Maxxus Saunas Review: Not the Budget Brand
Almost everything written about Maxxus calls it the cheap line below Dynamic. We stock all 33 cabins, and the catalog says the opposite — it starts higher, sits higher, and it's where the cedar is.
If you've been researching home infrared saunas for more than an afternoon, you've probably absorbed a piece of received wisdom: Golden Designs makes three lines, and Maxxus is the budget one. It appears in review after review. We repeated a version of it ourselves until we sat down with the live catalog and counted.
It isn't true. Across the 33 Maxxus cabins we stock, the range runs $2,399 to $5,599 with a median of $3,399. The Dynamic line starts at $1,499 with a median of $2,599. Maxxus doesn't sit below Dynamic. It sits above it — and understanding what the extra money actually buys is the whole point of this review.
Who makes Maxxus
Maxxus is one of three lines from Golden Designs, Inc., alongside Dynamic and the Golden Designs range itself. Same factory, shared heating technology, shared wood sourcing, identical warranty document.
That's worth internalising before you cross-shop, because "Maxxus vs Dynamic" is not a contest between two manufacturers. It's a choice between two trim levels from one. Nobody is going to win on build quality, because it's the same build.
The range at a glance
| Across all 33 cabins | What we stock |
|---|---|
| Price range | $2,399 – $5,599 |
| Median price | $3,399 |
| Capacity | 3-person ×17 · 2-person ×10 · 4-person ×4 · 1-person ×2 |
| EMF tiers | Low ×16 · Near Zero ×14 · Ultra Low ×3 |
| Heating | Carbon far infrared ×28 · Full spectrum ×5 |
| Wood | Canadian Hemlock ×22 · Cedar ×11 |
| Power | All 33 on 120V — but 20A ×21, 15A ×12 |
| Temperature | 118–132°F ideal range, heats to 140°F |
Two rows carry the story. Seventeen of 33 are three-person cabins — the Dynamic line is overwhelmingly two-person. And eleven of 33 are cedar, which is a third of the range.
The cedar, which is the actual reason to buy Maxxus
On the Dynamic line, exactly 2 of 47 cabins are cedar. On Maxxus it's 11 of 33 — nine in Canadian Red Cedar and two in Pacific Cedar. That is the single clearest difference between the two lines, and it is almost never the thing people are told about.
Cedar is not a performance upgrade. It will not make you sweat harder or heat faster. What it does is smell unmistakably like a sauna the moment the panels warm, and age to a deeper colour than hemlock. For a great many owners that aroma is the sauna, and it's the detail they'd have paid for if anyone had explained the choice.
Maxxus cedar starts at $3,799. If cedar matters to you and your budget reaches that, this is the line to shop — and it's a much cheaper route to it than moving up to the Golden Designs range, where cedar is common but cabins start at $4,099.
A third of the Maxxus range is cedar. On Dynamic it's two cabins out of forty-seven. That's the difference, and almost nobody says it out loud.
The amperage catch
Every Maxxus cabin runs on a standard 120V household supply. No 240V, no hardwiring, no rewiring the house. So far, so much like Dynamic.
But 21 of the 33 draw 20 amps, against 15 amps on most of the Dynamic range. A 20-amp draw is still an ordinary outlet — it is not an electrical project — but it does want a circuit that isn't already shared with a tumble dryer, a space heater or a second sauna. In some older homes that means asking an electrician to add a dedicated receptacle, which is a modest job rather than a rewire.
Check the amperage on the specific model before you order, not on the brand. It's published on every one of our listings, and it's the detail most likely to cause an unwelcome surprise on delivery day. Our guide to plug-and-play vs hardwired saunas covers where the real thresholds are.
