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SaunaBox Solara vs Medical Saunas Medical 3 (2026): which 1-person full spectrum sauna is worth it?
By SaunaBox · Published July 27, 2026
· 9 min read
Short answer
The SaunaBox Solara is $2,699 and the Medical Saunas Medical 3 is $3,449. The Solara costs $750 less, weighs 172 lb against 321 lb, assembles in under 30 minutes with no tools, and publishes both its red light wavelengths (660 nm and 850 nm) and its EMF certification (IEC 62233). The Medical 3 is the heavier, more furniture-like cabin with a longer 3-year warranty and a taller 73 in interior. Choose the Medical 3 if warranty length and cabin scale matter most. Choose the Solara if you want published specifications, a lighter unit you can install yourself, and $750 back in your pocket.
Both of these are one-person full spectrum infrared cabins in hemlock, at roughly the same tier of the market. The difference is not really the heat. It is how much each company is willing to publish , and what you are paying for the difference.
The SaunaBox Solara. 35 in W x 37 in D x 63 in H, 172 lb, assembles in under 30 minutes with no tools.
Price gap $750 Solara costs less
Weight gap 149 lb Solara is lighter
Assembly 30 min Solara, no tools
Where these numbers come from. SaunaBox Solara figures are taken from the Solara product page on saunabox.com. Medical Saunas Medical 3 figures are taken from the Medical 3 product page on medicalsaunas.com, both retrieved on July 27, 2026. Prices and promotions change. Confirm current figures with each manufacturer before ordering.
How do the SaunaBox Solara and Medical 3 compare on published specs?
Specification comparison, retrieved July 27, 2026. "Not published" means the manufacturer does not state the figure on its product page.
Specification
Medical Saunas Medical 3
SaunaBox Solara
Notes
Price
$3,449 listed down from $7,999
$2,699
Solara is $750 less at listed prices
Capacity
1 person
1 person, fits up to 6 ft 8 in
SaunaBox publishes a height rating; Medical Saunas does not
Infrared type
Full spectrum, 6 heaters
Full spectrum, near, mid and far
Comparable on category
Red light wavelengths
Not published
660 nm + 850 nm
Medical Saunas states "Ultra Full Spectrum Red Light Heaters" without wavelengths
Max temperature
Not published
150 °F range 77 to 150 °F
Most infrared sessions run 130 to 150 °F
Heater power
1500 W, 120 V / 15 A
1600 W, 110 V
Both use a standard household outlet
Exterior size
39 x 36 x 73 in
35 x 37 x 63 in
Solara is 10 in shorter, relevant under low ceilings
Assembled weight
321 lb
172 lb
Solara is 149 lb lighter
Assembly
Clasp-together assembly
Under 30 min, no tools
Solara ships as four pre-assembled panels with locking clips
Wood
Natural hemlock
100% Canadian Hemlock
Same species
EMF certification
Not published
IEC 62233 certified
IEC 62233 is the international appliance EMF measurement standard
Toxin testing
Not published
Certified free of lead, cadmium and phthalates
Per the SaunaBox Solara product page
Warranty
3 years
2 years
Medical Saunas is longer here
Audio
Speaker system, MP3 connection
Bluetooth audio
Both included
Lighting
LED control panel
Chromotherapy lighting + red light panel
Solara separates ambient colour from therapeutic red light
HSA / FSA route
Not published
TrueMed at checkout
Via Letter of Medical Necessity under IRS Section 213(d)
What is the real difference between these two saunas?
On paper these are close cousins. Both are one-person hemlock cabins. Both are full spectrum. Both run on a normal wall outlet without an electrician. If you sat in each of them for twenty minutes you would struggle to describe the difference in a sentence.
The difference shows up in the spec sheet, and specifically in what each company chooses not to tell you .
Four specifications on the table above are marked "not published" for the Medical 3: red light wavelengths, maximum temperature, EMF certification, and toxin testing. These are not obscure details. They are the four things a careful buyer researching infrared saunas usually wants to check.
This is not an accusation that the Medical 3 performs badly on any of them. It may perform very well. The point is narrower and more useful to you: you cannot verify it from the product page , so you cannot compare it against anything. A number you cannot see is a number you cannot hold a company to.
Red light therapy is the clearest example
Red light therapy is only meaningful at specific wavelengths. The two that appear across most of the published research are 660 nm, which is absorbed at the skin surface, and 850 nm near-infrared, which penetrates further into tissue. Those numbers are the entire reason the category exists.
The SaunaBox Solara publishes both, on a dedicated V2 swivel panel you can aim. Medical Saunas describes six "Ultra Full Spectrum Red Light Heaters" on the Medical 3, which is a product name rather than a specification. Without wavelengths there is no way to tell whether you are getting targeted red light therapy or warm-coloured heat.
EMF is the second example
Electromagnetic field output is the most common concern raised about infrared saunas, because you are sitting inches from the heating elements for half an hour at a time. IEC 62233 is the international standard for measuring it in household appliances. The Solara is certified to it. The Medical 3 page does not name a standard or publish a test.
Where the Medical 3 genuinely wins
Two places, and they are real.
Warranty. Three years against two. If long coverage is the thing that lets you sleep at night, Medical Saunas has the better offer and it is not close.
Cabin height. A 66.5 in interior height and a 73 in exterior make the Medical 3 a taller, more upright cabin. If you want to feel like you are in a room rather than a booth, that extra ten inches is noticeable.
