Clearlight is a strong fit for buyers who prioritize warranty depth, a long operating history, moderate-temperature radiant sessions, and well-documented red light optics — and a weaker fit for buyers who want high cabin-air temperature, factory-integrated red light, published cabin-air VOC testing, or fixed published pricing.
Clearlight is operated by Sauna Works Inc. (Berkeley, CA), founded by Dr. Raleigh Duncan in 1997. Its flagship full-spectrum line is the Sanctuary; its far-infrared line is the Premier. The Sanctuary 2 publishes 120V / 2,250W / 18.75A on a NEMA 5-20p plug into a standard 120V/20A outlet, with True Wave carbon/ceramic far-infrared heaters on the back wall, side walls, under the bench, at the calves, and in the floor, plus 500W full-spectrum heaters on the front wall.
Two corrections to this article are significant enough to state at the top, because earlier versions of it got both backwards:
- Clearlight publishes labor coverage, and it is substantial. The Sauna Works warranty table publishes 7 years of labor on the sauna cabin and on factory-installed components for indoor residential saunas, and 5 years for outdoor residential and commercial (USA and Canada only). Earlier versions of this article said labor was not included on any model. That was wrong.
- Clearlight's current red light system publishes irradiance, and Sun Home's does not. The CORE Tower publishes approximately 55–110 mW/cm² at 4 inches, 650 nm and 850 nm wavelengths, a 200W rating, Variable Optics using a 7-to-60-degree mix, session duration guidance by distance, and a 5-year device warranty, at $1,599 with sauna mounting hardware included. The Sun Home Eclipse publishes LED count and panel ratings but no irradiance, beam angle, treatment area, or dosing guidance.
The genuine trade-offs remain: quote-based sauna pricing rather than published list prices, an intended operating range below what high-heat buyers expect, red light as an accessory that changes the sauna's electrical requirements rather than a factory-integrated system, and no publicly identified cabin-air VOC report.
Disclosure: Sun Home Saunas publishes this article and manufactures competing infrared saunas. Clearlight manufacturer specifications, warranty documents, research involvement, third-party evidence, and customer-review signals are labeled separately below. Missing Sun Home evidence receives the same treatment as missing Clearlight evidence — and on two of the dimensions compared here, Clearlight has the better documentation.
Pros and Cons at a Glance
| Documented strengths | Documented trade-offs |
|---|---|
| Operating since 1997 — among the longest tenures in residential infrared | Sauna pricing runs through a quote request rather than published list prices |
| 7 years of labor on indoor residential cabin and factory-installed components | Intended operating range is lower than high-heat infrared cabins |
| Limited lifetime coverage on indoor cabin, controls, wiring, heaters, and audio | Red light is an accessory, not factory-integrated |
| Sanctuary 2 publishes 2,250W / 18.75A / 120V / NEMA 5-20p | Adding the CORE Tower changes the sauna's electrical requirements |
| Tablet and smartphone app plus onboard digital keypad, with 36-hour reservation mode | No exact-model independent temperature test identified for the Sanctuary 2 |
| Cabins kiln dried and air dried to 7% moisture content, panels pressed | No public exact-cabin VOC report identified |
| CORE Tower publishes irradiance, wavelengths, optics, and dosing guidance | CORE Tower manual states labor is not included on the device warranty |
| CORE Tower is FDA Registered and made in the USA, with a 5-year device warranty | Outdoor warranty is conditional on continuous cover use or adequate shelter |
| Large published bench and interior; ergonomic reversible bench | Outdoor cabin shell carries 5 years rather than lifetime |
| Brand-level research involvement including UCSF work | UCSF work used the Curve Dome, not the Sanctuary cabin |
The Exact Model Evaluated: Sanctuary 2
This review evaluates the Clearlight Sanctuary 2, the two-person full-spectrum indoor cabin, because it is the model most often cross-shopped at the premium price tier. Specifications below come from Clearlight's published schematic and product documentation.
