You might not know it, but owning a personal infrared sauna could be the best gift you could ever give yourself. In many different cultures, exposure to heat has been widely used as traditional therapy for hundreds of years.
Yes, some studies might dispute its effect in treating chronic health problems like high blood pressure and congestive heart failure, but there’s no question that infrared saunas could help improve your sleep or provide relief to tired and achy muscles after a long day’s work.
If this is your first infrared sauna unit, you’re in luck. I’ve compiled only the best infrared sauna brands and models you can find in the market.
Infrared Sauna Buying Guide
If you got here, there’s a good chance you’ve already compared traditional with infrared saunas, and have decided that infrared is the way to go. You shouldn’t stop there. When looking for the best infrared sauna on the market, use these considerations to decide if a particular model is the right fit for you:
Learning curve: What sauna experience do you have?
If you’ve been doing sauna sessions at the spa or gym for years, and have enjoyed it so much that you decided to bring one home, make sure to identify if the sauna is a traditional or infrared one. There is a learning curve in operating each one, so you should be 100% sure of the type of sauna you’re going to install at home.
Size and Location: Where do you plan to place the sauna? Indoors or Outdoors?
Saunas come in different sizes, so make sure to decide where you plan to place them before buying one. Do you want it indoors? Or outdoors? Do you have a tight space? The answers to these questions would help you find the perfectly-sized infrared sauna for your home.
If possible, get the exact measurements of your allocated space, so you could compare it with the saunas you’re looking at.
When you decide to put your sauna outdoors, you would need to provide either metal or wood roofing if you don’t have a covered outdoor spot yet.
Capacity: How many people will use it at a time?
This next consideration should be weighed hand-in-hand with size and location. Let me explain: if you decided on the perfect spot in your home to place the infrared sauna, but the spot is just enough for a 1-person sauna, this means you can never use it with another person (even if you originally wanted a 2-person infrared sauna).
If multiple people will be using the sauna regularly, then you should buy based on capacity. Note that there are single-person, two-person, and even up to 4-person saunas in the market, but you have to make sure your home can accommodate the model you choose.
Some companies do provide custom-made saunas, which is ideal if you’re looking to maximize your small space, or if you want to accommodate more people than ready-made saunas can fit. The downside to customization is that it is a premium service, which means you’d probably have to shoulder hefty fees.
Brand and Features: What Infrared Sauna Features are You Looking for?
As you may have found out by now, not all infrared-type saunas are made equally. Aside from the brand, you should also look out for:
- Carbon fiber vs. ceramic heat emitters: Both carbon and ceramic infrared heaters are energy efficient, but they are made quite differently and carbon heaters generally last longer. The older ceramic heaters aren’t really recommended, but these two heating technologies may be incorporated together.
- The type of wood used (popular ones are Canadian Hemlock, Nordic Spruce, Western Red Cedar, and so on)
- Color (if it matches your outdoor space or bathroom aesthetics)
- Type of door (there are glass or wooden doors available). You also have a choice to go with tinted ones (or not).
- Accessories – what kinds of accessories would you like for the sauna? Additional benches? buckets? Some saunas even come built-in with an entertainment system (like an mp3 or cd player).
The brand you choose would also determine how the item is installed.
10 Best Infrared Sauna
Been reading sauna reviews? If you came for a guide on how to pick an infrared sauna, you’re in for a treat because we hand-picked the 10 best infrared saunas on the market as well.
For this list, we stuck to two-person models, which can also be considered “one person” if you’re part of the big and tall crowd.
1. Neosauna Bliss 2-person infrared sauna
Neosauna is a well-known brand that uses NeoWave technology characterized by fast-heating, low EMF, broad-spectrum components, and the addition of Himalayan salts embedded onto the walls of all its saunas.
The Bliss sauna looks like any fancy box-type sauna with those smooth wood finishes Neosauna states came from “eco-certified, hand-picked Canadian wood.” You can choose between Red Cedar and Basswood. It would be constructed without toxic glue or chemicals.
