Best Portable Saunas for Heat Therapy Anywhere (2024)

Your friends at GGR have tested dozens of the best home saunas, cold plunges, and recovery products. We’re fitness professionals committed to helping you make the best investments in your health and wellness routine—because not everything you see on the internet is worth the hype. 

That’s why our team of certified personal trainers, coaches, and athletes banded together to test the best portable saunas to see which ones offered the best sauna experience and which ones were a flop. 

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We have rigorous guidelines for testing and scoring each product. Our testers are tasked to use, assess, and score each product based on eight different categories, including: 

• Portability: How easy is it to break down? How likely are you to take advantage of the portability of this sauna?
• Construction: What is the sauna constructed from? Are the closures, zippers, window, and seating options made from quality materials? 
• Heat performance: How long does the sauna take to heat up and can it maintain that temperature? 

The 6 Best Portable Saunas

• Best Portable Infrared Sauna: Sunlighten Solo Sauna
• Best Portable Sauna Blanket: Sun Home Sauna Blanket
• Best Portable Sauna for Beginners: SereneLife Full Size Portable Sauna
• Best Portable Steam Sauna: SaunaBox SmartSteam Kit Pro
• Best Portable Outdoor Sauna: Sweat Tent
• Best Budget Portable Sauna: Smartmak Far Infrared Sauna

Best Portable Infrared Sauna: Sunlighten Solo Sauna

Good for: Anyone looking for a portable sauna with infrared heat technology 

Best Infrared

Sunlighten Solo Portable Infrared Sauna

GGR Score: 3.8

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Product Highlights

• Infrared sauna
• Zone-based heating
• Sliding double-dome system
• Lightweight design, easy to store

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Designed for small spaces and movability
• 5 zone-based digital heaters
• 4 color-changing modes
• Infrared heater
• Increases core body temperature

Cons

• Pricing isn't easily to find on website
• Size may not be a suitable for all users

Bottom Line

The Sunlighten Solo Portable Infrared Sauna is designed for movability and compact storage. It has multiple zone-based digital heaters and built-in chromotherapy features.

The Sunlighten Solo Sauna is our top choice for best portable infrared sauna. It not only offers a portable and telescoping design for solo sauna sessions, it also has energy efficient carbon heaters. 

Although there are other infrared saunas on this list, the carbon heaters emit infrared light and can heat the portable sauna up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit, which is at the top range of what most infrared saunas are capable of. This is partly why it earned a 4 out of 5 stars for heat performance and controls. 

Lindsay Scheele, GGR expert product tester and certified personal trainer, says the Sunlighten Solo Sauna holds the max temperature as well as some of the traditional Finnish saunas and barrel saunas she’s tested. “It takes about 30 minutes to reach 150 degrees, but it stays there and the outside is not hot to the touch,” says Lindsay. 

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Her only callout is that the temperature controls are not intuitive, which is why she docked a point in the heat performance and controls category. She also didn’t prefer that the foam padding and the dome each had its own controls. However, once she read the owners manual, using the two remote controls was easy. We have in-depth details of the controls and Linday’s entire experience in our Sunlighten Solo Sauna Review. 

It’s also worth mentioning that Lindsay and other expert GGR testers liked the Sunlighten Solo Sauna, but don’t think it’s a good match for folks who have a wide frame or large chest or belly. The foam padding you’ll lie on is less than 3 feet wide and the dome only sits 18 inches tall. 

It also doesn’t pack down into a bag like many of the pop-up tents on this list do. Instead, the dome telescopes and nests into itself and the foam padding folds up. It’s certainly portable but it doesn’t come with a carrying case or anything like that. 

If you’d prefer to have company, we like the Amplify II Infrared Sauna from Sunlighten for two-person sauna sessions. 