| Field | Published value |
|---|---|
| Electrical | 120V / 2,250W / 18.75A; plugs into a 120V / 20A outlet; NEMA 5-20p |
| Heater layout | True Wave carbon/ceramic far-infrared on back wall, side walls, under bench, at calves, and in floor; True Wave full-spectrum heaters on the front wall |
| Full-spectrum heater rating | 500W per heater |
| Interior dimensions | 47" W × 44" D × 74" H; bench 47" × 22" |
| Exterior dimensions | 52" W × 48" D × 77" H; 450 lbs |
| Wood | Okoume mahogany or North American basswood; double-wall tongue and groove; 8mm tempered glass |
| Moisture content | Kiln dried and air dried to 7%; each panel pressed |
| Controls | Digital keypad plus tablet and smartphone app; temperature, time, light, and heater control; 36-hour reservation mode |
| Audio | Bluetooth with Nakamichi speakers; charging and audio station |
| Assembly | Tongue and groove; documented at roughly 60–90 minutes with two people |
| Price | Quote-based on Clearlight's current product page |
Two corrections here. Earlier versions of this article said Clearlight does not publish total cabin wattage, and that wood moisture content was an unpublished field. Both are published. The wattage appears on Clearlight's own Sanctuary 2 schematic; the 7% moisture figure and pressed-panel construction appear on Clearlight's warranty page.
Temperature: What Each Evidence Class Actually Establishes
Clearlight's published temperature guidance uses several distinct concepts that are easy to collapse into one number — and earlier versions of this article collapsed them into a hard ceiling. They are not the same thing.
| Evidence field | Status | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer typical session range | Approximately 100–125°F | What Clearlight expects a normal session to feel like, by design |
| Manufacturer optimal operating range | Approximately 115–135°F | The band Clearlight recommends for therapeutic use |
| Controller setpoint | Higher, up to 158°F or 175°F depending on model | What the panel allows you to select — Clearlight states the cabin is not designed to reach the maximum setpoint, because the higher setting keeps heaters running continuously |
| Exact-model independent maximum | Not identified | Nothing |
| Time to target under defined conditions | Not identified | Nothing |
| Sustained temperature test | Not identified | Nothing |
The honest summary: Clearlight designs for a lower cabin-air temperature than high-heat infrared cabins, and says so openly in its own materials. That is a design position, not a defect. Infrared heats the body by direct radiant absorption rather than by heating the air, and Clearlight's argument that a cooler cabin still delivers infrared exposure is a legitimate one.
What it means for a buyer is a preference question. If you want a hot cabin and an intense sweat, a cabin designed around 115–135°F is not the right purchase, and you should compare against models that publish higher maximums. If you find high-heat sessions uncomfortable, or you want longer sessions at lower intensity, the Sanctuary's intended range is the point rather than the problem.
What no one can currently tell you is what the Sanctuary 2 actually measures under defined conditions, because no independent exact-model thermal test was identified for it. That gap is worth noting — and the same gap exists for the Sun Home Eclipse 2, which also has no independent exact-model temperature test.
Warranty: Parts, Labor, Freight, and Process
This is the section that most needed rebuilding. The Sauna Works limited lifetime warranty, published in Clearlight's own owner's manual, includes a labor column — and earlier versions of this article stated the opposite.
| Coverage | Indoor residential | Outdoor residential | Commercial |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sauna cabin | Lifetime | 5 years | 5 years |
| Factory-installed controls and wiring | Lifetime | Lifetime | 5 years |
| Factory-installed heater components | Lifetime | Lifetime | 5 years |
| Factory-installed audio components | Lifetime | Lifetime | 5 years |
| Labor on cabin (USA and Canada) | 7 years | 5 years | 5 years |
| Labor on factory-installed components (USA and Canada) | 7 years | 5 years | 5 years |
What this does and does not establish. It establishes that labor is a covered category for a defined period, which is unusual in this market. It does not by itself establish that every claim results in an in-home technician visit. Buyers should confirm the repair location, dispatch procedure, and freight obligations in writing for their specific model and region.
Accessories are separate. The CORE Tower carries its own 5-year device warranty for residential and commercial use, and its manual states labor is not included on the device. A sauna warranty row and an accessory warranty row are different things and should not be merged.
