Heavenly Heat is the brand you end up at when you’ve already Googled “why does my sauna smell like chemicals” and didn’t like the answer. This isn’t the sauna most people buy. It’s the sauna people end up considering after they’ve ruled out almost everything else. They’ve been building zero-glue, zero-plywood saunas since 1988 — longer than most competitors have existed. The catch? Prices start at $5,600 and climb past $17,000. This Heavenly Heat sauna review covers what that premium actually buys you, where the marketing outruns the evidence, and whether it’s worth it for your situation.
Heavenly Heat was founded by Bob Morgan specifically for people with chemical sensitivities (MCS). Every sauna uses solid Canadian hemlock — a tight-grained, low-resin wood that doesn’t need the sealants resinous woods sometimes do (we cover why that matters in our guide to sauna wood types). No plywood, no wood glue, no varnish, no stains. Panels connect with tongue-and-groove joinery and stainless steel screws. The company is headquartered in Arizona and has expanded some manufacturing to overseas partner facilities in recent years.
What Heavenly Heat Sells
The lineup is smaller than most brands — by design. Here’s the current range:
| Model | Power | Circuit | Price (at time of writing) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECO Infrared | — | 120V/15A | $5,600 |
| 2 Person Far Infrared ⭐ Best Seller | 1,700W | 120V/15A | $6,899 |
| 2 Person Red Light / Near & Far Infrared | 1,790W + 435W panel | 120V/20A recommended | $8,299 |
| 2 Person Combination (IR + Harvia stone heater) | IR + 6kW Harvia | 120V/20A + 240V/30A | $9,799 |
| 3 Person Far Infrared | 3,145W | 240V (electrician required) | $8,699 |
| 4 Person Red Light Therapy | 5,110W + 1,500W panel | 240V/30A (electrician required) | $17,777 |
Quick takeaway: the 1–2 person infrared models plug into a standard wall outlet, no electrician needed. Step up to 3-person or anything with a traditional stone heater, and you’ll need a 240V dedicated circuit — budget for an electrician visit.
If we had to recommend one model to start with, it’s the 2 Person Red Light / Near & Far Infrared — Heavenly Heat’s own “Best Value” tag, and the one that combines their core zero-glue infrared build with an integrated red light therapy panel in a single unit:
Best Value: Red Light + Infrared in One
We don’t currently have an affiliate relationship with Heavenly Heat — this link earns us nothing.
What Makes It “Safe” — and What’s Actually Verified
Heavenly Heat’s pitch boils down to three safety claims. Two hold up well. One needs a caveat.
VOC (chemical off-gassing): Strong evidence. We reviewed a signed lab report from Primary Environmental (May 31, 2024, project PE_0324). They sent air samples from a heated 2-Person sauna (149°F for 30 minutes) to Enthalpy Analytical — an AIHA- and NELAC-accredited lab — using the TO-17 method, which captures ~500 VOC compounds. Result: VOC levels inside the heated sauna were equal to or less than the showroom background air. That’s a real, dated, signed lab report — not a marketing claim dressed up as one. Heavenly Heat links to the full report from its product pages.
EMF/ELF: Weaker evidence. Heavenly Heat states EMF under 2mG and ELF under 7 V/m, and they’re one of the few brands that even tests for ELF — that’s a genuine differentiator. But the EMF section on their product pages is framed as “watch real-time EMF meter testing” (a video), not a downloadable, signed lab report like the VOC one. We looked for an equivalent written EMF report and didn’t find one posted publicly. We’d genuinely like to see a downloadable lab report here — it would make an already strong safety story even stronger.
Controls: Intentionally simple. No app, no touchscreen, no multi-step menu — just a temperature dial and a power button. For some buyers that reads as “missing features.” Fewer electronic components means fewer things that can off-gas or complicate the one thing you’re actually there to do.
Heat Performance: The Number That Checks Out, and the One That Doesn’t
Heavenly Heat doesn’t officially publish a maximum temperature — their position is that ambient conditions affect it too much to commit to one number, and that chasing “max temp” misses how infrared therapy works. That’s a defensible philosophy, but it also means you’re relying on independent testing rather than a manufacturer spec.
Garage Gym Reviews (GGR) tested the 2-Person Far Infrared over multiple sessions and confirmed: yes, it reaches 165°F and holds it steadily. The number is real.
