The Tamesis
How do you de-stress when you need some alone time? For many people today, the answer to this question is “sauna.” Whether you jump into a traditional sauna or enjoy a more high-tech infrared sauna, the benefits of using a sauna are well documented. “Long-term research shows that in addition to feeling instantly calm, regular sauna use can provide cardiovascular support and reduce stress,” explains Andrea Trillo, director of marketing at Airgu Baths. “At Airgu Baths, we view saunas not just as a wellness tool but as a ritual that creates space to slow down and provide a rare, uninterrupted pause for the nervous system to reset.” With the best home saunas, you can easily bring this ritual indoors (or into your backyard).
in this story
Best Overall: mPulse infrared sauna
- Why we love it: Sanlai indoor saunas can be found in luxury exclusive venues around the world (for example, we spotted one at the invitation-only Alo Gym on Fifth Avenue in New York), but this full-spectrum infrared sauna is the brand’s top-of-the-line model. In addition to near, mid, and far infrared, the smart sauna boasts red light therapy, chromotherapy in 16 different color options, and a built-in tablet that offers six unique programs designed to help you achieve your personal health goals. Alternatively, you can customize your session using the brand’s mobile app – it’s your decision. Available in five sizes and accommodating (you guessed it) five sauna partners, this state-of-the-art infrared sauna is the pinnacle of family enjoyment that’s good for you.
- Main features: Full spectrum infrared sauna, integrated red light therapy, chromotherapy, Bluetooth connectivity, built-in tablet, mobile app
- aspect: Varies depending on model selected (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 person capacity models)
Best Barrel Sauna: SaunaLife Ergo elegant sauna bucket
- Why we love it: This stunning barrel sauna wouldn’t look out of place tucked into a mountainside wellness resort—and we love the idea of bringing this beauty to our backyard. The glass-front bucket seats four comfortably, and the seats come with lumbar support and footrests, but the interior allows anyone to sweat standing up if they so choose (inner diameter is 7 feet, 3 inches). Please note that the sauna is a DIY build and its heat source is sold separately, so be sure to add a sauna heater to your shopping cart when you purchase this barrel sauna.
- Main features: Suitable for four people, white LED lighting system, glass wall, lumbar support seat
- aspect: 63″ long x 91″ diameter
Best Sauna Blanket: HighDOSE infrared sauna blanket
- Why we love it: If you want to get the health benefits of a traditional sauna without undertaking a construction project (or taking up valuable real estate in your home), this infrared sauna blanket from HigherDose is an excellent choice. It heats up to your choice of nine heat settings in just 10 minutes while helping to detoxify the body with far-infrared light, crystals, charcoal and clay. For easier cleaning and a more comfortable experience, we recommend purchasing the brand’s sauna blanket inserts—which you can take off, jump in, sweat out, and then rinse off.
- Main features: Far-infrared sauna blanket features nine temperature levels, crystals and negative ion beads
- aspect: 72.5 inches high x 32 inches wide
- Editing experience: “I actually bought this blanket as a holiday gift for my sauna-loving husband, but we both love its relaxing, pain-relieving benefits. Notably, it fits a variety of user sizes (my husband is 6’4 ”, it’s almost completely submerged inside), and its dual-zip sleeping bag style design makes it very easy to zip in on its own. I find the hardest part about using it is rolling it up tight enough to fit into the brand’s storage bag…so I often slide it under the couch or bed until we’re ready to use it again.” —Emily Orofino, staff writer
Best pop-up saunas: Thermal sauna dome
- Why we love it: This semi-portable infrared sauna has a dome shape that surrounds the body with far-infrared energy, red light therapy and PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) technology, approaching a traditional sauna without investing in a large structure. It only takes 3 minutes to assemble and 20 minutes to heat up, making it much faster than a sauna while protecting your head and hair from the effects of dry heat, leaving your blowout mostly intact. When it’s compact, it’s also unexpectedly attractive. When folded and placed against a wall, it looks like a modern side table.
- Main features: PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) technology, far infrared sauna, red light therapy, crystal and negative ion bead pads
- aspect: Open: 35″ wide x 19″ deep x 71″ high; closed: 35″ wide x 22″ deep x 37″ high
Best for small spaces: Sun Home Solstice 2 Person Infrared Sauna
- Why we love it: Unlike most indoor saunas, this small sauna from Sun Home Solstice is easy to assemble, requiring no power tools or nails, and has over twice the heating power for faster, toastier sweats. Far-infrared wavelengths and chromotherapy provide therapeutic rejuvenation, while built-in Bluetooth-powered surround sound lets you enjoy your favorite playlist. And, despite its small footprint, this infrared sauna is suitable for two people.
- Main features: Infrared, Bluetooth connectivity, chromotherapy
- aspect: 50.9″ wide x 45.9″ deep x 77.7″ high
Everything you need to know
From Finnish saunas and Russian saunas to Turkish hammams and American steam rooms, saunas have been used across cultures for centuries for their rejuvenating properties. “Exposure to heat promotes deep muscle relaxation, supports healthy circulation, and stimulates sweating, which is often associated with a feeling of physical and mental release,” explains Trillo. While feeling good and glowing skin are immediate benefits, there is evidence that saunas can provide lasting health benefits. Studies show that sauna use can prevent cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, preserve muscle mass, optimize the body’s stress response, and even extend life.
Is it worth having a sauna at home?
This depends on a variety of factors, including your budget, available space and whether you actually use an indoor sauna, and how You use it, Trillo said. “We find that the most transformative sauna experiences tend to involve more than just heating,” she explains. “Ambience, intentional design, contrast and a sense of being away from everyday distractions play a powerful role in making the experience truly rejuvenating.”
Some people may find that leaving home to sweat in a traditional sauna at a local spa or gym is more helpful in creating a ritual separate from their daily routine, while others may enjoy having a private, personal wellness retreat in their own home (or backyard, for those with space for a barrel sauna or cabin sauna).
Things to note when using a home sauna
When you enter the sauna, pay attention to how you feel and do your best to make this a meditative moment. “Each training session has a purpose, not a duration—short, focused sessions are often more beneficial than prolonged exposure,” says Trillo. By staying hydrated, you can also get the most out of your training. Drink water or an electrolyte-rich drink before, during and after using the sauna to help your body detoxify and regulate body temperature. If you feel uncomfortable instead of sweating, go out and try again another day.
Certain health conditions, such as uncontrolled diabetes, low or high blood pressure; recent heart problems; pregnancy; pacemaker use; and drug and alcohol abuse are often incompatible with sauna bathing, so if you have any of these issues, talk to your doctor before investing in an indoor sauna. Trillo warns, perhaps obviously, not to fall asleep in a sauna and “not to neglect proper cleaning and ventilation.” If not cleaned regularly (at least every two to three times, if not more often), bacteria and mold can accumulate in your sauna’s wood materials, causing damage and negatively affecting air quality. Poor ventilation not only harms the sauna, but also your health – oxygen levels drop and carbon dioxide levels rise, making it difficult to breathe.
- Andrea Trillo is the marketing director of Airecient Baths, a luxury spa and wellness company with locations in select cities across Europe and the United States.
