Infrared vs Traditional Sauna, Heat, Steam, Power and Cost Compared

The short answer

A traditional sauna heats the air in the room to around 70 to 100 °C (160 to 212 °F) with a heater full of hot stones, and you can throw water on the stones for steam. An infrared sauna uses radiant panels that warm your body directly while the air stays at about 45 to 65 °C (113 to 150 °F), and it has no steam. Traditional is the classic Finnish experience; infrared is gentler, quicker to start and easier to install.

How each one heats you

Traditional sauna

The heater warms a load of stones and the air around them. Hot air rises to the ceiling and circulates down through the room, so you are heated mainly by the air (convection) and partly by the hot walls and stones (radiation). When you ladle water onto the stones it flashes into steam, called löyly in Finnish. The humidity spikes for a minute and the air feels much hotter on your skin, even though the thermometer barely moves.

Traditional heaters come as electric units, wood-burning stoves and, more rarely, gas heaters. Our guide to electric vs wood-burning sauna heaters covers that choice.

Infrared sauna

An infrared cabin uses emitter panels, usually carbon or ceramic, mounted on the walls and sometimes under the benches. The two main emitter types are compared in carbon vs ceramic infrared heaters. They give off infrared radiation that warms whatever it hits, including you, without having to heat all the air first. The room itself stays relatively mild. There are no stones and no water, so there is no steam.

Illustration of a traditional electric sauna heater with stones, the heart of a Finnish-style sauna — A traditional heater warms stones and air; water on the stones makes steam.

Side by side

	Traditional sauna	Infrared sauna
Air temperature	About 70 to 100 °C (160 to 212 °F)	About 45 to 65 °C (113 to 150 °F)
Humidity	Dry, with bursts of steam when you throw water	Dry, no steam
Heat source	Heater with stones: electric, wood or gas	Carbon or ceramic infrared panels
Warm-up time	Typically 30 to 60 minutes	Typically 10 to 20 minutes
Power	Dedicated 208/240 V circuit for electric heaters	Many small cabins run on 120 V; larger ones need 240 V
Typical build	Custom room or kit, indoor or outdoor	Prefabricated cabin, mostly indoor
Who it suits	People who want heat, steam and the Finnish ritual	People who prefer lower air temperatures and a quick, simple setup

What a session feels like

In a traditional sauna the heat is all around you. The top bench is noticeably hotter than the lower ones, and each ladle of water sends a wave of heat down from the ceiling. Sessions tend to be short, 10 to 15 minutes, with cool-down breaks in between. Many people find the steam the best part, and it is the one thing infrared cannot reproduce.

In an infrared cabin the air feels warm rather than hot, and the heat builds slowly from the skin inwards. People often stay longer, 20 to 40 minutes, and breathe more easily because the air is not as hot. The warmth is strongest on the parts of the body facing the panels.

Health claims for both types are common online. The research is strongest for traditional Finnish sauna bathing, mostly from long-running studies in Finland, and much thinner for infrared. If you have a heart condition, are pregnant or take medication that affects blood pressure, ask your doctor before using either.

Power supply and installation

This is often what decides it. A traditional electric heater of 4.5 to 9 kW needs its own 240 V circuit, a licensed electrician and, in Canada, a heater with a CSA, cUL or cETL mark. Our guide to wiring a 240 V sauna heater in Canada explains what that involves. The room also needs proper insulation and ventilation.

Many one- and two-person infrared cabins plug into a standard 120 V outlet on a dedicated circuit, and they arrive as panels that bolt together in an afternoon. Larger infrared and hybrid cabins can still need 240 V, so check the spec sheet.

A wood-burning traditional sauna avoids the electrical question altogether but needs a chimney and, in many municipalities, a permit.

Running cost and upkeep

Infrared cabins usually draw less power, roughly 1.5 to 3 kW against 4.5 to 9 kW for a home sauna heater, and they run for a shorter warm-up. A traditional heater draws full power while heating and then cycles on and off to hold temperature. Actual cost depends on your electricity rate, how well the room is insulated and how often you use it.

Upkeep is light for both. A traditional heater needs its stones re-stacked or replaced from time to time and, eventually, new elements. Infrared panels have no stones and few wearing parts, but a failed panel usually has to be replaced as a unit.

Hybrid saunas

Some makers sell hybrid cabins with both infrared panels and a small stone heater, so you can choose a gentle infrared session or a hotter one with steam. Finnleo, for example, builds traditional, infrared and hybrid rooms. Hybrids cost more and still need a 240 V supply for the stone heater, but they suit households where people prefer different kinds of heat.

Which one to choose

Choose traditional if you want real sauna heat, steam and the option of a wood stove at a cottage. Then pick a heater by brand in our sauna heater brand comparison and size it with the heater size calculator.
Choose infrared if you want lower air temperatures, the simplest installation or a sauna in an apartment where a 240 V circuit is not possible.
Choose a hybrid if two people in the house want different things and the budget allows.

To see what temperatures each type actually runs at, read our guide to sauna temperature.

Questions buyers ask

Is an infrared sauna as good as a traditional sauna?

They are different experiences. A traditional sauna gives hotter air and steam from water on the stones; an infrared sauna warms the body directly at lower air temperatures with no steam. The research base is larger for traditional Finnish saunas.

Which is hotter, infrared or traditional?

A traditional sauna. It usually runs at about 70 to 100 °C (160 to 212 °F), while an infrared cabin runs at about 45 to 65 °C (113 to 150 °F).

Can you put water on an infrared sauna?

No. Infrared cabins have no stones and their panels are not designed for water. Steam is only possible in a traditional sauna with a stone heater.

Does an infrared sauna need 240 volts?

Many small one- or two-person infrared cabins run on a 120 V dedicated circuit. Larger cabins and hybrids with a stone heater need 240 V. Check the model's spec sheet.

Last checked November 8, 2026. Facts come from the brands' own sites and documents. How we check

Infrared vs traditional sauna