Best Portable Sauna Blanket: Sun Home Sauna Blanket

Good for: Anyone looking to sweat in the prone position 

Best Blanket

Sun Home Infrared Sauna Blanket

GGR Score: 4.5

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Product Highlights

• Portable infrared sauna blanket
• Low EMF electrical field
• Temps from 95 to 167 degrees Fahrenheit
• Easy-to-use temperature controls
• Temperature displayed in Celsius

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Portable and easy to wipe clean
• Heats up to 75 degrees Celsius (167 Fahrenheit)
• Temperature stays stable
• May reduce muscle soreness

Cons

• Short 1-year warranty
• One person capacity
• Only one heating zone
• Temperature displayed in Celsius

Bottom Line

The Sun Home Infrared Sauna Blanket offers a sauna recovery in a sleeping bag-style design. This allows for the ultimate relaxation and portability. It can heat between 95 to 167 degrees Fahrenheit and can be set put on a timer for up to 60 minutes.

The Sun Home Sauna Blanket is an ultra-portable sauna option that won’t break the bank. However, the heat technology is not exactly the same in a sauna blanket as a traditional infrared sauna. Instead of emissive infrared light waves, a sauna blanket will conduct radiant heat to raise your body temperature. 

That doesn’t mean we didn’t like the Sun Home Sauna Blanket, but it’s hard to say if the infrared sauna benefits are exactly the same. However you may like knowing this sauna blanket is low EMF (low frequency electric and magnetic fields). 

The blanket has a single heating zone and can rise to 167 degrees, which GGR expert tester Lindsay Scheele says held tight after 30 minutes of preheating. “Once it was up to temperature, it held steady at 75 Celsius, which is the highest heat setting. That’s about 167 degrees Fahrenheit,” she says. 

You’ll zip yourself in like a sleeping bag, set your timer for 30 to 60 minutes, and let the relaxing begin. When you’re done you can machine wash the blanket liner and wipe down the blanket with a mild cleaner. 

It’s 71 inches long and has a 65-inch maximum circumference to accommodate a wide range of sizes and body types. For ergonomics, this earns a 5-star rating from Lindsay. 

“Because this is a blanket, with a ton of flexibility from the materials, it’s going to be comfortable for a wide range of people. And you can use it pretty much anywhere,” says Lindsay. 

The Sun Home Sauna Blanket folds up and can get tucked away in a closet or under your bed, which is why this earns a 5-star rating for footprint and portability. Plus, it’s affordable, with a price tag under $500. We have more details in our Sun Home Sauna Blanket review. 

Most research on infrared sauna uses far infrared heat waves versus radiant heat. If you want to ensure you’re getting all of the full far infrared benefits, we suggest the Sunlighten Solo Sauna. 

Best Portable Sauna for Beginners: SereneLife Full Size Portable Sauna

Good for: Folks looking for a beginner-friendly sauna option for one person

Best for Beginners

Serene Life Full Size Portable Sauna

GGR Score: 3.8

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Product Highlights

• Full size personal portable infrared sauna
• Designed for in home use
• Reported benefits of weight loss, detoxing, stress and fatigue relief, and soothing muscles
• Includes sauna, foldable sauna chair, and heated foot pad

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Folds up for storage when not in use
• Timer and auto heat settings via remote control
• Includes foldable chair
• In home use
• Easy zipper access

Cons

• Limited reviews
• No warranty
• Time to heat up not disclosed
• Only fits 1 person

Bottom Line

The Serene Life Compact Sit-In Sauna is a portable in-home sauna that can be assembled and then disassembled for compact storage. The sauna can reach a maximum temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. The sauna features easy zipper access and a foldable chair for seated use. There are limited reviews but they are positive and found the sauna easy to set up.

The SereneLife Full Size Portable Sauna is an excellent choice for sauna bathing beginners because it’s portable and priced under $400 on Amazon. 

The SereneLife sauna is essentially a pop-up tent with three infrared carbon heating panels. Keep in mind it’s only meant for one person with a single folding chair that comes with the tent. 

While it’s a great starting place for beginners, Lindsay notes she’d appreciate it if it offered higher temperatures. The max temperature is 140 degrees, but she says the control panel was reading between 125 to 135 during most of her sessions. For this reason, the heat performance earned a middle-of-the-road 3-star rating. 

