Frequently Asked Questions
About Company
How long have you been manufacturing and selling Health Mate Saunas?
The Health Mate History
- 1979 - Began manufacturing & selling “Health Mate” saunas
- 1986 - Began selling “Health Mate” saunas in the US
- 1987 - Began exporting to Europe
- 1992 - PLH Products established as a California corporation ( Santa Fe Springs, CA )
- 1994 - Began selling American Express catalogue
- 1995 - Made contract with Price/Costco catalogue
- 1995 - Purchased an office/factory building in Buena Park , CA
- 1998 - Began selling “Aroma N Steam” Saunas
- 1998 - Established BNH Corporation as a California corporation
- 1999 - Opened a branch office in Frankfurt, Germany
- 1999 - Began manufacturing & selling “Infra Therapist” Saunas
- 2000 - Moved to City of Industry, CA (77,000 Sq. Ft. Facility)
- 2001 - Established PCS Corporation in Vancouver, Canada
- 2001 - Established Yantai Infrared Sauna Products in Yantai, China
- 2002 - Established KAIC Inc. in Seoul, Korea
- 2004 - Moved to Buena Park , CA
- 2006 -Established PLH Europe GMBH in Krefeld (Dusseldorf), Germany
- 2007 -Manufacturing Process is ISO 9001:2000 certified
- 2009 -30th anniversary
What kind of safety certifications does your product hold?
CSA US , CSA Canada, TUV Germany, CE, NEMKO, and UL processing.
Where are you located at?
We're located at 6655 Knott Ave, Buena Park CA 90620.
Do you carry Product Liability Insurance?
Yes, we do. Our policies are underwritten by St. Paul Travelers Insurance Company and the Steadfast Insurance Company. Each Health Mate Sauna unit is insured up to $2,000,000.
How many dealers do you have in the US?
We have approximately 300 dealers in the US. Please contact our dealer department for more information.
Is Health Mate a U. S. brand?
Yes, Health Mate is a U. S. brand that has been manufacturing and selling far infrared sanuas for 30 years. Our saunas are designed and developed in the US, using the finest components from all over the world.
About Wood
Why wood is important in sauna building?
Sauna is a heat-generating product, and because of such nature, wood selection is extremely important in sauna building. If cheap wood or plywood is used, it might bend or deteriorate in the future.
What kind of wood do you use?
We use all center cut Canadian Western Red Cedar wood inside and outside the unit for beauty and durability. Health Mate Sauna is the ONLY manufacturer of far infrared saunas who cares enough about the environment and you to make sure our products meet the highest standards of sustaining the earth’s resources. Find out why on our Green Cedar page.
Others say they also use cedar wood. Is all cedar wood the same?
No. Absolutely not. Other manufacturers normally purchase wood from a lumber dealer. Accordingly, it is hard for them to select the best-quality center-cut wood. At Health Mate, we can select only the best center-cut part because we control the whole manufacturing process from raw material to the finished sauna. We have our own lumber mill to process and select only the finest cedar wood. Find more in "Why Healthmate > Wood" page.
What are the characteristics of cedar wood?
Cedar is considered the best wood to build a sauna because of its beauty and durability. Especially, the Canadian Western Red Cedar is considered the world's best cedar wood because of its uniform and fine-grained texture combined with a palette of warm, mellow tones. It produces natural oil and extractives that act as preservatives to protect the wood from insect attacks and decay-causing fungi. Beauty aside, its cellular structure creates interior air spaces that give it an insulation value higher than most woods.
Some say cedar wood might be toxic. Is it true?
No. Absolutely not. Cedar wood has been used for the last 3000~4000 years to prevent or cure illnesses. Any kind of wood including cedar wood might be harmful if its wood dust is inhaled by an enormous amount in a closed space such as a saw mill or a wood factory. But the normal use of a sauna made with cedar wood is safe to the human body. No case has been reported to any government agencies or research institutions throughout the world regarding the health problems related to use of a cedar wood sauna.
About Heater
What kind of heaters do you use?
All of our heaters are made by Emerson Electric Co in the U. S., and they are 100% UL-approved. They have a ceramic heater core coated with incoloy, a metal alloy effective in high temperature applications. The incoloy coating distributes the heat evenly throughout the heater, ensuring a consistent far infrared wavelength. The heater housing, in conjunction with the heater, maximizes far infrared generation toward the front of the sauna while minimizing any energy loss through the back of the sauna. Find out more on our Heaters page.
What are the characteristics of your heating elements?
Our heaters are specially designed to evenly distribute far infrared rays and to have almost infinite lifetime. The large reflecting panels placed behind the heaters are designed to reflect the specific far infrared wavelengths emitted from our heaters for maximum results. Also, thanks to their robust structure while providing the optimun far infrared ray, our heaters have the life expectancy of 15+ years compared to that of 2 to 3 years in other types of heaters. Find our more in our Heater-comparison page.
Are ceramic heaters installed in other brands better than your heaters?
No, absolutely not. Our heaters are exclusively manufactured by Emerson Electric Co, and they are 100% UL-approved. They have the most effective ceramic elements inside coated with metal alloy. The ceramic elements are specially processed to emit the wavelengh at the most beneficial level to human body. This structure not only ensures the constant emission of far infrared ray but also makes the heater lifetime longer than any other types of infrared heaters in the market.
What's your heaters' infrared wavelength?
As you can see in "Our Heaters" page, our new M-Type heaters are proven to emit minimum 6 to 7 microns as wavelength.
Others claim that their heaters emit 9 to 14 microns. Are they better than yours?
No. Absolutely not. First of all, no scientific research has proven that far infrared ray effects human body differently depending on a wavelength. If the wavelength is higher than 5.6 microns, it is considered far infrared, and there's little difference between 6 or 15 microns. That's what science has discovered so far. Period. Don't be mislead by aggressive and many times fraudulent marketing by emerging sauna companies. Second of all, their claims that their heaters emit higher wavelengths are many times not supported by accurate scientific evidences.
Miscellaneous
What's your warranty term, and how does it work?
We offer lifetime warranty on heaters, craftsmanship, wood, and electrical components. Audio components are guaranteed for 1 year. When you have a problem, just call us, and we'll send you a replacement part along with instructions. In most cases, replacing parts/components is fairly simple and takes less than 30 minutes.
Where can I place the sauna?
You can place your sauna wherever you want. You can even place your sauna outside with the purchase of an optional cover. Please see owner's manual for safety instructions when you want to place your sauna outside.
How much electricity do your saunas consume?
Health Mate sauna units are designed to heat the entire room up to 170 º F within a short amount of time while consuming the least electricity. Our 120V models (NSE-1, NSE-2, NSE-3, CSE-2) consume 1660W to 2150W, which is almost same as a hair dryer. On average, your monthly electricity bill would go up by less than $5 if you have a 30-min session several times a week.