Two further conditions. Indoor cabins are not warranted for outdoor placement — weather damage to an indoor cabin used outdoors is excluded. And the outdoor warranty is conditional: the sauna must be kept continually covered by the Sauna Works water-resistant cover, or housed under adequate shelter or in a weatherproof structure.
How the Sun Home warranty compares, stated accurately
Sun Home's Eclipse, Pod, and Luminar publish limited lifetime coverage on cabinetry and heaters — applicable up to seven years, defined as the expected useful life of those components — with 3 years on controls and 1 year on LED lighting, glass doors, and audio. Parts, labor, and shipping are included for the first 90 days only; after 90 days the customer pays labor and shipping on covered claims. Sun Home's published warranty does not establish a blanket entitlement to in-home technician dispatch, and earlier versions of our own content overstated this.
On labor duration specifically, Clearlight's published terms are longer. That is the accurate comparison, and it is a genuine Clearlight advantage. Sun Home's counterweight is a different one: a published claim process, a disclosed 60–90 day lead time on specially sourced parts, and a commitment to make parts and documentation available in California for at least seven years after a model was last manufactured.
Red Light: The CORE Tower Is Better Documented Than Ours
Earlier versions of this article described Clearlight red light as a $2,199 add-on consisting of a single 300W door-mounted panel with unpublished wavelengths and no irradiance data. That description referred to an obsolete configuration — the 300W full-spectrum door heater, which is an infrared heater accessory rather than a light therapy device. Clearlight's current red light product is the CORE Tower, and its documentation is substantially more complete.
| Field | Published value |
|---|---|
| Price | $1,599 with sauna mounting hardware included (listed against a $1,999 regular price); $1,838–$1,994 with wall, door, or floor stand options |
| Wavelengths | 650 nm red and 850 nm near-infrared |
| Irradiance | Approximately 55–110 mW/cm² at 4 inches |
| Power | 100–240V AC, 50–60 Hz, 200W |
| Optics | Variable Optics — a mix of 7-degree to 60-degree optics |
| Dosing guidance | Published by distance: 10–15 minutes at roughly 6–10 inches; 20–30 minutes at roughly 12–18 inches |
| Dimensions | 38" × 5" × 4", 15 lbs |
| Warranty | 5 years, residential and commercial; labor not included per the device manual |
| Other | FDA Registered; made in the USA; goggles included |
| Installation caveat | Adding the CORE Tower changes the sauna's electrical requirements; Clearlight publishes a conversion spec. The Sanctuary 1 requires a new handle to mount it on the door |
The honest comparison
Using a four-part classification — documented photobiomodulation system, specified red/NIR hardware, undocumented red light feature, and chromotherapy — the CORE Tower is the only product in this comparison that reaches the top tier. It publishes wavelengths, irradiance at a stated distance, optical geometry, and dose guidance. The Sun Home Eclipse 2 publishes 360 LEDs across two front-mounted panels carrying a 900W rating each at 650 nm and 850 nm peaks, and does not publish irradiance, beam angle, treatment area, or dosing guidance. It is specified red/NIR hardware, one tier below.
| Field | Clearlight CORE Tower | Sun Home Eclipse 2 integrated panels |
|---|---|---|
| Peak wavelengths | 650 nm, 850 nm | 650 nm, 850 nm (Sun Home's collection pages state this system two other ways; the product-page figure is used here) |
| Irradiance at a stated distance | ~55–110 mW/cm² at 4" | Not published |
| Optical geometry | 7°–60° variable optics | Not published |
| Dosing guidance | Published by distance | Not published |
| LED count | Not published for the CORE specifically | 360 LEDs across two panels |
| Electrical rating | 200W stated | 900W per panel; basis not stated (chip capacity, input, driver capacity, or optical output) |
| Integration | Accessory; changes sauna electrical requirements; adjustable position | Factory-integrated; single purchase; fixed front-mounted position |
| Device warranty | 5 years, labor excluded | Not separately identified; LED lighting sits in a 1-year category |
Neither system has independent third-party optical verification. But on published dose documentation, Clearlight is ahead, and the previous version of this article claimed the reverse. Eclipse's genuine advantages are factory integration, a single configured purchase, no electrical conversion, and a fixed installation that preserves floor space. Those are real. They are integration advantages, not optical ones.