RELATED: Sauna Maintenance Tips

“It’s pretty warm, but compared to some other saunas I’ve used it’s not quite enough for me,” says Lindsay. “But I think you could easily do a little DIY project and affix another carbon heater inside the tent for extra heat.” 

Lindsay shares more thoughts in our SereneLife Portable Sauna review. 

If you’re looking for a similar pop-up tent style with more heat intensity, check out the SmartSteam Kit Pro, which is a wet sauna. 

Best Portable Steam Sauna: SaunaBox SmartSteam Kit Pro

Good for: Folks who prefer wet heat therapy from steam 

Best Stream

SaunaBox SmartSteam Kit Pro

GGR Score: 3.8

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Product Highlights

* Portable sauna with carrying case * Steam heat * Washable floor mat * Portable chair

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 7 levels of heat
• Portable design
• 2-year warranty

Cons

• Only room for one person
• Humidity may be too intense for some folks

Bottom Line

The SaunaBox SmartSteam Kit Pro offers an easy and affordable wet sauna option for home recovery sessions. It’s compact, folds down effortlessly, and is suitable for one person at a time. The heat is sourced from the SmartSteam Unit, which pumps steam into the SaunaBox and can be set to seven different settings.

If you enjoy a steam room more than a traditional dry sauna, now is your chance to have your own home spa with the SaunaBox SmartSteam Kit Pro. It’s a wet sauna in the form of a portable, pop-up tent, priced under $500. 

Instead of carbon infrared heaters, the SaunaBox heats water in the SmartSteam chamber (which sits outside of the tent) and emits the steam through a small plastic hose. You’ll have seven temperature settings, which can go up to 130 degrees. 

It may not sound very hot, but it’ll have nearly 100% humility, which makes the sauna experience feel a lot hotter. Additionally, a steamy sauna session may increase your heart rate and internal temperature¹ more than a dry sauna. For heat performance, Lindsay scored the SaunaBox 4 out 5 stars. 

“The heat and humidity is intense,” she says. “It’s good there is a window you can open or unzip the tent a little.”

RELATED: Steam Room vs Sauna

For portability, Lindsay docked a point and scored the SaunaBox at 4 stars. “It’s extremely easy to break down and set up, but there is a bit of a process because the sauna creates so much moisture,” she says. 

After every use you’ll need to clean with a mild cleaner, air out the foot pad (which is machine washable), and air out the entire sauna from humidity. “You don’t want this to become a breeding ground for mold and germs by packing it away wet,” says Lindsay. 

That said, she scored the construction and durability at 4 stars because it’s made from antimicrobial materials, it’s BPA-free, and is free from microplastics. 

If you’d prefer to spend less than $200 for a similar tent-style sauna, check out the Smartmak Far Infrared Sauna. 

Best Portable Outdoor Sauna: Sweat Tent

Good for: Folks who have adequate outdoor space for a wood-burning sauna tent 

Best Outdoor

Sweat Tent Outdoor Sauna

GGR Score: 4.04

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Product Highlights

• Outdoor sauna that can travel
• Made with weatherproof insulated Oxford 210D fabric
• Heated by wood-fired,stainless steel stove
• Can reach 200 degrees in any weather

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Affordable price
• Portable enough to travel with
• Carry bag
• Weatherproof insulated fabric

Cons

• 80 lbs of material makes it less portable than other options
• Not for indoor use

Bottom Line

The Sweat Tent Outdoor Sauna is a durable, heavy-duty tent that is both an affordable and portable option for outdoor saunas. With the ability to collapse into a carry bag, and weighing around 80 pounds total, it is easy to load into a car for traveling. With a weatherproof insulated exterior, the Sweat Tent can reach 200 degrees in any weather with its wood-fired stove.

If you’ve got ample outdoor space and your area allows wood-burning fires, we suggest the Sweat Tent. It’s essentially a pop-up tent and is easy to set up with two people. It’s doable to install on your own, but the tent has a four-person capacity, so it’s best to get a helping hand to hold opposite corners of the tent. 

