One of the questions most frequently asked by customers is how TheraBulb near infrared bulbs compare with heat lamp bulbs. The short answer is that TheraBulb near infrared bulbs are a type of heat lamp bulb that has been designed for use in home saunas and by those who want to use red light and near infrared energy for some sort of therapy (that has been approved by a medical professional). In the remainder of this article, I’ll describe the features of TheraBulb products, how they make them different from general purpose heat lamp bulbs, and why those differences matter.
What Are Heat Lamp Bulbs
A heat lamp bulb is an incandescent light bulb that is designed to produce heat. The heat is produced by passing electric current through a metal filament. This process also produces visible light and infrared energy. Heat lamp bulbs are usually red in color, as the red color of the glass dampens some of the brightness from the filament. The red coating filters out much of the shorter wavelength (1nm – 400nm) light but allows red light (650nm-700nm) and near infrared light (700nm – 1000nm) to pass through. The red coating does not, however, produce any of the red light or near infrared emitted by the bulb.
Heat lamp bulbs have been in use since the 20th century and are commonly used to heat a space such as a bathroom or entryway or to provide warmth for livestock and reptiles. Heat lamps are also used in foodservice, warming food on a buffet or keeping cooked and plated food warm until the server can pick up the order. Food service bulbs typically are required to have a shatter-resistant coating on the outside to prevent a bulb from shattering and releasing glass shards into food. One commonly used coating is PFA, also known as Teflon.
TheraBulb Incandescent Bulbs
Like other heat lamp bulbs, TheraBulbs are incandescent bulbs with a red coating that emit red light and near infrared energy. Because they are designed to be used in home saunas and by consumers who wish to access heat and near infrared energy for personal wellness, however, we offer some things that general purpose heat lamps do not.
Free of Hazardous Substances
TheraBulb is RoHS compliant, meaning they are free of hazardous substances, including lead, mercury, cadmium and other substances. TheraBulbs are also Teflon-free and PFAS-free. Teflon is a concern among many of our customers because studies have found that it can offgas particulates at temperatures as low as 464°F, which is below the lowest operating temperature of any of our incandescent bulbs. Teflon is commonly used to make heat lamp bulbs shatter-resistant. Shatter resistance is required by the NSF for any bulb used in food service. Therefore, anyone considering a food service heat lamp bulb should be aware that it is likely to be Teflon-coated.
Lastly, TheraBulb incandescent bulbs, like all incandescent bulbs regardless of brand, are also EMF-free. This is because the way that incandescent bulbs work does not create the conditions that produce EMF. Note: Any electric light bulb will have a small electrical field present when energized. This field is below the resolution of EMF test equipment.
Lab-Verified Output
We understand that customers need data to get the most out of our products. The most fundamental thing they need to know is whether or not a bulb advertised as a red light and near infrared bulb is indeed producing either one of these. Because infrared light is not perceptible to the naked eye, a customer cannot verify this on their own.
In addition to confirmation that red light and near infrared energy are being emitted by the bulb, a customer would need to know the following:
- Spectral Distribution: How much of the total energy output of the bulb is red light? How much is near infrared?
- Maximum Operating Temperature: How hot do the bulbs get?
- Irradiance: What is the intensity of the red light and near infrared energy at a given distance from the bulb?
To give our customers the data that they need to get the best results from our products, we’ve invested in having our bulbs tested in one of the same ISO 17025 accredited laboratories that tests electrical devices for the US Department of Defense. The same lab also verified our incandescent bulbs to be EMF-free. (Maximum operating temperature was measured in a separate lighting laboratory).
Customer Information and Support
TheraBulb also provides detailed information about our products and the relevance of those characteristics, both in our marketing information and in response to questions submitted to our customer service mailbox (support@therabulbusa.com). Our technical experts can assist you in determining which of our products is best for you.
Do You Need a TheraBulb or a Heat Lamp Bulb?
If you are simply using the bulb as a heat source, a general purpose heat lamp will work just fine. If, however, you need specific irradiance, operating temperature, or wavelengths, TheraBulb has the product data to help you find the best bulb for you.
11 comments
Hi Mario. We offer a 5W LED, 150W incandescent, 250W incandescent, 300W incandescent, and 150W, 250W, and 300W infrared starter kits. Because this reply will be posted indefinitely and prices can change over time, posting prices is not practical. You can find current pricing on our bulbs page: https://www.therabulb.com/collections/bulbs
If you have additional questions, please contact us at support@therabulb.com
Hi Sue. All of our bulbs are near infrared bulbs. We offer three incandescent bulbs: 150W, 250W, and 300W; and one 5W LED. The difference between the incandescent and LED bulbs is that the incandescent bulbs produce heat whereas the LED does not. The difference between the incandescent bulbs are that the higher wattage bulbs get hotter than the lower wattage ones. They also offer different levels of irradiance, which is a term for concentration of energy at a given distance from the bulb. The highest irradiance bulb at .33M is our 150W bulb. The highest irradiance at .5M is our LED bulb. The highest at 1M is our 300W bulb. You can read more in our bulb selection blog post, How to Choose a Near Infrared Bulb: https://www.therabulb.com/blogs/test/how-to-choose-a-near-infrared-bulb If you would like to discuss this in greater detail, please contact us at support@therabulb.com
Hi Brent. The red color of the bulbs can fade over time. Fortunately, the red color is not related to the performance of the bulb. All of the heat, red light, and infrared energy is produced by the filament. The role of the glass shell is to protect the filament and prevent the ingress of air. The red color is added to slightly dampen some of the visible light so that the bulb is not blindingly bright. So long as the glass shell is intact, the bulb will operate as it should. You can learn more about the non-relationship between bulb color and performance in our blog post on the topic: https://www.therabulb.com/blogs/test/bulb-color-variations-and-performance
All the red has come off the 250 heat bulb for the dog house does it still give off heat or do I change it
Hi William,
Eye protection that is designed to filter out infrared energy is recommended whenever the bulbs are in use. A source of inexpensive infrared filtering eyewear is an industrial safety supply company. They sell this type of eyewear because it is worn by welders. Look for IR2, IR3, or IR5 rated glasses and/or glasses that are marketed as being compliant with ANSI Z87.1, which is the standard for protective eyewear in the US.
As for replacing your home lighting with TheraBulbs: there are several reasons that it would be impractical to do that with our incandescent bulbs. The first is the power consumption: at 150W to 300W each, the bulbs consume a lot of power. This would not only mean a very high electric bill, but also exceeding the capacity of your household electrical circuits. Typical circuits are 1800 watts and there are generally multiple rooms on a circuit. Secondly, the incandescent bulbs reach temperatures between 512°F and 589°F depending upon wattage.
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for your question. We do not recommend leaving an infrared bulb, such as ours, operating unattended for any period of time. This is because the bulbs get quite hot (512°F – 589°F, depending upon the wattage).
looking for the near infrared light bulb (N I R)
what you reconmmond. ?
I have a barhroom without a light source and is prone to mold. Can I use infrared to control the mold and can I leave it on all the time.
I have a barhroom without a light source and is prone to mold. Can I use infrared to control the mold and can I leave it on all the time.
If I replace my room lights with your infared bulbs do I need protection glasses for my eyes?
Please send me the diferent type of near infrared bulb you have and prices