If you have spent an evening comparing home infrared saunas, you have almost certainly had two names come up side by side: Golden Designs and Maxxus. The specifications look similar, the price bands overlap, and the marketing language is nearly identical. That is not a coincidence — and understanding why makes the choice much simpler than it first appears.
Here is what actually separates the two lines, and which one suits which buyer.
First, the Thing Nobody Tells You
Golden Designs Inc. is the company behind both. Its Dynamic-branded models and its Maxxus-branded models come out of the same organisation, share core heating technology, and use overlapping cabinet construction. You are not choosing between two rival manufacturers with different engineering philosophies. You are choosing between two product lines from the same house, positioned at slightly different points on the spec ladder.
That reframes the question usefully. Instead of "which brand is better", the real question is "which line is configured the way I need" — wood, EMF rating, infrared spectrum, and capacity.
Where the Two Lines Diverge
Wood and cabinet
Both lines build primarily in Canadian Hemlock, with Red Cedar available on selected models. Hemlock is the harder, more dimensionally stable option and is close to odourless — the right pick if anyone in the household is sensitive to scent, or if the sauna is going in a bedroom or basement where aroma lingers. Cedar carries the classic sauna smell and a natural resistance to moisture, which is why it commands a premium.
Maxxus leans harder into cedar options across its range. If the aroma is part of what you are buying, that is a genuine point of difference.
EMF ratings
This is the clearest technical distinction. Golden Designs' Dynamic models are typically specified as low EMF, while several Maxxus models are specified as near-zero EMF — the "ZF" designation in codes like MX-K406-01-ZF. If electromagnetic field output is a priority for you, Maxxus publishes the more aggressive numbers.
Worth saying plainly: low EMF panels from either line already sit far below the levels most buyers are concerned about. Near-zero is a meaningful upgrade for people who care deeply about it, and a marginal one for everyone else.
Far infrared versus full spectrum
Far infrared is the standard across both lines — long wavelengths that warm the body directly at comfortable cabin temperatures. Full spectrum adds near and mid infrared, which sit at shorter wavelengths and are associated with surface-level and mid-tissue effects.
Both lines offer full spectrum at the upper end. Full spectrum models run several hundred dollars more, and whether that is worth it depends entirely on whether you want the additional wavelengths or simply the deep, sustained warmth that far infrared already delivers well.
Where Golden Designs Pulls Ahead
The single biggest difference between the two lines is not a specification at all — it is category. Maxxus builds infrared cabins. Golden Designs builds infrared cabins and traditional heater-and-stones saunas. If you want to pour water on hot stones indoors, only one of these two names can help you.
Golden Designs "Engelberg" Edition Indoor Traditional Steam Sauna — 6 Person, GDI-7060-01
This is the card that Maxxus cannot answer. The Engelberg is a genuine traditional steam sauna with a heater and stones, built in Pacific Premium Clear Cedar and seating six — not an infrared cabin. If you want real löyly indoors, the ability to pour water and take the room to full Finnish heat, Golden Designs is the only one of the two lines that offers it. Down from $9,499, it is also the biggest saving in the range.
On the infrared side, the two lines meet properly at the top of the range, where both offer full spectrum heating in a three-person cabinet.
Golden Designs Reserve Edition Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna with Himalayan Salt Bar — 3 Person, GDI-8035-03
The top of the Golden Designs infrared range: full spectrum heating across near, mid and far wavelengths, a Himalayan salt bar, and an interior touchscreen control panel, all in a 54″ corner cabinet of reforested Canadian hemlock. It goes directly against the Maxxus full spectrum models and undercuts its own $6,999 list price by two thousand dollars.
MAXXUS 3-Person Low EMF Far Infrared Indoor Sauna — MX-K306-01
Seven carbon heating panels — one more than most cabins at this size and price — in natural Canadian hemlock, with red light therapy and Bluetooth included. At $2,899 it is the most panel coverage per dollar in the three-person category, which translates directly into more even warmth across the bench rather than hot spots behind your back.
Head to Head on Value at Three People
Below the flagship models, three-person infrared cabins are where the two lines compete most directly. Both use hemlock, carbon panels, red light therapy and Bluetooth — the differences come down to panel count, EMF specification, and price.
Other options worth weighing:
- Full spectrum with a salt bar. The Maxxus MX-K356-01 adds full spectrum heating and a Himalayan salt bar at $3,299 — a modest premium over the standard three-person cabin.
- Cedar instead of hemlock. The Maxxus MX-M206-01-FS builds a two-person full spectrum cabin in Canadian Reforested Red Cedar with a floor heater, for buyers who want the aroma and the warmer underfoot experience.
- Near-zero EMF at four-person size. The MX-K406-01-ZF is the option for families who want the lowest published EMF figures without dropping to a smaller cabin.
- Compact Dynamic options. The Barcelona corner cabinet (1-2 person, $1,899) and the Lugano three-person ($2,699) sit at the entry end of the Golden Designs family, alongside the Santiago full spectrum two-person.
All of these sit within the Golden Designs home sauna range, alongside the wider selection of Maxxus infrared cabins.
So Which Should You Buy?
Choose Golden Designs if: you want a traditional steam sauna rather than infrared, you want full spectrum with a salt bar at the best price, you need six-person capacity, or you are buying at the entry end where the compact Dynamic cabinets sit.
Choose Maxxus if: near-zero EMF matters to you, you want cedar, you want the highest panel count for the money, or you are shopping at four-person size where the Maxxus range is stronger.
Because both lines share a manufacturer, you are not taking on different warranty risk or different build standards by picking one over the other. Compare the individual model specification — panel count, wood, EMF rating, spectrum — and ignore the badge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Golden Designs and Maxxus the same company?
Both lines sit under Golden Designs Inc. They share heating technology and construction standards, which is why their specifications read so similarly.
Is near-zero EMF worth paying extra for?
If EMF exposure is something you actively track, yes — the published figures are meaningfully lower. If it is not, low EMF panels from either line are already well below the thresholds most buyers care about.
Hemlock or cedar — which should I choose?
Hemlock if you want a near-odourless cabin, harder wood, and a lower price. Cedar if the aroma is part of the appeal and you do not mind paying for it.
Do these saunas need special wiring?
Most one to three-person infrared cabins run from a standard 120V household outlet on a dedicated circuit. Larger four-person and full spectrum models may require 240V. Check the specification on the individual product page before you order.
How long does assembly take?
Two people can usually assemble an infrared cabin in one to two hours using the buckle-clasp system both lines use. No specialist tools are required.
The Bottom Line
This is not a brand rivalry, and treating it as one leads people to overthink the decision. Golden Designs and Maxxus are two shelves in the same shop. Golden Designs wins outright if you want traditional heat, cedar, or six-person capacity, and its Reserve Edition is the best-priced full spectrum cabin here; Maxxus wins on panel count per dollar and near-zero EMF specification.
Decide on capacity first, then wood, then whether full spectrum is worth the premium to you. The badge on the door is the last thing that should influence the choice. When you have picked the cabinet, add the essentials that make it usable — a timer, a cushion, and a towel set will do more for your first month of ownership than any spec upgrade.