Key Takeaways
· EMF (Electric and Magnetic Fields) in infrared saunas comes primarily from the 60Hz AC power running the heaters and electronics, but the exposure is a tiny fraction of international safety limits.
· Well-designed infrared saunas typically produce EMF levels around 1% of the established safety thresholds by global bodies such as ICNIRP and IEEE: much lower than common household appliances like microwaves or stoves.
· International safety standards dictate EMF exposure is safe up to 4200 V/m² and 2000 milligauss at 60Hz; typical infrared saunas operate far below these levels, even accounting for occasional hotspots.
· Scientific consensus shows EMF exposure from modern infrared saunas is extremely unlikely to cause harm, as levels present are significantly under both perception and safety thresholds for the most sensitive individuals.
· If EMF exposure is a concern, choose newer infrared sauna models with EMF-lowering features and compare measurements to ensure peace of mind while enjoying infrared sauna health benefits.
What Is EMF?
EMF (Electric and Magnetic Fields) describes the available peripheral energy that surrounds any wiring used to pass electricity of any form, whether it is the electricity that runs everything in your house, work-place or car, or the radio signals that transmit from your Wi-Fi, cell phone, baby monitor, or even the electric discharge between the sky and earth when lightning strikes.
The available energy from EMF can be in the form of electrical energy, magnetic energy, or a combination. A transmitted radio signal (a wave that travels through space such as a cellular or Wi-Fi signal) contains a coupled combination of both electric and magnetic field.
One very common source of EMF is the AC power line that runs everything in your house. This AC cycles through its voltage level 60 times a second in the USA, so it is referred to as 60 Hertz (60Hz). Most EMF that you hear or read about is either due to 60 Hz or radio signals from Wi-Fi or cell phones. With respect to emfs in infrared saunas, it is the EMF generated from the 60 Hz power signal, the power in the heaters and other electronics of the sauna, that creates most of the discussion.
EMF is only considered available energy and not used energy until the energy is imparted into something, such as a human body, so that it gets absorbed or used.
The EMF from the AC power is peripheral energy because it manifests outside of the main conduction path or wire that's carrying electric current. EMF is always present in our environment to a lesser or greater degree. It is that degree that needs to be addressed.
How much EMF is too much?
For decades, people have been concerned about: how much EMF would have no effect on the human body, how much would have a tolerable effect on the human body, and how much would have an effect to be really concerned about.
For general exposure, there's always a push to keep the EMF as low as practical. (However, not all EMF is bad. Surprisingly, in specific medical situations, relatively large levels are often used for therapeutic reasons.)
As with any health issue, whether it is EMF levels, or other common ones like supplements, or diet, there is a great deal of pseudoscience, speculation and conjecture in the popular information base that is substituted for solid scientific information. That is because there are so many variables among complex biological systems (a human is immensely complex) that it's very difficult to isolate the impact of an experiment.
Some things you can measure very directly, like how much of an environmental electrical magnetic signal appears on a nerve axon when passed through a specific amount of flesh or bone, and how much of this signal do you need to create an actual stimulus on that axon.
Given the best scientific information available, international standards have been established that state safe operating thresholds for EMF exposure. Well-designed Infrared saunas produce EMF levels that are a very, very small fraction of the safety threshold.
Learn more about infrared saunas: Beginners tips on how to use a sauna
There are those that assert the EMF scientific community cannot be trusted and that it is a narrow and closed group of people that are biased by those who fund the work and stand to benefit financially from a particular result.
However, the truth is that there were actually hundreds of engineers, scientists and research doctors from dozens of organizations and many countries across multiple continents that came together in the analysis and determination of the safety standards that are in use right now.
The safety standards are documented in great detail with thorough explanations for how the conclusions have been formed. As well, these reports frankly point out what aspects have raised attention, but do not yet have any scientific backing. When there is new scientific evidence available, the safety standards will be updated.
The two standards that are used worldwide by organizations and agencies, such as WHO, OSHA, ILO, ITU, FCC, etc. are referenced below. They are very easy to pull up online and they're quite readable. Beware that there are also several organizations that report unverified results in their own reports.
That doesn't mean these are useless, but they should not be used to form a basis for conclusions at this time because they have not passed scientific scrutiny and in some cases have been rebutted.
It will become clear from this discussion that the EMF exposure from an infrared sauna is so small as to be a tiny fraction of the safety limits, and hence insignificant.
Furthermore, it will become clear that infrared sauna EMF levels are lower than many of those appliances that you find in a typical kitchen or living room.
