What EMF levels do infrared sauna makers publish, and how are they measured?

Published November 8, 2026

Summary

Infrared sauna makers publish magnetic-field readings in milligauss, but their figures describe different models and measurement positions. Sun Home reports a minimum at three feet from the heater; Almost Heaven gives panel-type ranges at about 2 inches. Golden Designs specifies a range at 2 to 3 inches for the Dynamic Barcelona DYN-6106-01. Sunlighten links a Vitatech report with maximum readings for named models. Read each value with its model and test conditions: these figures do not establish a ranking or a health verdict.

What the makers publish

Each figure is given in the publisher's own terms, with the tester or instrument where the page names one.

Sun Home Saunas: "as low as 0.3 mG" at three feet in the seated position. Its safety-testing page says Vitatech Electromagnetics took the reading with a fluxgate magnetometer, reported it as RMS, and documented it in report VTE-3534. Checked 2026-10-23.
Sunlighten: its linked Vitatech report VTE-3200 gives maximum magnetic-field measurements of 0.11 mG RMS for Amplify II, 0.16 for mPulse Believe, 0.66 for mPulse Conquer, 0.86 for Signature IV and 0.57 for Solo. These are named-model results from testing on November 5, 2020, not a specification for every sauna currently sold. Report checked 2026-11-02.
Almost Heaven: its EMF article gives figures for each panel type, all at about 2 inches from the heater panel. It lists Low EMF carbon panels at 5–10 mG average, Ultra Low EMF carbon panels at 3–5 mG, Near Zero EMF and full-spectrum heaters at less than 3 mG, and NIR heaters at about 5–7 mG. The article does not say who measured them or how. Checked 2026-10-23.
Dynamic Barcelona DYN-6106-01: Golden Designs' own product page states 5–10 mG at 2 to 3 inches from the heating panels, checked 2026-11-02. Treat this as the manufacturer's published claim for that model, not an independent measurement of a delivered cabin. Do not substitute the Barcelona Elite's specification: it is a separate version.

Home & Heat, which sells the cabin, calls it "Under 8MG" in its listing title, repeats the 5–10 mG range at about two inches, and in its specifications gives under 3 mG at 6 to 8 inches from the panels. Neither the seller nor Golden Designs links a test report, so all three figures are claims, and the higher 5–10 mG is the safer reading to assume near the panels.

Why the numbers are hard to compare

Measurements taken near a panel and at a seated position across the cabin describe different locations. Sun Home's three-foot position is 36 inches from the heater; Almost Heaven's ranges are stated at about 2 inches. You cannot convert those into readings at a shared distance by dividing one distance by the other. A usable comparison needs measurements taken under matching conditions, not a ratio of where the instruments were placed.

Sun Home names a fluxgate magnetometer and an RMS result. Sunlighten's Vitatech report identifies a Bartington Mag-03 sensor and magnetic-field measurements over 10 to 3,000 Hz. Its scope is measurements within the named saunas, rather than a single heater panel. Sunlighten's safety page also says its heater panels measure 0.5 mG and credits the same report, but the linked report gives in-sauna maximums by model rather than a panel reading, so 0.5 mG stands as Sunlighten's claim. Use the report's sensor-placement information when comparing it with a value stated at a fixed distance from a panel.

Wording such as "Low EMF", "Ultra Low EMF" and "Near Zero EMF" is a maker's product label. Almost Heaven ties its labels to its own mG ranges. These terms are not a shared industry scale, so one brand's "ultra low" can't be matched to another's.

What to check before comparing two saunas

To compare published figures across brands, get the same few details for each one:

the exact model the figure applies to
the distance from the panel and the body position used
whether the value is a peak, an average or an RMS reading
the instrument used and who took the measurement
whether a written report exists that the seller can share

Sun Home identifies Vitatech report VTE-3534, while Sunlighten links VTE-3200; each covers only the models it names. Golden Designs' Barcelona claim gives a model and distance but no method or report.

If a compact indoor infrared cabin suits your room, the Dynamic Barcelona DYN-6106-01 was listed at $1,999 on Home & Heat's store, checked 2026-11-08. The listing title says 1-2 person, while its specifications give full capacity for one. Its EMF claim is not evidence that it produces less exposure than another brand.

What public agencies say EMF is

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences describes EMFs as "invisible areas of energy, often called radiation." It says they are associated with the use of electrical power and with various forms of natural and man-made lighting. An infrared sauna contains electrical heating panels, wiring and controls, so a magnetic-field reading near those parts is the kind of measurement the makers above are reporting.

The agency definition explains the term. It does not validate a sauna maker's test result or tell you what a different model would measure at your seat.

Sources

Specifications, prices and installation requirements are as the makers published them on these pages on the date above and can change. Check the current manual and the retailer before you buy.