How an Infrared Cabin Heats You Directly

Radiant heat versus air heat

When you step into a traditional sauna, the heater warms the air in the room first. That hot air then wraps around you through convection, raising your skin temperature from the outside. The room itself becomes the heat source, which is why traditional saunas run at high air temperatures. A wood-burning or electric sauna stove typically brings the cabin air to between 150 and 195 degrees Fahrenheit, per Cleveland Clinic. For a closer look at that convective process, see how a traditional sauna heats.

An infrared cabin works on a different principle. Instead of heating the air, it heats you. Panels mounted in the walls emit infrared radiation, which travels through the air and is absorbed by your skin and the tissues just beneath it. Finnleo, a sauna manufacturer, describes the goal this way: in an infrared sauna, a high room temperature is not the goal; rather, it is the penetration or the absorption of the infrared energy. The air in the cabin is not the primary heat delivery mechanism, and it stays noticeably cooler than in a traditional sauna.

How infrared energy warms you

Infrared is a form of electromagnetic radiation, the same family that includes visible light and radio waves. The National Cancer Institute groups infrared radiation with low- to mid-frequency EMFs in the non-ionizing part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Non-ionizing radiation is not known to damage DNA or cells directly, which is why the technology does not carry the safety concerns associated with ionizing radiation like X-rays.

When infrared radiation strikes your body, your skin and the tissue immediately beneath it absorb that energy and convert it to heat. This is different from convection, where hot air molecules physically collide with your skin. With infrared, the energy transfers directly without needing to warm the air in between. Cleveland Clinic describes the result as follows: with infrared saunas, there is no external heat that is generated, only heat that is generated in the body from the infrared light. That is why the heat often feels deeper and more penetrating than the surface heat of a convection sauna.

The sensation can be compared to standing in sunlight on a cool day. The air around you is mild, but the radiant energy from the sun warms your skin. An infrared cabin does the same thing indoors, using electric panels as the radiant source.

Why the air temperature stays lower

Because the panels deliver heat directly to you, the cabin does not need to reach the high temperatures of a conventional sauna. Cleveland Clinic lists typical infrared sauna temperatures at 110 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit, while Finnleo puts the comfortable range at 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Traditional saunas, by contrast, run at 150 to 195 degrees Fahrenheit, per Cleveland Clinic, or 150 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit, per Finnleo.

That lower air temperature is intentional. The infrared emitters need to stay on for you to absorb their energy, and they will not turn off until the set temperature is reached, according to Finnleo. If the air were as hot as a traditional sauna, the convective heat would overwhelm the radiant component, and you would lose the distinctive character of an infrared session.

The temperature difference also affects how the room feels for breathing and comfort. At 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, the air is warm but not scorching, which makes some bathers find infrared sessions easier to tolerate for longer periods. A comparison of the two heating approaches is covered in infrared versus traditional: which fits you.

What a session actually feels like

The practical experience of an infrared sauna differs from a traditional one in several ways. You feel warmth on your skin quickly because the radiant energy travels at the speed of light, but the air around you remains moderate. Sweating still happens, and it can be as copious as in a traditional sauna, but the overall sensation is less like being in a hot oven and more like being in a warm, ventilated room with a strong heat source nearby.

Warm-up time is one of the most noticeable differences. A traditional sauna typically takes 30 to 60 minutes to fully heat up, depending on the heater, the room size, and the outside temperature, per Finnleo. Finnleo notes that an infrared sauna can be warm in as few as 10 minutes, though it may take 30 to 45 minutes to reach the upper temperature range. You can read more about that in infrared sauna warm-up time.

Because the air is not the heat source, humidity behaves differently. Finnleo advises that for infrared saunas, humidity is ambient and no water should be added to the sauna. The dry, moderate air means you are less likely to feel the suffocating heat that can build up in a traditional sauna, but it also means you cannot throw water on stones to create steam, as you would in a Finnish sauna.

What to check when you shop

If you are considering an infrared cabin, the number and placement of panels matter more than the heater size in kilowatts. Finnleo states that in infrared rooms, the ideal quantity of emitters and wattage is calculated for each room, which is a different sizing logic than for a traditional sauna heater. Panel positioning also affects how evenly the radiant energy reaches your body, especially if you sit or lie in different positions during a session. See how many infrared panels are needed and infrared panel placement in a cabin.

You should also check the power requirements. Many infrared cabins can be plugged into a standard household 120-volt outlet, according to Finnleo, while traditional sauna heaters often need a dedicated 240-volt circuit. A separate article on infrared cabin power requirements covers this in more depth.

If you are deciding between the two approaches, think about the kind of heat you enjoy and the space you have. A detailed side-by-side is available in infrared versus traditional for small spaces. Some bathers choose a hybrid cabin, which combines a traditional heater with infrared panels, giving you access to both heating styles in one unit. See what is a hybrid sauna for an overview.

What to pick for your use

Questions

Does an infrared sauna heat the air?

Only indirectly. The primary heat source is the infrared panels, which radiate energy directly to your body. The air warms a little from the panels and from your own body heat, but Finnleo states that a high room temperature is not the goal in an infrared sauna. The air typically stays in the 110 to 135 degree Fahrenheit range, compared with 150 to 195 degrees in a traditional sauna.

How hot does an infrared sauna get?

Cleveland Clinic lists typical infrared sauna temperatures at 110 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Finnleo puts the comfortable range at 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Both are significantly lower than the 150 to 195 degree Fahrenheit range typical of traditional saunas, because infrared heats the body directly rather than relying on hot air.

Is infrared radiation safe?

The National Cancer Institute classifies infrared as a low- to mid-frequency EMF in the non-ionizing part of the electromagnetic spectrum. Non-ionizing radiation is not known to damage DNA or cells directly. Cleveland Clinic notes that with infrared saunas, heat is generated in the body from the infrared light, and it considers saunas safe when used within reason.

Can I pour water on the rocks in an infrared sauna?

No. Infrared saunas do not have heated rocks for steam, and Finnleo advises that no water should be added to an infrared sauna; humidity is ambient. Adding water could damage the electrical panels and create a safety hazard. See water on infrared heaters warning for more details.

How long does an infrared sauna take to heat up?

Finnleo states that an infrared sauna can be warm in as few as 10 minutes, and it may take 30 to 45 minutes to reach the upper temperature range. This is faster than the 30 to 60 minutes a traditional sauna typically needs, because the infrared emitters deliver heat directly to your body rather than heating all the air in the room.