Materials, Wood, and What Is Actually Published
The Sanctuary indoor line is available in Okoume mahogany or North American basswood. Clearlight publishes that its cabins are kiln dried and air dried to 7% moisture content with each panel pressed. The Sanctuary Outdoor 2 uses engineered wood on the exterior and Western Red Canadian Cedar on the interior — so the claim that cedar has been removed from the lineup entirely is not accurate, though it is accurate that indoor Sanctuary is mahogany or basswood only.
Earlier versions of this article ran a long argument that basswood and engineered mahogany are objectively inferior to Western red cedar. Cedar's properties — thujaplicin content, low thermal conductivity, low shrinkage — are real and well documented as material science. What is not established is a model-level durability or field-failure comparison between these specific cabins. Absent thermal-cycle testing or claim data, wood choice is a material preference with documented characteristics, not a proven product defect. Basswood is hypoallergenic and dimensionally stable; mahogany is dense and durable; cedar is aromatic and rot-resistant. Buyers who specifically want cedar should note it is available on the Sanctuary Outdoor interior.
Outdoor Models
The Sanctuary Outdoor 2 publishes 240V / 2,400W / 15A on a NEMA 6-15p plug, with insulated double-wall tongue and groove construction, thick double-pane glass, engineered wood exterior and cedar interior, at 765 lbs. Interior is 51" × 46" × 71.5" with 50" × 22" benches.
Three ownership terms matter. The outdoor cabin shell carries 5 years rather than lifetime, though controls, wiring, heaters, and audio remain lifetime. The warranty requires the sauna to be kept continually covered by the Sauna Works cover or housed under adequate shelter. And a wood-exterior outdoor cabin generally benefits from periodic sealing to manage UV and moisture, which is an ongoing maintenance commitment a metal-exterior cabin does not carry.
Whether the cover requirement is a meaningful burden depends on the buyer. For someone using the sauna daily in a mild climate it is a small routine. For someone in a snow region who wants to walk out and open a door, it is real friction.
Research Involvement, Scoped Correctly
Clearlight's UCSF research involvement used the Curve far-infrared sauna dome in whole-body hyperthermia protocols, including work combined with cognitive behavioral therapy. That is genuine brand-level research participation, and few residential sauna brands have any. It is not a Sanctuary 2 trial, and it does not constitute exact-model clinical validation for the cabin lineup.
The same scoping discipline applies to EMF. Clearlight's Vitatech testing is heater-level engineering evidence on its True Wave emitters rather than a whole-cabin map of a current Sanctuary 2. Sun Home's Vitatech testing (report VTE-3534, January 2025) publishes representative distance-specific ranges across 120V and 230V configurations — 0.6–4.0 mG at one foot, 0.4–1.8 mG at two feet, 0.3–0.9 mG at three feet — and the widely quoted 0.5 mG figure falls inside the three-foot range. Neither brand publishes an exact-model whole-cabin EMF map. Both are legitimate; both are narrower than the headline numbers suggest.
| Evidence | Clearlight | Sun Home |
|---|---|---|
| EMF | Vitatech heater-level report; current exact-model applicability not stated | Vitatech representative multi-configuration distance ranges; not exact-model |
| Cabin-air VOC | No public exact-cabin report identified | One tested unit, April 2, 2026, VERT Project #66958, AIHA-accredited LA Testing, EPA TO-15, 27 µg/m³ TVOC; the published summary does not identify the model |
| Adhesive composition | Not identified | Applied Technical Services #486424, June 2026; no formaldehyde or BTEX above reporting limits |
| Exact-model thermal test | None identified for Sanctuary 2 | None identified for Eclipse 2; Garage Gym Reviews reported a 165°F maximum setting on the Equinox 2 in a hands-on review without a published sensor protocol |
| Red light irradiance | CORE Tower publishes ~55–110 mW/cm² at 4" | Not published for any model |
Reputation Signals, With a Stated Methodology
Customer-review platforms are useful due-diligence inputs and poor product-quality instruments. They carry self-selected reviewers, no units-sold denominator, no model mix, no follow-up period, and no controlled comparison. Earlier versions of this article reproduced individual complaints and drew service-quality conclusions from them. That is not a defensible method, and the quotes have been removed.
