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INFRARED SAUNA HEATERS EXPLAINED
Our Premium saunas use a combination of Low EMF Nano Carbon Far Infrared and Crystallite Full Spectrum Infrared heaters. Below is some information on Infrared heaters to help you make the right decision about your Sauna.
We also discuss other heaters that are commonly used in the industry.
full spectrum heaters
Premium crystallite Full Spectrum Heaters
standard Full Spectrum Heaters
1. Advanced Heater Construction
High-Quality Materials: This heater integrates a crystal quartz heating tube encased in a crystallite (glass-ceramic) cover, engineered to enhance heat dispersion, efficiency, and durability.
Optimised Infrared Output: The quartz tube generates full-spectrum infrared heat (near, mid, and far infrared), while the crystallite cover diffuses and softens the emission, ensuring a balanced heating experience.
2. Superior Heat Performance & Efficiency
Even Heat Distribution: The glass-ceramic layer spreads infrared energy uniformly, eliminating hot spots and providing a more consistent temperature throughout the sauna.
Enhanced Heat Retention: The crystallite cover absorbs and re-emits infrared waves, improving efficiency by reducing energy loss and maintaining stable warmth.
Lower Energy Consumption: This system minimises wasted heat, making it more energy-efficient compared to traditional quartz tube heaters.
3. Safety & Comfort Enhancements
Reduced Glare & Gentle Infrared Exposure: The crystallite cover softens the brightness of near-infrared radiation, reducing harsh glare while maintaining effective infrared emission.
Lower EMF Output: The protective glass-ceramic layer helps lower electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure, creating a safer and more comfortable sauna environment.
Balanced Heating for Longer Sessions: The even heat output prevents overheating in localized areas, allowing for longer, more enjoyable sauna experiences.
4. Longevity & Durability
Extended Lifespan: With a typical lifespan of around 20,000 hours, the combination of quartz tube and crystallite cover ensures long-lasting performance.
Resistant to Wear & Heat Stress: Unlike standard infrared heaters, this design reduces thermal shock and material degradation, contributing to long-term reliability.
Crystallite quartz infrared heaters offer a superior sauna heating solution by combining efficient heat retention, even distribution, and reduced EMF exposure. The glass-ceramic cover eliminates intense brightness and uneven heating, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a comfortable, energy-efficient, and long-lasting infrared sauna experience.
1. Construction & Material Quality
Lower-Cost Materials: These heaters utilise crystal quartz tubes or rods as the primary heating elements, encasing metal heating filaments. While effective, they lack advanced heat dispersion technologies like glass-ceramic covers.
Open Design: The uncovered quartz elements expose the heating filaments directly, producing more intense radiation and heat but lacking the diffusion benefits of crystallite-covered heaters.
2. Heating Performance & Efficiency
High-Intensity Heat Output: These heaters emit a strong, direct heat, this creates in intense heat that can be felt directly on the skin.
Heat-Up Time: The open quartz tubes heat up quickly, making these heaters efficient in terms of speed but not necessarily energy conservation.
Localised Heating: Due to the lack of a heat-diffusing cover, these heaters create hot spots, resulting in less uniform heat distribution across the sauna.
3. Safety & EMF Considerations
Higher EMF Exposure: Without shielding or dispersion elements, these heaters emit more direct electromagnetic fields (EMF) compared to crystallite-covered alternatives, which absorb and re-radiate infrared more safely.
Increased Glare & Brightness: Open quartz tube heaters emit intense near-infrared (NIR) light, which can be uncomfortably bright for some users.
Greater Surface Heat & Risk of Contact Burns: The exposed heating elements get extremely hot, requiring extra caution to avoid direct skin contact or when sitting back in your Sauna.
4. Lifespan & Durability
Standard Lifespan (~20,000 Hours): While comparable in lifespan to more advanced heaters, performance may degrade faster due to the high-intensity operation.
Standard full-spectrum quartz heaters provide strong, direct heat with fast warm-up times, making them an effective low-cost option for entry-level saunas. However, higher EMF exposure, uneven heat distribution, and increased brightness may not suit users seeking a gentler, more uniform sauna experience. These heaters are best for those who prioritise intensity over comfort, cost and don’t mind higher localised heat and glare.
Standard Full-Spectrum vs. Crystallite Heaters
When designing our sauna range, we carefully selected Crystallite Quartz Heaters for our premium models due to their superior heat dispersion, energy efficiency, and comfort, while using Standard Full-Spectrum Quartz Heaters in our entry-level saunas for their affordability and strong heat output.
