Sauna bathing is a very popular thing to do in the fitness industry. But nowadays, due to its health benefits, more people are considering sauna bathing in their routines for the daily dose of detoxification and relaxation.
But a sauna session isn’t really accessible for everyone. There are some very specific requirements for the steam sauna, and not everybody can really make time for it — especially in these busy times.
So, to replace traditional saunas, portable saunas have been invented to make them available to everyone and change the sauna experience. And today, we will learn about the best portable sauna on the market. But before that, we should know one more thing.
Portable Saunas and Their Types
A portable sauna is basically a sauna tent that can be set up anywhere you desire. It can be used as a home sauna or an indoor sauna, instead of having to go to a dedicated place like a gym every time your body craves a sauna bath.
Now, it can be both a regular sauna and an infrared sauna. Now you will know more about what they are.
Infrared Sauna
Infrared saunas heat the body up by using infrared heaters, which produce infrared rays. They penetrate the skin and up the temperature inside from the core.
That’s the reason why infrared saunas can be a lot faster in turning up the heat and making you sweat. The sweat is also more natural, and there is a lower probability of any discomfort.
Steam Sauna
Steam saunas usually warm the air around the tent up instead of the body itself. The portable steam saunas use a steam generator which helps to warm the air up—and the air warms your body up. This might take a little more time in warming the body up and the sweating might not be the most comfortable for everyone.
This is one of the main differences between infrared and traditional saunas—the way it heats you up. You will know more about the differences between infrared saunas and steam saunas later on in the article.
The Best 3 Portable Infrared Saunas on the Market
There is a plethora of portable infrared saunas on the market but not all of them are equally as good—some of them are not even good. But today you will find out the 3 best portable saunas that you can buy for your money.
- Relax Sauna
- Synergy Sauna
- Therasage Sauna
These are the best portable sauna brands out there on the market with the best and most effective infrared models. Read this article to know more about these.
1. Relax sauna
This convenient and incredible product features all of the latest technological advances in infrared heating, making it one of the top choices on the market. It does a great job at everything is supposed to do: helps in weight loss, pain relief and stimulates the immune system.
It has two high-quality FIR generators of 700 watts which are patented semiconductor chip technology. They are so good that they can get to around 103 degrees Fahrenheit in about an hour. And it could reach the temperature even faster if preheating was done.
The EMF radiation levels in the tent are also extremely low being only at 0.5 mg all around. Relax sauna doesn’t use carbon panels either like most of its competitors. Instead, they use ceramic panels.
Pros
- Maintains alower level of EMF to lessen the risk to your cells and DNA
- Has a ceramic panel that ensures purity of the frequency of Infrared rays
- Can trigger a faster increase in temperature to allow for a more therapeutic experience in a shorter time
Cons
- Temperature may rise too fast that can make some people feel uncomfortable
2. Synergy sauna
Synergy sauna is a high-quality portable infrared sauna that is a great option for anyone looking to reap the health benefits of sauna therapy without having to invest in a full-sized, home sauna. Notable health benefits include weight loss, healthier skin, detoxification, and a better flow of blood.
The IR generator is capable of producing the entire spectrum of IR rays, including far, near, and middle IR rays. And all this infrared heat provides temperatures ranging from 113 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
Synergy portable sauna also comes with a negative-ion generator along with Tourmaline panels to keep the levels of EMF and ELF ultra-low. The EMF frequency is only 150 to 200 mV which is really impressive.
This means that you can safely use this sauna for long periods of time without worrying about the harmful effects of EMF radiation. Besides, the bamboo covering is also another plus point in tackling bacteria growth.
Pros
- Offers a full spectrum of IR rays allowing for a deeper and better cleansing
- Sustains lower levels of ELF on top of EMF to prevent disturbance in sleep
- Has a tourmaline panel that keeps the air free of a lot of hazardous radiation
Cons
- The foldable chair isn’t the best when it comes to comfortability
3. Therasage Sauna
It’s a portable sauna that uses infrared heat to relax the body. It is one of the most popular portable saunas on the market due to its numerous benefits.. These benefits include loss of weight, detoxification through sweating, better circulation of blood, and much more.
