Last Updated on March 2, 2023 by Eve Dawes
We’ve had our Sun Stream Infrared Sauna for a year, here’s what you need to know
Home infrared sauna’s have been growing in popularity thanks to all of the benefits but how do you pick the right infrared sauna for your home. They’re not cheap, so if you’re not sure you’ll use it you’re probably better paying to use one at a IR sauna spa. However, if you’re like us and like your wine and to sweat it out after a good workout, it might be worth it. So who makes the best home infrared sauna and what do you need to know before putting it on your credit card. Here’s everything that we learned during the buying, installing and using process. As well as a comprehensive Sun Stream Sauna review. Their websites have FAQs and installation videos (definitely watch those) but they’re normally written from the perspective of a pro installer not the general public. Here’s our honest experience, Sun Stream infrared sauna review, and a more realistic view living with it in your home.
Best infrared sauna shopping guide
What’s the best infrared sauna for home? We spent ages deciding on the best infrared sauna so I wanted to share our findings with you to try and make it easier for you to make a decision when shopping for your home IR sauna.
Here’s everything you need to know about buying an infrared sauna. Plus an honest Sun Stream sauna review of the Evolve 30 IR sauna (NOT sponsored). Including the unboxing, assembly, using it & tips to get the most out of your home infrared sauna.
Things to consider when shopping for the best home infrared sauna
Some of the other things to consider when buying an infrared sauna for your home are:
- What brand of home infrared sauna are you going to get?
- Where are you going to put it? Inside, outside, etc.
- Do you have the right outlet for it? Read the IR sauna’s requirements for this in case it differs from brand to brand.
- Do you want curbside delivery or the full installation?
- What size sauna do you want and will fit in your space?
- What are the electrical requirements?
We went with a 3 person for the space we have & so we could both use it at the same time. It’s be tight for 3 to be honest but comfortably seats 2.
Is it better to put your home infrared sauna inside or outside
Most sauna’s are designed to be inside unless it’s a specifically designed outside infrared sauna. However, in some climates you could put other models outside with a cover but in general it will shorten their lives. Always check with the manufacturer. You will also need to check the warranty to make sure you don’t void it.
If you’re trying to decide where to put it, this is how we made our decision. We were going to put ours outside but are so happy we decided to put it inside. It means we don’t have to worry about it degrading in the Vegas heat or have to trek out to it in the cold in the Winter. We were also worried it would be out of sight, out of mind. A bit like our hot tub.
We did have 1 concern about having it inside and that was if it would raise the room temp. However, it really doesn’t, that’s the beauty of infrared saunas.
The other reason was electrical. You need to have a dedicated line run from your main power box outside your house (or maybe a sub panel if you have one). So the closer the sauna is to it the easier.
Also, if it’s on an outside wall the Electrician can run the conduit on the outside of the house and then pop it in where you need it. Whereas, if you put in on an interior wall, you would then have to have the conduit showing or get it put inside the walls. Which is obviously a lot more work and more expensive.
Sun Stream sauna review
We paid in full for our sauna so this is a completely unbiased and honest Sun Stream sauna review. Including why we chose this company and the key features that made us choose this infrared sauna for our home.
Why we chose Sun Stream infrared sauna brand
We shopped around a lot before making a decision on which company to get our home IR sauna from. There were a few companies that kept coming up top in all of the reviews that we were reading and it was hard to make a final decision.
The 3 companies we got it down as they had all of the features we wanted in our IR sauna:
- Sun Stream
- Clearlight
- Coastal Saunas (which our friends have).
We ended up with the Evolve 30 model from Sun Stream Infrared Saunas as they had the best customer service. When we called with questions and emailed, it was the owner that answered the phone/emails.
We’d been considering getting one for a year and a half and doing research on and off during that time. It’s quite a chunk of change so we wanted to make sure we were investing in quality.
What to look for in a home infrared sauna
The amount of things to consider from the materials to the heater panels and different wavelengths was overwhelming. So I’m going to try and to condense it into the biggest take aways and what we looked for:
- Advanced IR heater technology carbon panels (look for Nano-carbon heater panels which Sun Stream has).
- Natural wood. Sun Stream’s 100% solid Canadina Hemlock (no plywood or particleboard).
- Low or near zero EMF levels.
- Low or near zero ELF levels.
- Non-toxic glues.
- A size that fits your space and budget. Bigger ones are also more expensive to heat. Although we haven’t noticed much of an increase in our electric bill using our 3 person sauna 3x each per week (having it on for 60-75 minutes at a time, as it takes time to heat up.)
