I am sooooooooooo confused, so once again, I come to the ONES with the
answer:
I have searched the Internet to find out if Infrared saunas are hype,
better or the same as regular saunas.  Everything I find on the
Internet seems to be written by those who manufacture or sell the
infrared saunas.
I read that infrared saunas do a better job at a much lower
temperature than the regular saunas.  I read that the wood should be
poplar not cedar.  I read that the number of heaters (the more the
better) and others that say that it is the wattage, hang the number of
heaters.
I read that infrared saunas can spur weight loss - with up to 600
calories spent in 1/2 hour.
How do I find real information on infrared saunas:  Health benefits,
technology and if I decide to buy, a way to approach the decision on
which company?

I would appreciate any comments too.

I gave this a try, but I could not seem to find info about infrared
saunas that didn't come from websites that were promoting them and/or
selling them. I am highly skeptical of such sources of data, since
it's unlikely that anything negative would ever be presented by a
vendor.

I very much doubt the weight-loss claims. Other than a considerable
loss of fluids (which must be replenished later, since dehydration can
be very dangerous), I can't see how sitting passively in a hot room is
going to peel the pounds off.

In a sence all saunas are infrared. The wave length distribution will
vary some what, so the claims of a lower air temperature may be
honest.
 I think pinkfred is correct; Saunas are not an effective way to lose
weight and may have zero health benefits. Used to excess they are
dangerious, even fatal.  Neil

Quick thermo tutorial:  There are three common methods of heat
transfer: conduction, convection, radiation.  Imagine a basketball
court.  The ball represents a unit of heat.  The team (lets say, the
98 bulls) are molecules/matter.  And you are the hoop, resting in your
sauna.  Conduction is when michael jordan passes the ball to pippen,
pippen to kerr, kerr to rodman, and rodman dunks it.  Convection is
when jordan drives the ball to basket and sinks a layup.  Radiation is
when jordan makes a 3-point jumpshot.

Most saunas work by convection -- moist, hot air is circulating
towards you.  It's not really conduction -- you're sitting on tiles
that are not-so-hot.  The critical difference is probably moisture --
having all that fresh steam brought to your skin helps wash your sweat
away.  IR lamps warm you with radiation.  I that probably results in a
lot less steam -- how does steam form, when the heat source is
directly heating you?  Having less steam also means less humidity --
you dehydrate more and lose water weight.

I also believe (but I'm not certain), that IR penetrates the skin
somewhat deeper.  So, all things equal, your outer dermis will be
cooler, and your lower dermis warmer with IR than with plain old
steam.  Biologically, I don't know what this means for you.

I'm rambling.  Hopefully someone with better physiology knowledge can
complete this thought...