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Self-care comes in many forms. Some people like to go for a weekly massage, while others take soothing baths
to unwind after a long day at work or after an intense workout. One of the best ways to relax is in an infrared sauna at the gym or a spa.
At a Glance: The Best Infrared Saunas
The best infrared sauna overall is the Sun Home Equinox II Two-Person Full-Spectrum Infrared Sauna because it offers the strongest all-around mix of full-spectrum infrared heat, premium indoor construction, two-person capacity, elevated design, and home-friendly performance. For outdoor use, the Sun Home Luminar IIis our top pick, while the Sun Home Eclipse II is the best choice for shoppers who want built-in red-light therapy.
Sun Home Equinox 2-Person Full-Spectrum Infrared Sauna
Sun Home Eclipse Two-Person Red Light and Infrared Sauna
SereneLife Portable Sauna
SunRay Saunas Three-Person Infrared Sauna
HigherDose Full-Spectrum Infrared Sauna
Sun Home Luminar Outdoor Five-Person Full-Spectrum Infrared Sauna
SereneLife Full-Body Infrared Home Sauna
HigherDose Infrared Sauna Blanket
However, you don’t have to leave your home to get the benefits of an infrared sauna, which can include healthier skin, improved cardiovascular performance, and muscle recovery. With advancements in wellness tech, you can actually bring home an infrared sauna, and it doesn’t have to break the bank either.
We rounded up the best infrared saunas, so you can start to restore and refresh your body at home. Here’s what we recommend, with our picks based on technical specs, pricing, user ratings, and brand reputation.
How We Selected the Best Infrared Saunas
To create this list, we compared infrared saunas across the categories that matter most for at-home use: value, user capacity and footprint, maximum temperature, heat-up times, build materials, infrared wavelength type, indoor vs. outdoor suitability, and warranty coverage. We also weighed user ratings and overall brand reputation, prioritizing companies with established track records and clear documentation of their products’ specs and safety claims. Products that lacked basic documentation (materials, EMF info, warranty terms) or had a thin track record were deprioritized in favor of better-documented alternatives in the same category. We also spoke to Dr. Tania Elliott, dual board-certified internist and Immunologist and Clinical Instructor at NYU Langone Health, about sauna usage.
The Best Infrared Saunas
We’ve broken down the best infrared saunas to buy for your home, considering size, materials, infrared heat, budget, portability, and overall value. Here are our top picks below.
BEST OVERALL
Sun Home Equinox 2-Person Full-Spectrum Infrared Sauna
Pros: Ultra-low EMF heaters, Lifetime warranty, Compact, Straightforward setup, Bluetooth sound system
Cons: Pricey
Best for: Safe and effective sauna sessions
Capacity: 2 people
Max temperature: 165°F
Heat type: Full-spectrum
Best placement: Indoor
The Sun Home Equinox II is the best overall infrared sauna for shoppers who want a premium indoor model with full-spectrum infrared heat, two-person capacity, strong heat performance, and a polished cabin-style design. It’s equipped with ultra-low EMF (electromagnetic field) heaters, which promote restoration and recovery, and it provides full-spectrum infrared heating for maximum benefits. It reaches temperatures of up to 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The package is also sleek and stylish, fitting nicely with your spa-room decor. The Equinox’s kiln-dried eucalyptus construction is also built to last, and an integrated Bluetooth sound system lets you enjoy music, podcasts, or audiobooks while you sauna.
BEST WITH RED LIGHT
Sun Home Eclipse Two-Person Red Light and Infrared Sauna
Pros: Full-spectrum infrared, Durable construction, Built-in Bluetooth sound system
Cons: Pricey
Best for: Premium experience
Capacity: 2 people
Max temperature: 165°F
Heat type: Full-spectrum infrared
Best placement: Indoor
The Sun Home Eclipse II is the best infrared sauna with red-light therapy because it combines infrared heat, built-in red light panels, chromotherapy, Bluetooth audio, and a compact indoor footprint for a more multi-modal recovery experience. Made from durable and sustainable Canadian Red Cedar, along with high-emissivity infrared heaters, it’s large enough for two people, while it benefits from having chromotherapy lights, as well as all three infrared wavelengths — short, medium, and long waves. It gets up to 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
It even has a Bluetooth-enabled surround-sound system, so you can listen to your favorite music and podcasts while getting your sweat on. Great for the backyard, sun room, or solarium, this pick delivers the benefits of a spa-sized sauna from the comforts of home.
