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nancyinmich

Anyone tried a far infrared sauna in a small home?

Nancy in Mich
13 years ago

Santa broke out in guffaws when he read my email for a Sanijet jetted bathtub. I guess the 45 x 72 tub really would not fit well in a small home. I know I would have had to install it in a bedroom, not in the bathroom. My friend at work suggested I look into a Far-Infrared Sauna, instead. They come in pre-assembled panels that you just have to join together. Two people in an hour, they say. The far-infrared spectrum penetrates the flesh, warming the body without warming the air, so you have a sauna environment of 110 - 150 F, much cooler than the steambath type of sauna. But it makes you sweat just as well, which is supposed to be good for your skin, for detox, and for weight loss (They claim you are not just losing water weight, but burning 300 to 600 calories in a half-hour. I don't believe this claim.) You get the benefit of a sauna without the strain on the heart and blood pressure. I am interested in the muscle relaxation end of the therapy, warming and relaxing my tight fibromyalgia-stressed muscles.

Since the sauna cabinet is easy to install, un-install, and move, it is an ideal situation for us in our small homes. If we get tired of it, we are not committed in the same way I would have been with that jetted tub and the plumbing for water and drain, and the tiled bath enclosure in a bedroom! I can later move it to the basement, or sell it used.

Anyone tried one? What was it like and what brand was it?

Here is a link that might be useful: One I am considering

Comments (7)

  • Shades_of_idaho
    13 years ago

    I have not heard of a infrared in a cabinet. I have a smaller hand held one that appears to work miracles on the skin tumors I have had. I know it sounds like voo doo but I have had it work for me several times when nothing else did.

    I also used it on my trigger,finger, thumb and cured it. I held the light on the base of my thumb a couple of times a day and I do not remember how many times before it was better but not very long. I had to do some stretching and working on the joint but it is no longer a trigger action in my thumb and not painful either. It had been locked up for about a year.

    Guess I am not much help. I sure would be interested in how it works for you. Something that comes apart easily and not a permanent fixture sounds worth a try.

    Chris

  • hilltop_gw
    13 years ago

    I don't usually frequent this forum and realize I'm late if you were considering one for Christmas, but....
    we have a Health-mate sauna that we've had since 2004. We absolutely love it. Living in Michigan you would appreciate it on a cold winter night. My husband first saw it at a farm show and he was sold. Our kids loved it as they were growing up, especially after a cold football game or to ease sore muscles after a BB game. I crank it up to 135 or 140 degrees and sit it in for 20-30 minutes. It eases the aches and pains.
    We paid about $1800 for a 2 person one with radio. I honestly wouldn't sit in it with another person because you really do sweat but the extra space is nice to sit in it alone and relax. We haven't moved ours since we set it up, but given how easy it was to set up, it would be easy to knock down and move. We did have to change the outlet since it took a different voltage, but my husband was able to do that on his own.

  • fergust
    11 years ago

    I am a sauna connoisseur with extensive experience. A study abroad in Northern Sweden gave me a unique perspective on saunas and has since motivated me to regularly use these tools of detoxification.

    Normal saunas I need at least 180 degrees, hotter the better I've sat at 240 before which is fantastic, but requires a built up tolerance. Some folks have said the sauna should be relaxing, but for me I see it as more of a challenge.

    Infrared or Inflared (not sure the correct term) saunas work differently. I have posted a picture of my personal sauna which folds easily and fits into a trunk, plugs into standard 115 volt outlet and just required a good stool and 4-5 towels. Keep in mind the longest I've sat in a normal sauna is 6 hours, this infrared sauna I've topped out at 3 hours, so it affects you differently.

    I can soak 5 towels thoroughly with extremely pungent sweat (we're talking yoga sweat). Usually I play a two hour film and try to sit through the whole thing.

    I drink a ton of water and the dark circles under my eyes dissapear, the sauna goes back thousands of years it is very proven technology. My skin has never been softer, enjoy. I paid 75 dollars on craigslist for this sauna and it has never let me down.

  • Nancy in Mich
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Fergust,
    That sauna is interesting. Where are the infrared panels located in it? My sauna's panels are quite solid ceramic. I have not seen that style of sauna heating panel used in a flexible tent sauna. My dad had a sauna tent like your picture when I was young, and I think it just used a steam humidifier. You had to be careful that it did not aim at your flesh, or it would burn you!

    We did end up buying me a sauna. We did not get the one I linked to, but a similar one. We decided that the hemlock wood or cedar wood cabinets were not for us. We got one made of odorless poplar, instead. I have not used it as much as I should, mostly because of the need to shower afterward. I just need to get over it, and use the sauna more, especially since I am losing some weight, and the detoxification function will help as my fat shrinks and releases stored "stuff" into the blood stream. The sauna does help a lot with pain and stiffness. Now that I am at home, I hope to work it into a daily health routine. Maybe I will use it after doing my home PT routine. I just finished 8 weeks of Physical Therapy for my knees, hips, and ankles.

    Here is a link that might be useful: The brand I ended up getting

  • bettys06
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Great Information,.
    you may check the Saunas products that inconvenient in your home.it gives assurance of hard work of the resourcing team can offer the finest quality at competive prices. they have also the
    Infared Sauna in saunas are great for treating disease- very impressive Personally, i don't recommend people to purchase your own sauna to lessen your time going to sauna store.

  • Nancy in Mich
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Yes, I saw that survey. I still have not worked my sauna into my routine. It currently is stuffed with the contents of the room in which it sits. We have been waiting for the contractor to return to our project. We had them widen the three bedroom doors to 36" (moved two walls), made the bathroom into a handicapped accessible one with a roll-in shower, and redid the half bath. When they come back, they will drywall the wall that got moved for increasing the size of the shower, strip wallpaper and paint, install a light fixture, and put in cork flooring. Then move all of our bedroom stuff out and do the wallpaper stripping and painting and new floor in our bedroom, along with wire new lights for the closet and change out the closet doors. Once that is all done and they are gone, I can set up my PT exercise and craft room in the first bedroom, settle into our new bedroom, and unload all the stuff from the sauna. I hope to THEN start using it. I did not have a safe shower until this summer. I fell getting into the bathtub/shower and dislocated my knee a while back, so have been wary of falling in the bath ever since.

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