Improve Your Recovery with the 7 Best Infrared Saunas (2024)

The Equinox from Sun Home Saunas is the best full-spectrum infrared sauna because it delivers on two principles: first, it uses quality shielding to keep potentially dangerous ELF/EMF levels (extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields) low. It’s important to note that the radiating energy from infrared saunas doesn’t pose any real danger so long as the at-home sauna is used as recommended, with limited exposure of around 15 minutes at a time.

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Secondly, the Sun Home Equinox uses full-spectrum infrared heating. Most infrared saunas utilize only far infrared waves, which produce mostly heat. Full-spectrum infrared also incorporates near- and mid-infrared waves. A recent study¹ shows that a full-spectrum infrared sauna session after training helped reduce perceived muscle soreness of athletes.

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While we haven’t used the Sun Home Equinox specifically, our GGR testers have tested Sun Home Saunas, and we’ve noticed their products are high-quality and well made, receiving a 4.5 out of 5 in durability and construction. Sun Home Saunas claims that their saunas are one of the only infrared saunas in the world to reach a maximum temperature of 165 degrees. 

The two-person sauna is built with kiln-dried eucalyptus wood and features a Bluetooth-connected surround sound system, as well as medical-grade chromotherapy LED lighting. It’s one of the more expensive infrared saunas on the market, priced around $6,399, but Sun Home does provide a nice limited lifetime warranty on the sauna (three years on controls).

Looking for a smaller sauna experience from Sun Home Saunas? Check out our Sun Home Sauna Blanket review.

For the best infrared sauna for home use, our pick is the Sunlighten Amplify II Infrared Sauna. Available as a two-person sauna, the Sunlighten Amplify II will be able to fit as large—or small—of a space as you have in your house. 

While we haven’t tested out the Sunlighten Amplify II sauna, it has some nice features and customizations we approve of. You can choose between eucalyptus or basswood for the wood construction. Each wood has positives and negatives, but eucalyptus is a heavier, more durable wood, while basswood is hypoallergenic.

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As with most indoor infrared saunas, the Sunlighten Amplify II sauna requires only 120-volt outlets, which is the standard power voltage of houses. Outdoor and traditional saunas can often require 240 volts, which will have an added cost of electrical installations.

The sauna has six heaters, two of which are full spectrum high intensity heaters, which will help heat the body and safely raise your heart rate. The sauna is able to reach 160 degrees Fahrenheit fairly quickly so you can get your sweat on in no time. In addition, the Sunlighten Amplify II sauna also includes chromotherapy lighting, a built-in sound system, and a removable bench so you can make room for doing push-ups or crunches while you detox.

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You will want to carefully consider the amount of space you have available before buying this sauna. You need to have eight-inches between the sauna and wall and twelve-inches above the sauna for safe use.

For exact pricing of the Sunlighten Amplify II sauna, you’ll have to request a quote. For a two-person sauna, you can make a safe bet that it’ll cost a few thousand dollars, which might be out of some people’s budget. Still, with its many features and amenities, this can be a great add to just about any home.

At-home saunas can take up quite a bit of space, so sauna blankets are a nice alternative when you need a portable or smaller option. As a weightlifter, I have experience with these since Team USA usually travels with sauna blankets for athletes making weight cuts or wanting to help with their recovery. Our pick for the best infrared sauna blanket is the HigherDOSE Sauna Blanket.

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GGR Everything lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele tried out the HigherDOSE Sauna Blanket and rates its performance a 5 out of 5. She explains, “It’s super easy to use. It comes with a dial that lets you control the temperature, and it heats up in less than 10 minutes. Each session is 30 to 45 minutes long.” 

The heating elements of the sauna blanket are surrounded by charcoal, clay, and magnetic layers, which are entirely encased in a non-toxic vegan leather coating. The sauna blanket is $699, which is far less expensive than a typical infrared sauna—although it’s a pricier sauna blanket.

Additionally, you can purchase inserts for the blanket, which will help catch sweat within the blanket while in use. “I would highly recommend buying extra inserts,” Lindsay says. “It seems like a better option to help keep things clean. I also used a towel as recommended, and the clean-up was much easier.”

