Ever found yourself wondering, “Can I bring my phone in a sauna?” You’re not alone.
Most smartphones simply can’t handle the heat you’ll find in dry saunas or an infrared sauna.
In my 15 years designing custom infrared saunas at SaunaCloud, I’ve seen countless phones damaged by sauna sessions. The temperature ranges tell the whole story: your phone operates safely up to 95°F (that’s what Apple states for iPhones), but infrared saunas run between 120°F and 160°F. This blog breaks down the real risks, explains what actually happens to your device at these temperatures, and shares the smart ways I recommend to keep your smartphone safe while you relax.
Can I Bring My Phone in an Infrared Sauna?
The short answer: no, not if you value your device.
According to Apple and Samsung, most smartphones work best between 32°F and 95°F. Infrared saunas operate at 120°F to 160°F. That’s a huge mismatch. Your phone’s battery and internal components start acting up fast once temperatures climb past their safe zone.
I’ve watched people bring devices into saunas at public facilities with Harvia heaters, and even if nothing fails immediately, the cumulative damage adds up. A 2025 study from Pervasive and Mobile Computing confirms that exposing phones to temperatures above 95°F causes serious performance issues. As someone who has designed low-EMF infrared saunas since 2012, my advice is simple: let your phone rest while you do too.
You’ll enjoy real peace without worrying about fried batteries or humidity wrecking your stuff. Use a simple timer for sauna sessions instead.
Risks of Bringing Your Phone Into an Infrared Sauna
Phones and AirPods face serious trouble inside an infrared sauna.
Heat, steam, and moisture combine to create a hostile environment for electronics.
How Can Heat Damage My Phone in a Sauna?
Heat inside an infrared sauna attacks your phone in multiple ways. When temperatures spike, internal chips and sensors work overtime. This makes phones slow down or shut off completely.
According to research published in 2024, battery degradation increases approximately 3-fold when temperatures reach 70°C (158°F). That means just one long sauna session can knock years off your battery’s lifespan. Extreme heat causes lithium-ion batteries to swell, leak dangerous chemicals, or even catch fire. Apple warns that exposing devices to ambient temperatures higher than 95°F can permanently damage battery capacity.
Long-term exposure to temperatures between 113°F and 140°F reduces lithium-ion battery lifespan by up to 40%.
Overheating doesn’t stop at batteries. Screens don’t like sudden temperature spikes either. Warping from excess heat leaves cloudy spots and weird lines that won’t go away. The adhesives holding your screen together start to weaken, causing internal warping. You might notice a swollen battery weeks later, or touch screens acting up with ghost touches.
Heat-damaged devices often need expensive repairs after only minutes of exposure. Even AirPods in a sauna aren’t safe since their lithium-ion cells react badly under this kind of stress.
What Are the Effects of Humidity and Moisture on Phones in Saunas?
Humidity adds a whole new level of danger. High moisture content inside saunas means water vapor sneaks past even tight rubber seals.
I once took my iPhone into SaunaCloud’s test room for research purposes. Big mistake. Condensation formed on the screen within minutes, leading to foggy spots under the glass. Steam saunas approach nearly 100% relative humidity, and that moisture corrodes circuit boards fast.
Even phones rated IP67 or IP68 for water resistance aren’t designed for hot steam. Those ratings cover brief immersion in cool water, like dropping your phone in a puddle. They don’t protect against sustained exposure to hot, humid environments where seals expand and fail.
- Moisture causes corrosion around charging ports and speakers
- Sweat from your hands seeps into tiny cracks
- Steam damage leads to short circuits or kills components outright
- Water-resistant doesn’t mean steam-proof or heat-proof
It takes just a little moisture to cause permanent damage. The risk simply isn’t worth it if you want your tech to last.
How Does Heat Affect Phone Batteries and Internal Components?
