Infrared vs traditional sauna: which is better?

How do they heat you?

A traditional sauna heats the air with a stove and hot stones, and the hot air heats you. A splash of water on the stones adds steam and a rush of heat.

An infrared sauna uses heating panels that give off infrared light. The light warms your skin and the tissue just beneath it directly, so the air around you can stay much cooler.

What does the research say about infrared?

Much less than for traditional saunas. The best-known infrared studies are from Japan, where a 60°C infrared sauna followed by rest under a blanket, called Waon therapy, has been used for people with heart failure. In one study of 129 people with severe heart failure, those given Waon therapy had far fewer cardiac events over five years than a matched group who weren’t. It wasn’t randomised.

In healthy people, a Finnish study of ten active men found a mild infrared sauna after an endurance workout helped jump height recover slightly better than no sauna, and was much less taxing on the heart than a traditional sauna.

A systematic review of 40 clinical studies of regular dry saunas, including infrared, found most reported benefits but that the studies were mostly small and of mixed quality.

Which should you choose?

• If you want the heat that the long-term studies used, choose a traditional sauna and aim for around 80°C.
• If you find traditional saunas too intense, or have a condition that makes high heat difficult, an infrared cabin is gentler, though you should still check with your doctor.
• For a home sauna, infrared cabins are usually cheaper to buy and run, and plug into a normal socket more often. See home saunas.

Be wary of claims that infrared “detoxes” you better, burns hundreds of calories or treats specific diseases. None of those have good evidence behind them. See detox and weight loss.