What’s not real is the advertised warm-up time. We honestly expected the 10–15 minute claim to be close. It wasn’t. GGR consistently measured 25–30 minutes — roughly double. For comparison, Sun Home’s Equinox reaches the same 165°F in about 15 minutes on a 1,880W system. Heavenly Heat’s 2-Person runs at 1,700W on a standard 15A outlet — the wattage gap is only about 10%, so power alone probably doesn’t fully explain the speed difference, but it’s part of the picture.
Honestly, this was the biggest surprise during our research. The ceiling is real, the speed claim is optimistic. Budget 25–30 minutes, not 10–15.
Where the marketing gets ahead of itself:
Heat-up time. Advertised at 10–15 minutes, independently measured at 25–30. Roughly double. This is the clearest gap between marketing and reality we found.
Return policy. Product pages say “30-day home trial.” The full FAQ terms: item must return in “like new” condition with original packaging + manuals, you pay return shipping, notify within 30 days, schedule pickup within 5 business days. None of that is unreasonable — but it’s not the same as “just send it back.”
The Price Problem
Let’s be direct: Heavenly Heat is expensive. The 2-Person Far Infrared starts at $6,899. The Red Light combo model we recommended above is $8,299. The 4-Person flagship is $17,777. Spending nearly $7,000 on a sauna isn’t an easy decision, so we looked carefully for evidence that justified the premium. At this price range, competitors like the Sun Home Equinox heat faster, come with a full-spectrum system, app-ready controls, and independently verified EMF data from a named lab.
If you’re buying your first sauna, Heavenly Heat probably isn’t where we’d start. But if someone in your family has MCS, or you’ve already owned a cheaper sauna and reacted badly to the materials — the calculus changes entirely. The premium is justified only when materials purity is your non-negotiable #1 criterion, not just one factor among many.
Who Should Buy This — and Who Shouldn’t
| Buy It If You’re… | Skip It If You’re… |
|---|---|
| Dealing with chemical sensitivities, mold recovery, or need a documented VOC profile | Mainly comparing on price — this is the premium lane |
| Fine with a 25–30 minute warm-up and a simple, no-app control panel | Want fast heat-up, app controls, or smart features |
| Want a brand with 35+ years of track record and a 10-year warranty | Want EMF claims backed by a written lab report, not a video demo |
Bottom Line
Heavenly Heat sells clarity of purpose, not the lowest price or the most features. The VOC lab report is legitimate. The 165°F ceiling is independently confirmed. The zero-glue construction is genuinely rare. But the heat-up time is roughly double what’s advertised, the EMF evidence is weaker than the VOC evidence, and the price tag is real.
If you want a sauna that’s verifiably safe down to the materials level, looks clean and modern doing it, and your budget can absorb the premium without flinching — Heavenly Heat is a genuinely good choice. Not a “good enough” compromise. A good choice. If this were our own money, we’d only pay the premium for one reason: confidence in the materials — not because it’s the hottest or fastest sauna on the market.
If EMF documentation or faster heat-up time matters more to you than VOC purity, take a look at the Sun Home Equinox — independently tested at 0.3–0.5mG with a named lab report, and reaches 165°F in about 15 minutes.
Best Value: Red Light + Infrared in One
We don’t currently have an affiliate relationship with Heavenly Heat — this link earns us nothing.
FAQ
Quick answers for common questions about this Heavenly Heat sauna review:
How long does it actually take to heat up?
25–30 minutes to 165°F, per GGR’s independent testing — not the 10–15 minutes Heavenly Heat advertises.
Why doesn’t Heavenly Heat publish a max temperature?
Their stated reasoning: ambient conditions affect the number too much to commit. Independent testing confirms 165°F is achievable in practice.
Do I need an electrician?
Not for the 1–2 person infrared models (120V/15A standard outlet). The 3-Person Far Infrared and 4-Person Red Light both require 240V. Combination models need a separate 240V/30A line for the stone heater.
How long is the warranty?
Indoor saunas: 10-year wood/carpentry, 6-year electrical/heaters. Red light panels: 5 years. Outdoor: 3 years. Original purchaser only, no labor coverage.
Is it really “the lowest EMF on the market”?
We can’t verify that. The stated under-2mG is competitive, but “lowest on the market” is a claim no brand can prove without testing every competitor under identical conditions.