So there is a lot we can go into on this. The big one is that all the research seems to be done by the company selling the product. This is tough. The other part is that although they are somewhat mainstream, there is still some logistics, like assembly and electrical, you will need to figure out. 

It is funny when you think about it, there are so many parallels to selecting saunas to selecting racks. Hemlock versus Cedar sounded a lot like a certain gauge of steel on the rack. For the most part these problems like durability and insulation seem hard to read. You are taking the word of the person telling you something else is awful, not too unlike when you are buying a rack. 

The other part is deciding between Infrared or Traditional. Charles Poliquin was the first to get in my head that I need a Sauna. At the time he was an advocate of infrared from its ability to penetrate deeper into the dermis layer of the skin to remove toxins. I remember in Biosignature Level II that James LaValle suggested an entire supplement routine based on Infrared Sauna: 

• Pre Sauna (30min Prior)
  • 2 Clatharate
  • 1 R-L Flow
  • Niacin (25-100mg) for Vasodilation
  • Loofah Sponge or Exfoliation for blood flow to skin surface
• 2 Liters of water total pre and post sauna
• Get in shower and wash immediately (do not wipe sweat prior to, can reabsorb toxins
• Post Sauna (Immediately after)
  • Greens Supplement
  • Ubermag Px

I mean how could you not be ecstatic about getting a sauna after this level of supplementation and detail attached to it? I was blown away by how much I was missing out on. So for years I was convinced that that infrared sauna was the way to go. 

Ben Greenfield in his book Boundless cites that infrared is superior to traditional based on the fact that infrared can penetrate deeper (2-6 inches) activating more sweat glands allowing for more detoxification. He also cites that the EMF is a problem, which a good friend of mine Robert Jacobs said this should be the focal point of your search – avoiding high EMF heaters. 

Truth is I was convinced that infrared was the way to go. I got into infrared lamps that have both near and far infrared from EMR-Tek, also from Robert. They are tremendous and run LED early in the morning and late at night and COB/LED during the day. I have used them extensively and I am a huge advocate of them. But on the other hand, I did not enjoy infrared saunas the times I have tried them. 

The reason why I don’t love infrared is that they do not get that hot, 100-140℉. The Place of heat and sweat to me is real. They say that you get better at sweating faster, but I just did not see it. I understand that the body is better at regulating temperature with more exposure and fitness, but it never happened to me. In fact, I sweated more in a steam room at equal temperature. I can say that this should not matter and I should suck it up and push through because smart people are saying I should do infrared, but outside of my lamps, I don’t see the value. 

So I ended up going with traditional. The reason is, I sweat more, and that is a bigger deal than whatever perceived benefits I get from infrared. The other reason is temperature in the winter months. I live in the northeast. So, it gets cold in the winter. Setting the temperature at 100 that you will not feel because infrared penetrates tissues without raising the air temperature is not going to cut it. I need the heat on the premise that it will be cold. 

I wanted to avoid giving name brands for two reasons, one product placement is not something I wanted to do here, and two the costs vary so much and so many people have different budgets. You will get sticker shock. If you calculate the math out based on usage at least 3-5x a week, you are looking at 150-250x a year. Take the cost and divide by the number of uses and you will come back down a little. But then again, it is expensive, it does take up space, it does use electricity, and it will require time to set up. It’s a big commitment. 

That’s my sauna story!