Does Sun Home Sauna Adhesive Contain Formaldehyde or VOCs? Independent Lab Results
Independent laboratory testing of the water-based adhesive used in Sun Home's sauna cabins found no formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, or xylenes above the laboratory's reporting limits. Applied Technical Services (ATS) reported a total VOC content below 0.001% by weight. Testing was completed June 18, 2026 under report no. 486424 (sample 486424-1).
View the complete laboratory reportClean to the core — including the parts you'll never see
When you picture what goes into a premium infrared sauna, you probably think about the things you can see: the wood grain, the heaters, the glass, the controls. But some of the materials that matter most are the ones you'll never notice — like the adhesive that holds it all together.
Across a wide range of products — furniture, cabinetry, flooring, and some saunas — adhesives can be a hidden source of formaldehyde and chemical solvents. In a space you go to breathe deeply, sweat, and reset, that's one more material we're not willing to leave unverified.
So we sent ours to an independent laboratory and asked a simple question: what's actually in it?
What the lab found
We submitted our water-based adhesive to Applied Technical Services (ATS) — an independent U.S. laboratory — for analysis using recognized industry methods. Every compound of concern came back below the laboratory's reporting limits:
| Compound | Result | Reporting limit |
|---|---|---|
| Formaldehyde | None detected | 3.0 ppm |
| Benzene | None detected | 0.001% w/w |
| Toluene | None detected | 0.001% w/w |
| Ethylbenzene | None detected | 0.001% w/w |
| Xylenes | None detected | 0.001% w/w |
| Total VOC content | Below 0.001% by weight | — |
These results describe the adhesive sample that was tested. "None detected" means each compound was below the level the laboratory's method can reliably measure — not a claim that the sauna is categorically free of every substance under every condition.
How the testing was done
Transparency about method is part of what makes a result worth citing, so here's exactly how it was run:
- Laboratory: Applied Technical Services (ATS), Marietta, GA — an independent U.S. lab, ISO 9001:2015 registered (a quality-management-system certification).
- Formaldehyde: AATCC TM 112-2008, sealed-jar method, adapted for a liquid sample (suspended in an aluminum boat, per the report).
- Individual VOCs: An ASTM D6886-24 gas-chromatography procedure, as applied by ATS to the adhesive sample, using methanol as the extraction solvent and ethylene glycol diethyl ether as the internal standard.
- Sample: Water-based adhesive (sample 486424-1), report no. 486424, completed June 18, 2026.
The full signed report is available to read in its entirety.
Why this matters
We hold every material in your sauna to a high standard — and then we verify it with named, independent testing rather than asking you to take a marketing word for it. That's the same approach behind our independently verified low-EMF performance and our third-party cabin-air VOC testing. We'd rather show the evidence than make a claim we can't back.
The finest materials. Independently verified. All the way down to the adhesive. Because at Sun Home, quality and safety aren't our marketing — they're our hallmark.
Frequently asked questions
Does Sun Home sauna adhesive contain formaldehyde?
No formaldehyde was detected above the laboratory's reporting limit (3.0 ppm) in the adhesive sample tested by Applied Technical Services.
Which VOCs were tested?
The laboratory tested for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes — four volatile aromatic compounds commonly grouped as BTEX — along with total VOC content. None of the BTEX compounds were detected above 0.001% by weight, and total VOC content was below 0.001% by weight.
What does "not detected" mean?
It means the compound was not present at or above the lowest level the laboratory's method can reliably measure (the reporting limit). For formaldehyde, that limit was 3.0 ppm; for the solvents, 0.001% by weight. It is a precise analytical result, not a guarantee of absolute zero.
Which Sun Home saunas use this adhesive?
As of June 2026, the adhesive tested by Applied Technical Services is used in the cabin assembly of Sun Home's saunas.
Who conducted the testing?
Applied Technical Services (ATS), an independent U.S. laboratory in Marietta, Georgia. The report was prepared by Allison Webb, Senior Chemist, and approved by Justin Burmeister, Chemistry Director.
