Infrared vs. Traditional Saunas

You’ve almost certainly heard about the health benefits of both traditional and infrared saunas. From heart health to skin health, athletic recovery, and better sleep, saunas of any kind can be a great way to enhance longevity, relax after a long day, or recover from your active lifestyle faster. When it comes to choosing the right sauna for you, there are a lot of factors to review, from the heating system to location to material and size. Our expert team is available 6 days a week to help you find the best sauna in Montrose or Grand Junction.

What’s Better—Infrared or Traditional Sauna?

When it comes to choosing between an infrared and a traditional sauna, it might be challenging to know which is better for you and which best fits your needs. From temperature to health benefits, we break down all of the differences between the two types of saunas.

Before we dive into the differences in benefits of the infrared and traditional sauna, let’s look at how each system works. 

Infrared or Traditional Saunas: Cardiovascular Health

The effects of sitting in a sauna are similar to getting in a bout of exercise. The mechanism behind this benefit is that intensified heat gets your heart pumping, almost like you’re exercising. In that regard, both traditional and infrared saunas are known to support cardiovascular health, though it’s important that people with known heart conditions chat with their providers before engaging in sauna sessions of any kind. 

While both types of saunas get your heart pumping, there is some speculation that because traditional saunas usually sit at a higher temperature, they may get your heart working harder than in an infrared setting.

Infrared or Traditional Saunas: Skin Health

Both infrared and traditional saunas can be great for skin health. First, saunas make you sweat. When your body heats up, sweat is the natural mechanism that helps cool your body. Sweating increases blood flow to your skin, which also means an increase in the delivery of oxygen and nutrients. Sweating also helps hydrate skin and protect it from infections. Traditional saunas might have a slight leg up when it comes to working up a sweat because of their higher temperatures.

Saunas are also excellent tools for diminishing stress, which is known to increase inflammation, which can lead to skin conditions like acne and more. Thankfully, spending time in the sauna can decrease stress levels. By de-stressing you can achieve better skin from the inside out. Both infrared saunas and traditional saunas are exceptional tools for rest and relaxation.

When it comes to skin health, many tout the benefits of infrared saunas for their ability to radiate below the skin’s surface. One older study demonstrated infrared radiation might smooth wrinkles by increasing collagen and elastin. There is still a lot of research to be done on infrared saunas and their benefits. 

Read more about saunas and skin health

Infrared or Traditional Saunas: Muscle Recovery

When you exercise, muscle recovery is just as important as the workout—it’s an essential process for getting stronger and avoiding injury. Both traditional and infrared saunas have benefits when it comes to post-workout recovery.

Traditional saunas support muscle recovery by increasing blood flow through the body. When your heart starts pumping harder, it increases blood flow, and therefore delivers more oxygen and nutrients and quickens the elimination of muscle waste.

Infrared saunas also improve recovery by increasing blood flow through heat, and there is also some indication that they support cellular recovery by penetrating through the skin. There isn’t enough research to know for sure. One study found that an infrared sauna session improved recovery of the legs and feet and relieved muscle soreness.

Sitting in either type of sauna also relieves stress by reducing cortisol. Too much cortisol has been shown to inhibit physical recovery. 

Learn more about saunas and muscle recovery 

Infrared or Traditional Saunas: Rest, Relaxation and Sleep

One of the best benefits a sauna has to offer is relaxation. One of the ways a sauna session helps you relax is by decreasing cortisol levels in the body. Cortisol is a hormone that naturally surges in the morning and decreases throughout the day. It can greatly impact sleep if your cortisol levels are still elevated later in the day. Sitting in a sauna has also been shown to change your brainwaves to enhance relaxation. One study found that sitting in the sauna increases theta and alpha brainwaves, which are associated with a meditative state. While both types of sauna provide a relaxing experience, the authentic experience of a traditional sauna might have a slight leg up when it comes to relaxation, unless you are sensitive to the high heat.

If the research isn’t enough to convince you, keep in mind that in a global survey of almost 500 sauna users, people reported improved sleep and mental well-being as some of their favorite benefits of sauna use.

Sitting in either type of sauna can help induce sleep. When it’s time to go to bed, your body’s temperature naturally drops. Sitting in a sauna about 90 minutes before bedtime can help kickstart the cooling response. 

Turning your spa into a relaxing oasis with essential oils and sauna accessories can help increase the relaxation factor.

Learn more about how sitting in your sauna can improve sleep

Infrared or Traditional Sauna: Energy Efficiency

Infrared saunas generally use a bit less energy because they don’t need to heat the entire room at a super high temperature (unless you are using a traditional sauna that doesn’t use electricity). However, there are innovative traditional sauna models that prioritize energy efficiency. Tylo’s heaters, for instance, have dual chambers that maximize airflow, decreasing electricity use.

Bottom Line: Infrared vs Traditional Saunas

At the end of the day, both traditional and infrared saunas can promote health and relaxation, and it may just depend on your preference. Traditional saunas offer an authentic experience that may include sweat, steaming rocks, and an earthy aroma. Infrared saunas are a cooler experience that have health benefits, such as deeper penetration, that haven’t been fully explored. If you want the best of both worlds, look into an infrasauna that allows you to enjoy both settings.