PRODUCT REVIEWS & BUYING GUIDES
US EDITION · USD
Biology
Verdict.
All reviewsFind a product →
Explore the site
HomeSaunas

INFRARED VS TRADITIONAL

Infrared vs traditional sauna: which to buy for home

Infrared or traditional is mostly a choice about wiring, placement and how you like the heat. This page compares an infrared cabin for one, an infrared cabin for two and a traditional barrel sauna, using what each maker publishes. None of the makers’ figures is evidence of a health effect.

By Comparison Updated

The bottom line

Choose infrared for the simpler install: the Enrich 2 plugs into a 15 A outlet, and the Signature I needs a dedicated 20 A circuit. Choose traditional heat for hot stones if you can pay an electrician to hard-wire a 240 V, 30 A circuit. Prices run $4,485 to $5,499 before wiring (Signature I on sale at $4,999).

Source-based analysis, not hands-on testing. Our method

By our founder and editor, also a cofounder of Superhuman Chambers · About the author. General information, not medical advice. No independent clinical review is claimed.

Stock photo: Lukas Kubica / Unsplash

The products compared

These links go to each brand’s own store and earn us no commission. Prices are dated US snapshots.

In this article

Infrared vs traditional sauna: three models side by side

The choice between an infrared and a traditional sauna comes down to wiring, placement and how you like the heat. The Enrich 2 plugs into a standard outlet. The Signature I needs a dedicated 20 A circuit. The Salem needs a hard-wired 240 V circuit and a firm, level base1469.

Each column is one model we’ve reviewed, so the figures are that maker’s own, not a rule for every infrared or traditional sauna. Prices are US list prices before tax, checked between Oct 13 and Oct 18, 2026. The Signature I price is a sale price. Temperatures, power ratings and times are the makers’ figures, not measurements.

The three-year figures follow the method on What a home sauna costs to own over three years. Where a maker doesn’t publish a cost, the cell says so instead of guessing.

Heat, warm-up, wiring, placement and price for an infrared cabin for one, an infrared cabin for two and a traditional barrel sauna
DetailSunlighten Signature I (infrared, 1 person)Health Mate Enrich 2 (infrared, 2 people)Almost Heaven Salem (traditional, 2 people)
Heat typeEight far-infrared heaters1Eight mid and far-infrared heaters plus a 96-diode near-infrared LED panel4A 6 kW Harvia electric heater warming sauna stones6
Air temperature, as the maker states itUp to 170°F, with no minimum listed1The controller sets 90 to 170°F, and the manual says the top setting may not be reached in every room5. Health Mate’s FAQ says most people find 120 to 140°F comfortable4Harvia expects at least 170°F at head height. Almost Heaven’s manual calls 160 to 185+°F typical89
Warm-upSunlighten suggests preheating for 45 to 60 minutes1The manual says to allow about 15 to 20 minutes. The product page FAQ suggests 20 to 304545 to 60 minutes to reach 170°F, longer in cold weather8
Circuit120 V, dedicated 20 A circuit with a NEMA 5-20R outlet1120 V, standard 15 A outlet. The 1,780 W rating is about 14.8 A4Hard-wired 240 V on a 30 A double-pole breaker, by a licensed electrician. The light plugs into 110 V68
Indoor or outdoorIndoor. Sunlighten says its saunas aren’t designed for outdoor use3Indoor, or outdoors only under a cover and an overhang or awning. The manual says so5Built for outdoors on a firm, level base. The manual says it’s fine indoors too9
Price$4,999 on sale (regular $5,499), checked Oct 16, 20262$5,300 list with free curbside delivery, checked Oct 13, 20264From $4,485 with the dial heater, up to $7,684 by build, checked Oct 18, 202667
Price range in our reviewsInfrared cabins with a published price: $4,999 (Signature I, on sale) to $10,999 (Luminar 2, outdoor, on sale)214Infrared cabins with a published price run $4,999 (Signature I, on sale) to $10,999 (Luminar 2, outdoor, on sale), the same range as the Signature I214Traditional saunas: $4,485 (Salem) to $17,803 (Timberline)715
Known 3-year costAbout $5,372: $4,999 plus up to $373 of electricity at 1.4 hours a day and $0.18 per kWh. Circuit work isn’t priced12$5,300 before electricity and any circuit work. Health Mate doesn’t state typical daily use4$4,485 before the electrician, base, electricity and stone refills. Almost Heaven’s optional assembly service starts at $1,400710

Infrared sauna vs traditional: power, wiring and placement

The Enrich 2 is the easy install. It plugs into a standard 120 V, 15 A outlet, and Health Mate says no electrician is needed4. The catch is the load: its 1,780 W rating works out to about 14.8 A, so that circuit can carry little else4.

The Signature I also runs on 120 V, but Sunlighten asks for a dedicated 20 A circuit with a NEMA 5-20R outlet1. Its warranty is void on a power strip, extension cord, converter or non-dedicated circuit3.

The Salem’s heater is hard-wired to 240 V on a 30 A double-pole breaker. Harvia’s manual says a licensed electrician must do the electrical work and that you must not fit a GFI breaker8. Almost Heaven’s assembly service starts at $1,400 and doesn’t include the electrical work10.

Placement differs too. The Salem is a barrel sauna built for outdoor use that Almost Heaven says is fine indoors. It needs a firm, level base that holds over 1,000 lb, such as a deck or slab9. Both infrared cabins are indoor models. Floor space differs: the Signature I is 37.8 in wide, the Enrich 2 is 47.25 in and the Salem takes up 78 by 47 in146.

