Primary Environmental, LLC · Project PE_0324 · May 2024
Independent VOC testing of a heated Heavenly Heat sauna
Primary Environmental, an independent indoor air quality firm, tested the air inside our 2-Person Infrared Sauna after 30 minutes of heating and compared it with the showroom air outside it. The heated sauna's VOC levels were less than or equal to the room's own background air.
No VOCs added by the heat, at or below the room's air
- Sauna air temperature during the test 149°FAfter 30 minutes of heating
- VOCs screened by the method 500EPA Method TO-17 (TO-15 covers 74)
- Air drawn through the sample tube 2L/minCalibrated pump, thermal desorption tube
- Result against the room's air ≤Sauna levels at or below the showroom background
Tested hot, against the air around it
Heat is when building materials give off VOCs, so the sample was taken with the sauna running.
- 01
Heat the sauna
A 2-Person Infrared Sauna in the Heavenly Heat showroom was heated for 30 minutes, reaching 149°F.
- 02
Sample the air inside
Sauna air was drawn through a thermal desorption glass tube by a calibrated pump at 2 liters per minute.
- 03
Sample the room outside
A second background sample was taken in the showroom, to record the VOC levels already in the room.
- 04
Lab analysis
Both samples went by chain of custody to Enthalpy Analytical, an AIHA and NELAC certified lab, for EPA Method TO-17 analysis.
The heated sauna did not add VOCs to the air
“The nanogram per liter levels detected from the test inside the sauna were significantly less than or equal to those detected in the background sample, suggesting that the sauna heating process did not introduce any VOCs.”
Primary Environmental, LLC, project PE_0324
The trace VOCs in the showroom sample were likely related to cleaning products used in the showroom, according to the report.
A sauna’s job is to get hot. Heat is when materials off-gas.
VOCs (volatile organic compounds) come from things like paints, glues, stains and engineered wood. Heating a small, closed room speeds up how fast they are released into the air you breathe.
Heavenly Heat saunas are built from solid Canadian hemlock with no paints, glues, plywood or stains, down to a non-VOC sticker used to cover the screws.
- No plywood or particleboard
- No glues, paints or stains
- Tested while heated, not cold
Four questions that separate proof from claims
Ask them of any sauna brand, including us.
- 01
Was the sauna tested while it was heated?
A cold cabin tells you little. VOCs are released as the materials heat up.
- 02
Was it compared with the room’s own air?
Every home has some VOCs. A background sample shows what the sauna adds, if anything.
- 03
Which test method was used?
EPA Method TO-17 screens about 500 VOCs. Method TO-15 covers 74.
- 04
Will you show me the signed report?
“Low VOC” on a page is a claim. A signed report from an independent lab is proof.
Primary Environmental, LLC
Primary Environmental is an indoor environmental assessment firm. Its owner and project manager, James F. Bernard, CPG, CMA, ran the testing and signed the report.
The air samples were analyzed by Enthalpy Analytical, Inc., an independent AIHA and NELAC certified laboratory. Heavenly Heat commissioned the testing.
VOC testing questions and answers
Straight answers, taken from the report.
What did the VOC test find?
The VOC levels inside the heated sauna were significantly less than or equal to those in the showroom’s background air. The lab concluded that the sauna heating process did not introduce any VOCs.
Which sauna was tested?
A Heavenly Heat 2-Person Infrared Sauna in the Heavenly Heat Saunas showroom, tested in May 2024. The results on this page apply to that sauna as tested.
Was the sauna hot during the test?
Yes. The air sample was taken while the sauna was heating for 30 minutes, during which it reached 149°F.
Why compare with the showroom air?
Method TO-17 is very sensitive, so a background sample was taken in the showroom to record the VOCs already in the room. Comparing the two shows whether the heated sauna added anything.
Where did the VOCs in the showroom come from?
The report found trace levels in the showroom sample and says they were likely related to cleaning products used there.
What test method was used?
Enthalpy’s IAQ Survey™ home test, analyzed with EPA Method TO-17 (thermal desorption), which captures about 500 VOCs. Method TO-15 (GC-MS) captures 74.
Who did the testing, and is it independent?
Primary Environmental, LLC collected the samples and wrote the signed report. Enthalpy Analytical, Inc., an independent AIHA and NELAC certified lab, analyzed them. Heavenly Heat commissioned the study.
Does this mean the sauna is VOC-free?
No test can show zero. What the test shows is that the heated sauna’s air was at or below the room it sat in, so the sauna did not add VOCs.
Is EMF tested too?
Yes, separately. Vitatech Electromagnetics measured the electric and magnetic fields inside the 2-Person Far Infrared Sauna. See the EMF results.
Can I read the full VOC report?
Yes. The signed Primary Environmental report is shown in full at the bottom of this page, and you can open it as a PDF.
Read the full Primary Environmental report
The complete signed report is below, so you can check every statement on this page against the source.
Loading the report
Clean-air saunas, built since 1988
Solid Canadian hemlock with no glues, paints or stains, tested hot for VOCs and independently tested for EMF.