The difference becomes apparent once you get into the sauna and see all its features one at a time. For instance, the Neosauna Bliss has built-in tech (Bluetooth audio, premium speakers) and built-in accessories (cup holder, towel holder, tablet stand, phone stand, backrest).
Neosauna models are all equipped with a stunning Himalayan salt upper-wall (using 26 salt bricks for the Bliss sauna). The company incorporates halotherapy (an alternative treatment that involves breathing salty air) for a calming effect and to help treat inflammation, infections, and respiratory issues.
Simply put, this isn’t just a typical infrared sauna – it’s designed mostly to recreate a full spa experience.
Pros of Neosauna
- Heat up to 176 degrees
- Cool accessories (such as waterproof cover for outdoor use)
- You deal with Neosauna installers directly
- Broad-spectrum heaters
- Medical grade light therapy
- Programmable controls
Cons of Neosauna
- No varying prices. Since you only deal with Neosauna and its installers, you can’t compare prices between retailers.
2. Maxxus Sauna Dual Tech 2 Person FAR Infrared Sauna
This next one comes from Maxxus Sauna. Called the “Aspen” model, this 2-person sauna was crafted from natural reforested Canadian Hemlock wood.
Shipped in three boxes weighing a total of 335 pounds, this infrared sauna requires a bit more assembly than Neosauna. It might need two people to assemble the entire thing. (Wayfair offers a service for this if you don’t have the time or know-how to assemble the unit.) Either way once set up, Maxxus Sauna’s Aspen unit is definitely a sight to behold.
What makes this box-type sauna one of the best infrared sauna for me is the dual tech: it features both near and FAR infrared heaters. There are six infrared heaters: 1 ceramic, 5 carbon heating panels. They’re located 1 on the floorboard, 1 under the wood bench, 1 on each side, and 2 on the rear wall, which means you can feel the heat coming out from all fronts.
Inside, the interior LED lighting is ideal for reading and it comes with an LED digital control panel and MP3 Aux connection with 2 dynamic speakers and pre-amp, but note that it doesn’t have a radio. The flooring is standard with feet reflexology heater.
Pros of Maxxus Sauna
- Made of gorgeous Canadian Hemlock wood
- Equipped with 6 Low EMF heaters
- Quick heat up
- See-through tempered glass door with 2 full-length side windows
- Built-in sound system
Cons of Maxxus Sauna
- Takes time to heat up
3. TheraSauna Infrared Sauna with MPS Touch View Control
You’ll fall in love with just one look at this TheraSauna’s infrared sauna. The entire body is handcrafted using non-allergenic and non-toxic aspen hardwood with a warm mahogany-colored finish. Outside, there are 7 white LED roof lights attached around the unit’s roof, perfectly illuminating your way going into the sauna.
This is shipped in 4 cartons, which is pretty bulky considering the sauna unit weighs 320 pounds, but it can be assembled by two people in under an hour thanks to included furniture bolts. If you buy through Wayfair and got the assembly add-on, you would just wait and see their in-house crew assemble this for you.
Design-wise, this infrared sauna from TheraSauna offers two side glass windows and the main smoke glass door as an entrance. There are interior reading light inside and strategically placed heaters (there are 8 of them) that produce a consistent 9.4 microns of sand joints and penetrates up to 2.5-inch below-the-skin surface of the user’s body.
What makes this TheraSauna model one of the best infrared saunas in my book is the high-quality patented MPS TouchView control. This digital control panel was designed so users could:
- Control the temperature and micron-level of each of the heating element (from 0 to 14 microns of infrared)
- Program 7 days of user-desired time (Monday to Sunday) when the sauna will turn on
- Keep the heat settings within the sauna’s onboard computer memory even during a power failure
The control panels are easy to use and set up. The led display is pretty much self-explanatory, even if you’re non-techy handling this 2-person sauna for the first time.
