Q. What is Far infrared?

A. Far Infrared (FIR) is a band of light outside of our normal visible spectrum that warms objects without warming the air around the source. The best example of Far Infrared is the sun, whereby its rays are made up of 80% Infrared light.
This is a far infrared (FIR) sauna.

Q. How does far infrared work?

A. The human body naturally emits and receives infrared light waves as a normal part of everyday life. The sun emits a very large spectrum of light particles, ranging from the damaging Ultra-Violet light to the healing Far Infrared light. The optimum range for the human body to emit and receive Far Infrared energy is between 6 to 20 microns.

In a Healthwave Sauna, only a select band of FIR light is emitted. This band is between 3 to 17 microns, which is the ideal range for the human body to readily absorb and utilise safely.

There are two common misconceptions surrounding Far Infrared saunas:
1.“Won’t I get sunburnt in the sauna?
2.“Won’t I get ‘microwaved’ in the sauna?”

The answer to both these questions is “No”. As you can see by the light spectrum guide above, UV light (the light responsible for damaging effects to the skin such as sunburn) is at the complete opposite end of the visible spectrum to Far Infrared.

As you will also see by the above spectrum and the following test report on Far Infrared emissions with Healthwave Saunas heaters, the Far Infrared used in Healthwave Saunas ranges from 3 to 17 micron. Microwaves start at 1000+ micron, which is well beyond that of a Healthwave Sauna, and natural sunlight for that matter

Q. Why do we use far infrared in our saunas?

A. Now that we understand Far Infrared energy and how it works, you will be able to see the importance of using it in the sauna experience.

As FIR is natural and already a part of everyday life, this makes it very safe for use in saunas. The human body needs Far Infrared energy to sustain life, and as such the Far Infrared sauna experience means we are not exposing ourselves to unsafe or unnatural conditions like that of a traditional or steam sauna.

The steam & exceptionally hot air generated in traditional saunas contacts the body’s skin, quickly resulting in a sweat that starts at the top layers of skin. This engages the body’s natural cooling mechanism, sweat. The instant sweat generated in a traditional sauna typically is made up of 97% water and 3% toxins and fatty acids.

Far Infrared however, is absorbed deep into our bodies, down to a much deeper level where toxins & fatty acids are stored. This results in a much deeper & more concentrated sweat, generally around three times as much as that experienced in a traditional sauna. This deep sweat forces the toxins from the stores much more efficiently. An FIR sauna can expel up to 21% toxins - that’s up to 7 times more effective than a traditional sauna.

There are several reasons to use FIR in saunas, such as:

Lower purchase & running costs
Extremely safe – no adverse health affects like traditional saunas
Easy to assemble & versatile

A more detailed comparison chart can be found on the following page. MORE>