Infrared sauna vs regular sauna
Saunas are picking up in fame for their horde medical advantages, from boosting the insusceptible framework to weight reduction. And now that a home sauna is well within reach an affordable, easy-to-assemble sauna kit is the norm it’s less of an indulgence and more of a lifestyle and wellness addition to your home. There are also a lot more types of saunas to choose from than there were ten or fifteen years ago, some even available with alternative energy sources. In this way, on the off chance that you need to stray from a customary dry sauna, steam sauna, or steam shower combo, you can decide on an infrared model. Whichever type you choose, you are doing your heart a favor, according to the researchers at Harvard Medical School. If you’re not sure how to choose, or what is the best sauna to buy, here’s a handy guide that will help you with the pros, cons, and considerations of each.
Traditional Saunas
How Saunas Work?
A dry sauna is usually constructed of wood. It works by heating a stove inside of it, which is either electric or wood. The stove usually contains rocks. When you douse the rocks with water, it creates the addition of steam, which in turn adds more heat (and humidity) to the air in the sauna. As the room heats up, so does your body. As your body heats up, it naturally wants to cool itself off, which is why your pores open up and you sweat. A steam sauna is constructed of plastic or tile (any material that isn’t porous) and heated by way of steam generation. As the water boils in the generator, the steam is released in the air, increasing the humidity. Even though steam saunas run at a much lower temperature, they feel as hot if not hotter than a dry sauna because the humidity keeps your sweat from evaporating. The sweat sits on your skin, and you feel hotter.
Temperature and Humidity
Dry saunas use very high heat, up to 90 degrees, with the average being between 70 and 80 degrees Celsius. While it is totally safe, a few people can’t endure this dimension of warmth thus think that it’s intolerable. Steam saunas are not as hot and are commonly kept between 40 and 50 degrees Celsius. Dry saunas are somewhat humid, but obviously not as humid as steam saunas, which have a 100% level of humidity. A dry sauna, for the most part, keeps up around a 10% dimension of moistness, shifting obviously by the utilization of steam by means of hot shakes and water. Infrared saunas have a very low level of humidity, about the same as the inside of your house.
Power Consumption
Evaporate and steam saunas take a great deal of capacity to run, up to three (or even multiple times) as much as different kinds of saunas, similar to infrared.
Infrared Saunas
As opposed to dry and steam saunas, a far infrared sauna uses infrared light rays (also called far-infrared rays), which are radiant, to heat your body directly. Depending on the size you buy, there will be a certain number of infrared heaters. Some believe infrared light and radiant heat provide greater health benefits for the body, like weight loss and immune system boosting. It’s also shown to have some of the same benefits you get from a massage, like muscle and joint pain relief. Some claim that infrared heat is better for your skin and aids in conditions like acne and psoriasis.
Ease of Installation
If you’re looking to install a sauna in your home, an infrared sauna is probably the easiest. They come in many sizes, some that fit up to six people, while the norm is a 2 person or 3-person capacity. The dry sauna would be your close second, though still require some building skills (or hiring someone who has them). Infrared saunas come in very easy to assemble (and move) kits now, so you don’t even need any tools in order to install them. They utilize a snap and clasp framework and meet up decently fast.
Conversion
In the event that you have a current sauna in your home and you need to change over it, the vast majority convert from customary to infrared. To change over infrared sauna to conventional is increasingly entangled on the grounds that the unit itself contains the infrared warmers. However, by removing the infrared heaters and installing a stove, it can be done, as both are constructed of wood, usually cedar or hemlock. Changing over to or from steam is beyond the realm of imagination, as steam saunas require material that is non-permeable, for example, tile. Some people prefer a combination of an infrared and traditional sauna, as it enables for slight power consumption while maintaining a bit of the ambient heat. With a smaller heater and the infrared heaters, you can save on power bills, and still get the benefit of steam and humidity.
Benefits & Risks
The health benefits of the sauna are many, from cardiovascular health to asthma, skin problems, and reducing pain and stress, and have been documented in several studies. The risks are predominantly common sense. There’s a risk of heat stroke and dehydration, of course, as is the case with any heat therapy or hot tub. You should drink plenty of water when you sauna, avoid alcohol, and the limit the time to spend inside. If you have a serious illness or any type of injury, you should consult your doctor before taking a sauna. There are no dangers of infrared sauna specifically. They’re equivalent to they are with a conventional dry or steam sauna. Far infrared beams are totally sheltered, not at all like UV or X-beams, and represent no wellbeing dangers.
In August 2018, the Mayo Clinic released a study on sauna benefits, including:
- Lowered blood pressure
- Decreased risk of hypertension, fatal heart disease, stroke and cognitive decline
- Improved vascular function and inflammation levels
- Enhanced lung function and capacity
- Boosted immune responses, resulting in fewer common colds and the flu
- Pain relief from conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia
- Production of feel-good hormones like endorphins, which boost moods and relieve stress
While most examinations don’t concentrate explicitly on infrared sauna benefits, they are for the most part viewed as like ordinary saunas. Studies from the Mayo Clinic have found that infrared saunas can help treat chronic health problems such as:
- High blood pressure
- Congestive heart failure
- Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
- Headaches
- Type 2 diabetes
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Infrared saunas even speed up wound healing by promoting faster cell regeneration and tissue growth. They also contribute to wellbeing by helping you relax and giving you time to yourself and offer a number of other benefits including:
- Better sleep and relaxation
- Detoxifying the body
- Weight loss
- Relief from stiff, tight or sore muscles
- Clear and tighter skin
Tolerable for longer sessions
Because infrared saunas are more comfortable, bathers can often tolerate longer sessions. While the prescribed length of a run of the mill sauna session is 10 to 15 minutes, 30 minutes is increasingly reachable for infrared sauna bathers.
Installation cost
The expense can shift in both infrared saunas and conventional saunas relying upon quality and size. But generally, the price ranges are very similar. Unit saunas for both infrared and customary saunas can go between 800/900€ – 17,000€. There is a huge distinction in quality between the low end and the top of the line. With Scandinavian manufacturers starting around 2500€ upwards. Beyond that, the size of the sauna will be the main factor deciding the cost. With the cost typically going up as the size increments.
Social experience
While our culture has lost some of the social benefits of the traditional sauna experience, it can be very socially rewarding. From the family time in the sauna to heartfelt conversations with significant others, to sauna parties—the traditional sauna experience can lead to intimate socializing. Conventional saunas are normally sufficiently huge to enable various individuals to appreciate the sauna for social time. Though a sauna session may only be 10-15 minutes at a time when time allows the sauna can be used in multiple “innings”; the experience of heating the sauna, planning to utilize the sauna, talking while in the sauna, and unwinding after the sauna can be helpful and fulfilling. While it is conceivable to chat in an infrared room, because of the little room sizes and room plan the average understanding of the infrared room is regularly a greater amount of a private escape. Most higher end infrared rooms include coloured light therapy, sound systems and full-glass fronts. The size of most rooms allows for 2 people to comfortably use the room, while some designs may allow for a 3rd or 4th person to use the room. Custom infrared rooms are also available, with room sizes available up to 7′ x 8′ x 7′ high.
In summary
The principal contrast among infrared and customary saunas is the temperature and the manner in which the room is warmed.
Most of the time, it is personal preference. You might prefer one over the other. Despite everything, I locate that, despite the fact that infrared has turned out to be progressively prominent, nearly everybody still introduces the customary sauna stove. It’s familiar. It feels like a real sauna. And it’s what people are used to.
If you are unsure I recommend you try them both out to see which one you like the best