– I went from being completely unaware of what an infrared sauna is to becoming a fully-fledged sauna enthusiast, says founder Siw Hansson Kaulbach.
Six years ago, she created her dream sauna. After a long period of illness, a spa visit would inspire her to produce her own portable solution.
– I had been recommended to try an infrared sauna at a spa in Oslo. For the first time, I experienced a health boost. The size, cost, and travel distance inspired me to create a product for home use, she says.
A new person
Today, Hansson Kaulbach's own portable sauna has become an indispensable aid to good health – not only for her but also for satisfied customers. The brand Radiant Health is the leading brand for portable infrared saunas in Norway – and in the Nordic countries.
– You no longer need to go to a spa or gym to sweat your way to better health. You can take a sauna at home while reading a book or watching your favorite series. After use, you can fold it up and store it under the bed.
She herself uses her portable infrared sauna three to five times a week.
– I sit in the living room and watch a series while sweating for half an hour. I feel like a new person every time I step out of it. Before, I used it to improve my health, but now I primarily use it for detox.
See our sitting saunas: IR SaunaPod, IR SaunaPod Maxi, IR SaunaPod Active, IR SaunaPod Active Maxi, IR SaunaPod Sensitive, IR SaunaPod LumaRed.
Sauna vs. infrared sauna
Studies show that infrared saunas have a number of health-promoting effects, including pain relief, increased metabolism, better skin, improved immune system, and a gentle cleansing effect.
– The list is long. Infrared sauna is the type of sauna with heat that penetrates five times deeper into the body than traditional saunas.
Siw is in contact with an ME doctor in England who performs fat biopsies on her patients and then regularly sends them to infrared saunas for a few months.
– All patients – at the next fat biopsy – have reduced their toxin levels in the body by 75–80 percent.
Toxins accumulate in fat cells.
– When you detoxify your body, you may also experience weight loss, as the body does not need fat cells in the same way. Sauna is an effective way to detox the body.
Sales have largely been based on word-of-mouth after individual positive experiences.
– Whether people suffer from illness or are healthy, they benefit from infrared saunas. One customer told me that she had a gym membership solely to use the infrared sauna. When she got my sauna, she said I had saved her life and her wallet. It's such feedback from satisfied customers that makes the job meaningful for me.
The heat in the infrared sauna is around sixty degrees Celsius.
– The heat is much more effective than traditional saunas. In a regular sauna, only the air is heated, while in an infrared sauna, the heat rays penetrate the body. The heat is natural. It's the same type of heat that humans themselves radiate. It's the same heat that comes from the sun, but it has nothing to do with UV rays, emphasizes Hansson Kaulbach.
Healthier lifestyle
There are many studies documenting pain relief in, for example, rheumatism and fibromyalgia patients. Improved heart health through the use of infrared saunas has also been extensively researched.
– In a study where heart patients used saunas for five years, mortality and the number of hospital admissions were halved in the group that used infrared saunas, compared to the group that did not, says Hansson Kaulbach, adding that it is a gentle way to increase heart rate without stressing the body.
However, in cases of heart disease, she recommends consulting a doctor before use.
The founder considers the infrared sauna to be part of a healthier lifestyle.
– I show my customers a lifestyle, more than I sell them a product. I know what the product can contribute and stand behind it one hundred percent, she smiles.