Pros of TheraSauna
- Built-in spectra-wave control
- Maximum temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit
- Very low EMF FAR infrared sauna (1 EMF rating)
- Easy to assemble and clean
- Comprehensive warranty (1-year labor, 3 years power supply)
Cons of TheraSauna
- No sound system built-in
4. MajesticSaunas 2 Person Hemlock Infrared Sauna
MajesticSaunas has several hemlock infrared box-type units available (there a 1-person and 3-person corner version), but we’re focusing on their 2-person sauna for now.
Handcrafted using natural reforested Canadian hemlock wood, this MajesticSaunas is a very well-designed and user-friendly piece of equipment. It is made with a bronze-tinted tempered glass door with a brushed stainless steel door handle and solid Canadian hemlock wood cabinetry with tongue and grove dual panels.
Inside, there are 8-color chromotherapy healing lights chosen specifically to promote relaxation. It also comes built-in with FM stereo and CD player with MP3 auxiliary connection and preamp and dual speakers, so you’ll have sounds you want at every session.
Assembly can be done by two people with just a screwdriver to install everything thanks to the quick-clasp buckle assembly system.
Underneath this gorgeous exterior are six (6) energy-efficient InfraWave FAR heaters (1725 watts) that produce wavelengths from 5 to 12 microns.
This infrared sauna comes with comfort-fit backrests, towel hooks, and LED control panels, where you can adjust time and heat settings quickly. It is also equipped with an electronic oxygen Ionizer, which will help in purifying the air and killing odor-causing bacteria. This is a great way to complement the adjustable ceiling vent and floor vent responsible for bringing in the fresh air and encouraging air circulation.
Pros of MajesticSauna
- Uses 100% Canadian Hemlock wood
- Comes with 6 carbon heaters
- Relaxing chromotherapy LED lighting
- Generous interior cabin space
- Low EMF Far Infrared sauna heating panels
- Modern home spa design with quick heat up
- Easy to use controls
- 7-year warranty
Cons of MajesticSauna
- The sound system doesn’t have Bluetooth or USB connectivity
5. Dynamic Infrared’s Santiago 2 Person FAR Infrared Sauna
California-based Dynamic Saunas has been around for over a decade and is a name known by many for its residential saunas. The Santiago box-type infrared sauna is a 2-person unit, which is equipped with all modern features Dynamic Infrared has perfected for years.
The Santiago sauna is crafted using 100% natural Canadian hemlock wood from top to bottom. You can see seven of these heating panels (in black) at first sight, complementing the light Canadian hemlock finish and clear tempered glass door in a dramatic fashion.
This particular infrared sauna model comes with 7 carbon low EMF heating panels that produce wider, softer heat distributed between 5mG – 10mG at a few inches away from the heaters. This means you’d be able to feel the heat coming out of the interior wall evenly, although the back panel is always significantly hotter.
Controlling the Dynamic Saunas Santiago sauna is pretty easy thanks to the interior LED digital control panel, where you can set up your preferred heat and sauna times. I like that the music system already has Bluetooth capability and dynamic speakers with pre-amp, but this model doesn’t have radio included.
Pros of Dynamic Infrared Santiago Sauna
- Quick-heating and Energy-efficient FAR infrared heat
- Dynamic® Low EMF Heating Technology
- Heaters operate between 8 to 12 microns
- Equipped with sounds and chromotherapy LED lighting
- 8 EMF rating
- Vent included
- Superb customer service
Cons of Dynamic Infrared Santiago Sauna
- Back panels are the hottest spot (not equal to the heat of its side panels)
6. SunRaySaunas Evansport 2 Person FAR Infrared Sauna
Handmade using solid Canadian hemlock wood in a gorgeous tan finish, the Evansport 2-person far infrared sauna from SunraySaunas is a beautiful piece that could be the next favorite spot of anyone living at home.
This rectangle box-type sauna weighs a whopping 275 pounds. As such, while you can assemble this without the help of experts thanks to the well-designed tongue and groove construction, you still need another person (and screwdriver) to assemble the entire thing.
The Evansport’s hemlock wood looks perfect with the tempered safety glass doors. Comfort is obviously on top of the mind of SunraySaunas designers as you can see from the movable ergonomic backrests and legroom that’s more spacious (around 6 inches more) than other 2-person saunas on the market.
