A sauna buyer's checklist

3 things to check before you buy any sauna

You have done the research. Here is what most sauna listings leave out: what holds the walls together, where the EMF was measured, and what it takes to plug in.

Already sure? Shop saunas →

Solid Canadian Hemlock, no glue
Lab test results published on our website
Building saunas since 1988

Check 1 of 3

What holds the walls together?

Why it matters

Many saunas are built from plywood or composite panels joined with adhesive. Those materials can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air, and heat speeds that up. A sauna is a small, closed room you heat on purpose, then sit in and breathe for an entire session.

Ask any seller

Is there glue, plywood or composite board anywhere in the cabin, including the parts I can't see?

Heavenly Heat: built without glues

Every Heavenly Heat sauna is solid Canadian Hemlock, joined without glue. No plywood, no particleboard, no hidden composite panels, no chemical stains. The cabins are built for low VOCs, and an independent indoor air quality lab tested them under heat. The full report is on our website, not a summary of it.

See the lab results →

Check 2 of 3

Where was the EMF measured?

Why it matters

Low EMF is easy to claim. The number depends on where the meter sits. A reading taken at one heater panel, before the sauna is built, tells you about that panel. It does not tell you what reaches your body once the cabin is assembled and every heater is on.

Ask any seller

Where was the meter, was the sauna fully assembled, and were all heaters running?

EMF meter reading at the seating position

Heavenly Heat: near-zero EMF & ELF

We measure at the seating position, 2 inches from the body, with the sauna fully assembled and all heaters running. The heaters are grounded, and the electrical components sit inside a custom Faraday cage. The result is near-zero EMF at seating position, fully assembled, all heaters running: under 2 mG EMF and under 7 V/m ELF.

Watch the meter reading →

Check 3 of 3

What does it take to plug in?

Why it matters

Some saunas need a new 240V circuit and a licensed electrician before the first session. That adds cost and time to the project, and it often sits in the fine print.

Ask any seller

What outlet does it need, and will I need an electrician?

Heavenly Heat: simple plug and play

Our one and two person infrared saunas, including the 2 Person Red Light & Infrared Sauna, plug into a standard 120V household outlet. No 240V install, and in most homes no electrician. Run it on a dedicated circuit, meaning nothing else draws power from that circuit while the sauna is on. Assembly takes about 1 to 2 hours with two people and basic household tools.

See electrical requirements by model →

Our traditional, combination, outdoor, 3 person and 4 person saunas need a 240V circuit installed by a licensed electrician. Check the requirements for your model before you order.

Since 1988

Why we build this way

Heavenly Heat started in 1988, when Bob Morgan began building saunas for people with chemical sensitivities. For that buyer, a sauna that off-gasses is not a small flaw. It makes the sauna unusable.

So the standard was set with the first cabin: solid wood, no glue, nothing in the room you would not want to breathe in the heat. Nearly four decades later, every Heavenly Heat sauna is still built that way, across the infrared, red light, traditional and combination range.