Reading the EMF tiers
Maxxus publishes the same three-tier EMF ladder as the rest of the Golden Designs stable, and the tiers mean the same thing across all three brands.
| Tier | Manufacturer-stated | Maxxus cabins |
|---|---|---|
| Low EMF | 5–10 mG at 2–3" from the panel | 16 |
| Ultra Low EMF | 3–5 mG at 2–3" | 3 |
| Near Zero EMF | Under 3 mG at 2–3" | 14 |
Note the shape: Maxxus is unusually top-heavy, with 14 cabins in the lowest tier against only three in the middle. If Near Zero is what you're after, this line gives you more of it than Dynamic does.
The phrase to hold on to is measured 2–3 inches from the panel, which is much closer than you will ever sit. A rating taken at the panel and one taken at the bench are not the same measurement, and comparisons that mix the two are comparing nothing. Our guide to EMF meter readings explains why home readings look alarming and usually aren't, and the low-EMF ranking sorts the catalog by published tier.
The warranty, as actually written
Golden Designs headlines this as a 5-year limited warranty, and most retailers stop there. The document itself says "1 to 5 years", and the split is worth knowing before you buy rather than after something fails:
What the warranty document actually says
- Heating elements and electronics: 5 years residential, 1 year commercial.
- The wood structure: 1 year.
- Parts, not labour. You also prepay shipping on any part returned for assessment.
- Original purchaser, original installation site. It is not transferable and terminates on owner transfer or relocation.
- Indoor use only. Placing a Maxxus cabin outdoors voids it outright.
None of that is unusual for the category, and it isn't a reason to avoid the brand. But "5-year warranty" and "1 year on the wood" are different promises, and you deserve to know which one you're getting.
Where Maxxus wins, and where it doesn't
Choose Maxxus for
- Cedar without moving to a $4,000+ Golden Designs cabin
- Three-person cabins — 17 of 33, the deepest part of the line
- Near Zero EMF choice — 14 cabins in the lowest tier
- A larger cabin that still runs on a normal outlet
- Budgets between $2,400 and $5,600
Choose something else if
- You want the cheapest way in — Dynamic starts $900 lower
- You want a compact one-person cabin — only 2 here
- You want full spectrum — only 5 of 33 offer it
- You want an outdoor cabin — this line is indoor only
- You want traditional steam heat rather than infrared
- Your outlet is shared and you can't add a 20A circuit
The most common honest recommendation we give: if you're choosing between a top-end Dynamic and an entry Maxxus at similar money, the deciding question is cedar or a bigger cabin? If neither, keep the money and buy the Dynamic. Our Dynamic vs Maxxus comparison works through that decision model by model, and the Dynamic brand review decodes the cheaper line.
Before you order any Maxxus cabin
- Check the amperage on your model — 21 of 33 want 20A, not 15A.
- Decide cedar or hemlock first, then pick the size. It's the fork that defines the line.
- Size up one seat past the capacity on the label — true across this whole category.
- Measure the exterior footprint on your actual floor, and check the route in.
- Indoor only. Outdoors voids the warranty, with no exceptions.
Across our whole range we're at 4.85★ from 397 owner reviews. Every Maxxus cabin ships free, and if you want a second opinion on cedar versus size before committing several thousand dollars, that's genuinely what the phone number is for.
The Iridescent Home Team
Authorized Maxxus, Dynamic and Golden Designs dealer. Every listing publishes full dimensions, the manufacturer's EMF rating with its measurement distance, and the warranty terms as written — including the parts that talk you out of a model. Questions? Call (307) 201-4597.
33 Maxxus cabins, a third of them cedar
From $2,399, cedar from $3,799. Every cabin runs on a standard 120V supply. Free shipping, manufacturer warranty, and financing available at checkout.
Questions? (307) 201-4597 · 9am–5pm MT, every day
Maxxus saunas FAQ
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This article is general wellness information, not medical advice, and has not been evaluated to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. EMF figures are manufacturer-published ratings measured 2–3 inches from the heating panel, not our own meter readings. Warranty terms are summarised from the manufacturer's warranty document; the full text is published on every product page. Catalog figures reflect the 33 Maxxus cabins we stocked at publication; specifications and prices are current as of publication and may change.