Lithium-ion batteries hate heat. Research from 2025 found that batteries stored at 55°C lost 10% of their capacity in just six months. That’s the science behind why your phone dies faster after repeated sauna exposure.
Heat shortens battery lifespan and zaps performance over time. Swelling sometimes occurs, leaving the battery bloated and posing a fire hazard. Samsung’s official guidelines state that extended use at temperatures above 95°F leads to unexpected shutdowns and shorter battery life.
Sticky adhesives holding your screen or circuit boards also weaken as things warm up. This causes internal warping. Your touchscreen can start acting wild with ghost touches popping up, or the display might go black without warning.
Once this kind of damage starts, there’s no easy fix except replacing expensive parts or buying another phone.
What Screen and Display Problems Can Occur in Saunas?
Phone screens fail fast in high heat. Your display can start flickering or showing errors within 10 to 15 minutes inside an infrared sauna.
Heat warps the screen and its components, making touch controls less responsive. You might tap your phone after a session and notice lag or dead spots where nothing happens at all. Humidity seeps in too, causing more trouble for LCD or OLED displays.
Here’s what happens to displays under sauna conditions:
- Heat stress causes pixels to freeze or colors to bleed
- The front glass might look fine, but internal damage is real
- Signal drops become common after repeated exposure
- Apps may not load because they lose connection inside thick sauna walls
That expensive device could soon act more like a stubborn brick than a smart tool if you expose it repeatedly during sweat sessions.
What Happens If You Take Your Phone Into an Infrared Sauna?
Picture your smartphone sweating it out just like you in an infrared sauna.
Your device’s internal sensors and safety features kick in to protect itself from the extreme conditions.
How Does Thermal Throttling and Automatic Shutdown Protect Your Phone?
Phones have tiny temperature sensors built inside, kind of like a digital thermometer watching for danger. As soon as your phone heats up to around 95°F to 104°F in an infrared sauna, thermal throttling kicks in automatically.
Your device slows down on purpose, almost like dragging its feet through mud, just to cool itself off and prevent frying important parts. Apps might lag or shut off as part of this protective move. Samsung phones trigger shutdown at around 108°F to protect the battery.
If heat keeps rising past safe levels, your phone hits the emergency stop: automatic shutdown. This protects batteries and chips from extreme damage that could ruin them permanently. In sauna conditions where temperatures routinely exceed 120°F, overheating hits fast. You’ll most likely see your screen go black before you even break a sweat.
What Long-Term Performance Issues Can Result from Sauna Exposure?
Thermal throttling might save your phone during a single session, but repeated sauna trips cause real trouble. Heat slowly ruins battery life in ways you’ll notice for months.
Many people see their phones drop to 80% of original capacity in just a year with regular heat exposure. Once a battery reaches 80% of its new capacity, it’s considered degraded and much more likely to fail completely.
Here’s what happens after repeated sauna exposure:
| Component | Short-Term Effect | Long-Term Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Battery | Faster drain, shutdown warnings | Capacity loss, swelling, fire risk |
| Touchscreen | Lag, unresponsive areas | Permanent glitches, yellow tint |
| Internal circuits | Thermal throttling, slow apps | Corrosion, component failure |
Moisture sneaks into tiny cracks too, causing slow corrosion to parts like charging ports and speakers. Over months, these issues stack up. Slower performance becomes your new normal. Apps crawl instead of sprinting open. Camera quality drops as lenses cloud from trapped humidity.
Apple and Samsung both warn that heat over 95°F is bad news for smartphones. Most infrared saunas and dry saunas go way beyond that mark every session.
Tips to Protect Your Phone in an Infrared Sauna
Thinking about taking your smartphone for a steam session?
Hold that thought. Your device won’t enjoy the sweat as much as you do.
How Do Sauna-Safe Phone Pouches Work?
Sauna-safe phone pouches create a barrier between your device and harsh conditions. Most are made from thick, waterproof material with thermal insulation layers built in. Brands like Boundless Sauna Bag and TempSafe market these protective cases specifically for sauna use.
