If you are lucky enough to even think about adding a sauna into your home, you can expect to increase the value of your home and make it more welcoming to other people. This is especially true now that technology has made some advances in the market. You have probably heard of the far infrared (FIR) saunas, but are they really any better than a normal sauna? Further, how much do you have to know about the technology to select the right sauna for your home or other setting?
Before you answer that question, you have to understand the differences between a FIR sauna and other saunas. The health and relaxation benefits that come from sitting in a sauna are a direct result from the rise in body temperature created by the heat inside the sauna. The biggest difference is that a typical sauna will increase your body temperature by producing steam which increases the temperature of the air in the room or area of the sauna. They heat your body from the outside in.
On the other hand, FIR sauna technology penetrates your body through the outer tissue to warm you up from the inside out. Not only is this a more effective manner of going about the heating process, but it allows for greater benefits than you would gain from steam operated saunas.
If that sounds appealing and you are ready to trade in your sauna for FIR technology, hold off for just a moment longer. There are actually three different types of far infrared light to choose from. Each type simply refers to different wavelengths of heat that are produced, and that is largely a factor of the temperature of the object producing the heat. That would be your sauna heater in this case.
Your comfort level in the sauna depends on selecting a sauna with the appropriate type of wavelengths for your body because if the heat becomes too intense you will face discomfort.
The three types include near infrared, mid infrared, and far infrared. The one most used in FIR saunas today is far infrared, for a variety of reasons. Yet, there are some newer developments creating near infrared lamps which may be even more promising.
Far Infrared Heat
This is the most comfortable type of FIR heat for the human body, since it is what your body already produces for itself. To produce this type of heat, the temperature must remain below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, so any sauna that is designed to go above that limit will start to emit more of the mid and near infrared wavelengths of heat which will not be as comfortable on your body.
Yet, don’t go out looking for a sauna that promises to emit only far infrared heat or that does not go above 212 degrees, because you are not likely to find it. This is relatively new technology that is still in the process of being perfected and manufacturers are doing the research to keep the temperatures down as low as possible without interfering with the functionality and effectiveness of the sauna.
As of today, most saunas are going to have heat settings which do emit some of the near and mid infrared wavelengths. This doesn’t mean it is going to hurt you or create problems with your sauna experience, and in fact some types of near infrared heaters can be very beneficial in the sauna.
You simply need to realize that hotter is not always better when it comes to FIR sauna technology. Just as baking in the sun for hours a day is not necessarily the best thing for your body, sitting in an intensely hot sauna for extended lengths may not be so great for you either.
Problems with Far Infrared Heat
The biggest concern with far infrared heat sources for the sauna is that they give out radiation very similar to what is given out by microwaves and cell phones. It is believed that this type of heat can be damaging to the skin tissue in some people because it causes it to heat up too quickly. This does not take away from the effectiveness of the FIR sauna technology and in no way presents a real danger to the user, but it has sparked the creation of alternative types of sauna heat sources.
Near Infrared Lamps
Near infrared lamps have now been created which are believed to emit less of those microwave-type emissions while heating up the sauna to a higher temperature. This can be beneficial for many sauna owners and the lamps are now being added into far infrared saunas for the added benefits.
These are definitely issues that are still being explored by professionals in the field, so if you are interested in purchasing far infrared sauna technology, it may be best to watch for future developments.
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