
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| Fireproof metal shielding over all of the wires vs. wires on bare wood | Yes |
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Safety Approvals: |
ETL ISO 9001 CE ROHS |
ETL - Yes ISO 9001 - Yes CE - Yes ROHS - Yes |
| Inside and Outside temperature controls so you don't let the heat out. | INCLUDED |
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| AM/FM/CD Player, adjustable from inside the sauna with mp3 jack. | INCLUDED |
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| Oxygen Ionizer | INCLUDED |
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| Cup Holders | INCLUDED |
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| Magazine Rack | INCLUDED |
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| Towel Holder | INCLUDED |
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| Optional Cedar | INCLUDED |
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| Warranty on Wood | Lifetime |
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| Warranty on Heating Panels | Lifetime |
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| Warranty on Stereo | 1 Year |
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| Cost of Shipping | FREE |
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| Cost of Sauna | Malibu: $1995 Delmar: $2495 Newport: $2795 Hollywood: $3395 |
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Notes: |
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