The sauna comes with an IR generator which is also capable of generating the full spectrum of Infrared rays. But more importantly, the sauna ships with high-powered medically graded photon chips of wavelength ranging from 600 to 980 mm.
And there are 118 of these. This allows the sauna to reach temperatures from 100 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit.
Therasage sauna comes with very advanced EMF, ELF, and RF remediation technology. The negative-ion generator also plays a role in keeping the EMF levels low. And unlike the bigger chunk of the competition, it makes an active effort to lessen the amount of VOC and off-gassing.
Pros
- Has a high graded photon chips to ensure top-quality full-spectrum IR
- Prolongs a lower level of harmful radiations like RF to prevent damage to the body tissue
- Maintains a negligible level of VOC
Cons
- Might take a little more time to reach the desired temperature
Benefits of Infrared Saunas in General
There are a lot of pros of infrared saunas if you get the right one with the proper radiation of IR. And most of them are mentioned above already. But here we can go into details.
Supports Mental Health
The infrared rays are absorbed by your body. And thus, a lot of chemical change takes place in you, resulting in a reduction of depression to some extent. The infrared heat puts your body in a challenging position — by increasing the temperature.
As a result, your body needs to work a lot harder to keep the body in the appropriate range of temperature.
And when your body does that, the said chemical changes take place, resulting in a massive release of some feel-good hormones. This improves the state of your mind drastically and relieves you of depression and sadness for some time.
Infrared saunas are great for reducing stress. However, the effect only stays for a particular period of time, but the euphoria will keep you coming back to it. It is a really healthy way to cope with mental health issues.
But of course, it is to be mentioned that infrared saunas can only be supplementary to your mental health treatment and is not a cure by any means. But a little support can go a long way, and it does just that!
Improves Sleep Quality
Infrared saunas can play a huge role in improving both the quality and quantity of your sleep. It goes without saying that a better and healthier mind will yield better sleep at night.
One of the most common reasons behind not getting good sleep is mental stress and pressure. So, in its absence, good sleep is bound to happen—and it does happen. And far infrared sauna therapy does it a lot better than any other saunas like a steam sauna or dry sauna. But that’s not all.
By penetrating inside the skin, Infrared rays can also trigger a very important hormone in your body which will help you have a longer and better sleep — called melatonin. It mainly happens after you step out of the portable tent sauna into the cooler air.
As soon as you do that, your brain releases a great dose of melatonin. And just like good mental health benefits your sleep quality, a good night’s sleep also helps to keep your mental health strong. So, it really is a win-win situation.
Helps to Lessen the Pain in the Body
We have already seen how amazing an infrared sauna session can be for mental health. But infrared sauna is just as good for your physical health as well. And one of the reasons is that it can help immensely in physical pain relief.
The infrared heat can work for both regional and chronic pain relief. If you have some kind of pain in a particular joint or muscle of a particular limb like the shoulder or arms, an infrared sauna can surely take care of that for you by lessening the pain.
The infrared heat can also lessen the chronic pain you might be suffering. If you have any pain induced by bone and muscle-related problems like Fibromyalgia, Lyme disease, arthritis, muscle stiffness, sprain, etc, an Infrared sauna can definitely make you feel a lot better. It’s also great for sore muscles after a workout—the reason for it being set up in a lot of modern gyms.
But then again, it should be kept in mind that an Infrared sauna can only be used as a help to the already running medication and not a sole treatment. It’s only supplementary.
Supports Skin Health
If you have oily skin, chances are there is a lot of unwanted oil stuck in the pores of your skin worsening it. They are responsible for causing many skin problems like pimples and acne. Or, if you have to go out often, that too can be a big reason why various toxic materials are stuck on your skin.
The natural way to get them off is sweating. When the sweat glands open and sweat comes out, it also flushes out the toxins with it. And that’s where sauna can help you—especially infrared sauna due to its penetrations capability resulting in faster sweating.
By clearing your skin of all the oil and dirt, a good indoor sauna bath can not only make you look better but also make you feel a lot better. It will also be really good for your skin, in the long run, to keep it smooth and shiny. A sauna detox could help your skin and your entire body as well.
