Unlike a traditional sauna, infrared saunas don’t heat the air around you. Instead, infrared lamps, which use electromagnetic radiation, warm your body directly.

“These saunas use infrared panels instead of conventional heat to easily penetrate human tissue, heating up your body before heating up the air,” physical therapist Vivian Eisenstadt, MAPT, CPT, MASP, said.

An infrared sauna can operate at a lower temperature — usually between 120˚F and 140˚F (49°C and 60°C) — than a traditional sauna, which is typically between 150˚F and 180˚F (66°C and 82°C).

Some manufacturers claim that in an infrared sauna, only about 20% of the heat goes to heat the air and the other 80% directly heats your body.

What are the supposed benefits of using an infrared sauna?

The supposed benefits of using an infrared sauna are similar to those of a traditional sauna. These include:

• better sleep
• relaxation
• detoxification
• weight loss
• relief from sore muscles
• relief from joint pain such as arthritis
• clear and tighter skin
• improved circulation
• relief from chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms

People have used saunas for centuries for all sorts of health conditions. While there are several studies and research on traditional saunas, not many have looked specifically at infrared saunas.