Home › Comparison › Solara vs Sierra 2 SaunaBox Solara vs Enlighten Sierra 2 (2026): what are you actually paying the extra $3,147 for?
By SaunaBox · Published August 3, 2026 · 8 min read
Short answer
These are not the same product, and the honest comparison starts there. The Enlighten Sierra 2 is a 775 lb two-person cedar cabin at $5,846. The SaunaBox Solara is a 172 lb one-person hemlock cabin at $2,699. If you need seating for two, the Solara is not your product at any price. If you are heating one person, the Solara costs $3,147 less, weighs a quarter as much, and publishes a red light specification the Sierra 2 does not have. Enlighten wins decisively on warranty: 3 years outdoor and 7 years indoor, against 1 year.
Both cabins run full spectrum infrared and both top out at essentially the same temperature. The real question is how many people you are heating , and whether you want red light therapy in the same box.
The SaunaBox Solara. 35 in W x 37 in D x 63 in H, 172 lb, assembles in under 30 minutes.
Price gap $3,147 Solara costs less
Weight gap 603 lb Solara is lighter
Max temp 1°F Difference between them
Where these numbers come from. SaunaBox Solara figures are taken from the Solara product page on saunabox.com. Enlighten Sierra 2 figures are taken from published Sierra 2 specifications at an authorised Enlighten retailer, retrieved on August 2, 2026. Prices and promotions change, and Enlighten sells indoor and outdoor variants of the Sierra 2 at different prices. Confirm current figures with each manufacturer before ordering.
How do the Solara and Sierra 2 compare on published specs?
Specification comparison, retrieved August 2, 2026. "Not published" means the manufacturer does not state the figure in its published specifications.
Specification
Enlighten Sierra 2
SaunaBox Solara
Notes
Price
$5,846 listed down from $6,839
$2,699
Solara is $3,147 less at listed prices
Capacity
2 person
1 person
The Sierra 2 seats two. This is the one difference price cannot bridge
Placement
Indoor and outdoor variants
Indoor
Enlighten sells an outdoor-rated cabin; the Solara is an indoor unit
Infrared type
Full spectrum, 8 carbon heaters
Full spectrum, near, mid and far
Comparable on category
Infrared wavelengths
0–5 µm near/mid, 6–12 µm far
Near, mid and far
Enlighten publishes bands; SaunaBox publishes the red light figures instead
Red light therapy
Not offered
Medical-grade 660 nm + 850 nm
The Sierra 2 is not sold with a dedicated red light panel
Max temperature
149 °F
150 °F range 77 to 150 °F
One degree apart. Neither is meaningfully hotter
Heater power
2250 W, 110/120 V, 20 A
1600 W, 110 V
The Sierra 2 specifies a 20 amp NEMA 5-20P circuit, not a standard 15 amp outlet
Interior size
46 x 46 x 73 in
Fits one adult
The Sierra 2 is a substantially larger room
Exterior size
64 x 64 in roof
35 x 37 x 63 in
The Solara fits where the Sierra 2 does not
Assembled weight
775 lb
172 lb
Solara is 603 lb lighter
Assembly
Not published
Under 30 minutes
A 775 lb cabin is a planned installation either way
Wood
Western Canadian Red Cedar
100% Canadian Hemlock
Different species, both closed-grain softwoods
EMF
"Low EMF", no standard named
"Ultra-low EMF", no standard named
Neither publishes a test standard. This row separates nobody
Toxin testing
Not published
Certified free of toxic heavy metals and phthalates
Per the SaunaBox Solara product page
Warranty
3 yr outdoor / 7 yr indoor
1-Year Limited
Enlighten is materially longer. A 2-year extended plan is sold separately by SaunaBox
Audio
Bluetooth, FM, USB, AUX, MP3
Bluetooth audio
Both included
HSA / FSA route
Not published
TrueMed at checkout
Via Letter of Medical Necessity under IRS Section 213(d)
Start with the thing price cannot fix
The Sierra 2 seats two people in a 46 by 46 inch room. The Solara seats one. Every other line on that table is a trade you can argue about; this one is not. If two people want to sit in the sauna together, this comparison is over and Enlighten wins it.
So the useful version of this question is narrower: if you are heating one person, what does the extra $3,147 buy ?
A second seat. Real, and the main one. A 46 by 46 inch bench is a different object from a one-person cabin.
An outdoor option. Enlighten sells the Sierra in outdoor-rated variants with a shingled roof. The Solara is an indoor unit and does not compete here at all.
Warranty length. Three years outdoor, seven indoor, against one. Covered properly below, because it is the row where SaunaBox is weakest.
What it does not buy is heat. The Sierra 2 tops out at 149 °F and the Solara at 150 °F. It draws 2250 W against 1600 W because it is heating roughly four times the air volume, not because it runs hotter.
Red light is the specification gap that matters
Enlighten publishes its infrared bands properly, 0 to 5 microns for near and mid and 6 to 12 microns for far. That is more wavelength detail than most cabin brands give you, and it deserves credit.
What the Sierra 2 does not have is a dedicated red light panel. Red light therapy is only meaningful at specific wavelengths, and the two that appear across most published research are 660 nm at the skin surface and 850 nm near-infrared, which reaches further into tissue. The Solara publishes both on a medical-grade panel. If red light is part of why you want a sauna, that is not a difference in degree, it is a feature the Sierra 2 does not carry.
