We’ll start this review by discussing carbon heaters and Chinese saunas in general. Over the last 10 years the majority of sauna manufacturing has relocated to China due to global economics. There are only a few manufactures but they are huge and crank out saunas by the shipload.

Many of them actually make fairly good saunas. Many US companies have the manufacturer brand them with their own logo and then bring them over by the container. They then market them as their own product and may even refer to their “offshore manufacturing facility”.

Every carbon sauna is made in China this way. In reality, the only real difference is the brand and the price. And since there is very little difference in the products, the industry has exploded with marketing hype trying to distinguish products that are all pretty much the same. (You’ve probably noticed that already, which might be why you are here.)

Carbon heaters have advantages and disadvantages. They do provide a soft, even heat that many people like. They are relatively slow to heat up, and some people sweat less since they have a lower radiant intensity than a good ceramic unit. However, some people opt for less sweat and a mellower heat.

We chose Sauna King because their saunas deliver better FIR than the "premium" carbon units, but at half the price. Their radiant intensity is good, some carbon units run too cool to produce much infrared, and what they do produce does not reach the body. They heat the sauna by slowly heating the air.

Sauna King has created a nice line of carbon saunas and is far and away the best value for this type of unit.