INSIGHTS & GUIDES
Infrared Sauna vs Traditional Sauna: What's the Difference?
Infrared saunas and traditional saunas both create heated environments for relaxation, but they produce that warmth in very different ways. A traditional sauna primarily heats the surrounding air, whereas an infrared sauna uses infrared emitters to radiate warmth towards people and surfaces.
Those differences affect the temperature inside the sauna, how the heat feels and the overall experience.
Understanding the distinction is also useful if you are interested in how infrared heating works more broadly, because radiant heating principles are also used in modern infrared heating systems for homes and commercial spaces.
Quick Answer
What's the Difference Between an Infrared Sauna and a Traditional Sauna?
A traditional sauna heats the air around you, normally creating a much hotter environment. An infrared sauna uses radiant infrared energy to warm the user and surrounding surfaces more directly, allowing it to operate at a lower ambient air temperature.
The supplied temperature ranges for the two systems are typically around 70–100°C for a traditional sauna and 40–60°C for an infrared sauna. Which experience you prefer largely comes down to whether you enjoy intense high-temperature heat or gentler radiant warmth.
Infrared Sauna vs Traditional Sauna at a Glance
| Feature | Infrared Sauna | Traditional Sauna |
|---|---|---|
| How heat is delivered | Infrared emitters radiate heat towards people and surfaces | Heater or stove raises the surrounding air temperature |
| Typical temperature | Approximately 40–60°C | Approximately 70–100°C |
| Heat experience | Lower-temperature radiant warmth | Higher-temperature heated-air environment |
| Steam | Not central to the infrared heating method | Steam may be added depending on the sauna |
| Warm-up | Designed around heating the user rather than first creating very high air temperatures | Surrounding air is heated to a high operating temperature |
| Experience | May suit people who prefer a gentler heated environment | May suit people who enjoy intense heat and the traditional sauna experience |
How Do Infrared and Traditional Saunas Generate Heat?
Infrared Sauna
Radiant Heat
Infrared saunas use infrared emitters to radiate heat towards the body. Instead of relying on very hot surrounding air to create the experience, infrared energy warms people and surfaces more directly.
Traditional Sauna
Heated Air
Traditional saunas use an electric heater or wood-burning stove to raise the temperature of the surrounding air. Steam may also be introduced, increasing humidity and changing how the heat feels.
This difference between radiant heating and primarily heating the surrounding air is also useful for understanding the broader principle behind infrared heating panels.
Important Distinction
An infrared sauna and an infrared panel designed to heat a room are different products designed for different environments. The useful connection is the principle of radiant infrared heat — not that a room-heating panel should be used as a sauna heater.
01
Comfort and the Sauna Experience
One of the biggest differences is simply how the two environments feel.
A traditional sauna creates a high-temperature environment. For people who enjoy intense heat — and potentially steam depending on the sauna — that is an important part of the experience.
Infrared saunas operate at lower ambient temperatures. The supplied article describes this as a gentler experience that some users may find more tolerable, particularly if they do not enjoy extremely hot surrounding air.
Neither experience is automatically better. They are simply different ways of producing a heated sauna environment.
02
Running Costs and Energy Use
Energy consumption is another common reason people compare infrared and traditional saunas.
Infrared saunas operate at lower ambient temperatures and do not need to raise the surrounding air to the same high temperatures described for a traditional sauna.
Traditional saunas, by comparison, heat the surrounding air to a much higher temperature and require energy to establish and maintain that environment.
However, it is better not to assume that every infrared sauna will automatically cost less to run than every traditional sauna. Actual electricity consumption and cost will depend on the power rating of the equipment, warm-up period, session duration and how frequently it is used.
03
Installation and Practical Differences
The supplied comparison also highlights differences in installation.
Infrared sauna cabins are commonly designed around infrared emitters and an electrical supply, while traditional sauna installations can involve higher-temperature equipment, ventilation planning and, depending on the design, additional requirements associated with steam.
The exact installation requirements will always depend on the individual sauna and manufacturer's instructions, so electrical and ventilation requirements should be checked for the particular system being installed.