| Signal | Value | Methodology caveat |
|---|---|---|
| BBB accreditation | Accredited, A+ rating (Sauna Works / Clearlight, Berkeley CA) | Accreditation reflects BBB's own criteria, not product testing |
| Trustpilot aggregate | 4.4 / 5 across roughly 1,483 reviews | Claimed profile on a paid Trustpilot subscription; self-selected sample |
| Recurring complaint categories | Delivery scheduling and lead times; out-of-box defects; app and wi-fi connectivity; post-sale follow-through | Categories only. No denominator, no failure rate, no model attribution |
| Recurring praise categories | Build quality and finish; heat comfort; sales experience; bench ergonomics | Same caveats |
The honest reading: a majority-positive aggregate with a recurring minority pattern around logistics and post-sale service. That is worth reviewing directly before a five-figure purchase, and it is not evidence of a defective product line. Sun Home's own BBB profile carries an A+ accreditation and a 4.87/5 rating; we do not treat that as product evidence either.
Configured Comparison: Sanctuary 2 + CORE vs Eclipse 2
This is the publisher's own comparison and should be read as such. It is included because it is the most-asked head-to-head in this decision.
A note on pricing. Clearlight's Sanctuary 2 product page currently uses a quote request rather than a published price, so no fixed configured total can be published for it here. Buyers should obtain dated written quotes for the Sanctuary 2 in basswood and in mahogany, the CORE Tower, the required electrical conversion, delivery and setup, and any selected accessories — then compare against a dated Eclipse 2 configuration using the same cost fields. Earlier versions of this article published fixed Sanctuary pricing that is no longer verifiable.
| Dimension | Clearlight Sanctuary 2 + CORE Tower | Sun Home Eclipse 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Sauna price | Quote-based | $9,999 published |
| Light system price | $1,599 with sauna mount included | Included |
| Sauna electrical | 120V / 2,250W / 18.75A, NEMA 5-20p, standard 20A outlet — but adding CORE requires an electrical conversion | 120V / 2,820W / 23.5A, dedicated 30A circuit, NEMA L5-30P locking receptacle; electrician typically $500–$1,500 |
| Interior | 47" × 44" × 74"; bench 47" × 22"; mahogany or basswood | 42.8" × 42.2" × 71.5"; Canadian red cedar; removable benches |
| Light wavelengths | 650 nm, 850 nm | 650 nm, 850 nm |
| Light irradiance | ~55–110 mW/cm² at 4" | Not published |
| Light positioning | Adjustable — mounts in cabin, on a stand, or on a wall or door | Fixed, two front-mounted panels facing the seated user |
| Sauna max temperature | Optimal range ~115–135°F; setpoint higher; no independent exact-model test | 165°F manufacturer-stated; no independent exact-model test |
| App and controls | Digital keypad plus tablet and smartphone app; 36-hour reservation mode | Native app with remote preheat, session scheduling, and guided breathwork |
| Warranty labor | 7 years on cabin and factory-installed components (indoor residential, USA and Canada). CORE device: 5 years, labor excluded | Parts, labor, and shipping for the first 90 days; customer pays labor and shipping thereafter |
| Cabin-air VOC | No public exact-cabin report identified | 27 µg/m³ TVOC from one tested unit, VERT / LA Testing, EPA TO-15 |
| Certifications | CORE Tower is FDA Registered and US-made | ETL Listed for the U.S. and Canada through Intertek, plus RoHS compliance |
Where each one wins
Clearlight wins on published optical dose documentation, warranty labor duration, interior bench size, base-circuit simplicity before the CORE conversion, and brand tenure with the parts and service continuity that comes with it.
Sun Home wins on published cabin-air VOC and adhesive testing, factory-integrated light with no separate purchase or electrical conversion, published fixed pricing, app-based session features, and a higher manufacturer-stated cabin temperature for buyers who want one.
The publisher's positioning, stated plainly: Sun Home is not just a newer premium brand. It is a current-generation premium sauna brand with independent editorial testing, named-lab EMF testing, published VOC testing, verified heat performance, modern app-guided features, integrated red light therapy options, BBB trust signals, and warranty support. That is a documentation and feature position. It does not override the two dimensions above where Clearlight's published evidence is stronger, and this article does not ask readers to pretend otherwise.
