Most likely you’ve seen traditional hot rock saunas in popular culture or at the gym. They’re simple enough–just wooden rooms with a heater where people sit in towels and sweat. These traditional style saunas have been around for ages, going back to when mankind used to relax in small rooms with fireplaces where stones were heated and then doused with water to generate steam or just left dry. Originally, this was a way for people to take a shower and rinse off before hot running water. This guide will have a comparison of infrared saunas versus traditional saunas.
Within the last 30 years, a new variation on the sauna tradition has appeared: infrared saunas. Infrared saunas share the same basic idea and philosophy of their traditional steam sauna counterparts—they raise your body temperature in a controlled situation—but the way infrared saunas accomplish this is quite different. Let’s take a look at infrared saunas vs. traditional saunas.
- Infrared saunas work by harnessing the natural energy of the sun–infrared light. Infrared is generated any time an object holds heat and releases that heat into its surrounding environment. When an object is heated its internal molecules charge which then increases that object’s temperature. The object then releases some of this energy in the form of heat, which is actually invisible, infrared light. We can’t see this light but we can feel it as heat! In an infrared sauna, this light is created by passing an electrical current through an infrared-producing conductive material like ceramic clay or carbon fiber panels.
- The electric current energizes the conductive material it passes through, and infrared energy is released as hot, invisible light that is able to penetrate a user’s skin without heating much of the surrounding air. We say about 80 percent of the energy released gets absorbed by your body and 20 percent goes into the air.
- Infrared Saunas get up above 110 degrees (the operating temperature is 110-140 F) but do not need to get above 180+ degrees in order to elicit the desired healthful response in the human body. They are much more comfortable as a result.
- Traditional saunas generate heat by heating hot rocks which then heat the air. By pouring water onto the rocks it creates steam to increase the air temperature and warms the skin of the sauna user.
- The humid steam and heat created by the boiling water or the water poured on rocks is confined to a small area where a person sits for an extended time in order to reap the associated health benefits.
- Traditional rock saunas generally reach somewhere between 185 and 190 degrees before eliciting the desired healthful sauna response from the human body.
There are three types of heat: convection, conduction, and thermal radiation. Infrared saunas use thermal radiation to heat your body directly, whereas traditional saunas use convection to heat your body through the air.
John Doe
Traditional hot rock saunas have different goals than infrared saunas. Historically, these types of saunas were actually used for bathing or pure relaxation, and the health benefits were a secondary concern that became emphasized later. However, over time the people who used rock saunas began to associate them with health benefits. Consider the list below:
Infrared saunas, interestingly, have a broader range of health benefits than traditional steam saunas do. We’ve seen that one of the key benefits cited by those who enjoy infrared saunas is the ability to lower inflammation. This reduction of inflammation actually causes many of the health benefits discussed below:
- Traditional saunas require their own dedicated breakers to function, which can be costly to have installed.
- Rock saunas require more energy to run than infrared saunas since they must heat the whole room. The heaters in steam saunas also spend more time running since they must be turned on at least half an hour before use.
- On the low end, a homeowner having a traditional steam sauna installed can expect to spend anywhere from $2,000 up to $6,000, on average. A custom-built variety of sauna can cost as much as $10,000 in some instances.


Conversely, infrared saunas, with their lower electrical operating costs and shorter session times, are much better choices for users who plan to sit in their sauna every day, particularly users who are investing in a sauna as therapy for one of the many chronic conditions infrared saunas have proven useful in treating. Infrared saunas are also a great choice for people who are focused on health and fitness, particularly if they’re engaged in muscle-building routines that require high protein diets, or if they simply want to lose some weight.
I am glad infrared saunas have developed the way they have, because I couldn’t imagine my life without the benefits they provide, like deep sleep, lower blood pressure, less joint pain, weight loss, and a boosted immune system. Here at SaunaCloud I sell saunas that are some of the best history has offered. My far infrared saunas use advanced ceramic-carbon combination heaters for an amazing sauna experience. For more information on how SaunaCloud’s infrared saunas work and how they can improve your health, download my book The Definitive Guide to Infrared Saunas. Just give us a call at SaunaCloud 1.800.370.0820.
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Christopher Kiggins | Sauna Enthusiast
I have been writing, learning, educating and generally pointing people in the right direction infrared sauna wise since 2012. Let me know how I can help: chris@saunacloud.com - (530) 417-1220