In this article, we’ve selected the 4 best portable infrared saunas of 2024, one for each main category: Tent, Dome, Blanket, and Full-Size.
In the evolution of saunas, the portable ones might be the latest step -but perhaps not the last. Since traditional ones are built of logs and they have a fire pit, they wouldn’t be easy to take around. Hence, the infrared portable sauna. They look funny, but they are effective. Portable infrared saunas are ideal for those who want the benefits of a sauna but don’t have enough space or money to build one or they often travel.
Depending on your budget and on the use you have to do (such as where and how many times), there are four types of sauna. Which one is the best portable sauna? It depends on your preferences and needs. If you are curious about the differences between traditional and infrared you’ll find more information at the end of the post.
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4 Best Portable Infrared Saunas of 2024
SerenLife Infrared Portable Sauna
The Best Tent Infrared Portable Sauna
The Tent: these look like a camper’s tent, with a hole on top for your head and two more on the side for your arms. They have a zipper that you use to enter and exit, almost like a sleeping bag. Inside, they often feature a chair for your comfort and a cozy footpad., and can be folded, so you can easily transport them and they have a programmable timer, just make sure no one plays a prank on you.
One of the best products available is the SereneLife Portable Infrared Home Spa. This tent fits only one person and it includes a folding chair for added comfort. You can adjust the temperature to a maximum of 60° Celsius (140° F) and you can set the time up to 60 minutes. This compact portable sauna includes a foot mat, to make sure the heat doesn’t reach too far.
Measures: this infrared sauna is 68cm long, 78cm wide, and 94cm tall (respectively, 27 inches, 31, and 37).
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1. Love Infrared Portable Sauna
Best Dome Infrared Sauna
The Dome: these portable infrared saunas look like CT scanners. Thanks to their shape, the rays are closer to the whole body, which dilates blood vessels and increases the detox. They usually have multiple choices of heating zones for your comfort and they surround your entire body. They are more comfortable (and pricier) than the tents since you are lying down on your back.
The best among these infrared portable saunas is the 1Love Sauna Dome Premium. Domes are generally the most expensive option, but they ensure better quality. This one includes three heating zones, which you can set anywhere between 25° and 90° Celsius (77-194 Fahrenheit). You can set the time up to 60 minutes and it features 326 germanium and tourmaline stones.
Measures:32″ x 18″ x 72″. This portable infrared sauna can accommodate people up to 6′ 6″ or less for full coverage with a Body Circumference of 58″ – 62″ including arms.
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Infrared Portable Sauna
Best Blanket Sauna– on a Budget
The Blanket: as the name suggests, this portable infrared sauna has a blanket shape that wraps your body -and that you can later fold. It doesn’t heat on the outside so if needed, someone can easily unwrap you. Like the domes, these portable saunas have different temperature settings.
More affordable and easier to carry, the best is the ETE ETMATE Sauna Blanket.
The temperature for this blanket ranges between 60°-80°and the timer goes up to one hour. Thanks to a timer, you can set the blanket at two-zone temperatures. It even comes in two stylish color options: orange or purple.
Measures: it’s 81 x 35 x 18 cm (32.25 x 14.25 x 7 inches).
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SerenLife Full-Sized Portable Sauna
Best Full-sized portable sauna
The Full-Sized: as tall as you, this infrared portable sauna is bulkier, yet comfortable. You can stand or sit, with enough room to move and it’s perfect if you don’t want to feel as “trapped” as you would in the tent. Usually, the full-sized types have higher electromagnetic field (EMF) levels, so it’s not for everyone.
This award goes to the Serenelife Portable Full-Size Infrared Home Spa. This sauna is easy to access thanks to the zipper and it includes a folding chair and the foot mat. The maximum temperature is 60° Celsius (140° F) and it features an auto heat setting thanks to the wired controller.
Measures: this portable infrared sauna is 90cm long, 90 cm wide, and 180cm tall (35.4″ x35.4″ x70.9″).
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Traditional Sauna vs Infrared Sauna
Saunas are a northern European tradition and they were born as pits dug on the ground. At first, they were used only during winter, which makes sense, considering the below-freezing Finland can reach. The Finnish lit a fire to heat the stones and then they threw water on them, to produce steam. This system raised the apparent temperature of the “savusaunas,” or smoke saunas.
During the centuries, saunas evolved first into metal wood stoves until the first electric sauna stove was produced in 1938. The sauna became popular thanks to its physical and psychological benefits. They are both relaxing and they have positive effects on the body, from reducing high blood pressure to cardiovascular benefits.
This type of sauna is the one you see in movies, with embarrassed people sitting half-naked in front of each other, some with foggy glasses while others are nonchalantly reading the newspaper. They are log or wooden cabins built around a fire pit that has rock laid on the top.
These are like the “savusaunas” of the Finnish, with steam raising the temperature so much so that wearing clothes inside is impossible. Instead of a fire pit, modern saunas have a steam generator, so guests can fully relax. The heat and humidity of traditional saunas have health benefits, such as relieving symptoms of the common cold.
Infrared Sauna
With infrared saunas, the steam is gone. Instead, there are rays (that use electromagnetic radiation) that heat the body. These rays don’t raise the temperature of the room, so the humidity of the traditional saunas disappears. You can choose between far-infrared and near-infrared sauna, the latter features rays that penetrate through the skin which increases the ray’s effectiveness.
These saunas were born back in the 1800s when they were known as “light baths.” Through the innovation of infrared, the steamed rooms have become customizable, to make sure the guest achieves their targets in health and wellness.
Traditional vs Infrared Sauna
Aside from the absence of fire pits and steam, the difference between these types of saunas is in the temperatures as well as in their benefits.
The heat
Traditional saunas use convection heat, which exploits elements such as wood fuel and heat the air. It warms up the room, which in turn warms up the body and causes it to sweat. Convection heat needs to reach high temperatures to work. On the other hand, infrared saunas use radiant heat, which seeps into the body’s network but it doesn’t heat the room.
Temperatures
Infrared saunas heat up the body instead of the room’s temperature and they operate at lower temperatures than traditional saunas. The infrared types have a temperature that ranges between 50° and 60° Celsius (120-140 Fahrenheit), while traditional saunas operate with temperatures that range between 65° and 82° Celsius (150˚F and 180˚F).
The health benefits
While traditional saunas rely mostly on heat and humidity (which improves circulation and detoxifies), infrared saunas rely on the benefits of light. The benefits of infrared light are many and they include: increased collagen production, balanced serotonin production (which stabilizes the mood), and augmented lymphatic health.
For peak relaxation, add essential oils to your sauna routine. You can choose your favorite aroma and you can also spray them inside the portable infrared sauna, without any harmful consequences.
Buying a portable sauna ensures you will always have your slice of SPA with you. You can take your infrared portable sauna on vacation, packing it in your car’s trunk or you can find a quiet room in your house and turn it into your at-home SPA. They are healthy, relaxing, and affordable. Which one would you choose?
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