Traditional sauna vs infrared sauna: heat, warm-up and running cost

The air temperatures overlap. Both infrared cabins list a top temperature of 170°F, and Harvia expects the Salem to reach at least 170°F at head height158. What differs is how the heat is made. Infrared heaters sit in the walls and bench, while the Salem’s heater warms a bed of stones you can pour water on for steam148.

Warm-up is the other gap. Sunlighten suggests a 45 to 60 minute preheat for the Signature I, and Harvia gives the Salem the same 45 to 60 minutes18. Health Mate’s manual says the Enrich 2 needs about 15 to 20 minutes5.

Makers publish a rated wattage, not an average draw, so electricity figures here are ceilings. At full power and $0.18 per kWh, a 45-minute preheat and 40-minute session costs at most 34 cents in the 1,350 W Signature I1. The Salem’s 6 kW heater uses 81 cents to $1.08 of electricity just to heat up for 45 to 60 minutes68. Health Mate states no typical use, so the Enrich 2 isn’t estimated4.

What the studies used

Sauna research ran at different temperatures in different people. The Finnish cohort behind the strongest sauna findings studied traditional saunas, which averaged 75.9 °C (about 169°F) in its 2018 analysis16. Its investigators describe traditional Finnish saunas as 80 to 100 °C at head level17.

The infrared trials in the heart-failure review typically heated a far-infrared sauna to about 60 °C (140°F) for 15 minutes, in people with heart failure19. A 2025 meta-analysis pooled 20 trials of repeated passive heating, and six of them ran that same 60 °C far-infrared setup, called Waon therapy18. So the two kinds of heat were studied at different temperatures, in different groups.

We make no health claim for any model on this page. Our evidence review covers what those studies found and how far it carries over to a home cabin. The choice here is about fit, wiring and cost.

Which fits you

Each suits a different home, and this isn’t a ranking. All three are picks in our saunas guide. Start with how many people will sit in it and what circuit you can give it.

  • One person with a dedicated 20 A circuit: Signature I. It’s $4,999 on sale, 37.8 in wide and 428 lb, and it runs on 120 V at 1,350 W12. The catch: it needs its own 20 A circuit, the warranty covers parts but not labor, and Sunlighten takes back only unopened cabins, with fees that can include $499 restocking1312.
  • Two people on a standard 120 V plug: Enrich 2. It lists at $5,300 with free curbside delivery, and Health Mate says no electrician is needed4. The catch: its 1,780 W draw nearly fills a 15 A circuit, warranty labor is on you, and a return costs a 20% restocking charge plus shipping4513.
  • Traditional heat for two: Salem. The 6 kW Harvia heater, stones and LED light come in the kit, and it starts at $4,48567. The catch: an electrician must hard-wire a 240 V, 30 A circuit, you need a base that holds over 1,000 lb, and Almost Heaven takes back only unopened kits, minus 25% and shipping both ways. It also ships within 6 to 8 weeks68911.

Keep reading

Home saunas: our picks and whyInfrared sauna cabins compared: Sunlighten, Clearlight, Health Mate, Sun Home and HigherDOSEWhat a home sauna costs to own over three yearsSauna bathing and health: what the evidence shows

Sources

  1. Signature I - Eucalyptus, checked Oct 16, 2026 Sunlighten · manufacturer
  2. Signature I - Eucalyptus store listing (price and availability), checked Oct 16, 2026 Sunlighten · manufacturer · price read from the store’s product data
  3. Sunlighten warranty (US and Canada), checked Oct 13, 2026 Sunlighten · manufacturer
  4. Health Mate Enrich 2 official product page, checked Oct 13, 2026 Health Mate · manufacturer
  5. Health Mate Enrich Series (magnet model) owner's manual (PDF), checked Oct 13, 2026 Health Mate · manufacturer
  6. Salem 2 Person Barrel Sauna, checked Oct 18, 2026 Almost Heaven Saunas · manufacturer
  7. Salem 2 Person Barrel Sauna store listing (build prices), checked Oct 18, 2026 Almost Heaven Saunas · manufacturer · price read from the store’s product data
  8. KIP Heater Installation & Owner's Manual, dials version (PDF), checked Oct 18, 2026 Harvia (hosted by Almost Heaven Saunas) · manufacturer
  9. Barrel Sauna Installation & Owner's Manual (PDF, 9-2024), checked Oct 18, 2026 Almost Heaven Saunas · manufacturer
  10. Professional Assembly, checked Oct 18, 2026 Almost Heaven Saunas · manufacturer
  11. Shipping Policy, checked Oct 18, 2026 Almost Heaven Saunas · manufacturer
  12. Sunlighten returns and cancellation policy, checked Oct 13, 2026 Sunlighten · manufacturer
  13. Health Mate shipping and returns policy, checked Oct 13, 2026 Health Mate · manufacturer
  14. Sun Home Luminar 2-Person Outdoor Full-Spectrum Infrared Sauna, checked Oct 16, 2026 Sun Home Saunas · manufacturer
  15. Timberline Outdoor Sauna, Heritage Collection, checked Oct 13, 2026 Almost Heaven Saunas · manufacturer
  16. Sauna bathing is associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality and improves risk prediction in men and women: a prospective cohort study BMC Medicine, 2018 · cohort study
  17. Cardiovascular and other health benefits of sauna bathing: a review of the evidence (author manuscript) Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2018
  18. Non-acute effects of passive heating interventions on cardiometabolic risk and vascular health: systematic review and meta-analysis American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 2025 · meta-analysis
  19. Effects of sauna bath on heart failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis Clinical Cardiology, 2018 · meta-analysis

How this was written. Written from the sources listed above, checked . It is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician before acting on anything here if you have a health condition or take medication.

Our editorial policy →