SunraySaunas Evansport uses 7 advanced carbon nano heaters to provide smooth evenly dispersed heat. This sauna is also equipped with a 7-color chromotherapy mood lighting system and an FM radio with a CD player.
One of the most interesting things about this Evansport sauna uses an oxygen ionizer air-filtration system, which adds another level to your home spa experience.
Pros of Evansport Sauna
- ETL-listed, ISO 9001-certified, and ISO 14001-certified
- Easy to assemble and heat up
- Equipped with 7 Carbon nano heaters
- Unique air-filtration system
- Comes with built-in cup holders, a backrest, and more
- Internal and external soft-touch control system
- Generous 7-year warranty
Cons of Evansport Sauna
- The built-in sound system looks outdated
7. Radiant Sauna’s Modular Baltic Leisure 2 Person FAR Infrared Sauna
Radiant Saunas Modular Baltic Leisure is a beautifully-made FAR infrared sauna. Its body is crafted using classic-looking Canadian hemlock wood with a bronze-tinted 8mm glass door tempered for double safety and longer life.
This FAR infrared sauna weighs a massive 354 pounds but requires only two people, a Phillips head screwdriver, and a small step ladder to assemble. If you can’t pay for the add-on assembly fee offered by Wayfair, don’t worry. Radius Saunas made sure that assembly is user-friend and added simple buckle connectors to help you secure the entire sauna box.
This Radiant Saunas 2-person hemlock sauna operates with 6 Carbon heaters (running a total of 1725 watts). Heated from FAR infrared panels, this sauna could go as high as 141 degrees Fahrenheit maximum temperature. It uses 120 volts/15-amp power, which means you don’t need to buy special outlets. You can plug it right into your standard home outlet.
Other notable features of the Radiant Saunas Modular Baltic Leisure sauna include chromotherapy lighting, a high-quality oxygen ionizer, air vents in strategically-placed locations, and two backrests. The built-in radio also comes with a standard CD player and AUX mp3 connection with built-in speakers.
I like that the digital control panel is both inside and outside the box, adding a safety precaution should the controls inside fail to work.
The warranty for this sauna is pretty generous – with 5 years exclusively for the wooden structure, electrical parts, and heating elements, but only a 1-year limited warranty for the built-in radio.
Pros of Modular Baltic Leisure 2-person Sauna
- ETL-listed
- 7-year warranty from the manufacturer
- Solid Canadian hemlock wood construction
- A good set of accessories included
- Built-in magazine rack, sound system, and towel racks
- Equipped with oxygen ionizer
Cons of Modular Baltic Leisure 2-person Sauna
- Requires polish/furniture oil for maintenance (cannot be cleaned with solvents)
8. Dynamic Infrared’s San Marino 2 Person FAR Infrared Sauna
One of the best infrared sauna models also comes from Dynamic Saunas. San Marino is a favorite two-person FAR infrared sauna unit of the Wayfair crowd who bought home saunas…and for good reason.
First, the body is made out of eco-friendly, reforested Canadian hemlock wood planks that are known to heat up more efficiently, which in turn uses less energy in the process. I love the front design with the grand clear tempered safety glass door, enclosed by two panels of tempered glass window columns.
This 2-person hemlock infrared sauna runs with six Carbon low EMF heating panels, whose temperatures are totally adjustable. Like other carbon fiber heaters, you might experience a bit of a learning curve and find heat-up time slow, but this will soon change once you’ve become more confident with higher temperatures.
The lighting of Dynamic Saunas San Marino is made gorgeous thanks to the interior reading and chromotherapy lights becoming a standard feature for promoting relaxation and other health benefits.
It is also equipped with a built-in sound system with Bluetooth capability and 2 dynamic speakers with pre-amp. Do note that San Marino doesn’t have a radio.
This high-quality model looks compact, but it actually weighs 320 pounds and requires 8-feet of height clearance for the assembly. There are two built-in control panels – one located at the side of the box unit, and the other inside so you could easily control the time, temperature, and other settings.
