Infrared vs Traditional Sauna: Differences and How to Choose
Infrared vs traditional sauna: what is the difference?
Quick answer: A traditional sauna heats the air to about 150 to 195°F with a heater and hot stones, and you can pour water on the stones for steam. An infrared sauna warms your body directly with radiant panels at about 110 to 140°F, with no steam. Neither is the better sauna. They are two different kinds of heat.
Key takeaways
- A traditional sauna (also called a Finnish, regular, conventional, or dry sauna) heats the air. An infrared sauna heats you.
- Air temperature: 150 to 195°F in a traditional sauna, 110 to 140°F in an infrared sauna.
- Only a traditional sauna gives you löyly (LOY-loo), the wave of steam from water on hot stones. Infrared cabins stay dry, and water should never go on the heaters.
- Infrared is ready sooner: about 10 to 20 minutes, against 30 to 45 minutes for a traditional electric heater.
- Small infrared cabins usually run on a standard 120V outlet. Traditional electric heaters need a 240V hardwired circuit.
- The large long-term health studies followed traditional Finnish sauna users. Infrared research is smaller and newer.
People search for this comparison as infrared vs regular sauna, conventional sauna, dry sauna, or Finnish sauna. It is the same question each time. Both types make you sweat in a wood-lined room. What differs is how the heat reaches you, and that explains everything else: temperature, steam, warm-up time, wiring, and where the sauna can go in your home.
| Traditional sauna | Infrared sauna | |
|---|---|---|
| How it heats | Heater warms stones and air, hot air warms you | Radiant panels warm your body directly |
| Air temperature | 150 to 195°F | 110 to 140°F, some up to about 150°F |
| Humidity | About 10 to 20%, higher when you pour water | Close to the room outside the cabin |
| Steam (löyly) | Yes, water on hot stones | No |
| Heat-up time | About 30 to 45 minutes (electric) | About 10 to 20 minutes |
| Typical session | Rounds of 10 to 20 minutes with breaks | One sit of 20 to 30 minutes |
| Power | About 4.5 to 9 kW, 240V hardwired | About 1.5 to 1.8 kW on a 120V outlet (1 to 2 person) |
How does a traditional sauna work?
A traditional sauna heats the air, and the hot air heats you. An electric or wood-burning heater warms a bed of sauna stones. The stones store that heat and release it into the room until the air reaches 150 to 195°F.
- The air is dry by default. Humidity sits around 10 to 20% until you add water.
- You control the steam. Ladle water onto the stones and it flashes into löyly, a wave of steam that makes the room feel hotter for a minute or two.
- Heat rises. The hottest air collects near the ceiling, so the upper bench runs hotter than the lower one.
This is the Finnish sauna, and it is the kind of sauna most published research means when it says "sauna."
How does an infrared sauna work?
An infrared sauna heats your body directly instead of heating the air. Heater panels in the walls give off infrared heat, the same radiant warmth you feel from the sun or a campfire, and your skin absorbs it. The air warms up as a side effect, which is why the cabin stays at about 110 to 140°F, with some models reaching about 150°F.
- No stones and no steam. There is nothing to pour water on, and water should stay away from the heaters.
- Dry, even air. Humidity stays close to that of the room outside the cabin.
- Position matters. The panels warm the parts of you that face them, so where you sit changes how the heat feels.
Most home infrared saunas are far infrared. Full spectrum models add near and mid infrared heaters to the far infrared ones.
Infrared vs traditional sauna temperature: which is hotter?
A traditional sauna is hotter by a wide margin: 150 to 195°F against 110 to 140°F. The number on the thermostat also undersells the traditional sauna, because hot air rises to where your head is. In our own traditional sauna we measured the air at head height running about 18% hotter than at the top bench. That gap is the reason people wear a wool sauna hat in a hot Finnish sauna.
Lower air temperature does not mean you stay dry in an infrared cabin. Because the panels warm your body directly, you still sweat heavily. Mayo Clinic describes it this way: an infrared sauna produces the sweating and raised heart rate of a regular sauna at lower temperatures. The air is simply milder to sit in and to breathe.
Infrared sauna vs dry sauna: are they the same thing?
No. "Dry sauna" normally means a traditional sauna used with little or no water on the stones. An infrared sauna is also dry, but it is a different machine: cooler air, radiant panels, and no stones.
- Dry sauna (traditional, no water): 150 to 195°F, about 10 to 20% humidity, with steam available the moment you pour.
- Infrared sauna: 110 to 140°F, room-level humidity, and no steam at all.
A traditional sauna with frequent löyly is sometimes called a wet sauna. A steam room is a third thing again: a sealed room held near 100% humidity at a much lower temperature.
Infrared vs traditional sauna: heat-up time and session length
Infrared is the faster one to start. Traditional is the one built around rounds.
- Traditional electric sauna: about 30 to 45 minutes to heat the room and the stones. A wood-burning sauna takes 45 minutes to an hour or more.
- Infrared sauna: usable in about 10 to 20 minutes, because the panels warm you before the air catches up. The cabin air can take 30 minutes or longer to reach its top setting.
Sessions differ too:
- Traditional: rounds of 10 to 20 minutes with a cool-down break between them.
- Infrared: one continuous sit, commonly 20 to 30 minutes.
Whichever you use, follow the manual for your sauna, start with short sessions, and step out when you have had enough.
Infrared vs traditional sauna: power, wiring, and installation
An infrared sauna is the easier one to power.
- Infrared, 1 to 2 person: about 1.5 to 1.8 kW on a standard 120V outlet (15 or 20 amp). A dedicated circuit is still recommended. Larger 3 to 4 person cabins often need 240V.