1. Construction & Materials
🔹 Crystallite Quartz Heaters (Premium Models): Feature a quartz heating tube encased in a glass-ceramic crystallite cover, which improves heat retention, diffusion, and efficiency.
🔹 Standard Full-Spectrum Quartz Heaters (Entry-Level Models): Use exposed quartz tubes with metal filaments, providing a more direct and intense heat output but lacking diffusion.
2. Heat Distribution & Efficiency
✅ Crystallite Heaters:
Provide even heat distribution, eliminating hot spots.
Retain and re-emit infrared radiation, making them more energy-efficient.
Offer a softer, more comfortable warmth for extended sessions.
⚠️ Standard Quartz Heaters:
Emit high-intensity, direct heat, which can create hot spots and uneven warmth.
Lack diffusion, leading to a more intense experience that some may find overly harsh.
3. EMF & Safety
✅ Crystallite Heaters:
Reduce EMF exposure by absorbing and redistributing infrared energy.
Lower glare and intense brightness, making for a more comfortable sauna experience.
⚠️ Standard Quartz Heaters:
Higher EMF exposure due to open-element design.
Bright near-infrared light can be uncomfortable on the eyes.
4. Lifespan & Durability
✅ Crystallite Heaters:
More durable due to the protective glass-ceramic layer, which reduces thermal stress.
Maintain consistent performance over their 20,000-hour lifespan.
⚠️ Standard Quartz Heaters:
While rated for ~20,000 hours, their exposed elements wear out faster, leading to performance degradation.
Why We Choose Crystallite Heaters for Our Premium Saunas
At Chakra Wellness, we prioritise quality, comfort, and efficiency in our premium saunas. That’s why we use Crystallite Quartz Heaters in our high-end models, as they offer:
✅ Even, comfortable heating for longer sessions
✅ Lower EMF & reduced glare for a safer sauna experience
✅ Improved heat retention & energy efficiency
✅ A more durable, high-performance heater
While Standard Quartz Heaters are a great entry-level option for those who prefer intense, high-heat saunas, Crystallite Heaters provide a more refined and balanced sauna experience, making them the ideal choice for our premium models.
If you're looking for the most advanced heating technology with maximum comfort and efficiency, our Crystallite-equipped saunas are the perfect choice.
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1. How They Work:
Material:
Low EMF nano-carbon heaters are made from thin panels infused with nano-carbon particles, often combined with materials such as graphite, graphene, ceramic, or mica to enhance heat performance. These panels are designed to emit far-infrared heat while keeping electromagnetic field (EMF) emissions below 3 milligauss (mG).Operation:
These heaters emit far-infrared (FIR) radiation that is deeply absorbed by body tissues, promoting various therapeutic benefits. The nano-carbon technology optimises heat dispersion, ensuring superior uniform warmth across the entire sauna without hot spots.Efficiency:
Nano-carbon heaters are highly energy-efficient, operating at lower temperatures while delivering consistent and therapeutic heat. The addition of nanoparticles and materials like ceramic or mica improves heat retention and minimises energy loss.
2. Benefits:
Low EMF Safety:
Nano-carbon technology ensures ultra-low EMF exposure (<3mG), offering a safe and health-conscious heating experience suitable for regular sauna use.Enhanced Uniform Heat Distribution:
The combination of nano-carbon particles with materials like ceramic or mica enhances heat dispersion, ensuring consistent warmth throughout the sauna. This prevents uneven heating and improves user comfort.Energy Efficiency:
Nano-carbon heaters are designed to consume less energy, thanks to improved heat retention. Their eco-friendly operation provides cost-effective heating without compromising on performance.Deep Tissue Penetration:
The far-infrared waves penetrate deeply into body tissues, aiding in detoxification, stress reduction, muscle relaxation, and recovery from physical activity.Durability:
Nano-carbon heaters, enhanced by durable materials like graphene, graphite, or ceramic composites, have a lifespan of 20,000 to 50,000 hours, ensuring minimal maintenance over many years of use.
3. General Lifespan:
Approximately 20,000 to 50,000 hours, providing long-term durability with minimal performance degradation.
Summary:
Low EMF nano-carbon heaters provide advanced far-infrared therapy with minimal EMF exposure, uniform heat distribution, and high energy efficiency. Their integration of advanced materials like graphene, graphite, ceramic, and mica enhances both performance and durability, making them ideal for health-focused, comfortable sauna experiences. -
1. How They Work:
Material:
This heater combines a crystal quartz heating tube with a crystallite (glass-ceramic) cover designed to enhance heat dispersion, efficiency, and comfort.Operation:
The crystal quartz tube emits full-spectrum infrared light, including near (NIR), mid (MIR), and far-infrared (FIR) wavelengths.
