Here is the part most brands do not say out loud.

The sauna price is often just the starting price.

A lot of premium brands upsell the features that modern buyers assume are included.

Example: red light therapy is often an upgrade

Clearlight openly lists red light therapy as an add on, priced from $999 to $2,199 depending on the setup.

And that was my first “wait a second” moment.

Because I did not want to buy a premium sauna and then realize the most important modern wellness feature was going to be another four figures.

Another example: “full spectrum” can be an upgrade too

On Clearlight’s upgrade list, there is also a “Full Spectrum Heater Upgrade” for $500.

Again, nothing wrong with upgrades.

I just wanted to know what I was really paying for.

Sunlighten was similar in a different way

Sunlighten’s Signature line is clearly positioned as far infrared (gentle far infrared heat).

If you want full spectrum in their lineup, you are pushed toward Amplify, which they market as full spectrum.

And they also list a “RED Light Therapy Panel” separately in their warranty section, which was a subtle clue that red light is treated as its own product category, not a default sauna inclusion.

At this point, my research got simple:

I did not want a “base model sauna” where the best parts live in the add on menu.