The Boundless Sauna Bag features five heat barriers and claims protection up to 195°F for 30 minutes. TempSafe’s “Scroller” case uses premium neoprene and reflective insulation. Both products cost between $20 and $40 on Amazon.
This combo helps block some heat and keeps out moisture like steam or sweat. But here’s the catch: these pouches can’t stop everything.
No pouch on the market provides complete protection against sauna conditions. High temperatures can still sneak inside during long sessions.
Even high-end protective cases trap extra heat around your phone. They only make things a bit safer if you must bring your device for a quick check-in or timer function. The longer your session lasts, the more danger your phone faces. Use even these specialized covers with serious caution.
Why Should I Keep My Phone Outside the Sauna?
Phones and saunas don’t mix well, period.
High heat causes battery overheating, shortens your phone’s life, and can even lead to electrical malfunctions. In rare cases documented by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, batteries have caught fire in extreme conditions. As someone who has worked with low-EMF technology at SaunaCloud since 2012, I always leave my smartphone in the locker.
It’s just not worth risking a cracked display or fried components. Most manufacturers like Apple and Samsung explicitly exclude water and heat damage from warranty coverage. If you bring your phone into a sauna and it fails, don’t count on a free replacement.
Leaving tech outside makes the whole session better too. Without notifications buzzing or screens lighting up, you get all the relaxation benefits that infrared sauna therapy offers. Most sauna experts suggest treating each session as a true break from electronics.
- Your battery won’t swell or degrade from heat stress
- You avoid voiding your manufacturer’s warranty
- You can focus on actual relaxation instead of scrolling
- You save money on expensive repairs or replacements
Consider using books or soothing music through approved built-in Bluetooth speakers instead if you need entertainment.
What Are Good Alternative Devices for Entertainment or Relaxation in Saunas?
Basic MP3 players cost under $20 and deliver music without risk. I’ve used them during my own sauna sessions, and they hold up well in heat unlike phones. The SanDisk Clip Sport is one popular model that many sauna users recommend on forums like Reddit.
Bluetooth speakers work great when placed outside the hot room, piping in your favorite playlist from a safe distance. Many gyms and spas already install built-in audio systems for guests.
Here are your best entertainment options:
- Waterproof MP3 players (under $25) for offline music
- External Bluetooth speakers positioned outside the sauna door
- Sand hourglasses or mechanical kitchen timers (no batteries needed)
- Physical books or waterproof magazines
Some customers ask about keeping track of time without their phones. A simple sand hourglass or an old-fashioned mechanical timer does the trick with zero electronics. Bring a friend for conversation too. Laughter often beats scrolling on screens anyway.
If you’re curious about using other devices, check out my guide on using a Kindle in a sauna to see how e-readers handle the heat.
Looking for Expert Advice?
If you have questions about this article or are thinking about buying an infrared sauna, let’s connect. Book a call with me today for a personalized consultation on finding the right sauna for you.
— Christopher Kiggins
People Also Ask
You technically can, but I strongly advise against it because manufacturers like Apple and Samsung warn that operating temperatures over 95°F can cause failure. Since your infrared sauna typically runs between 120°F and 140°F, you are exposing your device to heat levels well beyond its safe design limit.
Heat accelerates chemical degradation in lithium-ion batteries, and exposure to temperatures above 113°F can permanently reduce your battery’s total capacity. You will likely notice your screen dimming or the device sluggishly thermal throttling before it eventually shuts down to protect itself.
Honestly, the only safe method is leaving your phone outside and connecting to a heat-resistant speaker, which will stay connected via Bluetooth up to 30 feet away.
Remove the case immediately to help heat dissipate, but never make the common mistake of putting it in the fridge or freezer. Rapid cooling creates internal condensation that causes moisture damage, so just let it cool down gradually at room temperature.
