Three different types of saunas and their quality.
There are three main types of saunas, and yes, there is a difference between them. We often say that the heater is the heart and soul of the sauna, as it’s responsible for the quality of heat within the sauna. It is widely recognized within the sauna community that the quality of heaters varies as follows:
1. Wood-Fired
Wood-fired heat is considered the gold standard of the sauna experience. With a long tradition, mostly from northern and eastern Europe, wood-fired saunas have been around for thousands of years. The ambiance created by the wood-fired heater truly needs to be experienced in person. The fire crackles in the background, and a faint wind can be heard whistling up the flue. The heat produced surrounds the body like a warm blanket or a hug from a dear friend. Intuitively, our Scandinavian ancestors knew this was the best quality heat, but it’s only recently that science has begun to explain why being in a wood-fired sauna is so beneficial to one's health.
Positive vs. Negative Ions
Ion Definition:
An ion is an atom or group of atoms that carries a positive or negative electric charge as a result of having lost or gained one or more electrons.
In simple terms, an ion is the electrical charge of a group of atoms, which can be understood as positively charged or negatively charged. Atoms are in the air we breathe, so our nervous systems are constantly being stimulated by these atoms. Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy," says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.
Places in nature with high amounts of negative ions include waterfalls, springs, beaches, and mountains. It seems that the more water flowing and the more natural the environment, the higher the negative ion count. So, you’re probably wondering, how does this relate to saunas?
Well, it turns out that wood-fired saunas have the highest amount of negative ions compared to all other sauna types. This is why, after a wood-fired sauna experience, you are left feeling refreshed and relaxed. Going from the heat of the wood-fired sauna into the cold of the ocean is possibly the highest quality sauna experience you can have.
All of our mobile saunas across New Zealand are authentic wood-fired saunas using heaters made right here in NZ. Roaring Meg fires are made in the South Island and is the very first business to produce wood fired sauna heaters in NZ.
2. Electric
Electric traditional heaters are the second highest in quality, and there are many advantages to having your sauna powered by an electric heater. Firstly, the ease of use. The ability to turn on the heater and return when the sauna is hot is perfect for a busy lifestyle. The thermostat reads the temperature of the room and works to maintain the temperature within the sauna. The coils in the heater heat up the rocks, which in turn provide even heat throughout the sauna session. When we build a sauna and install an electric heater, we use the best quality heater on the market, HUUM.
The amount of metal used in HUUM sauna heaters is very small, which ensures that the majority of the heat derives from the stones and not from the metal. This maximizes the proportion of beneficial negative ions in the air.
In short, if there were no rocks in the sauna, the heat coming from the coils would be positively charged. However, because the rocks surround the coils, the heat that comes out is more negatively charged. We want our saunas to be as negatively charged as possible, as this creates an environment that promotes relaxation and rejuvenation.
3. Infrared Saunas
Infrared saunas are at the bottom of the list because they emit a high amount of positive ions. This is because the heating panels of infrared saunas don’t have the traditional rocks like wood-fired or electric heaters. The sauna will barely reach 55 degrees Celsius and is known to have some EMF radiation. Within the sauna world, there is an analogy often used: traditional saunas are like an oven, and infrared saunas are like a microwave. Traditional saunas warm you from the outside in, whereas infrared saunas warm you from the inside out.
That being said, there are some positive aspects to infrared saunas. They are cheap and easy to install. The market for infrared saunas is fairly competitive, they have been heavily marketed which has driven the price down; the last time I checked, you could buy one online for less than $3,000.
So there you have it, the three most common ways to heat a sauna and why we prefer the wood-fired experience. If you would like to purchase just the heating unit from us, please get in touch, and we can organise it with you.
