INFRARED HEATING PANELS - Different types of heaters explained

Inferior saunas will have heaters with:
1) High EMF ratings with unsafe limits (anything over 5mg)
2) 6 -14 Micron Ratings
3) 80-90% Emissivity Rating
4) No front heaters (very important)
5) Max Temp - 140 degrees

Quality saunas will have heaters with:
1) Zero EMF ratings
2) 8-10 Micron Ratings
3) 99% Emissivity Rating
4) Front Heaters as well as, back, sides, feet and calves.
5) Max Temp - 150 degrees

...and this is why

Ceramic 2001 - 2003: The first technology devised to deliver infrared heat in saunas was the ceramic rod. This was an incredible breakthrough for the sauna industry and every infrared sauna had them.  I personally owned one and used it every night, however ceramic heaters weren't without their pitfalls. Ceramic heaters are composed of glass rods, which can heat an entire sauna, but have to work so hard to get there they become extremely hot.  Since the user has to sit directly against the infrared heaters during their sessions this can become extremely uncomfortable.  The second downfall was their limited surface area. These heaters were so small, they may treat your spine, but what about your shoulders and the rest of your body?  To aid in this lack of surface area, manufacturers would have to ad reflector trays to the backs of their heaters to try to increase it.  These were quick fixes to an inferior/outdated system.

FAQ - "I have read a few articles online saying how Ceramic heaters are better than Carbon Heaters for XYZ reasons"

A - Outdated - This was probably true when comparing the first generation Carbon Heaters that were developed in 2004. 10 years later, in 2014 this would be like saying a "dial up" internet connections is better than High Speed DSL. Once an article is posted online, it's there forever, so make sure what your reading is updated frequentl and backed up by clinical studies.

Standard Carbon Heaters 2004 - 2009 : Out of demand for a more effective way of delivering infrared therapy, came the technology of Carbon-Based heating panels.  These new carbon heaters solved both of the downfalls of ceramic heaters; surface area and hot spots.  This new carbon technology enabled the heat to be delivered evenly 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 visualize, the carbon heaters have a much larger surface area, which equates to more infrared rays into your body.  What was once only for the elite, now most infrared saunas come with flexible carbon panels. Although these heaters were a vast improvement from Ceramic they left plenty of room for improvement...

Standard Carbon Heaters 2004 - 2009 : Out of demand for a more effective way of delivering infrared therapy, came the technology of Carbon-Based heating panels.  These new carbon heaters solved both of the downfalls of ceramic heaters; surface area and hot spots.  This new carbon technology enabled the heat to be delivered evenly 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 visualize, the carbon heaters have a much larger surface area, which equates to more infrared rays into your body.  What was once only for the elite, now most infrared saunas come with flexible carbon panels. Although these heaters were a vast improvement from Ceramic they left plenty of room for improvement...

Organic Clinically Tested Carbon Heaters in the 8 -10 micron range- 2010-2013
These cutting edge heaters were formed out of 20 organic elements to keep toxins out of the sauna.  They are clinically tested to distribute heat measured at 8-10 microns.  Why is this 8-10 micron range so important? We will go into more detail below. The micron range is THE most important factor when choosing a sauna.

New this Year Nano Carbon - 8 - 10 micron - ZERO EMF Heaters + All of the above Tested to produce the most infrared energy within the desired spectrum for maximum absorption by your body. Large, thick Carbon Panels blanket the walls, front bench and floor areas giving you more surface area exposure than any other manufacturer. Which means MORE RESULTS in LESS TIME! 1) Clinically Tested at 8-10 Microns 2) Zero EMF 3) Organic Carbon - Zero Toxins 4) 99% Emissivity

Why we don't like EMF's (Electro-magnetic-frequencies)

Exposure to consistent external frequency for more than a few minutes can cause our body's electrical functionality to be disrupted. This is true even with exposures to very weak EMFs.

You may have seen lots of "scare tactics" online about how harmful EMF's are to you, and if exposed, you are doomed to live out a miserable existence. Although we haven't seen and scientific data on any long term studies PROVING EMF's to be harmful, we have heard from customers who are sensitive to EMF's. We believe that an infrared sauna is used to promote healing, and if we won't use toxic glues in our sauna, then we shouldn't have toxic EMF's either.

For these reasons all of our saunas now ship with zero EMF panels. With ZERO filler woods, ZERO toxic glues, and ZERO EMF, we believe we have the cleanest sauna on the market today.