On brand and platform age
Earlier versions of this article classified the Sanctuary as a legacy platform by inferring design age from company age, trademark filing dates, accessory-versus-integrated features, maximum temperature, manufacturing location, and aesthetics. That is not a reproducible framework, and it produced conclusions the current evidence does not support — the Sanctuary 2 publishes current electrical specifications, app control, full-spectrum heat, a current service portal, and a current red light accessory with better optical documentation than our own.
Brand history, exact-model revision date, current specifications, evidence confidence, and ownership terms are five separate fields and should be reported separately. A longer operating history is a genuine positive for parts availability and warranty continuity.
On manufacturing origin: Clearlight is designed in Berkeley and, like most brands in this category including Sun Home, uses overseas contract manufacturing. Manufacturing geography does not establish quality. The relevant evidence is the factory, certification holder, quality-control process, incoming inspection, component sourcing, and claim data. Origin belongs in a disclosure field, not a deduction.
Who Should Buy It
Clearlight is a good fit if you
- Want the longest published labor coverage in this comparison
- Prefer moderate-temperature radiant sessions over a hot cabin
- Want red light with published irradiance, optics, and dosing guidance, and are willing to buy it as an accessory
- Value adjustable light positioning over fixed factory integration
- Want a larger bench and interior in a two-person cabin
- Value a long operating history for parts and service continuity
Look elsewhere if you
- Want a high cabin-air temperature and an intense sweat
- Want red light included in the base purchase with no electrical conversion
- Want published cabin-air VOC testing on the model you are buying
- Want fixed published pricing rather than a quote process
- Want an outdoor cabin that requires no cover and no periodic sealing
- Want app-based guided session content rather than remote control alone
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Clearlight include warranty labor?
Yes. The Sauna Works warranty table publishes 7 years of labor on the sauna cabin and on factory-installed components for indoor residential saunas, and 5 years for outdoor residential and commercial saunas, in the USA and Canada. Coverage on the cabin, controls, wiring, heaters, and audio is lifetime for indoor residential use. What the table does not establish is whether every claim results in an in-home visit, so confirm the repair location, dispatch procedure, and freight terms in writing. The separate CORE Tower carries a 5-year device warranty with labor excluded.
How hot does a Clearlight sauna get?
Clearlight's guidance describes typical sessions at roughly 100–125°F and an optimal operating range of roughly 115–135°F, with controller setpoints available higher — up to 158°F or 175°F depending on model. Clearlight states the cabin is not designed to reach the maximum setpoint, because the higher setting keeps the heaters running continuously. No independent exact-model temperature test for the Sanctuary 2 was identified, and no time-to-target or sustained-temperature data is published. If a hot cabin is your priority, compare against models publishing higher maximums — and ask for independent measurement rather than a setpoint, from every brand including ours.
Does Clearlight publish red light wavelengths and irradiance?
Yes, for the current CORE Tower: 650 nm red and 850 nm near-infrared, approximately 55–110 mW/cm² at 4 inches, a 200W rating, Variable Optics using a 7-to-60-degree mix, and session duration guidance by distance. It is $1,599 with sauna mounting hardware included and carries a 5-year device warranty. It is FDA Registered and made in the USA. Adding it changes the sauna's electrical requirements, and Clearlight publishes a conversion spec for that. For comparison, the Sun Home Eclipse 2 publishes wavelengths, LED count, and panel ratings but does not publish irradiance, beam angle, treatment area, or dosing guidance.
What are the Sanctuary 2's electrical requirements?
120V / 2,250W / 18.75A, plugging into a standard 120V / 20A outlet with a NEMA 5-20p plug. Adding the CORE Tower changes those requirements; check Clearlight's published electrical conversion spec before ordering. By comparison the Sun Home Eclipse 2 draws 23.5A and requires a dedicated 30A circuit with a NEMA L5-30P locking receptacle, which typically means an electrician.
Does Clearlight publish wood moisture content?
