Infrared Saunas: What They Do and 6 Health Benefits

This modern twist on a traditional sauna offers a lower-temperature option.

Facts are facts, so let’s get one thing straight: Infrared saunas are definitely “cooler” than more traditional saunas that date back to ancient times.

Instead of steam or flame-stoked heat, infrared saunas use infrared lamps and electromagnetic magic to create warmth. The process allows infrared saunas to operate at a lower temperature while still providing therapeutic benefits.

Consider it a modern twist on how our ancestors sweated their way to better health and wellness. To learn more about this plug-it-in approach, we turn to functional medicine specialist Melissa Young, MD.

What are infrared saunas?

Light panels do more than give infrared saunas a unique glow. They also heat things up in a completely different way than old-school saunas, which is really what sets this method apart, says Dr. Young.

The lamps in infrared saunas focus a penetrating warmth directly on your skin to bring heat-therapy benefits. Traditional methods crank up the air temperature within an entire sauna.

Those two approaches bring up vastly different readings on thermometers. Temperatures in infrared saunas typically land between 110 degrees Fahrenheit and 135 F (43.33 degrees Celsius and 57.22 C). A traditional sauna usually falls between 150 F and 195 F (65.55 C and 90.55 C).

“Infrared saunas can definitely be much more comfortable for people while delivering the same sort of benefits,” says Dr. Young.