BEST BUDGET SAUNA
SereneLife Portable Sauna
Pros: Affordable, Collapsible,
Includes remote and foldable chair
Cons: Doesn’t heat the head/face, Fabric build means shorter typical lifespan than wood cabin
Best for: Affordable sauna sessions where space is limited
Capacity: 1 person
Max temperature: 140°F
Heat type: Far infrared
Best placement: Indoor
Let’s face it. At-home saunas can be really expensive, with prices upwards of $9,000 on this list alone. But you don’t have to give an arm and a leg to get nice and sweaty with your very own wallet-friendly sauna.
Currently $189.99 on Amazon, the SereneLife Infrared Home Sauna is ideal for anyone who’s on a tight budget but looking to get the benefits of infrared saunas at home. Although it doesn’t heat up your head, it does sweat out the rest of your body with temperatures up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. This collapsible and foldable sauna has zippered slits for your hands, so you can control its wired remote for temperature control and a 60-minute timer. It even comes with a foldable chair for additional comfort.
BEST FOR THREE PEOPLE
SunRay Saunas Three-Person Infrared Sauna
Pros: Fits three people, affordable for size, Watherproof, Built-in FM radio and AUX input
Cons: Low max temperature (140°F), Complex installation
Best for: Outdoor use, multiple people
Capacity: 3 people
Max temperature: 140°F
Heat type: Far infrared
Best placement: Indoor/outdoor
Ideal for up to three people, the SunRay Infrared Sauna is made from treated Canadian hemlock wood and tempered safety glass that gives it a rustic, cabin-like look in your backyard. It gets up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit thanks to seven ceramic heaters and recessed lighting inside. It includes a sound system with an FM radio, an AUX input to plug in a smartphone for your favorite songs and podcasts, and even cup holders. The unit comes with a protective tarp to keep it pristine during inclement weather.
BEST LOW-EMF
HigherDose Full-Spectrum Infrared Sauna
Pros: High max temperature (174°F),
Low EMF heaters, Fits up to three people, built-in Bluetooth
Cons: Canadian cedar interior requires some upkeep, Indoor only
Best for: Avid sauna users looking for high heat
Capacity: 3 people
Max temperature: 174°F
Heat type: Full-spectrum
Best placement: Indoor
Slowly increase the heat with the HigherDose Full-Spectrum Infrared Sauna, which can fit up to three people inside at once. It combines carbon and ceramic heaters to produce low-EMF infrared heat, so you can ease into higher temperatures that go up to 174 degrees Fahrenheit. The sauna also uses color light therapy for deeper relaxation, as well as increased blood flow and energy.
Meanwhile, the infrared sauna has a Canadian cedar interior with a removable bench for additional space. It comes with a Bluetooth-enabled sound system and an Apple iPad holder, so you don’t get bored inside.
BEST OUTDOOR
Sun Home Luminar Outdoor Five-Person Full-Spectrum Infrared Sauna
Pros: Large capacity (5), Outdoor, Full-spectrum infrared, Panoramic windows, Bluetooth sound system
Cons: Expensive, Large footprint
Best for: Large households, premium experience
Capacity: 5 people
Max temperature: 150°F
Heat type: Full-spectrum
Best placement: Outdoor
The Sun Home Luminar II is the best outdoor infrared sauna for buyers who want a premium backyard wellness setup with full-spectrum infrared heat, large-capacity seating, outdoor-ready construction, panoramic glass, and smart comfort features. It can comfortably fit up to five people for a fun-filled and sweaty afternoon. Made from Japanese carbonized wood, this sauna uses chromotherapy lights and full-spectrum infrared heaters with temperatures up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
But don’t worry, it won’t get steamy in there, so you and your guests will still be able to see out of its panoramic glass windows for amazing views when outdoors and relaxing. The infrared sauna is Bluetooth-enabled, so you can sync your smartphone to it for your favorite music to keep the party going — even when you’re having a schvitz.