Pros of Dynamic Infrared San Marino Sauna
- Energy-efficient FAR infrared sauna with quick heat up
- 500-pound maximum weight capacity of users
- Dual control panel (interior and exterior)
- Low EMF FAR infrared carbon fiber heaters
- Tempered safety glass door
- 5-year warranty
Cons of Dynamic Infrared San Marino Sauna
- Sold out very quickly (this is a very in-demand model)
- No glass windows on the sides
9. QCA Spas Carbon 2 Person FAR Infrared Sauna
For a two-person hemlock infrared sauna, the QCA Spas Carbon actually looks like a one-person infrared home sauna, despite being 250-pound heavy and around 7-feet tall.
The entire body of the Carbon two-person infrared sauna is made out of solid hemlock wood in a pretty, light-brown finish. It is also designed with a tempered-glass door with a sleek wooden doorknob in a fashionable curved shape.
You’ll love the convenience of operating the soft-touch control of its LED display (there’s one inside and one outside by the side of the box). Here, you can control the heat of the carbon heating panels and speed/time functions.
The heat of this 2-person hemlock infrared sauna comes from 8 energy-efficient FAR infrared carbon heaters that penetrate the skin 40% more than traditional saunas.
QCA Spas has a generous product warranty for the Carbon model. It gives a 1-year warranty on the radio, 3 years on the wooden structure, and up to 7 years for the electronics and heating elements.
Pros of Carbon FAR infrared sauna
- Easy to assemble
- Built with solid wood planks
- Equipped with mood LED lights
- High-quality carbon fiber heaters
- Easy to use control panel
Cons of Carbon FAR infrared sauna
- Looks like a one-person sauna than a two-person (as advertised)
10. Pinnacle Radiant Saunas 2 Person Hemlock Indoor FAR Infrared Sauna in Cedar
“Pinnacle” from Radiant Saunas finishes off this list of the best infrared sauna models in the market today.
This Radiant Saunas 2 person hemlock sauna is crafted with a stunning, solid wood Canadian cedar finished in its natural cedar woodgrain. Its eye-catchy wooden details are made better thanks to the tempered glass and fancy wood-accent doorknob.
Radiant Saunas showed off its expertise in the sauna world by building the Pinnacle with 6 infrared carbon fiber heaters that distribute heat evenly all over the unit.
The Pinnacle is also built with an integrated chromotherapy system, which releases infrared lights. Both the lights and the built-in stereo sound system allow you to change the “environment” based on your moods.
Other notable features of this durable wooden sauna include a built-in magazine rack, ergonomic backrests, ready-made adjustable roof air vents, ionizer, and a CD player with radio and auxiliary connection for smartphones.
Pros of Pinnacle sauna
- Easy to assemble construction (screws included)
- Equipped with full-spectrum LED lights
- Heat up very quickly
- Features 6 infrared carbon heaters
- Modern sound system (compatible with a smartphone via auxiliary connection)
- 7-year limited warranty (1-year radio, 5-year electronics, 7-year wooden body)
Cons of Pinnacle sauna
- Max temperature is only up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit (doesn’t compare to the heat of commercial saunas)
Infrared Sauna Benefits And Disadvantages
If you’ve reached this page, I’m sure you’ve already compared traditional saunas with infrared saunas and decided that infrared is the way to go. If not, let me brush on briefly about the health benefits and disadvantages of an infrared sauna.
Pros of Infrared Sauna
A traditional sauna (also called Finnish sauna) heats the body with a heating source like gas, burning wood, or electricity. Infrared sauna, as its name suggests, uses infrared rays as the heating source.
Using infrared rays means:
- Low-temperature operation – An infrared sauna requires only 20-140 Degrees Fahrenheit to reach recommended temperatures (instead of 200 Degrees Fahrenheit of traditional saunas)
- Safer environment – Traditional saunas heat the air and then make people sweat. Infrared saunas do not heat the air but target the body directly instead. This avoids breathing issues mostly experienced with traditional saunas.