Develops Immune System
An infrared sauna can be great at making your immune system considerably stronger. And having access to that all the time with a portable sauna would be even more amazing.
A sauna session can increase the number of white blood cells in your system pretty massively — which itself is an indication that it indeed is tweaking your immune system for the better.
White blood cells are strong and fast to respond against any bacteria or viruses like flu or a common cold and many more. Basically, it will fight against any foreign intruder in your body, making it safer.
It will better your immune system overall. It means besides only fighting the incoming threats to your body, it will also fight the foreign substances that are already residing in your body to help you tackle them more effectively and rapidly.
So, saunas are amazing for developing your immune system to take care of yourself better.
Maintains Heart Health
We have already learned that infrared sauna raises your core temperature—and that pretty fast as well. And this has a big role to play in maintaining the health of your heart and making it function in a lot healthier manner.
So, how does the heart benefit from the rise in temperature inside? It basically normalizes the autonomic nervous system of your body. Since the far infrared reaches deep and induces sweat to come out, it also makes the heartbeat a little faster.
And the fast pumping of the heart results in improved blood circulation and blood flow in the entire body. And due to the proper blood circulation, the blood pressure is also easier to keep under control since the blood vessels can widen a little bit allowing a more relaxed flow of blood.
But of course, it is only safe when the heartbeat has increased by a slight and tolerable amount. Too big of an increase could be detrimental and worsen cases of hyperextension.
A good infrared sauna session could be equivalent to some light to moderate exercise as well. As per the research, men who did sauna 4 to 7 times a week had a lower possibility of having heart-related issues by as much as 50 percent.
This should tell you how big of an addition a portable infrared sauna could be to your healthcare routine.
But it comes with a huge caveat, if you already have some underlying heart issues, it will be in your best interest if you stay away from the sauna since it can actually worsen your condition.
Cons of Overusing Infrared Sauna in General
We have learned a lot of good things about infrared saunas, but does that mean it’s all good with no pullbacks? Let’s get to know about some drawbacks.
Might Worsen Other Medical Issues
Infrared saunas are great to keep your heart healthy and strong—they can only be used to prevent any upcoming problems. But it can be really bad for you if you already have issues.
As mentioned before, far infrared saunas help in blood circulation which widens the blood vessels.
But too much blood flow can cause deadly incidents like a heart attack if uncontrolled. For the same reason, it might worsen the situation of people who already have high blood pressure or hyperextension—instead of lowering the pressure.
Some other problems caused by too much-infrared sauna could be transient leg ache or irritations in the airway. Spending too much time in the sauna tent could even cause a lower sperm count in a lot of men.
Dehydration
What the steam sauna does is, it warms up the air in the tent saunas, and then the moisturized air would heat your body up, resulting in a rise in temperature. But in Infrared saunas, the rays directly penetrate the body to cause the temperature hike—so it can get dry.
And this can cause some serious problems to you if you overuse it. Staying in for too long in the sauna can very easily cause extreme dehydration of the body by overheating it.
This could very well lead to dry skin, which can be very detrimental to your skin health. Heat therapy is usually for the better of the skin, but overusing anything can give back negative returns.
Loss of Important Substances
It has been mentioned before that a lot of unwanted toxins get out of the pores of the skin while you sweat in the sauna tent. But, not only the unwanted but also many important substances like minerals and electrolytes also get flushed out of the system—if used for too long.
Minerals like sodium, calcium, potassium, zinc, and many more can get flushed out due to excessive sweating. But it is to be remembered that IR has nothing to do with it, rather it’s the excessive sweating that’s responsible for this. And that could happen due to other activities like yoga or working out as well.
These are basically all the drawbacks of IR sauna, however, most of these really happen when you spend way too much time in the sauna past the healthy limit. And crossing the boundary on absolutely anything can be detrimental.
Might Interfere with Your Medication
There are some medicines that you might be taking which will weaken your sweat gland—not letting them function properly.
As a result, they cannot open when the temperature of the body increases. This ultimately results in an unexpected rise in the body temperature and causes extreme discomfort.
