Infrared saunas heat your body directly with light at roughly 49–60°C, while traditional saunas heat the air around you to 65–90°C. Infrared is gentler, cheaper to run and easier to fit into a small space; traditional heat is more intense, more social and culturally richer. Neither is objectively better — the right one depends on your heat tolerance, your budget and how you like to relax.
Key Takeaways
- Different method: infrared warms the body with light; a traditional sauna warms the air, which then warms you.
- Different temperatures: around 49–60°C for infrared versus 65–90°C for traditional — which is why infrared sessions are easier to sit through.
- Similar core benefits: both support relaxation, circulation, muscle recovery and sleep, and both make you sweat heavily.
- Infrared usually wins on running cost, space and maintenance. Traditional usually wins on atmosphere, steam and tradition.
- You can try a five-person Clearlight infrared sauna and Bison ice baths at Soho Wellness, inside Soho Pool Club at Boat Lagoon Marina, Koh Kaew — a cheap way to test the experience before buying a home unit.
Sauna Basics: Understanding the Two Types
A traditional sauna heats the air in the room through a stove or heater, often with hot stones you can pour water over. Air temperature rises sharply and you sweat heavily as a result. An infrared sauna takes a different route: infrared heaters emit light your skin absorbs, warming you directly without superheating the room.- Traditional sauna: heats the air, higher temperatures, hot stones for steam.
- Infrared sauna: heats the body directly, lower temperatures, no steam.
How Infrared Saunas Work
Infrared heaters emit wavelengths of light that your skin absorbs efficiently, so heat reaches you without the room becoming uncomfortably hot first. Because the light penetrates the skin rather than sitting on top of it, the warmth feels deep and gentle at once. Typical operating range is 49–60°C (120–140°F).- Direct heat: the body absorbs infrared light rather than hot air.
- Lower temperatures: comfortable enough for longer sessions.
- Deeper warmth: reaches muscle and soft tissue, not just the skin surface.
How Traditional Saunas Work
Traditional saunas have roots in cultures worldwide and work by heating the air so warmth envelops you from every direction. A stove raises the room temperature, and you feel it intensely because it is warming both the air and your body at once. Typical range is 65–90°C (150–195°F), which lifts heart rate and brings on heavy sweating quickly.- Heats the air: surrounds the body with high ambient temperature.
- High temperatures: intense, all-over warmth.
- Steam option: humidity adjustable by pouring water over the stones.
Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna: What Sets It Apart?
Full spectrum units use several wavelength bands rather than one, each behaving slightly differently in the body:- Near infrared: associated with skin surface warming and tissue comfort.
- Mid infrared: associated with circulation and easing aching muscles.
- Far infrared: the deepest, most relaxing warmth — the classic infrared sensation.
Infrared vs Traditional Sauna: Comparing the Benefits
The debate keeps going because both types genuinely deliver, just with different strengths. Infrared tends to be better for: comfort, thanks to lower temperatures and calmer sessions; aches and stiffness, because the warmth reaches joints and muscles; and relaxation, since you are not battling the heat. Traditional tends to be better for: cardiovascular response, as higher temperatures push heart rate harder; social use, with communal benches and shared ritual; and cultural authenticity, with centuries of tradition behind the format. Both reduce stress, and regular use of either can make a real difference to mood and sleep. Both open pores and increase blood flow to the skin, which is why complexions often look better afterwards. Both temporarily raise heart rate and metabolic rate the way moderate exercise does. And both relax muscles, which is why athletes use heat for recovery. The choice comes down to heat tolerance and how you like to spend the time.Sweating: What It Actually Does
Saunas are famous for making you sweat, and both types do it well. It is worth being precise about what that achieves, because this is where sauna marketing tends to overreach. Sweating is your body’s cooling system. As core temperature rises, sweat is released and evaporates, carrying heat away — the mechanism is explained plainly in the Wikipedia article on perspiration. Sweat is mostly water and salts. Filtering waste out of your bloodstream is the job of your liver and kidneys, not your skin. What you can reasonably expect from a heavy sweat:- Clean, clear pores: heat and sweat loosen oil and surface grime, so skin feels fresher afterwards.
- A genuine sense of reset: the heat, the sweat and the cool-down are a reliable way to wring out a hard day.
- Increased circulation: blood flow to the skin rises significantly during a session.
Circulation and Cardiovascular Effects
Heat exposure has a measurable effect on circulation. Both types raise heart rate in a way that resembles moderate exercise, and blood vessels near the skin dilate to shed heat. Traditional saunas, being hotter, drive a stronger response — which is why sauna bathing has been studied for its cardiovascular associations.- Improved circulation: both types increase blood flow during and shortly after a session.
- Cardiovascular conditioning: the heart works harder in the heat, similar to light exercise.
- Post-session calm: most people feel a distinct drop in tension afterwards.
