Far Infrared vs Full Spectrum Sauna: What Is the Difference?
Far infrared vs full spectrum sauna: what is the difference?
Quick answer: A far infrared sauna heats you with carbon or ceramic heaters that emit far infrared. A full spectrum sauna adds much hotter lamp-type heaters that also emit near and mid infrared. Full spectrum runs hotter and costs more. Far infrared is simpler, gentler and the type most people start with.
Key takeaways
- Infrared is split into three bands by wavelength: near, mid and far.
- Far infrared saunas use carbon or ceramic heaters. Their output is far infrared.
- Full spectrum saunas add halogen or quartz lamp heaters to cover the near and mid bands too.
- A carbon panel on its own cannot be full spectrum. It is not hot enough to emit near infrared.
- "Full spectrum" is not a regulated label. Ask which heater makes each band.
- Far infrared cabins usually run 110 to 140Ā°F. Some full spectrum models reach 165 to 170Ā°F.
Both are infrared saunas, and both warm your body directly instead of heating the air first. The difference is in the heaters and in which part of the infrared range they give off.
Near, mid and far infrared: what the wavelengths mean
Infrared is heat you feel as radiant warmth, like sun on your skin. Physicists divide it into three bands by wavelength, measured in microns.
| Band | Wavelength | Sauna heater that makes it |
|---|---|---|
| Near infrared (IR-A) | 0.78 to 1.4 microns | Halogen and quartz lamp heaters |
| Mid infrared (IR-B) | 1.4 to 3 microns | Halogen and quartz lamp heaters |
| Far infrared (IR-C) | 3 to 1,000 microns | Carbon panels and ceramic heaters |
These are the IR-A, IR-B and IR-C bands defined by the international lighting commission (CIE) and used by the radiation-protection commission (ICNIRP). Sauna sellers often draw the line between mid and far at about 5.6 microns instead of 3, so you will see both versions.
The rule behind the table is simple: the hotter the heater, the shorter the wavelength. A warm panel gives off far infrared. A glowing lamp filament gives off near infrared and some visible light.
What is a far infrared sauna?
A far infrared sauna is a wooden cabin lined with heaters whose output is far infrared, with next to nothing in the near and mid bands. It is the most common type of home infrared sauna. There are two kinds of heater.
- Carbon panels. Large flat panels with a low surface temperature, roughly 120 to 180Ā°F. They spread heat evenly across your back, sides and legs.
- Ceramic heaters. Rods or small plates that run much hotter, roughly 350 to 750Ā°F depending on the design. They warm up faster and give a more concentrated heat.
A carbon panel at these temperatures emits most strongly at about 8 to 9 microns. Your own body gives off heat at around 9 to 10 microns, in the same far infrared band.
What is a full spectrum infrared sauna?
A full spectrum infrared sauna has heaters for all three bands. In practice that means far infrared panels plus one or more lamp-type heaters, usually halogen or quartz, placed in front of you or behind your back.
- The lamp heaters run far hotter. Sellers quote about 750Ā°F for the heater, and the filament inside a halogen or quartz lamp runs well over 2,000Ā°F. That is what shifts the output toward the shorter mid and near infrared wavelengths.
- They glow. A lamp heater gives off visible orange light. A carbon panel does not.
- The far infrared panels are still there, covering the walls around the rest of your body.
The label is not regulated. Some saunas sold as full spectrum have one small lamp heater, and some add red LED lights and call the result full spectrum. A cabin with carbon panels alone is a far infrared sauna, whatever the listing says. How much near infrared reaches your skin varies a lot by design.
Near infrared vs far infrared sauna: how deep does the heat go?
Less deep than many listings claim. You will see far infrared described as reaching 1.5 inches or more into the body. Figures published by ICNIRP, the international radiation-protection commission, are much smaller.
- Near infrared reaches several millimeters into tissue.
- Mid infrared reaches less than 1 millimeter.
- Far infrared is absorbed at the surface of the skin, within about 0.1 millimeter.
That does not make far infrared weaker. It warms the skin efficiently, and conduction and blood flow carry the heat inward from there. That is how a far infrared cabin makes you sweat at a lower air temperature than a traditional sauna.
Two related terms cause confusion:
- Near infrared sauna. Usually a small enclosure heated only by incandescent heat lamps, with no far infrared panels.
- Red light therapy. LED panels at set wavelengths, commonly red light around 660 nanometers and near infrared around 850 nanometers. They give off little heat. A lamp heater in a sauna is not the same thing, even though both get called near infrared.
Far infrared vs full spectrum sauna: temperature and feel
Far infrared cabins usually run 110 to 140Ā°F, and some reach about 150Ā°F. Some full spectrum models are built to reach 165 to 170Ā°F.
- Far infrared builds slowly and evenly. The heat is gentle, and most people can stay in for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Full spectrum feels more intense where the lamp heaters point. You feel them quickly after switching on, and some users report that they start sweating sooner.
- The lamps can be glaring up close. Sit so you are not looking straight into them.
Neither one feels like a traditional sauna. If you want 150 to 195Ā°F and steam from water on hot stones, see infrared vs traditional sauna.