CAUTION! Most infrared saunas being sold today have an EMF rating of over 50 while the current acceptable rate is 2.5!

Ask the sauna manufacture what the EMF rate is coming out of their heaters - You may be surprised at the answer. Here are some ratings past on to us by our customers.

HOW INFRARED SAUNAS WORK 101
1) Infrared heat is measured in microns.
2) Our bodies emit infrared heat naturally at 9.4 microns.
3) The closer your infrared heaters are to 9.4 microns the more your body will absorb as it strikes a balance resulting in a faster deeper sweat.

Did you know our bodies naturally emit infrared heat? Have you ever seen a night vision picture or video clip (like on the COPS show)? This is the camera picking up infrared heat coming from our bodies at 9.4 microns.

The best infrared heaters in the industry today distribute heat in the 8-10 micron range and are EMF free.  Most are in the inferior 5-16 micron range which equates to half the horsepower and half the healing/benefits.

Always ask the manufacturer your considering what the micron range is of the heaters they sell - This is THE most important variable in the long-term benefits you will receive from your infrared sauna. If they don't know, RUN!

The Chart below was produced from our clinical studies and shows the correlation between the infrared heat being put out by the human body at 9.4 microns, and of that being produced using our exclusive Carbon Wave 360 Technology.

Looking at the chart you will see that the two curves are easily within 95% of each other. When the heaters and our bodies are in sync, we are able to absorb much more heat into our core and therefore sweat at a much lower temperature and in a quicker amount of time.

Many saunas look good online and will deliver heat, however if they do not produce infrared heat in this range the results are usually minimal to none.

This next diagram represents how superior an infrared heater is with clinically tested heaters in the 8-10 micron range.
As you can see, your body accepts much more infrared heat into it's core within an 8-10 micron range. The row on the left
represents the typical infrared heater used in a typical infrared sauna today and on the right a subject in a heater in the 8-10 micron range.

Within this thermal imaging clinical study, you can easily see the deeper penetration of heat
between the two types of heaters.
(Tests taken of subject after 30 minutes of use)

Note: It's not that the row on the left won't provide any benefits, it will just take twice the time.

NEAR, MID AND FAR INFRARED HEATERS

Occasionally we see a company marketing their saunas as carrying all the wavelengths of infrared heat - mid, near and far. We are willing to ship your sauna equipt with these heaters, as we can certainly order them. We would prefer not to, and this is why:

1) Near Infrared Heat - Produce heat in the wavelengths of 0.7 - 1.3 microns.
2) Mid Infrared Heat - Produce heat in the wavelengths of 1.3 - 3 microns
3) Far Infrared Heat - Produce heat in the wavelengths of 3 - 30 microns

To recap as you just read in the last section(proof your becoming and educated buyer), the name of the game of infrared heat is to match what your body is producing naturally. When this happens, your body accepts up to 80% of the infrared coming out of the heaters, and even more if your heaters are tuned to 9.4 microns.

It's not that near and mid wavelengths are bad for you. It is rather all the clinical tests year after year that have shown only one type of spectrum providing all the benefits you have read about - That is the FAR Infrared spectrum.

If we included heaters within the full spectrum of infrared, it would be taking away from the proven benefits of Far Infrarad. This would equate to paying more for less benefits.

SIZE AND QUALITY OF INFRARED HEAT PANELS

The next item you will need in your arsenal to become an educated sauna buyer is an understanding of the correct size and proper placement of these heaters.

Infrared saunas have anywhere from 1-14 carbon heating panels to deliver infrared heat. When you are comparing saunas count how many infrared panels the sauna has, the size of the panels, and where they are placed. You want large panels and lots of them. You also want the panels to surround you including; behind, in front, on the sides, on the calves and under the feet will give you the best coverage. The first item a manufacturer does to cut the cost of the sauna besides cheap wood is to make the heaters smaller and less of them.

GLASS: Glass looks good and helps claustrophobia, 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.

A question we are often asked is, "Why don't you carry any one person saunas?"
There is simply no room to put front heaters in it with the door. Front heaters are extremely important to heal your front extremities - your infrared sauna would not be complete without them. This also goes for floor and calve heaters; not only are they necessary to heal your feet, but they cut down on any "cold spots" created by the glass door as well. To test this theory out, I participated in my own experiment and unplugged the front heaters, and floor heaters. Guess what?....it took me 20 minutes longer to break a sweat.