00:00What's up friends and welcome back to my channel. Today I'm reviewing the Sunlighten Sauna...and I figured no better place to do it than IN THE ACTUAL SAUNA. So as I sweat here and try to keep my camera alive, I'll answer some of your burning questions about how it works, the special features you get, what it looks like to put this thing together...and finally...how hot does it actually get? So grab some towels and a bottle of water cause it's about to get hot up in this b****.
01:00--- So the Sunlighten model I'm sitting in right now is the Amplify III -- it's an infrared sauna that can fit up three people...although three's a bit of a crowd (if I'm being totally honest). [ 3 Katies] It also comes with 7 heaters, including these 5 Far-Infrared panels behind me plus these 2 full spectrum panels in the front....and a bunch of other specs, which I'll get to in just a sec. But before I do, let me explain why we decided to go with this particular sauna...because there were A LOT of options out there to choose from. In fact, we initially looked at getting a traditional dry sauna because they tend to get the hottest and have been the most widely studied for their range of different health benefits. But we actually found a lot of them to be MORE expensive and harder to assemble than some of the top-of-the-line infrareds. So then when we narrowed it down to an infrared sauna, then the choice became: Sunlighten or Clearlight? Now I've tested out both of them at different spas over the years and have to say they're
02:00both very similar in design and come equipped with a lot of the same bells and whistles So I turned to the experts...well, mainly my friend Kylegotcamera...who's been raving about the quality of his Sunlighten for over a year now. And since this sauna gets a little bit hotter than Clearlight, we decided to give it a go...even though Clearlight has some really great features too, including floor heaters and their own app. So moving on to shipping and assembly. And I'll be honest...this sauna took a really long time to ship. We placed the order in late April but it didn't show up until the end of June. Not I totally get that we DO live on an Island and it takes longer to ship just about ANYTHING...but still...their site says 5 to 10 business days so... But when it did finally arrive, I have to say the assembly process wasn't that bad.
03:00As you'll see in this timelapse video here...Yes there were a TON of heavy boxes, but they were pretty well labeled and all the wood panels fit together using magnets. Probably the biggest challenges we faced were: a) getting that top piece secured in place...and b) making sure the glass door didn't break moving it around. But between two people with very little sauna building experience, I'd say it took us about 2 hours from start to finish. Let's move on to size and spacing, which is definitely something you need to consider before making your purchase. In terms of size, this model is about 5 feet wide, 6 and a half feet tall and 4 feet deep. They recommend keeping this sauna inside your house where you have more control of the ambient temperature. But since we live in Hawaii where it's hot all the time, we've had no issues leaving
04:00it outside... in fact, i think the outside temperature a an helps keep it hotter at night. And as you'll see, a simple plastic cover on top does the trick when it comes to rain protection. But a very important thing to consider is POWER SUPPLY because you're definitely going to need a special type of outlet to hook this bad boy up. And let me show you what that looks like. This is a dedicated 120V 20A circuit and outlet and it's required for most infrared saunas. If you have one of these AND you live in an apartment complex like us, you might want to check with the building first so you're not blowing a fuse every time you turn it on. Now that we've covered shipping, assembly and structure...let's talk about what happens inside the sauna. So this is the control panel, which allows you to adjust the time, lighting and temperature. After you turn it on, you can adjust the temperature up and down to a maximum of 170 degrees.
05:00And then these arrows down here are for timing...with a max duration of 60 minutes. This on/off switch here is for the two full spectrum panels at the front of the cabin. You can toggle between green, blue, and red for different levels of intensity, with red being the most intense and green being least intense. And speaking of heat, let me address these carbon panels. So most infrared saunas these days have either carbon or ceramic heaters -- or in Clearlight's case: a mix of both. The biggest difference is that the surface area of ceramic heaters tends to be smaller so you're getting a more even distribution of heat with carbon ones. And therefore carbon heaters tend to be more energy efficient. In this model, you're getting 5 of these carbon panels, which emit far infrared heat...and even though these full spectrum panels in the front definitely put out a lot of heat, it's these far infrared panels that are running the show here. But coming back to the control panel...and let's look at lighting.
06:00So this lightbulb icon on the right side turns on the exterior lights and the one on the left side turns on the interior ones. And once you toggle on the interior lights, you'll then use this separate remote to adjust the hue and intensity. As I mentioned earlier, this unit comes equipped with chromotherapy lighting so each one of these colors supposedly has its own unique benefit on the body. For instance, they claim the blue light is good for muscle relaxation whereas the red light is said to be good for energy and circulation. You can keep it on one color or cycle through multiple colors using these transition buttons on the right. So once you get the heat and lighting just right, it's time for sound. The cabin has two bluetooth speakers built-in at the top. To program your music or podcast, you just open up this secret trap door at the top...press
07:00the on button and connect to your phone's bluetooth. Because this cabin is so well insulated for heat, this also makes for some killer acoustics. And so I would say the sound quality inside the Sunlighten is really good...you can't really hear what's going on outside and vice versa. For anyone curious about EMFs, Sunlighten brands this as LOW EMF. And when I did the magnetic field reading, the numbers did match the claims on their website...staying in that low .3 to .4 range. EXCEPT when you're directly in front of the full spectrum panel or underneath the bluetooth speakers, which caused the meter to spike. But just looking at the magnetic field isn't giving you the whole picture. And so when I tested the electrical readings, that's where I started to see some higher numbers. With the sauna on, I was getting a reading between 120 - 250 volts per meter in a couple different spots...with the bluetooth speakers emitting close to 350 volts per meter.