This is probably the largest issue with the sauna blanket. Because it can’t be washed, the sweat could cause some premature breaking down of the vegan leather. Because of this worry, Lindsay rates the durability and construction a 3.5 out of 5. Still, the inserts and proper care should help prolong the life of the blanket.

For a more in-depth look, read our full HigherDOSE Infrared Sauna Blanket review.

For those who want the recovery benefits of infrared wavelengths, but don’t have the budget for a fully fledged infrared sauna, there’s the Smartmak Far Infrared Sauna. This sauna tent is a compact, portable one-person sauna that one can sit in, and is available on Amazon for under $200, which is an extremely low home sauna cost.

Unlike many of the saunas we’ve discussed so far, the Smartmak sauna is constructed with a cotton fabric exterior, with a waterproof fabric on the inside of the sauna tent. Within the compact space are three carbon fiber heating elements, as well as a heating foot pad. The user remains seated in the tent with an included foldable chair.

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GGR Everything lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele gives the sauna a 4 out of 5 on performance, as it took another 20 minutes to warm up to its max temperature. Once the sauna reached its peak temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit, it performed well. “This held my set temperature the entire time,” Lindsay says, adding, “Even when I had my arms out of the sauna, using the arm pockets, the temperature didn’t drop.”

While this sauna is made to be very compact and portable, the size of the sauna may be a bit small for larger people—especially the folding chair. Lindsay explains, “The chair was comfortable for me—more comfortable than some wooden sauna seats. However, I am 5 feet and 4 inches tall and around 130 pounds. I could see someone bigger than me feeling uncomfortable in the chair. It’s like a cheap, small lawn chair.”

Another complaint Lindsay had was the sauna’s lack of aesthetic appeal. She says, “This feels so silly to sit in, with your head and arms popping out of the sauna tent. I’d laugh so hard if I walked into someone’s home gym and saw them relaxing in this thing next to their squat rack.” Thankfully, the sauna can be folded and put away while not in use. Plus, the fabric covering of the sauna tent is machine washable, making clean-up a breeze.

If you need a sauna that can travel, or that needs to be put away in between sessions, our pick for the best portable infrared sauna is the Sunlighten Solo System Portable Far Infrared Sauna. 

This sauna is pretty easy to set up and is super light. It’s basically just a matter of unfolding the pieces and laying them out in your chosen location. It’s designed to be easily moved and small enough to be stored in the corner of your garage gym or living room. 

As far as temperature goes, certified personal trainer expert product tester Lindsay Scheele says it takes up to 30 minutes to reach the maximum temperature of 150 degrees. “This holds heat fairly well, but there are several places where the heat can spill out,” she says. “The main two places are where the tubes overlap, and the top of the tub where your head’s at.” While there are a few places heat can escape, Lindsay adds that as long as you use the covering that comes with the product you shouldn’t have too much heat spill out. 

Scheele also says it only takes about five minutes to set up and requires no professional knowledge. GGR gives it a 5 out of 5 for assembly. 

The product consists of a portable nesting dome design that goes over your body while you lay on the SoloPad and a pillow. The dome has five SoloCarbon heaters inside and the SoloPad has four SoloCarbon heaters. This is important because the best infrared saunas with red light therapy provide a variety of health benefits, but you need to experience the light at all the different wavelengths to get all of the benefits. Having multiple heaters helps increase your chances of experiencing all wavelengths at one time since they all require different temperatures.

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You can set this sauna up anywhere that gives you access to a power source and enough space to lay out the pad, which is just a few inches under six feet long and a bit over four feet wide. “Once out of the box, it is a little awkward to move around,” he says. He mentioned that the various pieces mean multiple cords which can make moving it a bit of a struggle. 

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Since you may spend up to 20 minutes in this sauna, comfort is pretty important. Luckily, the SoloPad portion of this portable infrared sauna is made of memory foam so it’s pretty comfy. 

“The floor pad is pretty comfortable honestly, I enjoyed using this for the two sessions that I did. This is a two-inch squishy pad that provided a good place to lay on the floor in the warehouse,” Lindsay says. 