- Traditional electric: heaters run about 4.5 to 9 kW depending on room size and need a 240V dedicated circuit of 30 to 50 amps, hardwired by a licensed electrician.
A traditional heater draws roughly three times the power or more, and it runs longer because of the preheat.
Where each one can go follows from the steam:
- Infrared: dry heat, so there is no steam to manage. Most home cabins arrive as prefab panels and can be taken apart and moved.
- Traditional: makes steam when you pour, so the room needs intake and exhaust vents and surfaces that handle moisture.
These figures vary by size and brand. Check the manual for your model before you plan any electrical work.
Infrared vs traditional sauna health benefits: what the research covers
Most of the long-term research is on traditional Finnish saunas, not infrared ones.
- Traditional: the best-known study followed 2,315 middle-aged men in eastern Finland for about 20 years. More frequent sauna bathing was associated with lower rates of fatal cardiovascular events and of death from any cause (Laukkanen et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015). That is an association in one population, not proof that the sauna caused the result.
- Infrared: it has been studied too, but in smaller and shorter trials. Mayo Clinic's summary is that larger and more exact studies are needed.
Results from traditional saunas do not transfer automatically to infrared, or the other way round. We make sauna products, not medical claims, so choose on the heat you enjoy and what fits your home, and talk to your doctor first if you have a health condition.
Is an infrared sauna as good as a traditional sauna? How to choose
Neither is better across the board. They suit different people and different homes.
A traditional sauna fits if you:
- want high heat and the option of steam
- like the Finnish rhythm of heat, cool down, and repeat
- have a 240V circuit or can have one installed
- do not mind a 30 to 45 minute preheat
An infrared sauna fits if you:
- prefer milder air that you can sit in for one longer session
- want to start within 10 to 20 minutes
- need a small cabin that runs on a standard outlet
- want dry heat with no steam to ventilate
There is also a middle option. A hybrid sauna combines a traditional stone heater with infrared panels in one room, so you can run either kind of session. Hybrids generally need a 240V circuit because of the traditional heater.
What we use, and why
We started on the traditional side. Our own sauna is a hot Finnish one, and most of what we make is for that room: Kivi sauna stones, the Virta bucket and ladle for löyly, and Havu wool hats for the heat at head height.
We are adding far infrared saunas to the range next, for homes where a 240V circuit and a 40-minute preheat are what stand between you and a regular session. Whichever type you choose, the same rule applies: pick the heat you will use most often.
See the accessories we use in a traditional sauna →
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an infrared sauna and a traditional sauna?
A traditional sauna heats the air to about 150 to 195°F with a heater and hot stones, and you can add steam by pouring water on the stones. An infrared sauna warms your body directly with radiant panels at about 110 to 140°F, with no steam.
Is an infrared sauna as good as a traditional sauna?
Neither is better overall. A traditional sauna gives higher heat and steam. An infrared sauna gives milder air, a faster start, and simpler wiring. The better one is the one that fits how you like heat and what your home can power.
Which is hotter, an infrared sauna or a traditional sauna?
A traditional sauna is hotter. Its air runs about 150 to 195°F, and hotter still near the ceiling. An infrared sauna runs about 110 to 140°F, because its panels warm your body directly instead of heating the whole room.
Is a dry sauna the same as an infrared sauna?
No. A dry sauna is a traditional sauna used with little or no water on the stones, at 150 to 195°F and about 10 to 20% humidity. An infrared sauna is also dry, but it uses radiant panels at 110 to 140°F and has no stones.
Do you sweat in an infrared sauna?
Yes. The panels warm your body directly, so you sweat heavily even though the air is only about 110 to 140°F. Mayo Clinic notes that an infrared sauna produces the sweating of a regular sauna at lower temperatures.
Can you pour water on an infrared sauna heater?
No. Infrared heaters are electric panels with no stones, and water should never be poured or splashed on them. Pouring water for steam, called löyly, belongs to traditional saunas with a stone-filled heater that is rated for water.
Does an infrared sauna need a 240V outlet?
Usually not for small cabins. Most 1 to 2 person infrared saunas draw about 1.5 to 1.8 kW and plug into a standard 120V outlet. Larger 3 to 4 person models often need 240V. Traditional electric heaters need a 240V hardwired circuit.
How long does an infrared sauna take to heat up compared with a traditional sauna?
An infrared sauna is usable in about 10 to 20 minutes. A traditional electric sauna needs about 30 to 45 minutes to heat the room and the stones, and a wood-burning sauna takes 45 minutes to an hour or more.
How long should you stay in an infrared sauna vs a traditional sauna?
Traditional sessions are usually rounds of 10 to 20 minutes with cool-down breaks. Infrared sessions are usually one sit of 20 to 30 minutes at lower heat. Follow your sauna's manual, start short, and step out when you have had enough.
Infrared vs traditional sauna health benefits: which has more research?
Traditional saunas. The large long-term studies, including a 20-year Finnish study of 2,315 men, followed traditional sauna users and found associations, not proof of cause. Infrared studies are smaller, and Mayo Clinic says larger and more exact studies are needed.
Can one sauna be both infrared and traditional?
Yes. A hybrid sauna combines a traditional stone heater with infrared panels in one room, so you can run either kind of session. Hybrids generally need a 240V dedicated circuit because of the traditional heater.
Do you need a sauna hat in an infrared sauna?
Usually not. Infrared air is cooler and there is no steam, so no layer of very hot air builds up at head height. A wool hat earns its place in a hot traditional sauna. Read the full answer on sauna hats in infrared saunas.