Infrared saunas have become incredibly popular, even though they are not actually saunas. To the untrained eye, they look basically the same as you’d expect a sauna to look like – wood paneling, benches, someone who just had to bring their phone in – and both actually share a bunch of the same health benefits. But why do these newfangled sweat boxes suddenly appear in the locker rooms of every gym, wellness club, and boutique HIIT workout studio? For one, it’s a matter of practicality. Infrared saunas give off very little heat, making the surrounding area a more livable place for those who do not wish to participate. But, more importantly, the wellness industry loves a shiny new thing — especially one that doesn’t conveniently give club members the tools to burn down a building. And, as it turns out, infrared saunas actually have some unique benefits of their own. (In the first place, they’re unlikely to overheat your iPhone, not that we’d know anything about it.)
Infrared vs. traditional sauna: what’s the difference?
Technically, there are many forms of saunas, but they are mostly divided into two categories: traditional and infrared. A true traditional sauna, also called a Finnish sauna, uses a wood fire to heat the stones, which in turn heats the air inside the sauna. Nowadays, you can also find electric saunas (these fall under “traditional”), which also use stones, but the stones are heated with electricity instead of fire. Traditional saunas can maintain temperatures between 150-220 degrees Fahrenheit. “These typically operate at high temperatures with dry heat, causing intense sweating,” says Sam Setareh, MD, MSDirector of Clinical Cardiology at Beverly Hills Cardiovascular.
Unlike traditional saunas, infrared saunas do not have a central heat source. Instead, they use ceramic or metal panels to emit far-infrared light. “An infrared sauna uses infrared light to directly heat your body instead of heating the air around you like a traditional sauna,” says Dr. Setreh. Therefore, infrared saunas are able to operate at much lower temperatures – between 100-165 degrees – while still giving you the same, albeit certainly less intense, sensation as sitting in a traditional sauna.
According to Dr. Setareh, “Both types of saunas have similar benefits – such as improving circulation, promoting relaxation, and encouraging recovery,” and studies have also found that both have a positive effect on lowering blood pressure. That said, there are some important differences that can affect which type of sauna is ultimately best for your goals.
Traditional saunas appear to be better for cardiovascular health
Research, including a historic 2015 finish Study In a survey of 2,315 men over the course of two decades, long-term sauna use was associated with improved cardiovascular health and a reduced risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease and all causes. But this was not the case until recently StudyPublished earlier this year American Journal of Physiology, Researchers have begun to formally weigh the benefits of traditional saunas against their infrared counterparts. (This latest study compared both types of saunas with a hot tub, which surprisingly proved to be the most beneficial of the three in terms of promoting heart health.)
“The key point is that far-infrared saunas, by far, have had the smallest (noticeable) increase in core body temperature – and therefore have had the least cardiovascular impact,” says Christopher T. Minson, PhDProfessor of human physiology at the University of Oregon and lead author of the study.
“I’m not going to say that far-infrared saunas aren’t healthy,” says Dr. Minson. “I’m just going to say that you have to do it for a very long time to see the (cardiovascular) benefits – months and months and months – it’s going to take longer, whereas I think it’s the traditional saunas and hot tubs that are going to have the long-term effects compared to the far-infrared saunas. That’s what our data is showing.”
