Sunlighten vs Clearlight: Which Infrared Sauna Brand Fits You

STOP comparing Sunlighten and Clearlight on the word “lifetime,” because only one of them means it. Sunlighten’s warranty page defines lifetime as seven years, parts only. Clearlight’s indoor warranty names no year limit and adds 7 years of labor.

That is the short answer. Clearlight wins on warranty, floor heaters and published EMF reports, and scores higher on our rubric in every size class. Sunlighten wins on price, by about $600 to $1,500 depending on the model, and on customer service replies. If you will keep the sauna for a decade, buy Clearlight. If budget decides it, buy Sunlighten’s Amplify II.

We compared every model from both brands line by line, read both warranties in full, and pulled owner feedback from Trustpilot. For the full brand breakdowns, read our Sunlighten review and Clearlight review.

Sunlighten vs Clearlight at a Glance

Sunlighten prices come from its US store, where the banner said the sale ended October 14, 2026. Clearlight’s official site would not load for us, so Clearlight prices come from Heal With Heat, an authorized dealer.

Model-by-Model Matchups

Here is how the two lineups line up by size and heat type, with our rubric scores. Prices were checked October 13, 2026.

Third-party mPulse prices come from Outliyr and Infrared Sauna Lab figures from April 2026 as cited by Peak Saunas, a competing brand. Sunlighten’s mPulse line has no online checkout (Sunlighten pricing page).

Two patterns stand out:

• Sunlighten is cheaper at every size with a public price. The gap is about $600 for 1-person far, about $700 for 2-person far, and about $1,500 for 2-person full spectrum.
• At the top, Clearlight can be cheaper. A 5-person Sanctuary 5 at around $8,499 undercuts third-party mPulse Empower figures of around $9,999.

Warranty: The Deciding Factor

Both brands say “lifetime.” Only one sets no end date.

Sunlighten writes: “Warranty covers normal use for the product’s lifetime, defined as seven years” (Sunlighten warranty). That covers cabinetry and heaters for 7 years, controls (including the power box) for 3 years, and glass and audio for 1 year. Labor is not covered, the customer pays all freight, and coverage ends if the sauna changes hands. It is void on a shared circuit, within 5 feet of a water source, or if used outdoors without the cover kept on at all times.

Clearlight covers the indoor residential cabin, factory-installed controls, wiring, heaters and audio for life, with 7 years of labor in the US and Canada (Clearlight warranty). Owners ship failed parts back at their own cost unless Clearlight replaces the whole unit. Transfer needs the company’s written consent. Outdoor models get 5 years on the cabin and 5 years of labor.

Here is what that looks like for a real repair:

The control row matters most. Power box and power supply failures are a repeat theme in Sunlighten’s owner complaints on Trustpilot and the BBB, and that part sits in Sunlighten’s 3-year bucket.

Heaters and Heat

Far infrared. Sunlighten uses SoloCarbon heaters. Clearlight uses True Wave carbon-ceramic heaters. Our rubric scores carbon and carbon-ceramic panels the same, so neither brand gains points here.

Full spectrum. This is where the brands differ most:

• Sunlighten Amplify adds 3 halogen full spectrum heaters to 5 SoloCarbon far infrared heaters, per its store page.
• Sunlighten mPulse uses SoloCarbon heaters for near, mid and far infrared plus red light, with zones you control separately in the app. That is the main reason to pay mPulse prices.
• Clearlight Sanctuary adds two 500W full spectrum heaters on the front glass to its carbon-ceramic far panels.

Heater placement. Clearlight’s listings put heaters on the back and side walls, under the bench, at calf level and in the floor. We did not confirm floor heaters on any Sunlighten model.

Max temperature. Neither brand publishes one. Infrared cabins in general run at about 110F to 135F, per Cleveland Clinic. If you want to know whether full spectrum is worth extra money at all, read full spectrum vs far infrared.

EMF Evidence

Both brands market low EMF. Neither publishes a seat-level test of a current cabin you can read in full.

