Infrared Sauna Benefits: 5 Best Saunas for Your Home in 2023 (2023)

FAQs

Infrared Sauna Benefits: 5 Best Saunas for Your Home in 2023? ›

WINNER: INFRARED

An infrared sauna provides a much milder temperature environment – between 120 to 150 degrees F. Additionally, the light of infrared saunas travels much deeper into the body, meaning they are to cause a more vigorous sweat, despite the lower (and more comfortable) temperature.

WINNER: INFRARED

An infrared sauna provides a much milder temperature environment – between 120 to 150 degrees F. Additionally, the light of infrared saunas travels much deeper into the body, meaning they are to cause a more vigorous sweat, despite the lower (and more comfortable) temperature.

With more use you'll notice a deep, purifying sweat and an invigorating feeling afterward. There is no one answer for the amount of sessions per week, but infrared saunas are safe to use every day. In fact, you will see wellness improvements sooner if you use it daily.

So, how long should your session be, to realise health benefits? Rimba Sweat recommends that first-time users should spend roughly 15 minutes in the sauna. As your body becomes more used to the process, you'll experience maximum results anywhere from 25-40 minutes in the sauna.

Mid-infrared is used primarily in the treatment of chronic pain. Far infrared sauna penetrates the body at a deeper level than near or mid-infrared and is the best type of sauna for eliminating toxins and reducing inflammation.

Use at least twice a week starting with 10-15 minutes at a time and work up to 30-40 minutes at a time slowly. Best practices say not to use the infrared sauna more than twice a day. It's not recommended to stay in longer than about 20-45 minutes at a time even when you're used to it, but we will get into that shortly.

Infrared Sauna Use

A weight loss study revealed that an increase in core body temperature resulted in a decrease in body fat. This study concluded that using an infrared sauna three times a week for 30 minutes per session helped drop an average of 4 percent body fat over a four-month period.

However, we do recommend that you should shower after an infrared sauna too. Because you sweat during your session and toxins are released, having a shower after your sauna will help to cleanse the skin and close pores.

Although infrared saunas are generally considered safe with no side effects, there are still some potential risks. As with any sauna, the dangers of infrared saunas include the risk of becoming overheated, dehydrated, or dizzy. You can generally avoid this by drinking enough fluids before and after.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Most people do not drink enough water to begin with and now that you are using an infrared sauna and sweating, it is even more important to stay properly hydrated. Always drink plenty of water before, during and after your sauna session.

Is it better to do infrared sauna in morning or night? ›

Best Times for infrared sauna sessions are early in the morning or before bedtime in the evening, although anytime is good. When you first begin to use your infrared sauna, Start Slowly. After you begin to break a sweat, a 20 -30 minute session is recommended.

Based on this study, it appears that any type of heat therapy or sauna use in the morning will improve mental acuity throughout the day. Conversely, sauna bathing in the evening appears to improve sleep and the body's ability to transfer from states of vigilance into states of relaxation conducive to sleep.

The regular use of an infrared sauna for support of detoxification is one of the best things you can do to restore health and remain healthy. Infrared saunas penetrate deep into the body increasing heat shock proteins, inducing more sweat, then the release of toxins, and at the same time increasing longevity.

Yes, evidence suggests that the sauna is good for arthritis symptoms, including pain management and joint stiffness. A pilot study from Clinical Rheumatology found that there was a “significant” impact on the short-term improvement of pain, and stiffness decreased clinically in sufferers of arthritis.

Steam rooms are heated by steam from a generator filled with boiling water. While a sauna may help you relax and loosen your muscles, a steam room may have even further health benefits.

In addition, many people are vitamin D deficient and don't even know it! Vitamin D is not only a building block in your immune system, but it is essential for bone, teeth, and skin health as well as reducing your risk of cancer! The infrared sauna boosts your Vitamin D levels naturally!

Natural light therapy & inflammation treatment: Red light therapy alleviates chronic inflammation by increasing blood flow to the damaged tissues, and it's been found in numerous clinical trials to increase the body's antioxidant defenses.

One of the most effective treatment methods for osteoarthritis is heat, and this is exactly why Far Infrared Sauna Therapy (F.I.R.S.T.) is one of the best ways to help reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis.

You can go nude or wear clothing in the infrared sauna pod. Men typically wear workout or swim trunks; women typically wear workout shorts and a tank top or sports bra. Going nude vs. wearing this body wrap will not alter the effectiveness of your sauna session.

After you leave the far infrared sauna session, you should cool down. Take a room-temperature shower or plunge in the pool. Afterward, sit or lie down to finish cooling down. You will feel fantastic and rejuvenated, but you shouldn't exert yourself too much for at least 10-15 minutes.

Is it OK to do infrared sauna before bed? ›

“It is believed that the red light wavelength [used in infrared saunas] stimulates melatonin,” says Roban. For improved sleep, experts recommend hitting the sauna in the evening, at least 30 minutes before bedtime.

Infrared Saunas can help you fight acne, improve your complexion, tighten your skin and even boost your overall health. Using infrared saunas is a natural process, painless and non-invasive. Infrared saunas are proven to deliver efficient and long-lasting results.

Near infrared saunas can help reduce signs of aging and help your skin be healthier and younger looking. The red light stimulates collagen and elastin production. Collagen and elastin help plump and firm the skin which can also help alleviate stretch marks and cellulite.

If you find yourself feeling exhausted after an infrared sauna session, don't worry – it's normal! In most cases, fatigue is simply because your body is working hard to sweat out toxins and rehydrate itself.

