An infrared sauna uses infrared heaters (emitters) to warm your body directly with radiant heat, rather than heating the air with a stove and stones as a traditional sauna does. Because it warms you directly, it runs at a much lower air temperature and doesn't use löyly (water on stones for steam) — so the experience is a gentler, drier warmth rather than the hot, humid, high-temperature heat of a traditional sauna. Infrared cabins are common indoors and are usually pre-built units; a traditional stove sauna remains the classic choice for the hot, steamy, cold-plunge outdoor ritual in a cold climate.
Not every “sauna” heats the same way. An infrared sauna works on a completely different principle from the traditional stove sauna this site focuses on: instead of heating the air hot, it warms your body directly with radiant heat. The result is a gentler, drier, lower-temperature experience with no steam. If you’re weighing infrared against a traditional outdoor sauna, this guide explains the difference.
How infrared heat works
An infrared sauna uses infrared heaters (emitters) that warm your body directly with radiant heat — much like the warmth you feel from the sun on a cool day. Because the heat reaches you directly:
- The air temperature stays much lower than in a traditional sauna.
- There’s no löyly (water on stones for steam) — nothing to make it with.
- The experience is a gentler, drier warmth.
Infrared vs traditional: the core difference
| Infrared sauna | Traditional sauna | |
|---|---|---|
| Heats | Your body (radiant) | The air (stove & stones) |
| Air temperature | Much lower | High |
| Steam / löyly | None | Yes — water on stones |
| Feel | Gentle, dry radiant warmth | Hot, humid, enveloping |
| Typical setting | Pre-built cabin, often indoor | Outdoor stove sauna |
A traditional sauna is hot, humid and enveloping, with the option of löyly; an infrared sauna is a milder, drier, lower-temperature radiant warmth. They’re genuinely different experiences, not variations of the same thing — see infrared vs traditional for the heater side.
The experience
In an infrared cabin you still feel warmth and sweat, but the air itself is far cooler, and there’s no steam. Some people prefer this gentler, drier heat. Others find that without the high air temperature and löyly, it lacks the intensity and ritual of a classic sauna. It comes down to the kind of heat you want.
Infrared and the outdoor cold-climate ritual
Infrared cabins are most common indoors and are usually pre-built units. Outdoor infrared cabins exist, but the traditional stove sauna remains the classic choice for the cold-climate ritual:
- The hot, steamy heat of a stove and stones.
- The freezing-outside cold plunge contrast.
Infrared’s lower-temperature radiant warmth is a different proposition — see indoor vs outdoor and sauna vs steam room for related comparisons.
Which suits you?
- Choose infrared if you want a gentler, drier, lower-temperature radiant warmth, often in a pre-built indoor cabin.
- Choose a traditional sauna if you want hot, humid, high-temperature heat, löyly, and the classic cold-climate hot-cold ritual.
This site focuses on traditional outdoor saunas, which suit the cold-climate experience — but it’s worth knowing infrared exists and how it differs.
Common mistakes
- Expecting löyly or steam from an infrared cabin — it’s dry-heat only.
- Assuming infrared runs as hot as a traditional sauna — the air is far cooler.
- Choosing infrared for the outdoor cold-plunge ritual it isn’t built for.
- Treating the two as interchangeable — they’re different experiences.
Next steps
Decide on the kind of heat you want: the gentle, dry radiant warmth of infrared, or the hot, steamy, traditional heat of a stove sauna with löyly and the cold plunge. For the classic outdoor cold-climate ritual, explore the traditional sauna types and heaters; if a milder indoor radiant warmth appeals, infrared is worth a look.
Frequently asked questions
What is an infrared sauna?
An infrared sauna uses infrared heaters (emitters) to warm your body directly with radiant heat, rather than heating the air with a stove and hot stones like a traditional sauna. Because the heat reaches you directly, it runs at a much lower air temperature and doesn't use löyly (water on stones). The result is a gentler, drier warmth. Infrared cabins are usually pre-built units, common indoors, and offer a different experience from the hot, humid heat of a traditional sauna.
How is an infrared sauna different from a traditional sauna?
The key difference is how they heat you. A traditional sauna heats the air hot with a stove and stones, and you can add löyly for steam, giving high-temperature, humid heat. An infrared sauna warms your body directly with radiant heaters at a much lower air temperature, with no steam. So a traditional sauna is hot, humid and enveloping; an infrared one is a gentler, drier, lower-temperature radiant warmth. They're genuinely different experiences, not just variations.
Do infrared saunas get as hot as traditional saunas?
No — infrared saunas run at a much lower air temperature because they warm your body directly rather than heating the air to high temperatures. You still feel warmth and sweat, but the air itself is far cooler than in a traditional sauna, and there's no löyly or steam. If you want the intense, hot, humid, high-temperature heat of a classic sauna, a traditional stove sauna delivers it; infrared offers a milder, drier alternative at lower air temperatures.
Can you use löyly in an infrared sauna?
No — löyly (throwing water on hot stones for steam) is specific to traditional stove saunas, which have hot stones to flash the water to steam. An infrared sauna has infrared emitters, not a stove and stones, so there's nothing to make löyly with, and it's a dry-heat experience by design. If the steam and humidity of löyly are central to what you want, a traditional sauna is the right choice, not infrared.
Are infrared saunas good for outdoor cold-climate use?
Infrared cabins are most common indoors and are usually pre-built units, and while outdoor infrared cabins exist, the traditional stove sauna remains the classic choice for the outdoor cold-climate ritual — the hot, steamy heat and the freezing-outside cold plunge. Infrared's gentler, lower-temperature radiant warmth is a different experience. If you want the traditional hot-cold outdoor ritual, choose a traditional sauna; infrared suits those wanting a milder, drier heat, often indoors.
Is an infrared sauna better than a traditional one?
Neither is better — they're different experiences. Infrared offers a gentler, drier, lower-temperature radiant warmth, often in a pre-built indoor cabin, which some people prefer. Traditional saunas offer hot, humid, high-temperature heat with löyly and the classic cold-climate ritual. The right choice depends on whether you want intense, steamy heat (traditional) or a milder, dry radiant warmth (infrared). This site focuses on traditional outdoor saunas, which suit the cold-climate hot-cold experience.
