Introduction - Color-Changing Sauna Lighting Explained
Many sauna specification sheets list "chromotherapy" as a feature, usually with no description of what it is. On a sauna, it is the name some manufacturers give to color-changing LED lighting. This article explains how that lighting works, how it differs from other light-related terms, and what to consider when comparing models.
Questions as you read? Connect with Ridgecrest, and we’ll help you sort through the terminology.
Key Takeaways
- "Chromotherapy" on a sauna listing is a name some manufacturers give to color-changing LED lighting.
- Color-changing lights combine red, green and blue LEDs, sometimes with a white channel, and run at low voltage from a transformer installed outside the hot room.
- Color-changing lighting is different from red light devices built to deliver a measured dose of light, which don’t work through sight.
- Ridgecrest makes no health claims for any lighting feature and doesn’t publish charts linking colors to effects on the body.
- Choose lighting for how it looks and the atmosphere you want, and take any health questions to your physician.
Direct Answer - What Is Color-Changing Sauna Lighting?
On a sauna, "chromotherapy" is what some manufacturers call color-changing lighting: LED units that let you change the color of the light in the cabin. The word has a longer history outside saunas, where it refers to treatments using colored light; Ridgecrest describes the sauna feature simply as color-changing lighting.
Detailed Discussion - Understanding Color-Changing Sauna Lighting
What the Label Means on a Sauna Listing
The term appears on many sauna specification sheets for color-changing LED lighting, usually with no further explanation. It tells you the lighting can change color, but nothing about the hardware or how it works. Because the word refers to a form of treatment outside saunas, Ridgecrest calls the feature color-changing lighting or mood lighting, which describe what you actually receive.
How Color-Changing Sauna Lights Work
Sauna color-changing fixtures utilize red, green, and blue LED emitters combined to generate a variety of colors. RGBW fixtures include a white channel, allowing the same fixture to generate warm white light, the traditional color choice for sauna interiors. Depending on the model available, you may have multiple options, including cycling through colors, holding a single color, and adjusting brightness levels.
Similar to all sauna lighting components, these fixtures are specifically designed for use in high-heat, humid environments. Like other sauna lighting fixtures, these devices generally run at 12 or 24 VDC and draw power from a transformer installed outside the hot room. Also like other sauna lighting components, since heating and lighting are independent systems, selecting a color does not alter how the sauna heats.
Color-Changing Lighting and Other Light-Related Terms
Several light-related terms appear in sauna marketing and are easy to confuse. Clinically, light therapy means very bright white light, used for purposes unrelated to sauna lighting. Red light devices built for light-based treatment are defined as working without heat and not through vision, which sets them apart from color-changing lighting, which you experience by sight. Some full spectrum saunas also contain near-infrared emitters, but these are heaters, not lighting. Our article Red Light Features in Saunas: What the Label Means covers the difference in more detail.
Sauna Lighting and Health Claims
Some vendors publish charts linking colors to effects on the body. The charts differ from vendor to vendor, and you won’t find them on Ridgecrest.com. Ridgecrest makes no health claims for color-changing lighting or any other lighting it sells, so choose a color simply because you like how it looks. If you are seeking light-based treatment for a medical condition, consult your physician.
Practical Considerations - Choosing Color-Changing Sauna Lighting: Questions to Ask
When a listing mentions color-changing lighting (some call it chromotherapy), a few questions will tell you what you are actually getting:
- How many colors/settings are included in the lighting, and does it have a white channel?
- Can the lighting be dimmed or kept steady on a single color?
- Where are the fixtures located relative to the controls?
- What types of replacement parts does the manufacturer specify?
Treat color-changing lighting as an atmosphere feature, and weigh it alongside heater type, cabin size, and electrical requirements.
Health & Safety
Heat and cold exposure can place significant stress on the body and may not be appropriate for everyone. Before beginning sauna use, cold water immersion, alternating heat and cold exposure, or another heat- or cold-exposure practice, consult a qualified healthcare provider if you have a medical condition, take medications that may affect your response to heat or cold, are pregnant, or have questions about whether these activities are appropriate for you. Always follow the product manufacturer’s safety instructions and warnings.
Color-Changing Sauna Lighting Installation Readiness
Electrical components such as transformers and switches are located outside the hot room. Only a licensed electrician should perform electrical work associated with lighting in a hot room. A licensed electrician will also know if the electrical component(s) require GFCI protection based on your local codes. When an electrical component fails, all replacement electrical components must be those specified by the manufacturer. Each product page includes its Ridgecrest Installation Readiness™ assessment, including what the product needs for electrical service.
Color-Changing Sauna Lighting: Summary
On a sauna listing, "chromotherapy" is a name some manufacturers give to color-changing LED lighting. The lighting typically combines red, green and blue LEDs, often with a white channel, and runs at low voltage from a transformer outside the hot room. It is different from light therapy and from red light devices built for light-based treatment, and Ridgecrest makes no health claims for it. Choose the lighting you like, ask the manufacturer about the feature, and take any health questions to your physician.
Want help comparing lighting across models? Schedule a pre-purchase consultation with Ridgecrest Guide Service™.
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