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Infrared sauna: warmth by radiation
An infrared sauna doesn't heat the air – it warms the body directly with emitters. It's much milder than a Finnish sauna, and it has a surprisingly long history.
Updated: September 2026 · independent guide, sources linked
Infrared or a classic sauna with a heater? Our heater comparison shows what wood-fired and electric heaters offer – the basis for your decision.
Wood or electric heater guide →At a glance
| Heat | infrared emitters warm the body directly |
|---|---|
| Air temperature | usually 40–60 °C (Finnish sauna 70–90 °C) |
| Throwing water | not intended – emitters instead of hot stones |
| Beginnings | 1891: electric light bath by John Harvey Kellogg |
| Sauna culture | UNESCO counts the infrared sauna as part of Finnish sauna culture |
How an infrared sauna works
In a Finnish sauna the heater warms the air, and the hot air warms the body. An infrared sauna works differently: infrared emitters give off radiant heat that is absorbed directly by the skin – without heating the air first. That's why the air temperature is usually only 40 to 60 °C, compared with 70 to 90 °C in a classic sauna.
A pure infrared cabin has no hot stones, so you can't throw water. Some saunas combine both, though: a sauna heater plus additional infrared emitters.
History at a glance
- 1891American physician John Harvey Kellogg invents the electric light bath with incandescent bulbs – the photo above shows such a device.
- 1893The light bath is shown at the World's Fair in Chicago.
- 1896Kellogg patents his "Radiant Heat Bath".
- 1970sIn Japan, infrared heat treatment is revived as "Waon" therapy ("soothing warmth").
- TodayInfrared cabins exist for indoors and outdoors; UNESCO lists the infrared sauna as one form of Finnish sauna culture.
What research says
Many suppliers make health claims. The evidence is thin: a 2009 review found only "limited moderate evidence", for example on blood pressure – from small, short studies. There is no scientific basis for "detox" through sweating. Health questions are best discussed with your doctor.
Infrared or sauna in the garden?
- Milder: suits everyone who finds 80 to 90 °C too hot.
- No steam, no wood fire: for the classic sauna experience, a barrel sauna or sauna cabin with a wood or electric heater is the better choice.
- Outdoor cabins: must be weatherproof and, like any garden sauna, need a solid foundation. A heated cabin in the garden may also need a building permit.
- Combination: some manufacturers offer saunas with a heater plus infrared emitters – ask about it in your quote.
For a sauna in the garden, each canton handles the building permit differently, for example Neuchâtel, Schwyz and Jura. All 26 cantons: Building permit.
Infrared or a classic sauna with a heater? Our heater comparison shows what wood-fired and electric heaters offer – the basis for your decision.
Wood or electric heater guide →More sauna types: Finnish sauna · Smoke sauna · Wood-fired sauna · Electric sauna · Barrel sauna · Sauna cabin · Bio sauna · Steam room · Kelo sauna · Kota sauna · Mobile sauna
Sweat baths of other cultures: Banya (Eastern Europe) · Roman baths · Hammam · Sweat lodge (North America) · Temazcal (Mesoamerica) · Qargi (Yup'ik & Inuit) · Steppe nomads (Scythians) · Hanjeungmak (Korea) · Mushiburo (Japan) · Sweathouses (Ireland)
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