Why Is a Portable Infrared Sauna Better Than a Steam Sauna?
Even though portable saunas can be found in both forms: A portable steam sauna with a steam generator or a portable infrared sauna with an FIR generator, there are actually a lot of mentionable differences between these home saunas.
Heating
The heating elements of steam saunas and infrared saunas are totally different. As mentioned before, the approach that steam saunas take is, heating the air inside the tent saunas so that the heat warms your body up eventually. But the approach that infrared saunas take is a little different—and a lot more effective.
Infrared saunas produce infrared rays, which will be absorbed by your body to increase the temperature of the body.
And since your body takes it directly, it will be a lot faster to get heated up compared to a steam sauna where the body will be warmed up by the interior temperature of the tent—taking a lot more time. Basically, the heating elements work really fast.
Even though steam saunas can get to a higher temperature seemingly, their effectiveness might be considerably low. And since the temperature is a little lower in an infrared sauna, it can be a little more tolerable for you — allowing you to be in the sauna session for a little longer.
Setting Up and Handling
Setting up any portable tent saunas is relatively easy — be it an infrared sauna or a steam sauna. The tent is set up into structure by some kind of support like rods or boards with cords.
The steam generator or the far-infrared generator comes with some buttons on itself and a display to show the current state. They also usually come with remote control for more convenience in controlling the temperature or the timer.
But it can be argued that setting up and installing Infrared saunas is a tad easier since there is no hassle of setting up the steam generator. The steam generator needs to be filled up with water, and that is how the fog is produced for the sauna unit to work. But there is no need to do anything like this with an infrared sauna.
And that’s why it could be said that handling portable sauna tents with infrared technology is a lot easier than handling one with a steam generator since the chance of a mess being made is a lot lower. You just plug the IR generator in and enjoy!
The Sauna Experience
In the steam sauna, it can get a little intolerable after a while since the steam will concentrate the air inside the tent and raise the humidity of the air. At some point, it can create a lot of discomforts if you are using it for a prolonged time.
On the other hand, the sauna experience in the infrared saunas is a totally different story. By penetrating your skin, it helps you get the sweat out from within you. It’s a much more comfortable experience since there is no discomfort caused by any external phenomenon.
And then pairing it up with a comfortable temperature, it’s easy, relaxing, and destressing to stay in the infrared saunas for a longer amount of time — and get the full out of your sweat session at the same time.
But there still might be people who might enjoy the steam sauna more than IR, even though the number of those people might not be a lot. So, it all boils down to personal preference at the end of the day.
Overall cost
Another thing to consider is the cost to maintain both these types of portable saunas. An Infrared home sauna can be a lot more energy efficient than a steam sauna system. Even though there is more power consumption, the time it takes is considerably lower, which ultimately leads to a lower cost overall.
Tips and Warnings Before Using an Infrared Sauna
After going through all the pros and cons, if you have finally decided to go in the tent for a session of sauna bath, here are some tips you probably would want to abide by.
Start with Smaller Sauna Sessions
If you have never taken a sauna bath before, it will be a wise idea for you to start with a smaller session of around 10 to 15 minutes and then slowly move to a longer session when your body gets used to it. Starting with a long session can lead to discomfort.
Drink a Lot of Water Before Getting in the Tent
As mentioned before, being in an infrared sauna bath can really dehydrate you — if you are in it long enough.
Not only the heating of the body but the sweating out can cause a lot of water to be out of the body. This can result in light-headedness. To avoid a situation like this, drinking water prior to an infrared sauna bath is necessary.
Don’t Get in If You Have Open Wounds
It’s advisable to stay away from IR saunas if you have any open wounds. Be it from a physical injury or a medical surgery, IR saunas might not be a great idea for you right now if you have a wound. It’s also advisable to consult with your physician prior to getting in at any time, even after the wound is healed.
On top of that, if you have any skin problem like Eczema, you should not get into an infrared sauna since you do not know how your skin might react to the rays it will be absorbing.
Don’t drink alcohol prior to the sauna
Drinking alcohol before getting in an IR sauna bath would be a very bad idea. It can increase the degree of dehydration by a considerable amount. Severe cases would even lead to heat strokes or exhaustion in many individuals. The hangover too, will be much worse if the sauna is done after drinking.