There is a third, softer point. At 321 lb the Medical 3 is substantial furniture. Some buyers want that. A heavy cabin that took two people to install reads as permanent in a way a 172 lb unit does not, and for a fixed installation in a finished basement that impression has value.
Where the Solara wins
$750 less at listed prices. $2,699 against $3,449, for the same category of product.
149 lb lighter. 172 lb against 321 lb. This is the difference between a delivery you can manage and one you plan a day around.
Under 30 minutes to assemble, no tools. Four pre-assembled panels with locking clips.
Published red light wavelengths. Medical-grade 660 nm and 850 nm LEDs on an aimable swivel panel.
IEC 62233 certified ultra-low EMF , against a standard, not a marketing phrase.
Certified free of lead, cadmium and phthalates.
Ten inches shorter , at 63 in, which is what lets it go under a basement duct or a garage shelf.
Rated to 6 ft 8 in with a 300 lb capacity, both published.
HSA and FSA route at checkout through TrueMed, via a Letter of Medical Necessity under IRS Section 213(d).
Who should buy which?
Warranty length is your deciding factor and three years beats two for you. You want the tallest possible one-person cabin and have the ceiling height for a 73 in unit. You are installing permanently and the 321 lb weight is not a problem because it is never moving again. You are comfortable buying without published wavelength, temperature or EMF figures.
You want to compare specifications before you spend, and you would rather have published numbers than product names. You are installing it yourself and 172 lb versus 321 lb decides that. Your ceiling, basement duct or garage shelving makes 63 in the practical limit. You want targeted red light therapy at stated wavelengths. You want to route the purchase through HSA or FSA funds. Or you want $750 back.
A note on how we compare
SaunaBox publishes these comparisons and sells one of the two products in them, so treat the framing accordingly. What we can commit to is the method: every competitor figure here is quoted from the competitor's own live product page rather than paraphrased, every gap is marked "not published" rather than guessed at, and the two places the Medical 3 beats the Solara are stated as plainly as the places it does not. If a figure on this page is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, the SaunaBox Solara or the Medical Saunas Medical 3?
The SaunaBox Solara is $2,699. The Medical Saunas Medical 3 is listed at $3,449, discounted from a $7,999 retail price. The Solara costs $750 less at current listed prices.
Do both saunas publish their red light wavelengths?
No. The Solara publishes medical-grade 660 nm and 850 nm LEDs on a V2 swivel panel. Medical Saunas describes the Medical 3 as having six Ultra Full Spectrum Red Light Heaters but does not publish the specific wavelengths, so the two cannot be compared numerically on red light.
How much do the Solara and Medical 3 weigh?
The Solara weighs 172 lb assembled. The Medical 3 weighs 321 lb, roughly 87 percent heavier. The Solara assembles in under 30 minutes with no tools using four pre-assembled panels with locking clips.
Do either of these saunas need a dedicated electrical circuit?
Neither requires an electrician. The Solara runs 1600 W at 110 V on a standard household outlet with an 8 foot cord. The Medical 3 runs 1500 W on a 120 V, 15 amp outlet.
What EMF certification does each sauna hold?
The Solara is IEC 62233 certified for ultra-low EMF. Medical Saunas does not publish an EMF certification or test standard on the Medical 3 product page. IEC 62233 is the international standard for measuring electromagnetic field exposure from household appliances.
Which sauna has the longer warranty?
The Medical 3 carries a 3-year warranty. The Solara carries a 2-year warranty. Medical Saunas has the longer coverage of the two.
How tall a person fits in the SaunaBox Solara?
The Solara is rated to fit one adult up to 6 ft 8 in, with a 300 lb weight capacity. Its exterior footprint is 35 in wide by 37 in deep by 63 in high.
Is the SaunaBox Solara HSA or FSA eligible?
It can be. Eligibility runs through a Letter of Medical Necessity issued by a licensed practitioner under the IRS Section 213(d) medical expense pathway, which SaunaBox facilitates through TrueMed at checkout. Whether you qualify is determined by the practitioner and the terms of your plan.
What is the difference in footprint between the two?
The Solara measures 35 in W x 37 in D x 63 in H. The Medical 3 measures 39 in W x 36 in D x 73 in H. The Solara is 4 inches narrower and 10 inches shorter, which matters in rooms with low ceilings or in a garage with shelving.
Two one-person hemlock cabins, $750 apart. The Medical 3 gives you a longer warranty and a taller cabin. The Solara gives you published wavelengths, a published EMF certification, published toxin testing, 149 lb less to move, half an hour of assembly with no tools, and $750 you keep.
If you would rather compare numbers than product names, that is the whole argument.
See the Solara
Sources and references
SaunaBox, Solara Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna product page . Retrieved July 27, 2026.
Medical Saunas, Medical 3 Infrared Sauna product page . Retrieved July 27, 2026.
IEC 62233, Measurement methods for electromagnetic fields of household appliances and similar apparatus with regard to human exposure. International Electrotechnical Commission.
Internal Revenue Service, Section 213(d), Medical, dental, etc., expenses. Basis for the Letter of Medical Necessity pathway used for HSA and FSA eligibility.
This page is published by SaunaBox, which sells the SaunaBox Solara. Competitor specifications are quoted from the manufacturer's own published product pages and were accurate as of the retrieval date. Nothing here is medical advice. Infrared sauna use may help support recovery and relaxation; it is not a treatment for any condition. Consult a licensed practitioner about your own circumstances.