BEST PORTABLE
SereneLife Full-Body Infrared Home Sauna
Pros: Affordable, Full-body enclosure, Portable, Heated foot pad
Cons: Less durable than wood cabins, Low max temp (140°F), No EMF documentation
Best for: Portability and full-body heat
Capacity: 1 person
Max temperature: 140°F
Heat type: Far infrared
Best placement: Indoor
If you’re looking for a portable solution, the SereneLife Full-Body Infrared Home Sauna is packable, full-sized at seven feet tall, and completely enclosed. This model has the benefit of relaxing your entire body, including a heating foot pad, with temperatures up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The infrared sauna even comes with a stowaway folding chair, so you can comfortably sit and sweat with a remote timer for up to 60 minutes at a time.
BEST BLANKET
HigherDose Infrared Sauna Blanket
Pros: Compact, Trusted brand, Portable, Low EMF, High max temp
Cons: Doesn’t cover head/face, Direct skin contact may require a towel barrier
Best for: Premium, portable experience
Capacity: 1 person
Max temperature: 175°F
Heat type: Full-spectrum
Best placement: Indoor
The HigherDose Infrared Sauna Blanket is ideal for those who want something small and compact with the benefits of infrared heat. The blanket can reduce stress while boosting blood flow and circulation. It’s designed like a sleeping bag that’s meant to be positioned on the floor or bed and controlled with a handheld dial for temperature customization.
Although it doesn’t cover your head or face, everything from your neck down can experience direct infrared heat. It’s recommended to place a towel between you and the blanket, so the heat can be more tolerable.
Infrared vs. Traditional Saunas
When most people think about saunas, they imagine steam and hot stones. Traditional saunas heat up the air with a wood-burning stove — like a convection oven — which in turn heats your core body temperature. Infrared saunas, on the other hand, use infrared light to heat your body and skin directly instead of the air around you.
Infrared saunas are generally quicker to heat up for a faster, more convenient sweat session. They also run cooler than traditional saunas, which is more tolerable for people who can’t stay in heated areas for long periods of time.
Per Dr. Elliott, traditional saunas have more research behind their health benefits simply because they’ve been around longer, and you can reach higher core body temperatures with them. Infrared saunas, meanwhile, may offer additional skin benefits thanks to far-infrared light exposure. One trade-off: traditional saunas’ dry heat can lead to dry hair and breakage, which isn’t typically an issue with infrared. If you do use a traditional sauna regularly, Dr. Elliott suggests wetting your hair beforehand, applying a hair oil, and tucking it into a towel for protection.
Sauna Health Benefits & Tips
Regular sauna use has been linked to a range of potential health benefits. According to Dr. Elliott, sauna sessions can act like a passive cardiovascular workout. Heat exposure dilates blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the heart and brain, which has been associated with reduced risk of heart attack and stroke, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, and even reduced risk of all-cause mortality and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and dementia in some studies. Increased blood flow to the skin may also produce that post-sauna “glow,” and many users report mental health benefits like reduced anxiety and improved mood.
That said, sweating can feel cleansing, but strong claims that saunas “detoxify” the body are not well established. Sweat is mostly water, and the organs primarily responsible for filtering toxins are the liver and kidneys, not the skin.
Dr. Elliott recommends using a sauna right after exercise, when your blood vessels are already dilated, to extend the effects of your workout. For frequency, she suggests aiming for four to five sessions a week at 10 to 20 minutes each, with maximum benefits typically seen a little past the 20-minute mark, though beginners should start with just a few minutes and build up gradually as their bodies acclimate to the heat. Listening to music during a session can also add a calming, relaxing effect.
One advantage of an at-home sauna, per Dr. Elliott, is control: You can set your own temperature and time, skip sweating in synthetic gym clothes, and avoid hygiene concerns that come with shared facilities.
Who Should Talk to a Doctor Before Using a Sauna?
Sauna use involves significant heat exposure, which isn’t right for everyone. Dr. Elliott cautions that overheating, dizziness, and lightheadedness are the main things to watch for during a session. You should check with a doctor before starting regular sauna use if you:
- Are pregnant
- Have heart disease, very low or high blood pressure, or any cardiovascular condition
- Are on medications that affect blood pressure, heart rate, or your body’s ability to regulate temperature
- Have a history of fainting, dizziness, or heat intolerance
- Have any chronic health condition you manage with a physician
If you ever feel dizzy, nauseous, or lightheaded during a session, exit the sauna and cool down immediately.
Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended for general wellness and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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