- What their warranty covers and for how long. Sun Stream offers a lifetime warranty.
- Return Policy.
- Support. The customer service at Sun Stream was a big deciding factor for us.
- The location and amount of IR heater panels. You want the maximum amount to be focused on the core of your body.
- How easy everything is to clean including the infrared panels. Which is why we avoided cloth and mesh coverings and went for wood guards.
- Far Infrared wavelength (we read in multiple places that full spectrum was just hype).
- Bluetooth speakers if you want to listen to music, podcasts, etc in there.
- Price. Cheap versions are often poor quality with high EMF levels, toxic glues and woods, so choose wisely.
- Shipping – check the costs as these can quickly add up as they’re a heavy item!
- What are the electrical requirements.
I told you it was a lot and that was the condensed version!
Ideally a IR sauna will have heater panels on all walls (including the front door) at shoulder height and below. Even better, a sauna should have panels on the floor (shining light onto the bottom of your feet) and at the base of the chair (shining on to the back of your legs).
Alex Fergus
Preparing for your home infrared sauna delivery
This might sound simple, wait for it to arrive and unpack it but this isn’t your normal delivery. It’s a giant 200lbs delivery! So unless you’re Mr. Olympia it’s going to be more than a 1 person job.
Even if you are strong enough to lift it, you’re not going to be able to hold one of the sauna’s walls upright and then go and get the next wall to slide into it. It’s physically impossible. So then it’s case of how many people’s help do you need.
You’re also going to need somewhere to put all of the packaging. It’s not going to fit in your recycling bin. So you could either rent a skip or dispose of them yourself if you have a big enough truck to take them to your local refuse.
You’re also going to need a big enough space to lay all of the pieces safely, including the glass panels. So that you can see and organize everything. We unpacked it in the garage where we had the most space and also to make getting rid of the packaging easier.
You also need to make sure you’re outlet and electrical is compatible in advance. You can’t just plug it in! It needs special electrical done in advance. This might change where you put it so definitely look into this early on.
Ours required an electrician to come out and run the power to it as it needed 2235 Watts 120V 30 Amp circuit, that’s best to be dedicated.
Is it easy to set up a home infrared sauna | How to install it
I’m going to leave this to the pros. I’m sharing our experience with the installation as more of a tips and real experience than instructional video.
How long does it take to put together?
It basically just took my husband and his friend to do it. They said to allow about 30-50 minutes to unpack everything and then 1.5 hours to put it together.
Do we still use it? Is it worth it
Yes, we both still use our home infrared sauna 2-4 times a week. We’ve had it over a year and the novelty hasn’t worn off because we feel the benefits. Also, because it’s in a convenient location. We see it everyday and I walk right past it on my way to my Peloton so I use it a lot.
I turn it on before I work out and by the time I’m done it’s reached the temperature I set it to. Which is normally 60C. I always take water in with me as IR saunas are designed to make you sweat a lot and the last thing you want to suffer from is dehydration when you’re trying to do this for your health.
Because we use it and can feel the benefits, it’s definitely been worth it for us.
Can you feel the benefits
Infrared saunas have so many benefits but I wasn’t sure if you’d actually be able to feel them. My husband and I both agree that we feel less sore after working out on the days we use the IR sauna. I’ve also noticed my skin is more glowing and if I’m feeling hung over the sweating feels good to detox.
How long take to heat up?
Ours takes about 40-45 minutes to reach full heat and intensity.
What IR sauna accessories are worth having?
It depends a lot on personal preferences. We use the backrests and have tables outside that we keep towels on. As well as the bluetooth speakers to listen to podcasts if I’m not reading.
However, we don’t use the felt hats or any scents or aromatherapy. We both sweat enough in there without needing any extra help. However, if you struggle to sweat, definitely consider giving these a go. They came free with our Sun Stream IR sauna.
Our experience with home infrared saunas
I think most home infrared saunas take some time, patience and muscles to put together unless you have someone do it for you. However, the Sun Stream sauna isn’t overly complicated to assemble or use. In this Sun Stream Sauna review and Evolve 30 sauna video I’m covering:
- What does the package look like when it arrives.
- Do you need help unpacking & installing it or can 1 person do it.
- The process of putting it altogether.
- How long it takes to unpack and put together for a non pro.
- The electrical requirements.
- Why we chose this brand?
- Do we still use it?
- How long take to heat up?
*This is NOT a sponsored post. We paid for our Sun Stream sauna in full.