Be Aware of Your Physical Limitations
Sauna is really good for your health, but of course, not all people of all physical states can get into a sauna without any worry. There are some instances where sauna, instead of causing any health benefits, will be detrimental to you to the point it can get deadly.
If you are pregnant, it is highly advised to stay very far away from any heat therapy at all — and most definitely IR sauna. You can handle the heat that your body will be taking in a sauna bath, but the baby in you would not be able to take it.
And research links higher temperature in the first stages of pregnancy to severe problems in the brain and spinal development of the unborn child. So, be extremely cautious even thinking about a sauna bath while you are pregnant.
It was mentioned before that sauna can keep your blood pressure in control by the virtue of keeping it low. But it could potentially be risky for individuals who are already suffering from the condition of lower blood pressure, Hypotension.
If someone with Hypotension gets in an Infrared sauna tent, that can lower their blood pressure level even lower to a point it can become deadly for them. On top of that, if anyone at all spends too much time in the tent, it might come with downsides.
People with underlying cardiovascular issues also must consult their doctor or physician before getting in a sauna. For example, if you have arrhythmia, you might not be able to get in the sauna since it will make your heart beat faster, making your condition worse.
Buying Guide – Things to Know Before You Get a Portable Infrared Sauna
Now you know all the health benefits of an Infrared sauna and some potential drawbacks if you end up overusing them. Now, if you have decided on getting a home sauna for yourself, here are some things you should know prior to your purchase.
How Much EMF Radiation There Is
There are some portable IR saunas that produce a large amount of EMF and not a lot more FIR rays. So, you must be very careful about this. They can be detrimental to your health, leading to more damage than good.
The ones listed in this article are the best ones in the market which does not have so much EMF. But if you decide to look for other options, do your own research before buying.
How Easy It Is to Set Up and Carry
If you are getting a portable sauna, portability is almost as important as the sauna itself. So, you should always check how easy it’s to set up and if it’s feasible to carry it around places and set it up as per your convenience.
If It Comes with All the Accessories
A good portable IR sauna will come with remote control, a chair that’s foldable, a footpad, and an IR generator, at the very least. However, there are many companies that do not provide a remote control for the IR generator or foldable chair to sit in the tent.
So, do know about these prior to you buying them and buy as per your satisfaction.
You should also make sure the accessories that do come — come in the quality you are paying for. A lot of companies provide bad-quality chairs or footpad heating mats.
Customer Reviews
One of the most reliable ways to know whether a product is really good in real life and not just on paper is by looking at the reviews by real sauna users.
There can be a lot of fake or paid reviews online, but you have to be extremely careful and wary about them. Make your best effort to look for real reviews on YouTube or Reddit to help you decide your purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How often can I take a sauna bath?
It really depends upon your tolerance and needs. If you are a beginner, it’s recommended to try it out for different duration to test out how much you can take it with no discomfort.
But usually, 3 to 4 times a week should be enough for most people. If you feel the need of getting more and your body can handle it, you can go for it more often. But it is advisable to consult a doctor before you go overboard with it.
- Can my children get in my portable infrared sauna tent?
Generally, it is considered to be safe for children over the age of 8 to be in the IR sauna. However, it is also highly dependent on the tolerance capability of every individual child. But no child under this age should be allowed to be in the sauna since their bodies probably would overheat and dehydrate.
- Are they good for athletes?
FIR saunas are very popular among athletes, and for good reasons. They can help with minor injuries, develop the immune system, and help the metabolism faster.
They also play role in the detoxification of the body. And, all these are very important for an athlete to give their full to the sports. So, yes, they are indeed really helpful for athletes and sportsmen.
Final Words
A portable home sauna can be a great addition to your house. They are really manageable and just as effective as the whole system. They come with a lot of great physical and mental health benefits, and having them right inside your home can be a great privilege.
In this article, we have discussed the 3 top portable saunas out there on the market right now. Even though we cannot select the single best portable sauna for you, we hope that you use the information given in this article to decide for yourself which one suits your needs and necessities the best.
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