I Got a Sauna for My House, and I Wish I’d Done it Sooner (It Relieved So Much Pain!)

As a mom of two young girls who also works full time, volunteers, and has a full social calendar of playdates, neighbor hangouts, and endless home projects, it’s no surprise to anyone that I have little time to take care of myself. Without a doubt every January rolls around and I think this is going to be the year I take better care of myself. And then in about mid-January — after I’ve overscheduled and overworked myself — I act surprised when I get ill or just plain stressed out. 

Instead of an overarching goal of wellness or an impossible thing to achieve (three workout classes a week! Running a half marathon!), I decided to focus on small goals and nice things to do for myself like walks, mini yoga sessions, or literally just going outside to my garden to touch grass for a few minutes during the day. But the biggest change that’s come about this year in my health journey is that I am now the proud owner of a home sauna. 

In spring this year, I got the opportunity to test the Sun Home Luminar Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna, or what I affectionately call it: the mommy-box-where-no-children-are-allowed. The sauna has become a luxurious part of my routine (particularly my weekend routine), and I can without a doubt say that it has made my body feel better. 

If you’re shopping for a home sauna, one of the most important things to know is: How hot can this thing get? And this is where the Luminar delivers. The Sun Home Luminar Full Spectrum infrared sauna maxes out at 170 degrees Fahrenheit. And, reader, let me tell you — that’s pretty hot for an infrared. (In my research, infrared models typically max out at around 140 degrees Fahrenheit.) You can either wait for the sauna to heat up by doing it the old-fashioned way (pressing the “on” button and waiting), or you can connect the Sun Home app to your sauna, turn it on remotely, and be greeted with wall-to-wall heat when you walk in. 

The two-person Luminar features two benches and nine heaters (seven of them are infrared and two are full spectrum). The sauna has different mood lighting settings and the option to add on a red light therapy tower (which can be purchased for an additional $1,699). 

Though I had the sauna installed in our very small garage, the Luminar can certainly be used outdoors. In fact, that’s where a majority of reviewers have installed theirs. The Luminar model was built for this — with an aerospace grade aluminum exterior as well as a separate protective cover in case of inclement weather. If you choose to install your sauna outside, it has three windows that you can see out of (but thankfully no one can see inside). 

The unit also comes equipped with Bluetooth capabilities and/or a USB plug so you can listen to music through its overhead speakers. 

My only previous experience using a sauna was at my local gym, where patrons often leave the door open and privacy is obviously nonexistent. I wasn’t sure how an at-home sauna would perform against the powerful commercial units that gyms have, but now I can now safely say I will never visit my gym sauna again. 

The Sun Home Luminar heats quickly, stays hot, and is a restorative place in my home thanks to the Bluetooth speaker and delicious smelling red cedar wood. My favorite thing to do is to turn on the sauna while I do a yoga session, grab my ice cold water bottle, and then relax in there with a carefully chosen soundscape. (My favorite one lately is the sound of someone gardening in a greenhouse during a rainstorm. I’m very much embracing my thirties.) 

As far as heat goes, I timed how long it takes the sauna to reach the max temperature of 170 degrees, and it’s about 40 minutes, which in my research is on par or even a shade quicker than other brands. I have to say, though, I can only stand a max heat of about 140 degrees before I’m ready to tap out (it takes about 20 minutes for it to reach this temperature). This, however, could fluctuate depending on where you install your sauna. If you install it outside, the outdoor temperature will undoubtedly have an effect on how long it takes to heat things up. 

My husband and I were also a bit concerned that the sauna could start to smell weird after so much sweat. But, after over a month plus of heavy usage, it still smells just as great as it did the first day we had it. In fact, when the kids get home from school the first thing they want to do is open the sauna door and take in a whiff. To prevent any bacterial buildup or smells, it’s best to always sit on a towel during your sauna session and wipe it down with a clean cloth and some mild soap. If you ever spill anything or stain, you can just lightly sand down the wood to remove it. 

The only downside I’ve had with this sauna is that the Sun Home app (where you can control the power and heat remotely) isn’t yet equipped for two separate users to connect to the same sauna. This is a minor issue, but Sun Home’s director of product, John Meche, told me over a recent Zoom call that a fix was on the way for this. In the meantime, our workaround is for my husband Tyler to text me when he’s on the way home from the gym to turn on the sauna so that it’s nice and warmed up for him. Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but we’ll be happy to see the upgrade. 

This spring I went through some minor, but concerning, health issues, and the sauna truly did provide me with a place to meditate, sweat out some toxins, and concentrate on feeling better. Sometimes as a working mom, you have to force yourself to find spaces like this — and luckily mine is in my garage. 

Though you can install the Sun Home Luminar yourself, it’s recommended to have at least two adults working together on this and it will take up to four hours. I had a third-party team of two build our sauna, and this is absolutely the right way to go if you are up for the extra expense. The only prep work I had to do was have an electrician move my NEMA L6-20p receptacle onto a different wall of my garage and to be home when the delivery team arrived with the sauna. 

One thing to note about the delivery is that the pallet for the sauna is absolutely massive. (The specs are listed here on Sun Home’s site.) The garage in my 1939 home is so small, and the pallet didn’t end up fitting. It ended up working out that we had great weather the day and night before the installation team arrived, but this is definitely something to pay attention to so that your unit won’t get damaged by bad weather while you’re waiting to install it. 

In addition to a space for relaxation and meditation, home saunas can have multiple health benefits. The Sun Home Luminar is an infrared sauna, which heats via a series of infrared light panels that warm the body temperature itself. This is different from a traditional sauna, which is heated by stones that get warmed up via a wood fire (or in more modern saunas, electricity). 

Though most clinical research on the health benefits of saunas are focused on traditional saunas, recent research has come out that infrared saunas can:

• Reduce stress
• Help chronic pain
• Help those with conditions like osteoarthritis or cardiovascular or respiratory problems
• Increase heart rate even when sedentary

Yes, I would highly recommend buying the Sun Home Luminar Infrared Sauna. If you have the budget for a home sauna, this product provides a special and luxurious wellness experience. The sauna heats quickly and stays hot throughout a session. It’s maintained its look and feel even after a month of very heavy usage between two adults. 

Though the installation is either tricky to handle on your own or an extra expense for a third party to build for you, that’s just but a blip in the overall joy of this sauna. 

Buy: Sun Home Luminar Outdoor 2-Person Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna, $11,599