Sauna time and hydration

Before the sauna, we recommend drinking 1-2 glasses of water to prep your body for the upcoming sweat sesh. After the sauna, you want to continue to drink water, but you also want to replenish those key minerals and electrolytes lost like magnesium, sodium, calcium, and potassium.

The longer the room temperature stays above 35 degrees Celsius, the more (permanent) damage will be done. Also, remember that infrared saunas achieve heat intensities of 45-60 degrees Celsius (113 - 140 F). With those temperatures, you'll be killing your phone over time.

If you're entering a steam room, then the moisture in the air will be much higher. Therefore a steam room is not ideal for bringing in phones. A public sauna is also not a great place to take your phone for similar reasons and we'd recommend leaving it in the changing room with your clothes.

Prolonged exposure to IR radiation causes a gradual but irreversible opacity of the lens. Other forms of damage to the eye from IR exposure include scotoma, which is a loss of vision due to the damage to the retina. Even low-level IR absorption can cause symptoms such as redness of the eye, swelling, or hemorrhaging.

We suggest wearing clean, loose clothing (cotton or any breathable material preferably) or your bathers but you may choose to wear a towel or no clothes at all if that's your thing! The benefit of having your very own sauna in your home means you have the privacy to enjoy your sauna exactly the way you want to.

Lower Blood Pressure: Infrared saunas induce a deep sweat to make the heart pump faster, which in turn increases blood flow, lowers blood pressure and helps circulation. Only Sunlighten saunas are backed by clinical research that shows a reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

How do I protect my hair in an infrared sauna? ›

“We recommend a 5- to 15-minute cool-down and a cold shower, depending on how long your session is,” Berlingeri says. The shower is important because sweating is one of your body's main natural detoxification processes, and you want to wash away all that stuff you sweated out so your skin doesn't re-absorb it.

Step #1: Wash Your Face First

Remove makeup residue, sweat buildup or any grime that's accumulated throughout the day. As you'll be sweating profusely in the sauna, you'll want to avoid clogging up your pores, so your skin can expel all those hidden impurities.

If you have used a lot of styling products, you should rinse or wash your hair before taking a sauna. You can go to the sauna without getting your hair wet. However, be sure to protect your hair as hair does not withstand heat well. Especially hair that has been dyed or damaged needs protection.

The ideal temperature for your infrared sauna is generally between 60-70 degrees. different reasons. higher settings, you'll certainly break out into more of a sweat.

Cooling off after the sauna is important because you can catch a cold if you sweat too much. Sauna-goers should leave enough time to cool down before warming up again. If you can, don't have a shower straight after the sauna. It's better for the body if you cool off in the fresh air first.

A classic oversized t-shirt, a loose-fitting cotton towel, and shorts are always good for the sauna. They allow your skin to breathe freely; this helps you enjoy a sauna session to its full potential.

According to the classic Finnish method, there is a short bath in ice-cold water, which can be replaced by a shower in cold or lukewarm water, waiting at least two minutes after leaving the sauna.

Look for infrared saunas with undetectable or extremely low Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) and low Electric Fields (ELF). Check your sauna has third-party tested results on its EMF levels.

What infrared sauna does Ben Greenfield recommend? ›

Clearlight Saunas is proud to be the only sauna used and recommended by Ben Greenfield. Clearlight Saunas have a 100% lifetime warranty and come in a variety of sizes, shapes & budgets. To find the best sauna for your home and your health, please visit www.HealwithHeat.com and speak with a sauna specialist at 800.317.

So which is the best? You can find published studies that show benefits of virtually all of these wavelengths. However, the bulk of clinical literature suggests that light in the mid-600 nm range and low- to mid-800 nm range is the most effective.

Dr. Sharma says the dry heat generated in an infrared sauna can cause you to become overheated, and if used for a prolonged session, it can also cause dehydration and even heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Keep your sessions to 20-30 minutes. Medical advisors may suggest longer sessions for certain health conditions. The ideal sauna temperature setting is between 120°F/50°C and 140°F/60°C. You should start perspiring within 10 to 15 minutes, and if not, you may need to increase the temperature by 5° increments.

In the morning as the sun is coming up over the horizon, IR rays make up a higher concentration of the light coming through (and just enough UV rays get through to promote their good side effects without too much of the bad!).

It all comes down to the color: Why infrared prefers black to white. The heating process in plastics processing is much quicker for darker materials. The reason behind this is that black plastic absorbs infrared radiation better than white or transparent materials.

Our pick is the MitoPRO series because the products come with additional red and near-infrared light wavelengths to heal wounds, promote muscle recovery, and reduce nerve and joint pain. With a trial period and third-party testing, it's an investment in our health we can get behind.

Using Infrared Saunas - Who Can And Can't

If you have an insensitivity to heat, have a fever, have a condition that inhibits your ability to sweat or have a pacemaker or defibrillator - we don't recommend using an infrared sauna.

Many studies have looked at using infrared saunas in the treatment of long-lasting health problems and found some proof that saunas may help. Conditions studied include high blood pressure, heart failure, dementia and Alzheimer's disease, headache, type 2 diabetes, and arthritis.

GOOP's founder, Gwyneth Paltrow, is also a big advocate of the relaxation and health benefits on offer in Clearlight's saunas, with the convenience of having an infrared sauna in your home being singled out by Ms Paltrow.

Is 850nm or 940nm better? ›

850nm torches will give the best picture, they will have a slightly longer usable range and they are less likely to create blurry images than 940nm torches. 850 gives better pictures because IR cameras are most sensitive to radiation in this wavelength.

Red light therapy (RLT) is a treatment that may help skin, muscle tissue, and other parts of your body heal. It exposes you to low levels of red or near-infrared light. Infrared light is a type of energy your eyes can't see, but your body can feel as heat.