- Less waiting time – Because infrared saunas operate at a lower temperature, you don’t need to wait a long time to start a session. You can begin a session in 5 to 10 minutes.
- Cheaper to operate – Due to the lesser time infrared saunas need to heat up, they’re considered more economical than traditional saunas.
Health-wise, infrared saunas can effectively remove about 25% more toxins than traditional saunas could. Of course, as you sweat more, you’d be able to burn calories (around 200 to 600 calories for every 30-minute session) and in turn, achieve smoother skin and complement
With regards to cancer and other serious illnesses, research on the health benefits of an infrared sauna is still in the early stages. However, there is enough evidence to show that using an infrared sauna could improve blood circulation, cure sore muscles, and make injury recovery a lot faster.
There is also good news for those suffering from Lyme disease: there’s a study that shows that infrared heat’s ability to penetrate deeper into body joints, muscles, and tissues results in increased oxygen and reduced pain associated with Lyme disease.
Cons of Infrared Sauna
The disadvantages of infrared saunas are similar to traditional ones. For example, some users cannot spend a complete 30-minute session because their condition (pregnancy, suffering from heart disease, under the influence of alcohol/drugs, and so on) make them unsuitable to use the sauna.
The only problem people may encounter with infrared saunas is the high EMF levels, which could cause nausea, dizziness, anxiety, and loss of appetite, among others. Fortunately, most companies that manufacture infrared saunas are aware of this and ensure EMF levels are kept to safe levels.
FAQs
Make sure you get your money’s worth by taking care of your investment. Here are some frequently asked questions about infrared saunas:
What is the best infrared sauna for home use?
There is no single “best” sauna for everyone. The answer would depend on several things:
- Type of infrared sauna preferred: 1-person box-type, 2-person box-type, blanket, etc.
- Amount of space available in your house: Blankets and other portable saunas do not require much space, but the bigger, box-type models could easily fill a room.
- Brand, model, and special features: Different companies use different technologies and incorporate different features with their saunas.
My recommendation is to pick ANY from our chosen models above based on these 3 requirements.
What is the Best Portable Infrared Sauna?
Portable saunas come in two forms: the blanket style and tent design.
As you can imagine, foldable tents produce higher temperatures than blanket styles. They’re both portable enough to be brought camping or during your vacation, but their functions are not equal. As such, instead of looking for the best portable infrared sauna model, you should decide between a tent sauna or a blanket sauna.
Are infrared saunas better? What is the healthiest sauna?
Infrared saunas are considered the healthiest sauna because unlike wood-burning sauna, electric sauna, steam sauna, and other traditional saunas that heat the air outside the body, infrared saunas use light in penetrating the skin and heat the body from inside.
An infrared sauna provides a safe and comfortable temperature – around 120 to 150 degrees F. In comparison, traditional saunas could get as hot as 185 to 195 degrees F.
What’s the best sauna temperature?
No sauna product is allowed to be sold in the market with dangerous-level temperatures. As such, the best sauna temperature would depend on the user.
- For traditional saunas, 150 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit would do.
- The best temperature for infrared saunas is around 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can I bring my phone into an infrared sauna?
This is one of the frequently asked questions about infrared saunas. The answer is a big NO. You can’t use your phones, tablets, or any other gadgets while using the sauna, since electronics could explode when exposed to temperatures 110 degrees and above.
What can you do while in the sauna?
If you’re not allowed your phone, what else can you do then? Well, you can read a book, listen to music from a speaker’s audio (not a headset or music player), and relax.
Wrap Up: What is the Best Infrared Sauna for You?
Do you remember the feeling you had when you first discovered how refreshing it is to soak your feet in warm water after a long day at work? Wait ’til you have your very own infrared sauna in the comfort of your own home. It’s an investment you can compare to choosing the perfect mattress for your back – the comfort and relief it brings to your tired and achy body is priceless.
I hope you were able to pick the best home sauna from this list and that it could provide you with an extraordinary sauna experience that’s worth every penny you bought it for.