The crystallite cover diffuses the infrared rays, ensuring even heat distribution and minimising the brightness and intensity of NIR radiation.
Efficiency:
The crystallite cover improves heat retention, reduces energy loss, and lowers EMF output by absorbing and re-emitting infrared radiation. This results in a more consistent and efficient heating experience.2. Benefits:
Full-Spectrum Coverage:
The combination of NIR, MIR, and FIR wavelengths ensures users experience a broad range of health benefits:NIR (Near Infrared):
Penetrates the skin's surface, promoting skin rejuvenation, wound healing, and collagen production.
The crystallite cover reduces the intense brightness often associated with exposed quartz NIR heaters.MIR (Mid Infrared):
Penetrates deeper layers of tissue, enhancing blood circulation, pain relief, and muscle recovery.
The cover helps balance the heat output, preventing uneven heating across the sauna.FIR (Far Infrared):
Provides the deepest penetration, supporting detoxification, relaxation, and metabolic improvements.
The crystallite cover enhances the emission of FIR radiation by absorbing and re-emitting it efficiently.
Even Heat Distribution:
The glass-ceramic layer spreads the heat uniformly across the panel, eliminating hot spots and ensuring users experience consistent warmth throughout their sauna session.Reduced Glare and Lower EMF:
The cover filters and diffuses the NIR radiation, reducing visual glare and lowering EMF output, making the sauna environment safer and more comfortable.Comfortable Heating Performance:
This design provides gentle yet effective heating, allowing for longer, more relaxing sauna sessions without overheating or discomfort.
3. General Lifespan:
Typically around 20,000 hours, with long-lasting performance due to the durability of both the quartz tube and glass-ceramic cover.
Summary:
This heater design, with a crystal quartz heating tube and a crystallite cover, delivers full-spectrum infrared therapy with enhanced comfort, safety, and efficiency. It eliminates the harsh brightness and localised heat of uncovered quartz heaters, making it ideal for users who want a balanced, therapeutic sauna experience with lowerEMF and even heat distribution. -
1. How They Work:
Material:
Red light therapy lamps use LEDs or other specialized light sources designed to emit red light (630-700 nm) and near-infrared (NIR) light (700-900 nm) wavelengths.Operation:
These lamps emit red and NIR light, which penetrate the skin and underlying tissues. Red light typically penetrates to skin-deep levels, while NIR penetrates deeper into muscles, joints, and tissues, promoting cellular repair and regeneration.Efficiency:
Red light therapy lamps are highly targeted, providing focused light for skin treatment, pain relief, and inflammation reduction. They are designed to be energy-efficient and generate minimal heat.
2. Benefits:
Improved Skin Health:
Red light stimulates collagen production, promoting skin rejuvenation, reducing wrinkles, and healing scars and blemishes.Pain Relief and Anti-Inflammatory Effects:
NIR light penetrates deeply into the body, helping to reduce inflammation, ease joint and muscle pain, and enhance recovery after injury or physical exertion.Cellular Repair and Energy Production:
Red and NIR light promote the activation of mitochondria, increasing ATP (cellular energy) production, which supports cell repair and regeneration.Non-Invasive and Safe:
Red light therapy is non-invasive with no downtime, making it a safe and natural alternative for improving skin health, managing pain, and enhancing recovery.Energy Efficiency:
LED-based red light therapy lamps consume low power and operate efficiently, making them cost-effective over time.
3. General Lifespan:
Red light therapy lamps, particularly those with LED technology, have a lifespan of 30,000 to 50,000 hours, ensuring long-term reliability.
Summary:
Red light therapy lamps provide targeted light therapy with proven benefits for skin rejuvenation, pain relief, inflammation reduction, and cellular repair. Their energy-efficient operation, non-invasive nature, and long lifespan make them a popular and effective solution for both cosmetic and therapeutic purposes. -
1. How They Work:
Material:
Standard carbon heaters are made from thin, flat carbon panels or sheets, designed to emit far-infrared (FIR) radiation across a wide surface area.Operation:
These heaters emit far-infrared waves that penetrate deeply into body tissues, promoting therapeutic effects. The large surface area of the panels helps distribute heat more evenly than ceramic or quartz heaters, though without specialized EMF reduction.Efficiency:
Carbon heaters operate at lower temperatures while still providing effective and consistent heating, making them energy-efficient compared to older heater technologies.
