Olympic Hot Tub Company’s
Top 10 Hot Tips for Picking the Right Infrared Sauna — Plus One

Chances are you’ve heard about the health benefits of infrared saunas, and maybe you’re ready to buy one. Remember that this is a purchase for peace of mind and an investment in your well-being. Don’t risk it on cut-rate products that cut corners. Here’s how to make the right choice the first time:

1. No experience like experience. Taking a real sauna session is the only way to tell which sauna is really for you. Find a local dealer — like Olympic — that will let you test-drive the model.

2. Wood in style. You want a sauna that looks good, feels good and lasts. That means comfortable seating, complementary doors and windows, custom molding, and furniture-grade, fine-grained tongue-and-groove wood throughout to avoid peeling. Vertical grain hemlock and western red cedar are best for lasting beauty. And make sure the wood is certified from a sustainable forest. The Earth needs to stay healthy, too.

3. Healthy construction, healthy sauna. Glue construction is a sign of corner-cutting, and the adhesive will release gases that make your sauna air unhealthy. Choose workmanship with tight-fitting joints and screws. For pure air, make sure the sauna is certified VOG-free — like every infrared sauna Finnleo makes.

4. Heat without hurt. You want the lowest possible dose of Electro-Magnetic Radiation (EMR) and Electric Field (EF) radiation from your sauna. Finnleo’s Pure Infra™ is the only infrared sauna technology with tested radiation levels below the Swedish standards — under 2 milligaus EMR, under 8 volts per meter EF — that are the toughest in the world. You’ll be safe and warm.

5. Peace of mind starts with purchase. Don’t worry about delivery, setup and installation — choose a local company that handles the chores for you promptly and professionally. They should handle the warranty work for you, too. Olympic offers free delivery and setup on most indoor models, and Finnleo has the top warranty in the business — two years of on-site labor, five years of electrical warranty and a lifetime warranty on the carbon panel emitters. All that and Olympic Hot Tub’s Peace of Mind Guarantee, too. So you can relax.

6. Carbon is cooler than ceramic. Carbon infrared heat emitters give you quicker, softer, more even far-infrared heat than the ceramic rods or coils in some panels, but the room doesn’t get uncomfortably hot, and unlike ceramic, carbon panels aren’t too hot to touch — you can even lean against them. The sauna heats up in less than half the time it takes ceramic panels, and the session costs just 10 or 15 cents. Japanese carbon panels emit warm radiant heat that penetrates deeply and produces more sweat than ceramic panels.

7. More is better. The more heater area you have, the better, so don’t skimp on carbon panels. Heaters come standard on the back panel, under the seat and on either side of the door in front of you, but the best models have them on the sides as well. The wall-to-wall system means the heat come to you evenly from every direction. The sauna heats up faster, saving money as well as starting your session as soon as possible.

8. You’re in control. Saunas come with an outside control panel for setting heat and time and turning on lights. You want an inside panel, too, with easy-to-use digital controls that show set temperature, actual temperature, set time and remaining time as well as switches for internal and external lights and a color light therapy system.

9. Play safe. Check to be sure the model you buy is ETL listed as “a complete plug-in room” — for safety and reliability.

10. Lighten up. Be sure your sauna comes with interior lights in case you want to read while you relax. Top models usually come with exterior lights to show off your sauna’s furniture quality. You can also choose a variety of colored lights to equip your sauna for color light therapy that helps ease Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in our overcast Northwest winters.

Plus one: 11. Hot entertainment. Mood music or movies can help pass the time as you sweat healthy in the sauna. Add a top-notch radio and DVD player to your purchase for sights and sounds that can enhance your sense of calm, or pick a model with a TV so you can catch up on your favorite programs in peace. The sauna does the work — helping you detox, lose weight, look younger, boost your immune system, invigorate your sex life and even melt cellulite while you relax.

Take this checklist when you go shopping for your infrared sauna. Or save time and go straight to Olympic Hot Tub Company for a Finnleo Sauna with all the features you want.

Health Disclaimer: This article is not intended to give medical advice, education or treatment. The information contained in this article is for general information purposes only and does not address individual circumstances or medical conditions. Always consult your doctor for medical advice. ©Olympic Hot Tub Company, Seattle, Washington, April 2012