Looking to compare Sunlighten with Therasauna? Well. I hate to tell you, but they’re kind of apples to oranges. The heaters are very different, the infrared output is supposedly different (not really int he real world), and the look and feel of both sauna companies are drastically different.
Build quality, price, etc… are pretty close to one another however.
Infrared Sauna Heater Differences: Carbon VS Ceramic
Sunlighten saunas are all carbon powered emitter infrared saunas, while Therasauna uses exclusively ceramic heaters. One is not necessarily better than the other, but the way they feel is different.
Ceramic emitters can deliver hot spots, since the surface temperature is higher, but it really depends on the layout of the sauna.
For example, if you’re in a Therasauna Classic, where there are no infrared heaters on the sides or front wall (only behind you), the entire front of the sauna feels cold.
Whereas the Sunlighten’s generally have side heaters at least, and some frontal infrared in larger models. The same can be said for the larger more expensive Therasauna units as well, but you still have the difference in application.
Specifically the Sunlighten M Pulse uses higher surface temperature carbon emitters, which feel more like ceramic. But these are not present in the Sunlighten Signature, which feels more like other carbon far infrared saunas.
I know this is getting nit picky here, and it’s not simple to differentiate between the two… this is because, the only way you would even know this, is from using them side by side. Most sauna sales people will not even be able to tell you the minute differences in how different these models feel. I’ll make a video on YouTube to provide more clarity.
Cabinet Build Quality Is The Best In The Business
Sunlighten cabinet build quality is some of the best in the industry. I have to give credit where credit is due… thicker glass, better wood planking, etc…
The Therasauna Classic models have terrible quality control. You can see firsthand on my blog and YouTube in my old review when I bought one using my credit card points at Home Depot.
You can also see where Therasauna sent me a demand letter saying they would like to sue me over stating that Therasuna saunas are not made in the USA. Come to find out, the Therasauna Classic, which I bought, is not made in the USA. But if you look at their website, it seems as though every Therasauna is made in the USA. Good luck figuring that one out.
That said, the higher end Therasauna (whatever that is, since they share the same damn name), does have better build quality. It also has heaters in the front, which fix the cold side of the sauna like you get in the Classic. Not even close to being in the same price range though.
EMF Levels Are Not Low In Either Brand, Despite Marketing Claims
Almost every sauna company claims that they have low emf saunas. In the case of these two brands, neither is truly low emf. You can see live video testing on my youtube channel to verify.
The Therasauna has magnetic field levels at point of body contact over 6 milligauss. The electric fields are mitigated somewhat from the grounded heat shield, but there is still a decent amount of body voltage being generated from the sauna even with that in place.
The Therasauna is not close to the lower range of the saunas on the certified sauna list.
The Sunlighten saunas are a bit different. With the Therasauna models, all of them use the same heaters. So if you have one measurement in one style of emitter, it’ll be consistent in all the other models. You may have some variance in size, power supply, etc… but relatively close to the same averages.
With Sunlighten, the M Pulse and Signature are running a completely different setup. The M Pulse is fairly high emf, both in magnetic and electric fields. Body voltage is higher as well, but definitely less in a Signature compared to the M Pulse.
Even in the Signature, electric fields are not mitigated, only magnetic. Neither of these brands are truly low emf to the standards we’re used to discussing.
Performance
Neither sauna brand takes the cake when it comes to performance. Both take a while to preheat and get going. But when they do get up to temperature, they do work effectively.
Both will give you a deep penetrating sweat, and are suitable for longevity, anti aging, detox, and health benefits in my experience using them both back to back.
Which Brand To Buy?
Personally, I wouldn’t pick either one unless you’re dead set on a feature they offer you can’t get elsewhere. Sure this is my opinion, and you should absolutely buy what’s right for you, even if it’s not something I recommend.
But if it were my friends of family shopping for a home sauna, I’d suggest they look around a bit before pulling the trigger.
That said, cabinet build quality in the Sunlighten’s are second to none. It all comes down to what’s most important to you when choosing your home sauna.
Notice I’m not linking to other saunas to buy, or shoving an alternative brand down your throat like most do?
When I was shopping for my sauna, the worst thing ever was having each company tell me that theirs is the best, no one else comes close, blah blah blah.
Then, I would find a spa that had one, go pay to rent a sessions there, and wonder what in the heck they were talking about with all that jazz!
I would later lean, that most sauna sales people that work for these sauna companies, have only ever used the sauna they sell, or one other one that their employer gave them, or the one from the gym. (maybe one at a trade show… so 3 total???)
Yet, these are the same people that will tell you that XX competitor brand is bad. (but they’ve never actually used it? lol come on.)