• Clearlight links two readable Vitatech Electromagnetics reports (2016, 2015). They test bare heaters: a 600W heater measured below 0.5 mG at 3 to 14 feet, and 300W heaters measured 0.12 to 0.24 mG shielded at about 2 inches, with the electric field dropping from 357.7 V/m unshielded to 8.57 V/m shielded. The dealer’s EMF page claims “< 3mG” measured on the emitter (low EMF page).
• Sunlighten says Vitatech readings from 2021 show heater panels “less than 1 mG, with some as low as 0.1 mG” (Sunlighten safety page). It links a Vitatech PDF that we could not open, so we cannot say what it measures.

Edge: Clearlight, for publishing reports anyone can read. Every number above is manufacturer-reported or manufacturer-commissioned. For brands that do better, see our low EMF sauna guide.

Electrical and Install

Both brands keep most 1 and 2 person cabins on 120V, which is a big reason buyers shortlist them.

• Sunlighten: Signature, Amplify and mPulse Aspire need a dedicated 120V 20A circuit. The mPulse Empower needs 240V 30A. Electrical specs for the mPulse Believe and Conquer are not published.
• Clearlight: Sanctuary 1 plugs into a 120V 15A outlet (14.6A draw). Sanctuary 2 uses 120V 20A, rising to 120V 30A if you add the door heater or red light unit. Sanctuary 3, 5 and Outdoor-2 need 240V.

Use a licensed electrician for any new circuit, and ask whether your area requires a permit. Remember that Sunlighten’s warranty is void on a shared circuit, and Clearlight’s excludes improper voltage and unauthorized electrical work.

Owner Feedback and Service

Sunlighten: 4.6 from 4,080 Trustpilot reviews, 86% five-star, with replies to 97% of negative reviews (often templated). Praise centers on low-pressure sales staff, build quality and fast delivery. Complaints center on reaching support for repairs, shipping damage and failed power boxes.

Clearlight: 4.4 from 1,688 Trustpilot reviews, 77% five-star, with replies to only 6% of negative reviews (Trustpilot). Praise centers on design, build and fast heat-up. Complaints center on slow repairs, communication gaps and hard-to-get parts.

Edge: Sunlighten on responsiveness. Clearlight’s warranty promises more, but owners report that collecting on it can be slow.

Buying Terms

• Sunlighten: free freight to the contiguous US, delivered on a pallet; returns only if unopened within 30 days, with a $499 restocking fee on Amplify plus possible admin, storage and return shipping fees.
• Clearlight (through Heal With Heat): interest-free financing through Synchrony, with no APR or term listed. We could not confirm Clearlight’s return policy.

One more note on ownership. Clearlight announced an exclusive licensing partnership with Jacuzzi in 2017 to make Jacuzzi-branded infrared saunas (Clearlight announcement). Some competitor sites say Jacuzzi bought Clearlight, but we found no primary source for that. Sunlighten has no parent company we could find, and it states it builds its saunas in Vietnam (Sunlighten craftsmanship page).

Which Brand Should You Buy

Buy Clearlight if:

• You plan to keep the sauna 10 years or more
• You want labor covered if something breaks
• You want floor and calf heaters
• You need an outdoor infrared cabin (Sunlighten has none)

View at Heal With Heat for Clearlight Sanctuary 2 Full Spectrum (opens in a new tab)

Buy Sunlighten if:

• Your budget tops out near $5,000 to $6,000
• You want separately controlled near, mid and far zones (mPulse)
• You value a brand that answers nearly every complaint publicly

View at shop-us.sunlighten.com for Sunlighten Amplify II (2-Person, Obsidian) (opens in a new tab)

If neither fits, our best full spectrum infrared saunas roundup covers Sun Home, Health Mate and budget options, and our infrared sauna guide explains the heater types in plain terms.

Talk to your doctor before using any sauna if you have a heart condition, high or low blood pressure, are pregnant, or take medications. Never use a sauna alone or after drinking alcohol. Harvard Health advises no more than 15 to 20 minutes per session.