What is an Infrared Sauna?
An infrared sauna warms your body directly with infrared energy, rather than heating the air around you like a traditional sauna. Cabins run at a gentler 45–60°C, so sessions feel calmer and last longer, while still drawing out the same deep, restorative sweat.
The modern sauna
Heat that reaches you, not the room
Where a traditional sauna heats the air until the air heats you, an infrared sauna skips a step: panels emit gentle infrared energy that your body absorbs directly, warming you from the skin inward. Because the air itself stays cooler — around 45–60°C — the heat feels calm and breathable, and sessions can run longer.
You still reach a deep, restorative sweat; you simply get there in a milder room. It’s a newer take on a very old idea — and for many people it’s the easiest kind of heat to keep as a daily habit.
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Near Infrared 0.75 – 3 μm
- Stimulates circulation
- Supports skin rejuvenation
- Creates fast initial warmth
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Mid Infrared 3 – 8 μm
- Penetrates soft tissue
- Helps relax muscles
- Supports improved mobility
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Far Infrared 8 – 20+ μm
- Elevates core body temperature
- Drives deep sweating response
- Supports detoxification and recovery
In a phrase
Infrared saunas heat your body directly with gentle infrared energy, rather than warming the air like traditional saunas.
Benefits
Same benefits, different heat
Infrared or traditional?
Infrared
45–60°C
Calm, everyday heat
Warms you directly over longer, gentler sessions — quick to heat up and economical to run. Heat you can read in.
Traditional
70–90°C
The classic ritual
Heats the air for a hotter, more intense session, with bursts of löyly steam when you pour water over the stones.
Infrared sauna FAQs
An infrared sauna uses panels that emit infrared energy to warm your body directly, rather than heating the air around you. Cabins run at a gentler 45–60°C, so sessions feel calmer and last longer while still drawing out a deep sweat.
Typically 45–60°C — noticeably cooler than a traditional sauna’s 70–90°C. Because the warmth reaches you directly rather than through hot air, a lower temperature still delivers a thorough sweat. Our sauna temperature guide explains the ranges.
They are different wavelengths of the same infrared spectrum. Near infrared warms quickly and supports circulation and skin; mid infrared penetrates soft tissue to relax muscles; far infrared raises your core temperature to drive a deep sweat. A full-spectrum cabin combines all three.
Neither is better — they suit different people. Choose infrared for gentle, lower-temperature sessions that are quick to warm up and economical to run; choose traditional for the classic high-heat ritual and löyly. The benefits of regular sauna use apply to both.
