What is the difference between saunas

While this is very effective for producing the intense sweating saunas aim to achieve, that level of heat can overwhelm people who are more temperature-sensitive. Infrared saunas can stay cooler because they focus on heating up the body itself rather than using the room to do so. Infrared saunas keep the temperature between and degrees Fahrenheit, which is much more tolerable for those who are sensitive to heat.

However, the infrared rays do still induce the intense sweating that characterizes a sauna experience. As you might expect, traditional saunas have a much higher level of humidity than infrared saunas do. Proponents of the traditional sauna point to this humidity as part of the benefits of a traditional sauna.

The steam can open your pores and allow your skin to rehydrate, as well as promote better sleep later on. Infrared saunas, of course, do not use steam and thus have a much lower level of humidity.

Instead, they rely on the sweating mechanism for their benefits. Infrared sauna enthusiasts claim the intense sweating these saunas produce can detoxify the body and help promote weight loss. Traditional saunas require more power than infrared saunas do since they have to heat up water to boiling point. They can take as much as 6 kw of power to run for one session.

Infrared saunas only use power to run their heating elements, making them much less expensive from a power perspective. They use about 1. If you plan to use your sauna often, this can start to make a big difference.

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Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. The process for heating the room most often involves an electric heater that heats a compartment of stones, which then radiate the heat throughout the room. When the high temperature is achieved, the elements cycle on and off to maintain the high temperature. Most traditional sauna users enjoy pouring water over the rocks to create steam to raise sauna humidity levels.

The benefits of pouring water over the rocks include: making the room more comfortable, moistening the nasal passages, and allowing the use of aromatherapy by mixing essential oils with the water. In a far-infrared sauna, the heat waves penetrate the body to effectively heat the body and raise the body core temperature.

The infrared energy deeply penetrates the skin and warms the muscles and joints. When the energy enters the body, it causes the body temperature to increase and ultimately results in perspiration.

Since there is no mass of rocks to retain heat, the sauna will cool if the emitters shut off. Thus, even though most of the energy is turned into efficient infrared energy, IR saunas are designed for almost continuous operation of the infrared emitters.

As mentioned above, the sauna bather in an infrared room wants to position himself in front of operating emitters to get maximum benefit from the heat. The heating time for the two rooms can be very different, depending on how the rooms are used. For a traditional sauna, a bather should allow minutes for the room to achieve a desired temperature and to properly pre-heat the rocks.

This heating time is dependent upon the ambient temperature from which the room begins heating, the amount of insulation in the walls, and the ventilation provided in the room. For hotter temperatures, the room may need to heat for a longer period. The insulated walls and the heated rocks will keep the room hot and at stable temperatures.

Many sauna users enjoy staying in the sauna after the elements have timed out a 60 minute timer is standard on all residential saunas. There are two schools of thought with how to use the room. The length of recommended use for each room is approximately the same minutes per session ; however, due to the lower air temperatures and the ability to feel the effects of infrared heat faster than a traditional sauna, it is not uncommon for a person to spend a total of minutes in an infrared sauna.

There are many medical practitioners, especially in Canada, who prescribe 30 minute infrared sauna sessions for their patients. Regardless of which heat system is used, the bather must closely monitor how he feels while using the room, and he must be sure to drink plenty of water during the break between sessions.

Neither room will cause a substantial increase in a household electric bill, but I will compare one of the most common traditional sauna sizes to one of the most common infrared sauna sizes. Traditional saunas tend to be larger hence use more electricity than infrared saunas, although traditional saunas are certainly available in one and two person sizes as well.

For a two-person traditional sauna, 5x6 or 5x7 size is most popular. The top bench can comfortably seat two or three people and is also long enough to lie down during the sauna session. This room uses a 4. The average cost per kWH of electricity in the U. Thus, a 4. The IR heating system is typically 1.