Vital Health – A Good Quality Sauna
Vital Health Saunas has an excellent reputation with its customers and has now added near infrared in its full spectrum units. It has improved its products year after year. As recently as late 2023 additional improvements including red light therapy were added. The question is, are they worth your money and will they provide true infrared therapeutic value for you?
This is one industry where value and benefit vary tremendously and are not always apparent. You want helpful information and I want to help you with your purchase decision.
Most online Vital Sauna reviews are basic restatement of facts found on their website. We hope our Vital Health Sauna review will provide you with information not found anywhere else. Our goal is to save you hours of research.
Quick Rating: Vital Health Sauna Review of Features
- Company – In recent years, they have been an innovator.
- Wood Cabin – Very good construction. Well thought out designs. Good wood quality.
- Heaters – Gen 5 Heaters added in late 2023. High emissivity (actual infrared reaching you) and safe, low EMF levels.
- Warranty – Excellent. One of the best in the industry. Lifetime covers the expensive, important components.
Important Note: 95% of all saunas sold in the US are mass produced on 4 Chinese assembly lines using very cheap thin carbon film as heating elements. These are then relabeled and resold by anyone (called re-sellers) willing to start an LLC. That type of product is purely recreational, providing little if any benefit.
Vital Health Features
Additions and upgrades during 2022 – 2023 include Red Light Therapy, upgraded Gen V Heaters and other optional and upcoming items which can be discussed with the company. The online name change in nine years ago to Vital Health Saunas better reflects the Health focus.
Two other great brands are Heavenly Heat infrared sauna and Clearlight saunas. You can also visit our top rated brands page.
Red Light Therapy for Collagen Boosting and Anti-Aging
They have added their proprietary VS NIR/ Red Light Therapy which can be added on all models. This only needs to be used for very short periods of time. They provide excellent information on use, how far to have away from skin and time limits. This targets key areas of the body like the face, neck, head & upper chest or if you have wounds that just don’t heal.
An interesting innovation is that the Red Light Therapy units are portable and can be attached to the brackets in the inside top front corners. Additionally, they can be used outside of a session and set on a table or desk.
Protective goggles are included. Remember, as with all red light therapies, do not use for longer than recommended locations and times. Make sure to turn off both NIR & RED lights when your session is done.
Vital Health Sauna EMF Levels
Vital Health Sauna EMF Levels are low. The current models boast Fifth Gen Carbon with EMF levels well below 3.0 mG, which is considered the safe level
Excellent Wood Cabin Design
The actual design of the units is one area where Vital Saunas excels.
To provide the highest level of infrared and an even full body coverage, it is important to have heaters on the sides of the body and behind the legs. Some companies omit these important placements.
High quality units go even further and place heaters to the sides of the legs and on the front of the unit. It is often a challenge to fit these on the side of the door on the front wood panels.
The picture above is an overhead view of the 2 person unit, their most popular selling model. Carbon panels are present in all of these important locations. This excellent design allows for complete coverage and will ensure significant detoxification and benefits.
It is obvious the owner Greg Baumgartner has put careful thought into the layouts. He informed me that their first criteria in any design change is therapeutic benefit. In fact, the designs use available space more efficiently than some very high end brands.
I particularly like the layout of their corner model (pictured above) and the amount of floor space for the occupants’ feet. Many corner units on the market have very cramped floor space in corner units. In Vital Sauna’s 3 person corner model there is a large floor area.
According to the company owner, if there is a design conflict, therapeutic value will win out over aesthetics. Fortunately they provide both. Visit them HERE.
Vital Sauna Heaters
As of October 2023, all Vital Health infrared saunas now use its 5th generation elements called Vital Rays GEN V Low EMF Heaters. These are manufactured to their specifications for use only in their brand. This alone makes this line of products better than 95% of competing brands.
More than 75% of the industry’s products sold in North America in 2024 still use an early generation, thin, cheap carbon panel. Those panels produce higher EMF levels and emit lower amounts of beneficial far infrared or fir infrared saunas as they are sometimes called.
With the migration in late 2023 to the current Vital Rays GEN V Low EMF Heaters, all of their products now provide large amounts of safe infrared light waves to the users.
