Infrared vs Traditional Sauna: Which Should You Buy?

We sell both infrared and traditional saunas, so this isn't a pitch for one side — it's the comparison we walk customers through on the phone every week. The short version: infrared saunas are easier to install, cheaper to run, and gentler in heat; traditional saunas deliver the authentic high-heat, steam-on-the-rocks experience. Here's how to decide which one belongs in your home.

The quick comparison

• Heat: Infrared cabins run roughly 120–150°F and warm your body directly. Traditional saunas run 150–195°F and heat the air — with löyly (steam from water on hot stones) to spike humidity on demand.
• Warm-up time: Infrared is ready in about 10–15 minutes; a traditional stove typically needs 30–45 minutes.
• Electrical: Most 1–3 person infrared saunas plug into a standard 120V outlet. Traditional electric stoves usually need a dedicated 240V circuit installed by an electrician.
• Running cost: Infrared panels draw roughly 1.5–3kW; traditional stoves 4.5–9kW, and they run longer per session.
• Placement: Infrared belongs indoors — a spare room, garage, or basement. Traditional works indoors or outdoors, and outdoor barrel and cabin saunas are almost always traditional.

How an infrared sauna works

Infrared panels emit far-infrared (and in full-spectrum models, near- and mid-infrared) energy that warms your body directly rather than superheating the air. Sessions feel gentler, which many people find easier to sustain for 30–45 minutes. Cabins assemble indoors in about an hour with basic tools, and because most models are 120V plug-in, there's usually no electrician involved. If you're comparing options, low-EMF and near-zero-EMF heaters — standard across the Dynamic and Maxxus infrared saunas we carry — are worth prioritizing.

How a traditional sauna works

A traditional Finnish sauna heats stones with an electric or wood-burning stove. The air itself gets hot — 150–195°F — and pouring water over the stones produces the burst of steam that defines the experience. Humidity is fully in your control, which infrared can't replicate. Our traditional saunas range from indoor rooms to outdoor cabins and barrel saunas, most with Harvia stoves — the benchmark name in sauna heaters.

Cost to buy and run

Entry pricing is similar in our catalog: quality 1–2 person infrared saunas start around $1,400–$2,300, while traditional saunas start around $5,000 and climb with size and outdoor construction. Running costs favor infrared — lower wattage, shorter warm-up, shorter sessions. If a dedicated 240V circuit isn't feasible in your space, that alone often decides the question in infrared's favor.

Which should you choose?

• Choose infrared if: you want a plug-in indoor sauna, easier heat for longer sessions, and the lowest install effort. A 2 person infrared sauna is the most popular starting point.
• Choose traditional if: you want authentic high heat and steam, you're building a backyard setup, or the ritual of löyly matters to you. Start with our outdoor saunas or barrel saunas.
• Can't decide? Hybrid models — like Golden Designs' PureTech™ series — combine full-spectrum infrared panels with a traditional Harvia stove in one cabin, so you get both. Find them in the traditional sauna collection.

Talk it through before you buy

Every sauna we sell ships free by insured freight with the full manufacturer warranty — we're an authorized dealer for every brand on the site. If you're weighing a specific room, wiring situation, or outdoor pad, call 1-815-603-2178 (Mon–Fri, 9am–6pm EST) and we'll size it with you before you spend a dollar.