Using Sauna Accessories to Further Reduce Exposure
Upgrading with high-quality sauna accessories, such as EMF-blocking mats, proper grounding setups, and shielded heaters, can further help lower your exposure and provide even more peace of mind during repeated sessions.
The following discussion is from the report of the "International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection"2010. The commission updated their findings for frequencies from 100 kHz to 300 GHz in 2020 but left this standard, which goes from 10 Hz to 100 kHz, intact.
There are two plots below that are labeled figure 2, and figure 3 from the technical journal that they were reported in (Health Physics). Those two plots reflect the numbers shown in table 4 (from the same report) below. As with most electrical safety standards over the years, there is a different and more lenient standard for people who are occupationally exposed because they're expected to be able to take safety precautions.
The AC power frequency of 60 Hz falls in the fourth row of table 4. The electric field is calculated with the equation
2.5x10^2 ^/f ( kV/m^2^). = 2500/60 kv/m^2^ = 4166 V/m^2^\n
It can be seen in figure 2 below that for an X axis of 60 Hz the Y axis shows about a little above 4000 V/m². The usefulness of the graph is to show how the limits change as a function of frequency. But for purposes of an infrared sauna, we are looking at 60 Hz.
Typical electric fields in an infrared sauna at 60 Hz are of the order of 25-50 V/m^2^, which is just 1% of the safety threshold.
At the safety threshold of 4200 V/m², the most sensitive 10% of the population can perceive the electric field, but it's still would not cause any effect of significance and definitely not injury. Infrared saunas are generally around 1/100th of the threshold. Even if there are some small hotspots (i.e. localized spots where there's a little higher EMF than the vast majority of the locations in the sauna), they would never exceed 1/10th of the threshold.
In table 4, the magnetic field is just 2x10^-4^ Teslas = 2000 milligauss (mg).
Review of Safety Standards for EMF at 60 Hz
4000 V/m
2000 mg
Typical emf in an infrared sauna would have operational measurements of 1/100 of this threshold. Then maybe some hotspots 1/30 of the threshold, but it would be very hard to find something larger than that.
To get a sense of the type and level of EMF that we typically live among, below is a reading of a typical electric kitchen stove when a burner is on. It varies as you move around in the kitchen, but it can get as high as 100 mg as seen in the photo below—that is still just 5% of the ICNIRP threshold.
An expensive microwave oven might have the same output and a cheap microwave oven might have a similar high electric field output because of poor shielding. Every house is different and some houses you have places that are very low e-fields but here's a measurement from the center of my living room, for example, which shows 32 V/m, less than one percent of the ICNIRP standard, but by some people's characterization would be considered significant.
The IEEE (Institute for electrical and electronic engineers) group also published a highly researched standard for safety levels with respect to human exposure to electromagnetic fields up to 3 kHz in 2002 and it was more lenient than the ICNIRP so there's no need to consider that here.
Learn more: Benefits of low emf infrared saunas: safe, relaxing, healthy
All organizations that look at this recognize that there may be new scientific data forthcoming. We should always be vigilant and consider new safety standards that may emerge. It is always a personal choice to believe the science or believe conjecture.
Conclusion
When you’re choosing your next sauna setup, whether it’s an infrared sauna 1-person unit or a premium luxury home sauna, look for independently tested, low-EMF designs. Invest in quality sauna accessories and opt for professional home sauna installation if you want the very safest, most advanced environment. For those seeking advanced technology and top-tier EMF safety, a full-spectrum infrared sauna for sale can provide exactly that, along with outstanding wellness benefits.
Sun Home Saunas sells the world's leading at-home saunas, including infrared saunas, traditional saunas, and infrared sauna blankets.
Reach out today and find out more from our sauna experts.
FAQs
Are EMF levels in infrared saunas safe for regular use?
Yes, standard infrared saunas operate at less than 1/100th of safety limits set by international health organizations, making them safe for consistent home use.
How do EMF readings in saunas compare to other household devices?
Infrared sauna EMF output is usually far lower than common appliances like microwave ovens, stove burners, and even Wi-Fi routers.
Can infrared sauna EMFs cause health issues in sensitive people?
There’s no scientific evidence of risk at such low levels. Those especially sensitive may opt for EMF-lowering models, but most users experience no effects.
Should I be concerned about “hotspots” or higher readings in some sauna spots?
Even localized hotspots rarely exceed 1/30th of safety thresholds and remain well below what’s considered even detectable in the most sensitive populations.
Do standards for EMF safety ever change?
Yes. Global scientific bodies review new data regularly, and sauna manufacturers adjust designs to comply with the latest research and recommendations. Always check for updated standards and select reputable brands.
