While there are different types of infrared saunas (1 person, 2 person, cedar wood, hemlock wood, with DVD player or radio), one of the main differences between saunas is the type of heaters they use.
In general there are 2 types of infared sauna heaters - ceramic or carbon.
Ceramic heaters are older whereas most quality saunas today will use carbon - a new, more efficent form of heat panel.
Carbon based infrared saunas are up to 10 times more effective at providing far infrared heat waves that your body can absorb. Most of the studies that have shown positive results for infrared therapy, have used carbon heaters.
Ceramic rods give infrared heat through small glass tubes. To do this, they have to run at extremely high temperatures. Because of this they can get very hot and can even burn the skin if you lean up against them. This also produces an uneven distribution of heat so you can get 'hot spots' in your sauna.
My first sauna used ceramic rod panels and I can vouch for this. My upper body always got hot but because there was a cooler place where my legs were, they would never sweat unless I changed position and brought them up close to a heat panel (very uncomfortable to do).
Plus carbon based heat is more evenly distributed so you don't get hot spots and can lean up against the panels without getting burned.
Carbon based infrared saunas will also heat up faster which can also save you electricity. For example a carbon based sauna may heat up in 10 - 15 minutes whereas a ceramic based sauna can take up to 45 minutes to reach your desired heat setting.
Ceramic based saunas do have one advantage - they're usually cheaper than carbon based saunas - from $500 less or more.
Then again, this is kind of like saying that buying a bicycle is cheaper than buying a car. Of course it is - but one machine will get you where you want to go a whole lot faster than the other.
Another factor to consider when looking at infrared sauna heaters is size. Larger heat panels heat up faster and give you more infrared heat for your body to absorb.
Also the number of infrared sauna heaters is also important. Again, more is better. More heat panels give you faster heat up and more effective sauna sessions.
Number of heat panels varies greatly between saunas, with the cheaper ones giving maybe 5 small panels and the higher quality saunas packing almost the entire cabin with large heat panels.
No matter what sauna you decide to go with, take your time, do your research and choose a sauna that feels right for you.
More Information:
Where To Buy - A list of places to buy Infrared saunas at a discount.
FIR saunas are small portable rooms with several infrared heaters. Infrared heat is similar to the heat given by the sun (without the harmful UV rays).
Infrared heat penetrates the body tissues deeper (up to 2 inches) than a traditional sauna and helps to get you sweating faster.
In fact some estimates say we get 7 times more sweat with an infrared home sauna than a traditional sauna because of the direct heating of the body.