2. Benefits:
Even Heat Distribution:
The large, flat panel design allows for consistent, evenly spread heat, minimizing hot or cold spots inside the sauna and enhancing comfort.Energy Efficiency:
Carbon heaters operate at lower temperatures than ceramic or quartz heaters, resulting in reduced energy consumption while maintaining effective heat output.Deep Tissue Penetration:
The far-infrared radiation emitted penetrates deep into the body, supporting detoxification, muscle relaxation, stress relief, and recovery from physical exertion.Comfortable Heating:
Carbon heaters provide gentle, consistent warmth, making them suitable for longer sauna sessions without the discomfort of localized, intense heat.Durability:
Carbon heaters are known for their reliability and long operational lifespan, typically lasting 20,000 to 50,000 hours.
3. General Lifespan:
Approximately 20,000 to 50,000 hours, providing long-term, dependable performance with minimal degradation.
Summary:
Standard carbon far-infrared heaters offer energy-efficient, deep-penetrating heat with consistent warmth and even heat distribution. While they do not feature low EMF technology, they remain a reliable and effective option for relaxation, detoxification, and muscle recovery in saunas.ion -
At this stage we have ceased producing saunas with these heaters, however it is important to understand how they work, along with the pro’s and con’s of them.
1. How They Work:
Material:
Standard full-spectrum heaters use crystal quartz tubes or rods as heating elements. These quartz elements encase heating filaments that produce intense infrared light.Operation:
These heaters emit a full spectrum of infrared light, including near (NIR), mid (MIR), and far-infrared (FIR) wavelengths.
Each wavelength targets different layers of the body, offering various health benefits.Efficiency:
Standard full-spectrum heaters are designed to provide a comprehensive heating experience, with rapid heat-up times and high-intensity heat output for those who prefer hotter sauna sessions.
2. Benefits:
Full-Spectrum Coverage:
These heaters deliver all three wavelengths, offering a wide range of therapeutic benefits:NIR (Near Infrared):
Penetrates the skin’s surface, promoting skin rejuvenation, collagen production, and wound healing.
However, NIR can be intense and bright, creating a strong glow inside the sauna.MIR (Mid Infrared):
Reaches deeper tissues, enhancing blood circulation, pain relief, and muscle recovery.
This wavelength helps alleviate stiffness and soreness in joints and muscles.FIR (Far Infrared):
Provides the deepest penetration, promoting detoxification, stress relief, and metabolism improvement.
Intense Heat:
Standard full-spectrum heaters produce higher intensity heat compared to carbon models, making them ideal for users who prefer a hotter sauna experience.Rapid Heating:
These heaters heat up quickly, allowing users to start their sauna sessions faster compared to other models like carbon or hybrid heaters.
3. General Lifespan:
Typically around 20,000 hours, though performance may degrade over time due to the intense operation of the quartz elements.
This heater type is suited for users who desire high-intensity, fast-heating infrared therapy with comprehensive full-spectrum coverage, though the brightness, EMF and localised heat may not be ideal for those who prefer gentler, more evenly distributed warmth.
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1. How They Work:
Material:
Ceramic heaters are made from ceramic rods or tubes, which absorb and emit far-infrared (FIR) radiation when heated.Operation:
The ceramic elements heat up quickly, producing intense, localized heat that penetrates deeply into tissues.
However, this design can lead to uneven heat distribution across the sauna, with noticeable hot spots and cold areas.Efficiency:
Ceramic heaters are considered less efficient compared to modern carbon and full-spectrum heaters due to their localized heat and higher operating temperatures.
2. Benefits:
Deep Tissue Heating:
Ceramic heaters provide intense heat, making them effective for deep tissue penetration and targeted therapeutic benefits.Quick Heating:
Ceramic elements heat up relatively quickly, allowing users to reach desired sauna temperatures faster than some other models.
3. Disadvantages:
Uneven Heat Distribution:
Ceramic heaters can create hot spots, making certain areas of the sauna much hotter than others. This can lead to discomfort and less effective heat therapy.Shorter Lifespan:
Ceramic elements generally have a shorter operational lifespan of 10,000 to 15,000 hours, which is less durable than modern alternatives like carbon or hybrid heaters.
4. General Lifespan:
Approximately 10,000 to 15,000 hours, which is significantly shorter than the 20,000 to 50,000 hours offered by newer technologies.
Summary:
While ceramic heaters were among the first types of infrared heating elements used in saunas, they are now considered outdated technology due to their uneven heat distribution, shorter lifespan, and lower efficiency. Modern heaters, such as carbon and full-spectrum models, provide a more balanced, long-lasting, and comfortable sauna experience.