Far infrared vs full spectrum sauna: price, power and upkeep
| Far infrared | Full spectrum | |
|---|---|---|
| Heaters | Carbon panels or ceramic heaters | Far infrared panels plus halogen or quartz lamp heaters |
| Infrared bands | Far | Near, mid and far |
| Cabin temperature | 110 to 140Ā°F, some to about 150Ā°F | Up to 165 to 170Ā°F on some models |
| Feel | Even, gentle, builds slowly | More intense, faster to feel |
| Price | Lower | Often $500 to $2,000 more for the same size |
| Power | Small cabins plug into a 120V household circuit | Higher-output models need a 20-amp circuit or more |
- Price. Full spectrum usually costs more than the same size in far infrared, because it has more heaters and more wiring.
- Power. A small one or two person far infrared cabin typically draws 1.5 to 1.8 kW on a 120V circuit. Most larger far infrared cabins need a dedicated 20 amp circuit. Many full spectrum cabins also run on 120V, but higher-output models need a 20-amp or 30-amp circuit, and large ones 240V.
- Upkeep. Both are dry rooms that need little more than a wipe of the bench. Carbon panels are rated for tens of thousands of hours. Ask what the lamp heaters are rated for and how they are replaced.
Requirements vary by model, so check the manual before you buy.
How to check a full spectrum sauna claim
Three questions sort a real full spectrum sauna from a label.
- Which heater produces each band? A clear answer names the far infrared panels and the lamp heaters separately.
- How many lamp heaters are there, and where? One small element at shin height is not the same as heaters covering your front and back.
- Is there output data? Look for a spectral report or irradiance figures measured at seating distance.
Which is better, far infrared or full spectrum? How to choose
Neither is better for everyone. They suit different buyers.
Choose far infrared if:
- You want gentle, even heat for regular 20 to 30 minute sessions.
- You want the lower price.
- You want to plug a one or two person cabin into a household circuit.
- You want the simpler cabin, with panels only and no lamps.
Choose full spectrum if:
- You want a hotter cabin and a more intense heat.
- You want near and mid infrared as well as far.
- You are fine with the higher price and, on some models, a larger circuit.
We make sauna products, not medical claims, so this guide compares how the two types work and what they cost to own, not health outcomes.
What we use, and why
Our own sauna is a traditional Finnish one, and most of what we make today is for that kind of room. Far infrared saunas are next in our range.
We chose far infrared first because it is the type most people start with: even heat, a household circuit in the smaller sizes, and the lower price. Whatever type you buy, ask the seller which heater produces which band.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a far infrared and a full spectrum sauna?
A far infrared sauna uses carbon or ceramic heaters that emit far infrared. A full spectrum sauna adds much hotter halogen or quartz lamp heaters that also emit near and mid infrared. Full spectrum usually runs hotter and costs more than the same size in far infrared.
Is a full spectrum sauna better than far infrared?
Not for everyone. Full spectrum gives a hotter cabin and a more intense heat. Far infrared gives gentler, even heat at a lower price and on a smaller circuit. Pick by how you like the heat to feel, your budget and your wiring.
What is a full spectrum infrared sauna?
An infrared sauna with heaters for all three infrared bands: near, mid and far. It normally combines far infrared panels with halogen or quartz lamp heaters. The label is not regulated, so ask the seller which heater produces each band.
What is the difference between near infrared and far infrared?
Wavelength. Near infrared is 0.78 to 1.4 microns and comes from very hot sources such as lamp filaments. Far infrared is 3 microns and longer and comes from warm surfaces such as carbon panels. Near infrared reaches a few millimeters into tissue. Far infrared is absorbed at the skin.
What is mid infrared in a sauna?
The band between near and far, from 1.4 to 3 microns on the international scale. Many sauna sellers stretch it to about 5.6 microns. In a full spectrum sauna it comes from the same halogen or quartz lamp heaters that produce near infrared.
Can carbon heaters produce near infrared?
No. A carbon panel runs at roughly 120 to 180Ā°F, and a surface that cool emits far infrared only, peaking around 8 to 9 microns. Near infrared needs a much hotter source, such as a glowing lamp filament, or LEDs.
Does far infrared penetrate deeper than near infrared?
No. ICNIRP figures put near infrared at several millimeters into tissue and far infrared at about 0.1 millimeter, absorbed at the skin surface. Far infrared still warms you well, because conduction and blood flow carry the heat inward from the skin.
Is a full spectrum sauna hotter than a far infrared sauna?
Often, yes. Far infrared cabins usually run 110 to 140Ā°F, and some reach about 150Ā°F. Some full spectrum models are built to reach 165 to 170Ā°F, and the lamp heaters feel more intense on the part of your body they face.
Is near infrared in a sauna the same as red light therapy?
No. Red light therapy uses LED panels at set wavelengths, commonly around 660 and 850 nanometers, and gives off little heat. A sauna's lamp heater is a hot element with a broad output. Both get called near infrared, but they are different devices.
Are carbon or ceramic heaters better in a far infrared sauna?
Carbon panels are large and run cooler, roughly 120 to 180Ā°F, so the heat is even and gentle. Ceramic heaters run at roughly 350 to 750Ā°F, warm up faster and feel more concentrated. Most home far infrared saunas now use carbon panels.
Does a full spectrum sauna cost more than far infrared?
Usually. For the same size, the gap is often $500 to $2,000 or more, because a full spectrum cabin has extra heaters and wiring. Some higher-output models also need a larger electrical circuit, which adds to the cost of setting them up.