Infrared sauna vs traditional sauna: which should you book?

How each one heats you

A traditional (Finnish-style) sauna heats rocks, the rocks heat the air, and the air heats you. Pour water on the rocks and you get a wave of steam. The room is 170 to 200°F and most people last 10 to 15 minutes.

An infrared sauna skips the air. Panels emit infrared light that your body absorbs directly, so you feel deep warmth while the air stays around 120 to 150°F. Sessions run 25 to 40 minutes because you are not fighting to breathe.

Which sweats more?

Per minute, a traditional sauna. Per session, it evens out, because you stay in the infrared cabin two or three times longer. Both deliver a real, dripping sweat.

Which is better for

• Sore, tight muscles: infrared. The heat reaches deeper and you can stay long enough to loosen up.
• A quick blast and a steam ritual: traditional.
• Stress and sleep: infrared. Thirty quiet minutes in warm light calms a busy mind.
• Skin and glow: both. Infrared's longer, gentler sessions tend to feel better on the face.
• Pairing with a cold plunge: either. Infrared leaves you warm to the core, which makes the plunge easier to enter.
• If heat makes you dizzy: infrared, and start with 15 minutes.

What about chromotherapy?

Our infrared cabins have color-light therapy built in: red, blue, green and more. The research on color alone is thin; what people consistently report is that choosing a color makes the session feel more intentional and relaxing. Pick one, or ask us for a suggestion.

Which should you book?

For recovery, relaxation and a session you will actually finish, infrared. If you grew up with traditional saunas and love the steam, you may miss it. Most first-timers find infrared the easier habit to keep.