RELATED: Best Outdoor Sauna

The stove will also require some assembly, but expert tester Lindsay says it was a cinch. She scored the setup process 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

Even though the Sweat Tent earns a 4-out-of-5-star rating for portability, there are a few important things to consider each time you pack up the Sweat Tent: 

• You’ll have to haul wood to burn inside the stove
• The wood-burning stove has to be completely cooled down to handle
• Consider what you’ll use for seating and avoid metal patio furniture
• Don’t forget accessories like a water bucket, ladle, and hot mitts for the stove

As for durability, Lindsay scored the Sweat Tent 4 out of 5 stars. It’s made from high-quality, heat-resistant Oxford 210D nylon, which is often used for backpack liners, sleeping bags, and umbrellas. “For a tent, this seems super sturdy and it comes with a fiberglass roof cover to protect against rain and direct sunlight,” says Lindsay. 

We have more details in our Sweat Tent Outdoor Sauna Review. 

Best Budget Portable Sauna: Smartmak Far Infrared Sauna

Good for: Anyone with a tight budget who still wants to reap the benefits of sauna bathing 

Best Budget

Smartmak Far Infrared Sauna

GGR Score: 4

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Product Highlights

• Portable and personal full-body infrared sauna tent
• Comes in large and extra-large sizes
• Requires 110v outlet
• Washable
• Timer and temperature control

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Washable and foldable when not in use
• Temperature control and timer
• 110v outlet
• Lifetime warranty for consumer/home use

Cons

• Might be small for larger people and athletes
• Can only sit in the sauna tent

Bottom Line

The Smartmak Far Infrared Sauna is an inexpensive and portable solution for an infrared sauna. Being compact, this sauna can be folded when not in use. Available in two sizes, this portable seated sauna tent may still be a tight fit for larger athletes.

The SmartMak Far Infrared Sauna is ideal for folks on a budget. This small, lightweight, and portable sauna is priced under $200 on Amazon and comes in several different colorways. 

The SmartMak sauna cuts down on costs with its petite design, which reduces materials. You’ll sit in the foldable chair, zip yourself in, but your neck, head, and hands will still be outside of the sauna through the respective openings. 

“I can see bigger folks having a hard time with the folding chair that comes with this sauna,” says Linsay Scheele, CPT and GGR expert tester. But she notes you could easily swap it out for a more comfortable lawn chair. 

Other than the chair, Lindsay thought her experience in the SmartMak was comfortable. She even notes there will be enough space for tall people, folks with long legs, broad shoulders, or a larger chest. She scored ergonomics 4 out of 5 stars 

For heating performance, the Smartmak earns 4 out of 5 stars. It took about 20 minutes for the Smartmak to reach the max temperature of 140 degrees. “This budget sauna heats up just as quickly as other traditional saunas I’ve tested,” she says. 

She also notes it was able to hold steady at 140 degrees during her sauna sessions. “Even when I had my arms out of the sauna, using their arm pockets, the temperature didn’t drop,” says Lindsay. 

If you’d prefer to keep your hands and head inside the sauna tent, we suggest the SereneLife Full Size Portable Sauna.

Other Portable Saunas We Researched

• HigherDOSE Infrared Sauna Blanket: This sauna blanket is remarkably similar to the Sun Home Sauna Blanket we picked for this list, except it’s priced about $200 more. 
• Kutting Weight Hoodie V4: We have an entire roundup dedicated to the best sauna suits and this Kutting Weight sweat suit was our No. 1 pick. We know it’s not an actual sauna, so we didn’t include it on this list. 

