Ceramic infrared sauna heaters are more advantageous as they heat up much faster, have a high emissivity and they are known for high levels of durability. Ceramic heaters are the most common and popular choice. Our DuraWave™ ceramic heaters are also very easy to ship and replace should a problem arise, unlike carbon heaters that can be awkward to ship and difficult to replace.
SaunaMed did consider using carbon elements, however after extensive research we chose to stick with our very popular DuraWave™ elements due to the following findings regarding carbon elements;
- Infrared efficiency dropped dramatically when sitting more than 20cm away from the elements. Meaning much of the infrared heat sources are not warming the body efficiently but simply warming the air.
- The elements have to be thermostat controlled which meant that cabin temperatures would have to be much higher to produce any level of sweat production.
- To create the internal temperatures and Infrared flow required for the elements to be effective, the majority of the cabin interior needed to be lined with the elements, which was very dark and unsightly.
- Toxic chemicals are used in the production of carbon heating elements. Compounds of styrene, lead, iron, aluminium, zinc, boron and barium are introduced into the sauna. We found it absolutely unacceptable to introduce lead, and especially styrene in a therapeutic environment designed for detoxification.
- Wooden brackets holding heater panels in place created a trap for dust and bacteria and absorbed the infrared heat rather than your body.
- Sweat stains on the elements were difficult to clean.