Floor Heaters
All Models come with heating elements in the floor. This is a feature that is offered by only a few of the top rated names. Saunacore, in Canada, offers full floor heating in some of its models. Clearlight offers floor heating below a ceramic tile (which is nice on the feet) on half of its models.
They have chosen a cost effective method of a carbon panel underneath wooden slats. While a bit less comfortable on the feet when standing (and a lot less expensive than Saunacore’s approach of full floor heating) , this fits with their philosophy of value-oriented therapeutic benefits.
Any user that is a heavy sweater should lay a towel over the floor heating element area. Most users do not need to do this.
Vital Health A Good Value?
They have been in business for 15 years which is better than 40% of the industry’s companies that survive only a few years.
We have watched this company grow and our impression of this brand has increased over the past few years. It has always had a reputation for exceptional customers service. Now, with a 15 year history, it has become a company with longevity as well.
We are now able to recommend this brand as it now competes well with some high-end brands. Given that it has less markup than most others, it is also an excellent alternative to cheap, ineffective units sold at large chain stores. These will provide much greater health benefits.
Value Priced
Vital Health Infrared Sauna prices are lower than our other recommended brands and for those wanting to spend a bit less, this company remains a good value. Prices include Free Shipping. In contrast, the industry standard shipping costs of $200-$300 are usually extra and paid by the customer.
Please read more about the real differences in the various companies and products as well as how this Vital Sauna review compares to the reviews of the top rated brands and comparison table. Top brands will provide tremendous benefits invigorating you at the cellular level with massive detoxification. This will not be experienced by an average brand.
What are Vital Saunas Prices?
The company posts its prices on each product page on its site. This is very rare for a Company website. It has less markup than many other brands in a similar price range.
Tell them I sent you – They take very good care of my readers.
Are There Many Vital Saunas Complaints?
You will not find Vital Sauna Complaints scattered all over the web. It has fared very well avoiding a lot of complaints. This is likely a result of treating their customers well.
They are known for excellent customer service. From the sales staff, to the owner’s assistant to the owner himself, it is a pleasant group of people to deal with. I have spoken with the 2 lead salespersons, at least a dozen times and it has always been informative and pleasant.
Every company will likely have a couple complaints but a lot of complaints suggests some problems.
Warranty
The company has an excellent warranty, covering heaters, cabin and electronics with a lifetime warranty for the original purchaser.
Radio, speakers and other peripheral features such as aromatherapy, ionizer and chromotherapy lights carry a 1 year warranty.
Vital Health Product Lines
They have 2 easy to understand product lines, the Premier and Elite. Both lines have 1 to 5 person models. Any model can be ordered as far infrared only or full spectrum. A Vital Health full spectrum sauna will still provide all of the normal carbon panels but will also include the powerful near infrared heaters on the front walls.
Features with all models include an LED reading light, LED chromotherapy lights and dual interior and exterior controls.
Every Unit they sell now has Vital Rays GEN V Low EMF Heaters (upgraded in October 2023). These were chosen for their even heat distribution and good emissivity of infrared (the measurement of the actual penetration ratings).
Vital Health Full Spectrum Sauna
During 2015, optional near infrared elements were added to the front of some models. Every model can now be purchased with Full Spectrum. These are large glass halogen near infrared lamps, not small LED bulbs.
As of November 2018 and still in 2024, all 3 person corner models include the option for near infrared. These are located in the front near the door, offering full spectrum healing.
One main disadvantage to the standard weak carbon used with cheap brands is that more heaters are needed up the sides of the cabin to produce enough heat. This is typical of almost all units you view online. It is better to only have panels halfway up the sides, as you see this brand does.
This allows for more effective use of temperature control and stays closer to the optimal 9.4 mgs, resulting in true fatty tissue detoxification. The other top rated name which does this is Clearlight. It also has powerful proprietary heating elements and does not need excessive vertical panels.
Vital Health Premier
Their Premiere Line is made of Canadian Hemlock and offers a 1-person up to a 5-person unit. The cabin’s pieces are locked together with sturdy buckles. If you plan to place this in a corner, you need to first snap the buckles and then push back into the corner. A small negative with the good buckle design.