How We Picked and Tested Portable Saunas 

The expert testers here at Garage Gym Reviews used an in-depth fitness equipment testing methodology to assess, score, and review each sauna. Our testers used a scale of 1 to 5 to score the following categories: 

• Price and value: Saunas are usually pretty expensive, so our testers have to use our pre-determined price ranges to decide if the price makes sense for the size, capacity, and features. 
• Delivery and setup: As part of the customer experience, our testers were tasked to score the delivery and assembly. High scores were given to saunas with a straightforward assembly process. 
• Construction and durability: Portable saunas won’t have as much durability and solid construction as a wooden cabin sauna, but our testers still had to assess materials, closure quality, and overall durability. 
• Portability and footprint: Although most saunas aren’t portable, for this list our expert testers considered how easy moving from one site to another would be, how likely they would be to do it, and how many parts you have disassembled. 
• Heat performance: Our testers assessed the time it took to heat up, if it could maintain the set temperature, and if there was heat loss around the outside of the sauna. 
• Features and amenities: Not every sauna has the same features, but common sauna features are Bluetooth connectivity for a sound system, temperature controls through a panel or remote, and chromotherapy lighting.
• Customer experience: This includes the warranty and return policy as well as how easy it was to contact the company if a problem were to arise. 

Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing

The benefit of owning a portable sauna is pretty obvious: Sauna sessions wherever you go. Portable saunas are also more affordable than a traditional sauna cabin. However, some of the drawbacks with a portable option is the fact they’re usually smaller and sometimes only meant for one person at a time. 

That said, here are some general benefits of sauna bathing (portable or not): 

Sauna Bathing Can Improve Cardiovascular Health 

Did you know sitting in a sauna can increase your heart rate? The hot climate naturally increases your heart rate² like it would during medium- to high-intensity exercise. When your heart rate increases, the cardiac muscle tissues³ are stimulated to become stronger and more efficient at pumping blood to the entire body. 

Additionally, one small study⁴ showed sauna bathing can reduce blood pressure, which can reduce unnecessary strain on your heart. The study shows that heart rate and blood pressure rise during the sauna session, but drop below baseline after resting. 

Sweat Can Help You Detox

Sweating from sauna use (or during intense physical activity) may promote detoxification. Although more research is needed, there are studies that indicate sweating⁵ may help the body detoxify from heavy metals like aluminum, cadmium, and lead. 

Sauna Sessions Can Increase Circulation 

Sauna bathing promotes blood flow and circulation⁶ by increasing your core temperature, which makes blood flow to your skin and muscles more efficiently, while temporarily decreasing blood flow to your internal organs. 

Best Portable Sauna: FAQs

References 

1. Pilch, W., Szygula, Z., Palka, T., Pilch, P., Cison, T., Wiecha, S., & Tota, L. (2014). Comparison of physiological reactions and physiological strain in healthy men under heat stress in dry and steam heat saunas. Biology of Sport, 31(2), 145–149. https://doi.org/10.5604/20831862.1099045
2. Taggart, P., Parkinson, P., & Carruthers, M. (1972). Cardiac responses to thermal, physical, and emotional stress. Br Med J, 3(5818), 71-76.  
3. Ripa, R., George, T., Shumway, K. R., & Sattar, Y. (2023). Physiology, cardiac muscle. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.
4. Ketelhut, S., & Ketelhut, R. G. (2019). The blood pressure and heart rate during sauna bath correspond to cardiac responses during submaximal dynamic exercise. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 44, 218-222. 
5. Genuis, S. J., Birkholz, D., Rodushkin, I., & Beesoon, S. (2011). Blood, urine, and sweat (BUS) study: monitoring and elimination of bioaccumulated toxic elements. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 61(2), 344–357. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-010-9611-5
6. Laukkanen, J. A., Laukkanen, T., & Kunutsor, S. K. (2018, August). Cardiovascular and other health benefits of sauna bathing: a review of the evidence. In Mayo clinic proceedings (Vol. 93, No. 8, pp. 1111-1121). Elsevier.

Lauren Strong, CPT

Lauren is an NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer working with clients of all ages and skill levels. She specializes in coaching the squat, bench, and deadlift and enjoys introducing beginners to barbell training. Before becoming certified, she worked in marketing roles after graduating from the University of Maine with a BA in Journalism. Writing for Garage Gym Reviews blends her two passions: writing and lifting. Lauren spends her leisure time in the kitchen, reading fiction, and taking nature walks. She's also an avid downhill skier, learning how to ski when she was just two years old. She lives in Maine with her husband and two cats.

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