Know where your Sauna is Made
GlobalSaunaManufacturing.ORG
Discover what you need to know about Where sauna's are made and Why it is Important
Demand for traditional and infrared saunas is at an all time high. The sauna market is getting flooded with cookie cutter quality saunas that are coming out of China. While conducting our sauna research we have found that when asked where the saunas are made by a lot of the companies that import from China, wwe receive responses such as: it is assembled in USA, it comes from another Asian country. Below we will highlight why it is important to consider purchasing a sauna made outside of China.
- Chinese saunas can consist of toxic glues
-
They can be dangerously high in EMF
-
The wood is extremely thin which will not last as long
-
The heaters are usually carbon fiber
-
Lead times in the current environment can be very long
-
Lead times to receive replacement parts if your sauna breaks can take months
-
Tensions between China and USA may result in importing issues making it difficult to obtain replacement parts if you ever need them
Saunas made in China have been found to have toxic glues in them. When the sauna heats up the glue will start to off-gas, you breathe this in, and it can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, irritability, runny nose, anxiety, and convulsions.
Source: https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/poison/household-glue-poisoning
Visible Glue Residue
Saunas from China have been know to be high in EMF. EMF comes from electronic devices, microwaves, phones, powerlines, x-rays. Some of the heaters in the poor quality saunas produce very high levels of EMF. Side Effects of EMF include headaches, tremors, dizziness, memory loss, loss of concentration, and sleep disturbances
Source: https://www.healthline.com/health/emf#levels
Typical Carbon Fiber Heaters From China
Wood in saunas made in China have been known to be thinner. Thin wood could cause the sauna to warp, crack, as well as bacteria to grow. Wood is often graded, and the grades of wood that are typically of a lower grade in saunas made in China.
Source: https://www.thomasnet.com/articles/plant-facility-equipment/lumber-grades/
One way to tell if a sauna is made in Asia is by what type of heater it uses. Chinese made saunas use carbon fiber panels. North American made saunas use ceramic heaters. Carbon fiber panels are primarily used in America as underfloor heating mats in colder climates. Asian made saunas use them due to the lower costs. A sheet of 36 in x 60in costs less than $80. See below in figure 1.
Source: https://www.lowes.com/pd/QuietWarmth-15-Sq-ft-Premium-0-016-in-QuietWarmth-Film/1000613047
Figure 1
Due to Covid-19 there are labor shortages putting massive stress on our global supply chain. This is causing delays for saunas that are made in China. Even if a company tells you how long it will be before they receive inventory agian, nobody will know for sure as there is an extreme backlog that will take years to catch up with.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/18/supply-chain-chaos-is-hitting-global-growth-and-could-get-worse.html
Ethics
Buying from China and supporting the Chinese economy has some questionable consequences:
- China is a Communist country
- Poor work conditions for Chinese workers
- China is constantly stealing American patents
Our Solution
Our solution is to buy American Made products whether it is made in Canada, Mexico, or USA.
Signs that a sauna is made in China: Made of Canadian Hemlock and Carbon Heaters. If the sauna is made of Hemlock or has carbon heaters, and the company says that the sauna is not made in China, you can research the companys public import records. Imports records are public knowledge and you can do this by searching for business name along followed by import records.
More Resources and Opinions on Made in China
Copyright © 2021 - www.globalsaunamanufacturing.org