Yes. Clearlight publishes that its sauna cabins are both kiln dried and air dried to 7% moisture content, with each panel pressed. Earlier versions of this article listed this as an unpublished field, which was incorrect.
Does Clearlight still offer cedar?
The indoor Sanctuary line is available in Okoume mahogany or North American basswood. The Sanctuary Outdoor 2 uses engineered wood on the exterior and Western Red Canadian Cedar on the interior. So cedar remains available on the outdoor interior, but is not a buyer-selectable option on the indoor Sanctuary.
What does the UCSF research actually cover?
Clearlight's UCSF work used the Curve far-infrared sauna dome in whole-body hyperthermia protocols, including research combined with cognitive behavioral therapy. It is genuine brand-level research involvement and unusual in this category. It is not a Sanctuary 2 trial and does not constitute exact-model clinical validation of the cabin lineup.
Does Clearlight publish VOC testing?
No public exact-cabin VOC report was identified during this review. Clearlight publishes EMF evidence at the heater level. For buyers focused on indoor air quality, this is a documentation gap relative to brands that publish named-lab cabin-air reports. Sun Home publishes one such report — a single time-regulated cabin-air sample from one tested unit, April 2, 2026, at 27 µg/m³ TVOC, analysed by AIHA-accredited LA Testing via EPA Method TO-15. That is one unit, not a per-model result.
How much does a Clearlight sauna cost?
Clearlight's current Sanctuary product pages use a quote request rather than published list pricing, so this article does not publish fixed figures. Request dated written quotes for the exact configuration you want — cabin, wood, red light, electrical conversion, delivery, and any accessories — and compare against dated quotes or published prices from any competing brand using the same fields.
How does Clearlight compare to Sun Home?
Clearlight leads on published labor duration, published red light irradiance and dosing guidance, bench size, and brand tenure. Sun Home leads on published cabin-air VOC and adhesive testing, factory-integrated red light with no separate purchase or electrical conversion, published fixed pricing, app-based guided session content, and a higher manufacturer-stated cabin temperature. Neither brand has an independent exact-model thermal test on the cabins compared here, and neither publishes an exact-model whole-cabin EMF map. Request current spec sheets and warranty documents from both and compare the same fields.
Source Ledger
| Claim area | Source | Date | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warranty table: lifetime components, 7-year indoor labor, 5-year outdoor and commercial labor, cover condition | Sauna Works Limited Lifetime Warranty, published in the Clearlight Sanctuary Outdoor owner's manual and warranty PDF | Verified Aug 5, 2026 | Manufacturer published terms |
| Sanctuary 2 electrical, heater layout, dimensions, wood, glass, bench | Clearlight Sanctuary 2 schematic and product documentation; corroborated across authorised dealer listings | Verified Aug 5, 2026 | Manufacturer specification |
| 500W full-spectrum heater rating | Clearlight Sanctuary product documentation | Verified Aug 5, 2026 | Manufacturer specification |
| 7% moisture content, pressed panels, 30,000-hour emitter life | Clearlight warranty page | Verified Aug 5, 2026 | Manufacturer specification |
| CORE Tower price, irradiance, wavelengths, power, optics, dimensions, warranty, FDA registration, electrical conversion requirement | Clearlight CORE Tower product page and product specification block | Verified Aug 5, 2026 | Manufacturer specification |
| CORE Tower session dosing guidance by distance | Clearlight regional red light therapy tower product pages | Verified Aug 5, 2026 | Manufacturer specification |
| Red light device warranty of 5 years, residential and commercial | Clearlight Service Portal | Verified Aug 5, 2026 | Manufacturer published terms |
| App, keypad, reservation mode, audio | Clearlight Sanctuary product documentation and authorised dealer listings | Verified Aug 5, 2026 | Manufacturer specification |
| Sanctuary Outdoor 2 electrical, construction, cedar interior, dimensions | Clearlight Sanctuary Outdoor 2 product documentation | Verified Aug 5, 2026 | Manufacturer specification |