The EMF row separates nobody, and we should say so
Enlighten describes the Sierra 2 heaters as low EMF. SaunaBox describes the Solara panels as ultra-low EMF. Neither publishes the test standard behind the phrase. On the evidence available, this row is a wash, and anyone telling you otherwise about either cabin is filling in a blank.
Where the Sierra 2 genuinely wins
Two seats. The whole comparison bends around this. 46 by 46 inches of bench against a one-person cabin.
Warranty, decisively. Three years outdoor residential and seven years indoor, upgradeable to ten or lifetime, against the Solara's 1-Year Limited. SaunaBox sells a 2-year extended plan separately, which tells you where the standard coverage ends.
Outdoor capability. A shingled roof and an outdoor-rated build. The Solara has no answer here.
Cabin presence. At 775 lb in Western Canadian Red Cedar with double-pane tempered glass, it reads as permanent architecture. Some buyers want exactly that.
Where the Solara wins
$3,147 less. $2,699 against $5,846.
Red light therapy included. Medical-grade 660 nm and 850 nm, published. The Sierra 2 does not offer it.
603 lb lighter. 172 lb against 775 lb, and under 30 minutes to put together.
Fits a normal outlet. 1600 W at 110 V, against a 20 amp NEMA 5-20P circuit for the Sierra 2.
Published toxin testing. Certified free of toxic heavy metals and phthalates.
An HSA / FSA route. TrueMed at checkout, via a Letter of Medical Necessity under IRS Section 213(d), if you qualify.
Which one should you buy?
Buy the Enlighten Sierra 2 if two people will use it together, if it is going outside, or if a long warranty is what makes a purchase this size feel safe. Those are good reasons and the price reflects real product.
Buy the SaunaBox Solara if you are heating one person and want red light therapy in the same cabin, if the room has a normal 15 amp outlet and a low ceiling, or if $3,147 is better spent elsewhere. You are not buying a smaller version of the Sierra 2. You are buying a different feature set at less than half the price.
Frequently asked questions
Which is cheaper, the SaunaBox Solara or the Enlighten Sierra 2?
The SaunaBox Solara is $2,699. The Enlighten Sierra 2 is $5,846, discounted from $6,839. The Solara costs $3,147 less at current listed prices, though the Sierra 2 is a two-person cabin and the Solara is a one-person cabin.
Do both saunas publish their red light wavelengths?
No. The SaunaBox Solara publishes medical-grade 660 nm and 850 nm. Enlighten publishes infrared wavelength bands for the Sierra 2, 0 to 5 microns near and mid and 6 to 12 microns far, but does not publish a red light therapy wavelength, because the Sierra 2 is not sold with a dedicated red light panel.
How hot does each sauna get?
They are within one degree of each other. The Enlighten Sierra 2 lists a maximum of 149 °F. The SaunaBox Solara is adjustable from 77 to 150 °F. Neither is meaningfully hotter than the other.
Which sauna has the longer warranty?
Enlighten, clearly. The Sierra 2 carries a standard 3-year warranty for outdoor residential use and 7 years for indoor residential use, upgradeable further. The SaunaBox Solara carries a 1-Year Limited warranty. Warranty length is the specification where Enlighten is strongest.
How much do the SaunaBox Solara and Enlighten Sierra 2 weigh?
The SaunaBox Solara weighs 172 lb assembled. The Enlighten Sierra 2 weighs 775 lb, roughly four and a half times as much. The Solara assembles in under 30 minutes; a 775 lb cedar cabin is a planned installation.
Do either of these saunas need a dedicated electrical circuit?
Neither needs an electrician, but they are not the same draw. The SaunaBox Solara runs 1600 W at 110 V on a standard household outlet. The Enlighten Sierra 2 runs 2250 W at 110/120 V and specifies a 20 amp circuit with a NEMA 5-20P connection, which is not the standard 15 amp outlet found in most rooms.
What EMF certification does each sauna hold?
Both describe their heaters as low EMF. Neither the Sierra 2 listing nor the Solara listing names a specific EMF test standard in its published specifications, so on this point the two cannot be separated by published data.
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.
Is it fair to compare a one-person sauna to a two-person sauna?
Only if you say so plainly, which this page does. The Enlighten Sierra 2 seats two and has a 46 by 46 inch interior. The SaunaBox Solara seats one. If you need room for two people the Solara is not the product, regardless of price.
The Solara is 172 lb, assembles in under 30 minutes, runs on a standard 110 V outlet, and publishes medical-grade 660 nm and 850 nm red light. If you are heating one person, it does the job for $3,147 less.
Shop the Solara
Sources
SaunaBox Solara product page, saunabox.com . Retrieved August 2, 2026.
Enlighten Sierra 2 published specifications, authorised retailer listing. Retrieved August 2, 2026.
26 U.S. Code § 213(d)(1)(A), medical expense definition, law.cornell.edu .
Specifications and prices change without notice. This comparison quotes each manufacturer's published figures at the date of retrieval and marks unpublished specifications as such rather than estimating them. Always consult a healthcare professional before adding sauna use to your routine. This is not a medical device and is not intended to be used as one.
