HEALTHLINE: Is an Infrared Sauna Better Than a Traditional Sauna?
Supporters of infrared saunas say the heat penetrates more deeply than warmed air. This allows you to experience a more intense sweat at a lower temperature and stay in the sauna longer.
There’s nothing quite like a 20-minute sweat session in a sauna. You feel more relaxed and rested after you’re done, and the heat helps relieve sore muscles and improves your overall health and well-being.
But if the high temperatures of a traditional sauna are too much to handle, an infrared sauna may offer the benefits of a sauna without the extreme heat.
Unlike a traditional sauna, infrared saunas don’t heat the air around you. Instead, infrared lamps, which use electromagnetic radiation, warm your body directly.
“These saunas use infrared panels instead of conventional heat to easily penetrate human tissue, heating up your body before heating up the air,” physical therapist Vivian Eisenstadt, MAPT, CPT, MASP, said.
An infrared sauna can operate at a lower temperature — usually between 120˚F and 140˚F (49°C and 60°C) — than a traditional sauna, which is typically between 150˚F and 180˚F (66°C and 82°C).
