Hop on the wave of infrared waves
– everything you need to know about the warming sensation!

Infrared sauna, infrared room, infrared cabin… is known by many names among people. The rising trend of infrared in the sauna is still an unfamiliar experience to many. While infrared saunas are technically not saunas in the traditional sense, the term has been normalized in our daily speech and is now commonly used. In this short text we will help you get acquainted with the basics and the benefits of infrared.

Harvia infrared panels in a hybrid sauna

First of all, what exactly is infrared?

Infrared technology utilizes panels that heat up the room to approximately 60 °C. These panels use infrared elements to radiate heat of differing wavelengths depending on the infrared category: near, mid, or far. This heat can penetrate skin more deeply than just warmed air, which causes the users to develop more intense sweating with lower temperatures than in traditional saunas (1). Infrared mimics the warming effect of sunlight without containing the harmful UV rays.

Harvia hybrid sauna infrared panels forte heater

Why choose infrared?

Infrared shares the health benefits of the traditional sauna. For example, it can lower your risk for heart and vascular diseases (2) and help your muscles recover and relax (3). In addition to these physiological effects, sauna bathing also has beneficial psychological effects, such as releasing endorphins and improving the quality of sleep (4).

Another case to be made for infrared is its ease of use: just turn the power on and the panels will warm up and be ready for use almost immediately. Additionally, due to the dry nature of infrared, you can read a book or listen to music while enjoying an infrared experience without having to worry about ruining your books or audio devices.

Harvia Ventura Infrared room, heating elements, panels

To whom infrared is suitable?

Infrared heat is safe and suitable for anyone who values efficiency and deep muscle relaxation. We especially recommend infrared to people who lead busy lives and appreciate the speed and convenience of infrared solutions. Those who are short on space can benefit from infrared solutions, as our Harvia Radiant infrared cabin only requires one square meter of floor space to be installed. In addition, you do not require a special building permit or waterproofing to set up an infrared cabin in your apartment, which makes the process hassle-free.

The lower temperatures provided by infrared compared to electric or wood-burning heaters can also be more suitable to people who have circulatory problems. A lighter load on the body typically results in lower heart rates compared to traditional sauna methods (3).

Harvia hybrid sauna with a Legend heater

Harvia infrared solutions

All of our sauna designs are also available in infrared. The infrared panels are easy to install to an already existing sauna cabin and are easy to control. You can also opt to combine the benefits of both a traditional heater and infrared technology by choosing a hybrid sauna which features the best of both worlds.

References

Beever, R. (2009). Far-infrared saunas for treatment of cardiovascular risk factors: summary of published evidence. Canadian family physician, 55(7), 691-696.
Laukkanen, T., Khan, H., Zaccardi, F., & Laukkanen, J.A. (2015). Association between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events. JAMA internal medicine, 175(4), 542-548.
Mero, A., Tornberg, J., Mäntykoski, M., & Puurtinen, R. (2015). Effects of far-infrared sauna bathing on recovery from strength and endurance training sessions in men. Springerplus, 4(1), 1-7.
Hussain, J., & Cohen, M. (2018). Clinical effects of regular dry sauna bathing: a systematic review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2018.