Vital Health Elite
Their Elite Line is made of Canadian Red Cedar with 1 to 5 person models. The Red Cedar goes through what they call a 90 day distillation process to remove any out-gassing from the Cedar.
The Elite models have an upgraded Kenwood stereo and 3 USB and charging ports to charge your phone or use a laptop while relaxing. Personally, I think these are best enjoyed without electronics, allowing a brief escape from the modern world.
Product Naming System
The product naming system is easy to understand. It is basically Product Line, then size, then either far infrared or full spectrum infrared.
If you are looking for a 1 person with only far infrared and want Hemlock, then you would opt for a Premier One Far Infrared. A 2 person Cedar top of the line with Full Spectrum would be Elite Two Full Spectrum. The corner units are considered their three person saunas.
In our opinion, the most beautiful product they offer and the one with perhaps the best value, is the Elite Four Full Spectrum.
Additional Features
On off Heater Control – Getting too warm? You have control over each of the front full spectrum near infrared heaters. Turn one or both on and off when desired. Very nice feature. We know of only one other brand offering this feature. Heavenly Heat, a designer of unrivaled ultra pure units for the chemically sensitive, has on off control for the two heaters nearest the occupant. Both of these companies are to be commended for adding this user control.
Chromotherapy lights are an option, which is a common popular option.
An oxygen ionizer which is more uncommon.
It also states having magnetic flux, magnets for magnetic therapy, which is used by only one other company. Many natural health practitioners and some in the conventional medical field believe magnets are beneficial for healing and pain relief. We do not have an opinion on this. But we do think it is not needed for the infrared therapy to be effective.
The company has been fairly good at their marketing over their 14 year history with heavy promotion in 2011 and 2015.
Red Cedar and Hemlock Wood and Backrest
These are beautiful products. The Cedar is considered by some to be the best type of wood in sauna. Something you will be proud to have in your home. The walls are solid and thicker than cheap units. This extra insulation allows for a quicker warm up time and more efficient energy usage. The backrest is ergonomically shaped and comfortable.
One thing that could possibly be improved is to the wooden slats that cover the carbon panels and used in the backrest. We would prefer to see the width of these reduced slightly and the number of slats in the backrest reduced. This would allow even more of the infrared to reach the user as light waves do not penetrate through wood.
However, all of this is mitigated by the large amount of heaters used around the body, legs and to the front. You still get more infrared from any of these models than from most other brands.
Vital Health Infrared Sauna Benefits
The brand offers you all of the benefits infrared saunas are known to provide. These include healthy weight loss, increased blood circulation, lower blood pressure, improved sleep, improved skin appearance, chronic fatigue relief and a reduction in chronic pain. The sweat produced from a session will contain toxins that are released from fat cells. Doctors use infrared sauna therapy as part of a treatment plan for chronic pain and disease.
While $1500 products purchased from a large chain store will promote sweating, they will not dramatically improve your health or support your personal wellness goals. Vital Health Saunas incorporates the technology, heater and efficient cabin designs that have therapeutic benefits far beyond promoting sweat.
Vital Health Sauna Review Conclusion
Vital Sauna is a smaller sized company selling high quality infrared sauna products with an honest approach. Choosing the correct brand can make a dramatic positive effect on your health.
They are known for their excellent customer service and are very good to work with. Calling them is a relaxed pleasant experience, which is not typical for the industry. Their products include what is necessary and avoid most of the extras not needed for healing. This allows for less markup than most.
If you want all the high tech toys such as biofeedback, reservation modes, etc, this is likely not the brand for you. Or if you are intent on buying a lower budget product at a large chain store, remember to be realistic about what you are buying as they are not designed to detox.
However, if you are serious about reducing stress, learning to relax and experience real detoxification, spend a little more money and purchase a Vital Health Infrared Sauna. The difference you will experience will be remarkable. We hope you benefited from our Vital Health Sauna review of the brand’s features. We have reviewed many other brands including our top recommended Heavenly Heat and Clearlight as well as Sunlighten and others.
Companies like my readers, as you are more informed, and will go the extra mile for you.