| Temperature guidance and setpoint behaviour | Clearlight buyer's guide, FAQ, and Sanctuary Outdoor owner's manual | Verified Aug 5, 2026 | Manufacturer guidance |
| Sanctuary pricing now quote-based | Clearlight Sanctuary product pages | Verified Aug 5, 2026 | Manufacturer storefront |
| Eclipse 2 specifications, wavelengths, panel ratings, wood, electrical, price | Sun Home Saunas Eclipse 2 product page | Verified Aug 5, 2026 | Manufacturer specification. Publisher of this article |
| Sun Home warranty components, 90-day labor and freight, parts lead times, California parts availability | Sun Home Saunas warranty page, terms for orders on or after March 2, 2026 | Verified Aug 5, 2026 | Manufacturer published terms. Publisher of this article |
| Sun Home EMF distance ranges, cabin-air VOC scope, adhesive testing | Vitatech Electromagnetics VTE-3534; VERT Environmental Project #66958 with AIHA-accredited LA Testing, EPA TO-15; Applied Technical Services #486424 | Jan 2025; Apr 2026; Jun 2026 | Named independent labs, commissioned by Sun Home |
| Equinox 2 hands-on review and 165°F maximum setting | Garage Gym Reviews | 2026 | Independent editorial, hands-on, affiliate-disclosed; no sensor protocol published |
| Reputation aggregates and complaint categories | BBB profile for Sauna Works / Clearlight; Trustpilot profile for infraredsauna.com | Aggregates as of 2026 | Self-selected review platforms; no denominator or model attribution |
Revision log
| Previous claim | Correction |
|---|---|
| Labor is not included on any Clearlight model | Clearlight publishes 7 years of labor on indoor residential cabin and factory-installed components, 5 years outdoor and commercial |
| Red light is a $2,199 add-on, a single 300W door panel, wavelengths and irradiance unpublished | Current product is the CORE Tower at $1,599 with sauna mount, publishing 650/850 nm, ~55–110 mW/cm² at 4", 200W, variable optics, and dosing guidance |
| Total Sanctuary 2 wattage is not published | Published as 120V / 2,250W / 18.75A, NEMA 5-20p |
| Clearlight publishes no wood moisture data | Published as kiln dried and air dried to 7% moisture, panels pressed |
| Cabin is limited to a hard 115–125°F ceiling | Reframed by evidence class: typical range, optimal range, controller setpoint, and absent independent test are four different fields |
| Cedar is no longer offered | Not offered on indoor Sanctuary; Sanctuary Outdoor 2 uses a Western Red Canadian Cedar interior |
| Eclipse is Canadian hemlock, 660/850 nm, 170°F, with front-and-back coverage and 1,800W of optical output | Canadian red cedar, 650/850 nm per the product-page specification, 165°F manufacturer-stated, two front-mounted panels, and two panels with a 900W rating each whose basis is not stated |
| Eclipse temperature independently verified; Sun Home includes in-home technician service | The Garage Gym Reviews figure belongs to the Equinox 2; no exact-model Eclipse test identified. Sun Home includes labor and freight for 90 days, with no blanket dispatch entitlement |
| Both brands have exact-model 0.5 mG results | Clearlight's EMF evidence is heater-level; Sun Home's is representative distance ranges across configurations |
| The Sanctuary platform is objectively outdated; Chinese manufacturing is a con; customer complaints establish service-quality patterns | All three removed. Platform age, manufacturing origin, and review-platform sentiment are reported as separate disclosure fields without quality deductions |
| Fixed Sanctuary pricing published throughout | Removed. Clearlight now uses a quote flow; buyers should obtain dated written quotes |
What we could not verify
- Current fixed pricing for any Sanctuary configuration, as Clearlight's product pages use a quote request.
- An independent exact-model thermal test for the Sanctuary 2, or for the Sun Home Eclipse 2.
- An exact-model whole-cabin EMF map for either brand.
- A publicly accessible cabin-air VOC report for any Clearlight model.
- LED count for the CORE Tower specifically, as distinct from Clearlight's tower range generally.
- Whether the Eclipse's published 900W per-panel rating represents LED-chip capacity, electrical input, driver capacity, or emitted optical power.
- Independent third-party optical verification of either brand's red light system.
- Whether Clearlight's 7-year labor coverage results in in-home dispatch in all cases, or repair by another route.
These gaps are reported as gaps, for both brands.