Pain Relief and Muscle Recovery
This is where saunas earn their place in most routines. Heat relaxes muscle tissue, easing tension and general soreness. Infrared is often chosen specifically for aching joints and stiff muscles, because the warmth reaches deeper than surface heat and feels targeted.- Muscle relaxation: heat reduces tightness and guarding.
- Easier joints: many people with stiff joints find warmth genuinely helpful.
- Recovery support: a useful part of a post-exercise routine.
Comfort, Experience, and Usability
Comfort shapes the whole experience, and it is the clearest infrared advantage. Lower temperatures make for a session you can extend without gritting your teeth — which matters if you want to sit and breathe slowly for twenty minutes. Traditional saunas offer the opposite pleasure: invigorating heat and a steamy atmosphere that feels like a proper escape. For many people that bracing quality is the entire appeal.- Space: infrared needs less than traditional.
- Setup: infrared cabins are usually easier to install, with fewer moving parts.
- Experience: soothing warmth versus intense heat — a preference, not a ranking.
Energy Efficiency and Environmental Impact
Running cost matters more than people expect, especially in a hot climate where you may also be paying to cool the rest of the building. Infrared uses less electricity because it heats the body rather than a room of air. Traditional saunas need substantial energy to reach and hold high temperatures, and heating air and stones for long stretches draws real power — visible on the bill and in the footprint.- Infrared: lower consumption, direct heating, cheaper to run over time.
- Traditional: higher consumption, indirect heating, larger environmental impact.
Installation, Maintenance, and Cost
Space is the first practical question. Infrared cabins are more compact, easier to install and need less ventilation than traditional builds. Maintenance differs too. Traditional saunas need heating elements checked, stones replaced periodically and timber cared for — water, steam and high heat are hard on materials. Infrared units ask less: no water system, simpler electrics, fewer things to go wrong.- Infrared: easier installation, low maintenance, lower typical entry cost.
- Traditional: more complex setup, higher maintenance, cost varies widely with materials.
Safety, Risks, and Who Should Avoid Saunas
Saunas are largely safe, but not risk-free. High heat can cause dehydration or dizziness if you overdo it, and some people should take particular care.- Check with a doctor if you have: a heart condition, high or low blood pressure, any cardiovascular issue, or if you are pregnant.
- Avoid: alcohol before a session, and sessions longer than you are used to.
- Always: hydrate before and after, and listen to how you feel rather than the clock.
Sauna Culture: Tradition vs. Modern Wellness
Saunas carry deep cultural roots, particularly in Finland, where the practice is tied to ritual, hospitality and communal gathering. Sitting together in the heat is much of the point. Infrared grew out of a different impulse — modern wellness, individual benefit, personal convenience — which says something about how lifestyles have changed.- Traditional sauna: ritual, shared benches, social interaction.
- Infrared sauna: modern wellness, individual focus, convenience.
Making the Choice: Which Sauna Is Right for You?
There is no objective winner, so think about what you actually value. Choose infrared if you want: lower heat, energy efficiency, a compact footprint and longer comfortable sessions — especially if you are heat-sensitive. Choose traditional if you want: intense heat, steam, and social and cultural depth. No infrared cabin replicates it. Budget and available space will make the final call for most people. And if you are genuinely undecided, the cheapest way to resolve it is to spend an afternoon in each before you spend anything at all.Trying an Infrared Sauna in Phuket
If you are in Phuket and want to test the infrared experience rather than read about it, Soho Wellness sits poolside inside Soho Pool Club at Boat Lagoon Marina, Koh Kaew, on the island’s quieter east coast. The equipment is specific rather than generic: a Clearlight infrared sauna with five-person capacity, and Bison ice baths set up alongside it for contrast rounds. There is a quiet lounge with soothing music, gentle lighting, complimentary infused mineral water and fresh herbal tea — and wellness access includes the pool and the kitchen, so a session can turn into a whole afternoon. Owners Andrea and Paul Chappell built Soho around that idea: heat, cold, water and good food in one place, without moving your car. Chef Ai’s kitchen serves from 11 AM if you want lunch after your round — the current 2026 menu is worth a look — and upstairs The Clubhouse has the game on. Current day-pass and membership rates are shown live on the wellness booking page; for anything else, call +66 81 787 7702 or email info@simbaseatrips.com.A Place Where Heat Meets Cold
Infrared or traditional, both do the job — and the better question is which one you will actually use twice a week. Gentle warmth or a wall of heat, the value is in the routine rather than the specification sheet. Relax. Refresh. Recharge. If you would rather try before you buy, the Clearlight sauna and Bison ice baths at Soho Wellness are a few steps from the pool at Boat Lagoon Marina, Koh Kaew. Book your day pass or ask about memberships on the wellness page, get in touch through the contact page, call +66 81 787 7702, or email info@simbaseatrips.com. Come for the heat. Stay for the afternoon.
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