The ceramic sauna heater is the most effective infrared (also called electronic) sauna. Compared to the other materials used in making sauna heaters such as aluminum or incoloy metal,  the ceramic sauna heater is way superior because it has the most ability to absorb, retain, and discharge heat and radiation. This ability is called the emissivity factor, and it is the criteria in determining the effectiveness of a sauna heater.  A ceramic sauna heater maintains heat at exact temperatures. It also has a long operating life. Ceramic sauna heaters can already be installed in pre-built saunas. 

A cylinder shaped ceramic sauna heater gives the maximum benefit because it directs the concentration of heat to the center where the person who uses the sauna is situated. The heat bounces from the cylinder walls that are made of concave stainless steel. This projects most of the heat energy to the sauna user. 

Emissivity Factor

Emissivity is defined as the ratio of the radiation emitted by an object to the radiation emitted by a blackbody considering that they are exposed to the same temperature.  The blackbody is a theoretically perfect object that absorbs all heat and radiation and emits the heat perfectly.  The emissivity factor of a ceramic sauna heater is at 92 to 96 percent, which is near perfect to a blackbody. Aluminum and other metallic objects only have 56 to 82 percent emissivity.

A ceramic sauna heater can emit different wavelengths that depend on the body's need. Some ceramic sauna heaters are designed to detect the body's wavelength need. Short wave infrared with 0.076 to 1.5 microns can heat up the sauna rapidly, so the sauna is already warm enough for you to sweat right away once you enter it. Midwave infrared with 1.5 to 5.8 microns can stimulate the body's warmth-sensing nerves to make the whole body sweat.  Long wave infrared with 5.8 to 1,000 microns can penetrate further into the skin and increase the blood flow and heart rate.     

Popular brands and products

Some popular brand and products for ceramic sauna heaters include the Brighton Sauna Infrared Heater Technology (www.brightonsauna.com) which uses MultiSpectrum™ Far Infrared Heat.  It is capable of emitting heat using different wattages to allow both long and medium infrared waves.   Another popular product from Brighton is the Brighton T-Design Sauna Heaters. Its ceramic sauna heater is designed to provide a full-body infrared therapy system.

The TheraSauna (www.promolife.com) is another popular sauna brand that features the Far Infrared Sauna that is 100 percent ceramic without steel rods.  It has a body heat indicator that changes the wattage accordingly to match your body's infrared wavelength.  The Far Infrared ceramic sauna heater is available for $3,220.

Other ceramic sauna brands include Sunlight Saunas (www.sunlightsaunas.com), SaunaGen (www.mediawaveonline.com), and Wasauna (www.wasauna.com). A pre-built ceramic sauna heater costs around $3,000 to 6,000.