That being said, if you are a larger or taller-bodied person you may find this solo sauna to be a tight squeeze. Because of the size limitations, we rate this portable infrared sauna a 3 out of 5 for comfort. 

While this infrared solo sauna is portable and can be taken with you when you travel, you probably want to limit it to trips that are within driving distance because getting it on a plane may be a bit tricky. Both the pad and dome are bulky and the dome alone weighs 46 pounds, so fitting it in your luggage might be challenging. However, for a portable and inexpensive option, the Sunlighten Solo is a solid choice.

Check out our in-depth Sunlighten Solo Sauna review.

Outdoor saunas are an appealing option, as the sleek design of many saunas stands out in an outdoor setting. When it comes to infrared saunas, though, there aren’t many outdoor options, mostly due to the infrared heating elements being fragile and not being able to survive the elements of the outdoors.

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This isn’t the case with the Sun Home Luminar Outdoor Sauna. Available in a two- or five-person sauna, the Luminar’s carbon heaters are made to last, backed by a substantial six-year warranty. Additionally, the sauna uses carbonized red cedar wood, also known as charred wood, which adds to the stability and durability of the sauna, as well as resistance to decay and insects—one of the best woods for saunas in the outdoors. The sauna earns a 4.5 out of 5 for its construction.

Additionally, the Sun Home Luminar performs exceptionally well, earning a 5 out of 5. GGR Everything lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele says, “This heats up in less than 10 minutes, which is wild for its size; when you turn on the sauna, you can feel the heat within seconds.” The spacious five-person sauna boasts 15 total infrared heaters—five far infrared heaters and 10 full-spectrum heaters (far, mid, and near infrared)—and reaches a top temperature of 160 degrees.

At just over $9,000, it’s not cheap by any means, but the Luminar’s biggest feature is its exterior capabilities, although it also boasts Bluetooth connectivity and chromotherapy lighting, too. With that said, the assembly can be time-consuming, as Lindsay rates it a 3 out of 5. It wasn’t the most difficult assembly we had, but the bulk of the sauna will require a team of people.

“The panels come pre-assembled, which is nice, but each panel at this size weighs a lot, so you’ll need multiple people,” Lindsay says. “We had two people holding a wall on one side while two other people held a wall on the back of the sauna. Then a fifth person screwed those two walls together.” Fortunately, the five-person sauna will fit all the people who help you build out this sauna at least.

You can check out our Sun Home Sauna review for a more in-depth look at the Sun Home Luminar sauna line.

Infrared heat can produce some levels of EMF, or electromagnetic fields, which could be harmful at higher frequencies². To keep frequencies this low, some infrared saunas will use shields to minimize EMF output. For those worried about EMF frequencies, there’s our pick of the best low-EMF infrared sauna from Dynamic Saunas: the Andora 2-Person Infrared Sauna. This sauna is made with six dynamic low-EMF infrared carbon heating panels that provide even far infrared heating to a maximum temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. 

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The sauna performed well in our testing, with GGR Everything lead reviewer Lindsay Scheele saying, “This took 39 minutes to heat up to the full 140 degrees, which is within the time frame the website gives. We even shot pictures in it for the first 10 minutes while it was heating up; the door was open and shut several times during the photo shoot, and it still managed to heat up pretty well.” She rates the performance a 5 out of 5.

A pleasant surprise is that the assembly of this sauna is fairly simple. Due to its size, you’ll need two people, but GGR operations manager Sam Presley says the assembly process is pretty straightforward. “The wall and floor panels slide in together, so you’ll just need one person holding up walls while another slides the panels in place. Compared to many saunas we’ve built out, this one was fairly easy to put together, and the instructions were written well.” He gives the setup a 4 out of 5.

Although it claims to fit two people, we don’t really think it’s the best 2-person infrared sauna. The bench width is only 43 inches, which might be narrow for two larger people. “Unless you are really comfortable with the person next to you, I don’t think this is a good amount of space for two people,” Lindsay says. The bench height is also only 18 inches tall, which may be a little short for taller people, as well.

You can read our Dynamic Infrared Sauna review for an in-depth look at this infrared sauna.