The first question almost everyone asks us is some version of "infrared or traditional?" It's the right question, because the two are more different than the shared name suggests. They heat differently, install differently, cost differently, and the research behind them isn't the same either.

Here's the comparison we wish someone had written when we started in this business. No side is the villain; they're just built for different situations.

How each one actually works

A traditional sauna heats the air. An electric or wood-fired heater warms a pile of stones, the room climbs to somewhere between 150 and 195°F, and your body heats up because everything around it is hot. Ladle water over the stones and you get that burst of steam the Finns call löyly, which spikes the perceived heat and humidity. It's an intense, enveloping experience, and for a lot of people that intensity is exactly the point.

An infrared sauna skips heating the room and heats you directly. Carbon or ceramic panels emit infrared radiation that your body absorbs, so the cabin itself only reaches about 120 to 140°F. You still sweat plenty, but the air stays mild enough that most people find longer sessions comfortable. There's no steam and no stones; it's a drier, gentler heat.

What the research covers (and what it doesn't)

Since we've written about the Finnish long-term studies elsewhere, the short version: the well-known 20-year cardiovascular and dementia findings all come from traditional Finnish saunas run hot with steam. If following the studied protocol as closely as possible matters to you, that's a genuine point in the traditional column.

Infrared has its own body of research, just a smaller and shorter-term one. A 2009 review in Canadian Family Physician looked at far-infrared sauna studies, mostly small Japanese trials of "Waon therapy" in cardiac patients, and found preliminary evidence on blood pressure and vascular function, while noting the studies were limited in size and quality. That's the fair summary: promising early data, nowhere near the depth of the Finnish cohort work. Neither type of sauna is a medical treatment, and none of this should be read as a promise of health outcomes.

The practical differences that decide it

Electrical. This is the one that surprises people. Most traditional electric heaters in the 6 to 9 kW range need a dedicated 240-volt circuit, which usually means an electrician visit. Wood-fired barrel saunas skip electricity but need venting and clearance. Most 1-to-3-person infrared cabins plug into a standard 120-volt household outlet. If you rent, or your panel is already maxed out, infrared may effectively make the decision for you.

Placement. Traditional barrel saunas are built for the backyard; they're weather-hardy and honestly look great out there. Most infrared cabins are indoor-only, and putting one outside will typically void the warranty. So the real question is often not "which sauna" but "where is it going?" Backyard: traditional. Spare room, basement, garage: infrared.

Warm-up time and running cost. A traditional sauna needs 30 to 45 minutes to come up to temperature, and an 8 kW heater draws meaningful power while it does. Infrared cabins are ready in 10 to 15 minutes and draw about as much as a hair dryer or two. Neither will wreck your utility bill with normal use, but infrared is the cheaper of the two to run.

Price. In our lineup, infrared is the lower cost of entry. Our 2-person carbon infrared cabin sits in the low four figures, while the Finnish barrel saunas are a five-figure investment once you account for the full outdoor build, heater, and Wi-Fi controls. Delivery and site prep also differ; more on that in our home sauna planning guide.

So which one?

Choose traditional if you want the classic high-heat, steam-on-stones experience, you have outdoor space, and the budget supports it. It's the format the long-term research was built on, and a barrel sauna tends to add real presence (and arguably value) to a property.

Choose infrared if you want a gentler heat you can use daily without ceremony, you're working with an indoor space and a standard outlet, or you want to start below $5,000. Plenty of our customers start with infrared and add a barrel sauna later; nobody has ever told us they regretted starting somewhere.

Still on the fence? Browse the infrared collection and the barrel collection side by side, or send us your space constraints and we'll give you a straight answer about what fits.

References

Beever R. Far-infrared saunas for treatment of cardiovascular risk factors: summary of published evidence. Canadian Family Physician. 2009;55(7):691-696.

Laukkanen JA, Laukkanen T, Kunutsor SK. Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2018;93(8):1111-1121.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Sauna products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your physician before beginning sauna use.