08:00Granted I haven't had a chance to test out Clearlight's EMF situation, but from what I've read, they seem to do a better job on this front so something to consider if this is a concern for you. And finally, let's talk about the overall Sunlighten experience before we turn to the pros and cons. And you might be wondering...well how hot does this thing actually get? And the answer is VERY FREAKING HOT. I usually pre-heat the sauna with the full spectrum panel on for about 45 minutes to an hour, which gets the cabin up to 157 degrees by the time I step in. I'm pretty much drenched 10 minutes in...and usually hit my limit by the 30-min mark when the temperature hovers around 167. And then I continue to sweat for another 15 minutes after I get out (before jumping in
09:00the shower), which is something that doesn't usually happen when I'm using a dry sauna. In case you're curious about heart rate activity and calorie burn... I took a look back at the last 28 sauna sessions I did using my apple watch and here are what those averages showed: so for a typical 30 minute sauna session at max heat, on average: I burned 123 total calories. My average heart rate hovered around 104 and my peak heart rate was around 140. Granted, the apple watch isn't the most accurate fitness tracker out there and these ranges will definitely vary for everyone, but hopefully this paints a little bit of perspective for you guys. So yes, you'll definitely get your heart rate up and get a good sweat in but there's so much more to prolonged sauna use, which I'll cover in a separate video.
10:00But if you want to read up on some of these potential health benefits of heat stress -- including some of Dr. Rhonda Patrick's recent findings -- you can check out those links in the show notes below. And last but not least: let's talk about the pros and cons: On the plus side, this sauna gets super hot -- especially when you preheat it. You also have the option to schedule your sauna session up to 24 hours ahead of time using their reservation mode, which you can do by pressing the up and down timer buttons simultaneously and then selecting your hour of choice. Another big win for me has to do with quality and design.
11:00The solocarbon panels do a great job at dispersing the heat, but never get too hot themselves. They don't use glue or wires in these panels either so you don't have to worry about toxicity from off-gassing. And when it comes to wood...they have three options for their saunas - basswood, cedar, and eucalyptus. We went with the basswood not only for its neutral color...but also because it's the only type of wood not listed on the toxic wood chart. But I'll include some more information about these different wood options in the links below. And finally, we have to talk about the whole Sunlighten experience...because it's not just about the heat. From the smooth finish on the wood bench to the surround sound speakers and unique lighting, this thing feels more like a spa than a traditional hot box.
12:00Sure...you're gonna sweat your ass off, but some how it feels less taxing doing so with music and a little bit of mood lighting. Now I'm not saying this is the only reason to buy a Sunlighten, but these features definitely enhance the overall experience...and make it easier for me to get in each night. Moving onto the downsides. And we have to start with this damn blue light. As you'll see the control panel illuminates this bright blue light every time the sauna's on...and there's no way to dim the color or turn it off. Not a big deal during the day, but at night...you might want to cover it up with some tape or wear your blue blockers to protect your eyes before bed. Another thing to consider is just how long it takes to reach maximum heat.
13:00I sometimes pre-heat if for nearly an hour before stepping in and it still takes another 20-30 minutes to hit 167. So don't expect to just turn it on step inside because it takes a little while to warm up. And an aside to that...when the sauna does hit 167-168, the full spectrum panel automatically turns off to prevent the cabin from over-heating. I know this is a safety precaution, but kind of threw me by surprise when it happened. Another downside is actual space. And as I mentioned before, Sunlighten bills this thing as a 3-person sauna, but it's much more comfortable with just two people...three is a bit cramped. I also wish Sunlighten had an app like Clearlight does so you could pre-program your sauna sessions
14:00remotely. But hopefully we'll see this happen down the line. Oh, and let's not forget price. This particular model - the Amplify III - is going to run you roughly $4500 plus shipping, but it's about 2 grand cheaper than the same type of model by Clearlight. If you are thinking about getting one, expect to pay somewhere between $3k-$5k for a good quality sauna. Because a lot of the models you'll find at Costco or on Wayfair may be cheaper, but you're most likely gonna get what you pay for. And so if you're planning to use this often and for a long period of time, I think going with a reputable brand like Sunlighten or Clearlight is probably you're best bet.
15:00That being said, I am planning to review some cheaper alternatives on the market - including the Higher Dose Sauna Blanket - which runs for a fraction of the cost, so stay tuned for that. So...at the end of the day... do I absolutely love this sauna and use it almost every day?
16:00100%. And I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a really high-quality, well-made, infrared option that gets VERY HOT. Yes there were some snafus with shipping and yes maybe the EMF situation isn't perfect, but I'm really happy with the whole package and all the other features that come with it. So if you're thinking about buying one, I'd say look at your budget...look at the aesthetics...and go with a trusted brand that has a good warranty policy. As always, thank you guys so much for watching.