04
Health and Wellbeing Considerations
Both infrared and traditional saunas are widely used as environments for relaxation and general wellbeing.
Some users describe muscle relaxation, comfort and an overall sense of wellbeing after sauna use. Experiences can vary considerably between individuals.
Infrared sauna use should not, however, be treated as a medical treatment on the basis of these general experiences.
If your interest is specifically in the safety of infrared technology when used for space heating, read our separate guide: Is Infrared Heating Safe?
What Does a Sauna Tell Us About Infrared Heating?
Sauna technology provides an easy way of understanding one of the fundamental differences between radiant heat and systems that primarily heat the surrounding air.
In an infrared sauna, infrared energy is directed towards people and surfaces rather than relying solely on raising the air to the very high temperatures associated with a traditional sauna.
The same broad radiant-heating principle helps explain how infrared space heating works, although the equipment and application are different.
Radiant Heating
People & Surfaces
Infrared energy is used to deliver radiant warmth rather than relying only on heated air.
Space Heating
Different Application
Infrared room heaters are designed specifically for heating residential and commercial spaces.
Learn More
Understand the Technology
Our infrared heating guide explains how the principle is applied to everyday space heating.
For more detail, see our complete infrared heating guide and our page covering the comfort and wellbeing benefits of infrared heating.
Infrared or Traditional Sauna: Which Experience Might Suit You?
The choice largely comes down to the type of sauna experience you prefer.
- Consider an infrared sauna if you prefer radiant warmth and a lower ambient temperature.
- Consider a traditional sauna if you enjoy much higher air temperatures and the traditional heated-air sauna experience.
- Consider the individual equipment when comparing running costs, installation and electrical requirements rather than choosing on heating technology alone.
Neither system needs to be presented as universally superior. They create noticeably different environments and suit different preferences.
Infrared Sauna vs Traditional Sauna FAQs
What is the main difference between an infrared and traditional sauna?
A traditional sauna primarily heats the surrounding air to create a high-temperature environment. An infrared sauna uses infrared emitters to radiate warmth towards people and surfaces and can therefore operate at a lower ambient temperature.
What temperature does an infrared sauna operate at?
The supplied comparison gives a typical range of approximately 40–60°C for an infrared sauna, compared with approximately 70–100°C for a traditional sauna.
Is an infrared sauna cheaper to run?
Its lower operating temperature may affect energy requirements, but actual running cost depends on the sauna's electrical power, warm-up requirements, session length and frequency of use. It is therefore better to compare the specifications of the individual systems.
Does an infrared sauna use steam?
Infrared saunas use infrared emitters to create radiant warmth. The supplied article contrasts this with traditional saunas, where steam may be added to alter humidity and intensify the heat sensation.
Is infrared sauna heating the same as infrared home heating?
They share the broad principle of using infrared radiant energy, but they are different applications using equipment designed for different environments. Infrared room-heating panels are specifically designed for heating residential and commercial spaces.
How does infrared heating work in a home?
To understand how the technology is applied to space heating rather than sauna use, see our infrared heating guide.
Beyond the Sauna
Interested in Infrared Heating for Your Property?
Infrared sauna technology demonstrates the principle of radiant heat, but purpose-designed infrared heating panels apply that principle to everyday residential and commercial space heating.
- New to the technology? Read our complete infrared heating guide.
- Looking for heaters? Explore our infrared heating panels.
- Concerned about running costs? Read our guide to infrared heating running costs.
- Planning a heating system? Use our infrared heating wattage calculator to estimate the output required for your space.
- Need some help? Speak to our infrared heating team about your project.
Infrared Sauna vs Traditional Sauna: Final Thoughts
Infrared and traditional saunas both create heated environments, but the way they produce that heat is fundamentally different.
Traditional saunas create a much hotter surrounding-air environment, while infrared saunas use radiant infrared energy and operate at lower ambient temperatures. That produces a different experience rather than simply a better or worse version of the same thing.
The comparison also provides a useful introduction to the principle behind infrared space heating. If you want to understand how radiant heating can be applied beyond a sauna, explore our range of infrared heating panels or read our complete infrared heating guide.
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