Last checked August 30, 2026 · Prices change; verify before buying.

Infrared saunas: prices, small print, and the citation everyone gets wrong

Infrared cabins are marketed on heart research that was done on a different kind of sauna, at a much higher temperature, in an observational study. That does not make them bad products. It makes the sales pitch wrong.

The citation problem

Nearly every infrared sauna page cites Finnish research linking sauna bathing to lower cardiovascular mortality. Three things about that study rarely make it into the ad copy:

• It studied traditional Finnish dry saunas at roughly 175–195°F. A typical residential infrared cabin tops out around 140°F. Different intervention.
• It was observational, not a randomised trial. It cannot establish cause. People who use saunas frequently in Finland may simply be healthier, wealthier and less likely to smoke to begin with.
• The population was middle-aged Finnish men. Generalising from that to everyone is a stretch.

Mayo Clinic reviewed the infrared literature directly and found "some evidence" of benefit for several chronic conditions, while stating that larger and more rigorous studies are needed to prove it — and noting that some of the studies cited actually used conventional saunas, not infrared. Their bottom line: a reasonable option for relaxation, not a proven treatment.

On safety, Mayo Clinic reports no harmful effects from infrared sauna use. That is genuinely reassuring — but absence of reported harm is not the same as demonstrated safety for every group, and they issue no specific guidance for pregnancy or cardiac patients.

Prices as listed by the manufacturer

Note the electrical requirement. Two- and three-person Sun Home units need a dedicated 20-amp circuit with a NEMA 5-20 outlet — not a normal wall socket. Four-person and larger need 240V. Budget for an electrician, or check with one before you order.

Warranty and returns: read this part twice

This is where the two brands diverge sharply, and where the sales pages are least forthcoming.

Sun Home

• Solstice and Equinox: 7 years on cabinet and heaters, 3 years controls, 1 year glass and audio.
• Eclipse, Pod and Luminar: "limited lifetime" on cabinet and heaters — but Sun Home defines "lifetime" as residential use and a maximum of 7 years. It is not a lifetime warranty in the ordinary meaning of the word.
• Cold plunges and infrared blankets: 1 year.
• First 90 days: parts, labour and shipping covered. After that you pay shipping and labour.

Redwood Outdoors

• Sauna structure: 1 year. For an outdoor wooden product in the $6,000–$11,000 range that sits in rain and sun, this is short.
• Harvia heater: 1 year on the element, 5 years limited on other components.
• Return window: not published — the warranty page points to a general refund policy without stating a period.

What we could not verify

Redwood does not publish dimensions, heater wattage or electrical requirements on its collection pages, and the individual product pages returned errors when we checked. Neither company publishes total power consumption, so annual running cost cannot be calculated honestly. We have left those blank rather than estimate.

Sources

• Mayo Clinic: do infrared saunas have any health benefits?
• Sun Home model pricing, warranty terms and refund policy
• Redwood Outdoors sauna pricing and warranty
• Laukkanen et al., association between sauna bathing and cardiovascular mortality, JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015 (observational)