Infrared vs traditional sauna: which is right for you?

By Pete Caldwell, Sauna Master 11 years in home saunas Updated 22 June 2026

What is the difference between infrared and traditional saunas?

The difference is how the heat reaches you. A traditional sauna heats the air around you with an electric or wood-burning stove, and that hot air heats your skin, so the room runs hot and you can add steam by ladling water onto the rocks. An infrared sauna skips the hot air and uses panels to emit infrared light that your body absorbs directly, so the air can stay much cooler while you still sweat. Everything else, the temperature, the comfort, the install, and the cost, follows from that single choice.

Infrared vs traditional sauna, side by side

Temperatures, costs, and prices are general figures and vary by unit, local electricity rates, and installation. Confirm against the specific model you are considering.

What does the research actually say?

The honest summary is that traditional saunas have the deeper, longer-running evidence base, while infrared research is real but newer, smaller, and shorter-term. The strongest sauna data comes from long Finnish cohort studies of traditional, high-heat saunas. In a prospective study of 2,315 middle-aged men followed for around 20 years, Laukkanen and colleagues found that more frequent sauna use was associated with roughly 40% lower all-cause mortality among those who used a sauna 4 to 7 times per week compared with once a week, alongside lower cardiovascular mortality. (Laukkanen et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015. Observational association, not proof of cause.)

A later review of the accumulated evidence reached a similar, cautious conclusion: regular sauna bathing is associated with several cardiovascular and other health markers, while the authors note the need for randomized trials to confirm cause and effect. (Laukkanen et al., Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2018, review.) Almost all of this longevity and cardiovascular data comes from traditional saunas run above about 170 F, not from infrared.

Infrared has its own smaller body of research, mostly focused on circulation and recovery rather than long-term mortality. An earlier controlled study reported that repeated far-infrared sauna sessions improved vascular endothelial function in people with cardiovascular risk factors. (Imamura et al., Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2001.) A separate trial in people with chronic heart failure found that a program of far-infrared sauna therapy was associated with improvements in symptoms and cardiac function in that group. (Miyamoto et al., Journal of Cardiac Failure, 2005.)

The fair way to read this: infrared saunas are studied for comfort, pain relief, circulation, and recovery, with promising but limited and shorter-term evidence, while the deep, multi-decade cardiovascular and longevity research is from traditional saunas. Whether infrared's lower temperatures deliver the same long-term outcomes is still an open question. We avoid any "detox" or cure language, because the evidence does not support it.

Which is healthier, infrared or traditional?

Both raise your core temperature, increase your heart rate, and boost circulation in a way that broadly mimics light exercise, which is the mechanism researchers believe drives the observed benefits. On the strength of the evidence specifically, traditional saunas are ahead, because the large, long-term cardiovascular and mortality studies were done on traditional, high-heat saunas. (Laukkanen et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015; Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2018.)

That does not mean infrared has no health value. Its gentler heat makes it easier to tolerate for longer, which some people find more sustainable as a daily habit, and the early infrared studies on circulation and recovery are encouraging. But the most accurate statement we can make is that traditional saunas currently have the deeper proof, and infrared is the more comfortable, lower-cost option that is still building its evidence base. Either way, the health upside depends far more on using a sauna regularly than on which type you choose. This is general information, not medical advice; if you have a heart condition, are pregnant, or take medication, talk to your doctor before starting.

Cost and install: what is easier to live with at home?

This is where infrared pulls clearly ahead for most home buyers. A 1 or 2 person infrared sauna plugs into a normal 120V household outlet, so there is no electrician, no permit, and no special wiring. It preheats in about 10 to 15 minutes and adds only roughly $5 to $10 a month to your electricity bill on a typical usage pattern. You can put it in a spare room, a basement, or a home gym and start the same day it arrives.

A traditional sauna is a bigger commitment. Most need a 240V hardwired connection, which usually means an electrician, and the higher heat and longer preheat push running costs to roughly $15 to $30 a month. You also manage humidity, drainage, and the rocks. The payoff is the real high-heat, steam ritual that infrared cannot replicate. If you want the lowest-friction way into regular heat sessions, infrared wins on install and cost. If the steam ritual is the whole point, the extra setup is worth it.

Should you choose infrared or traditional?

If infrared is the right fit, the next question is size. For one person, see our best 1-person infrared saunas; if you want room for two, see our best 2-person infrared saunas.

For most home buyers starting out, infrared wins on cost, install, and comfort, while traditional keeps the deeper research base and the steam ritual. Pick infrared for the easy, low-cost daily habit; step up to traditional when high heat and steam are the whole point.

Infrared vs traditional sauna: common questions

Keep reading

• The best infrared saunas overall, our full buyer's guide and top picks across every size.
• The best 1-person infrared saunas, if you are buying for yourself.
• The best 2-person infrared saunas, if you want room for two.
• How we choose and score, our methodology.