It is surely difficult to know whether you should go for an infrared sauna or a steam sauna is good for you. However, bracing yourself with the major differences between infrared sauna vs steam sauna will surely help you out.
It is vital to get the basic knowledge of each Sauna ss that you can choose according to your requirement. Along with the basic differences, you should also know what benefit each provides and how costly they are.
Let’s figure out all these answers in this detailed guide.
What is Infrared Sauna?
There are different types of Saunas, among which Infrared is the most common one that people usually prefer to take due to obvious reasons. It is made of a wooden cabin where an infrared heater is designed.
People sit in that cabin to get full relaxation and in order to heal the body. You might have seen traditional saunas that use steam or a dry heater, but this is not the case with this one.
It uses an advanced infrared heater that keeps your body warm and helps you get rid of all the tiredness in no time. When your body directly soaks up this heat, it increases thermal energy and gives you a lot of sweat.
If you have any muscle pain or are feeling low due to a hectic work schedule, this sauna is the best option you can ever avail of. It also decreases the stress level along with that; it facilitates you with a lot of benefits that we will discuss below.
What is Steam Sauna?
Another common type of Sauna is Steam Sauna which is equally acknowledged. It is composed of non-porous material i.e, glass or tile. You have to sit in an airtight room in order to relax your body.
Due to high humidity and heat, your body feels warm, and you automatically start getting full relaxation. To create steam in the room, the steam generator boils the water and creates an environment full of moisture.
The average temperature of Steam saunas is approximately 120 degrees Fahrenheit which is enough to warm your body and decrease your stress and tiredness. It is better not to boost this figure.
It is also extremely helpful for your health and provides you with numerous other benefits that we will discuss below. Now you are familiar with each type, let’s move ahead and talk about some differences both contain that will depict which one you should go for.
Difference Between Infrared Sauna vs Steam Sauna
There are various things that make them similar, yet there are a few major differences you should know if you are planning to choose anyone in order to boost your energy. Those differences are:
1. Method of Heating
The way both get heated is the most significant difference that you must have figured out earlier while reading about both terms. The steam sauna is made of glass or tile, and a steam generator is used that creates steam after boiling the water.
It is an airtight room where you have to sit to warm your body. The room is full of moisture and humidity. On the other hand, Infrared Saunas uses Infrared heaters that take only 15 minutes to heat the entire place.
After 15 minutes, you can sit in this wooden cabin so that your body directly soaks up the entire heat for body relaxation. It is indeed the best street booster thing you will ever come across. It is the first difference that you will find.
2. Health Benefits
You might don’t know that saunas have been used for body relaxation and other therapeutic purposes for a long time and have clearly shown miracles; that is why it is the most popular way to get your body warm and reduce all the tiredness.
If you are suffering from any mental issues or dealing with a lot of stress and can’t find any way to come out of this state, try these sauns, and you will surely feel a difference.
Both provide an equal level of health and stress benefits, and both help to reduce your muscle pain after a few uses only.
However, when it comes to health benefits, an infrared sauna is one step ahead as it decreases your blood pressure, helps you in weight loss, reduces your stress level, lowers down wrinkles and fine lines, and whatnot.
If you want to obtain as many health benefits as you can, Infrared is the best choice.
3. Heating Time
The heating time is also different. In steam saunas, you have to wait at least 30 minutes so that the room heats up entirely, while in an infrared sauna, you hardly have to wait for 15 minutes.
4. Difference in Electricity Bill
In the debate between infrared saunas vs traditional saunas, the cost plays a major role because people are more curious about the cost than anything. The cost depends on the cost per kilowatt-hour.
As infrared sauna takes less time to heat so it consumes a lot of energy. The expected monthly electricity bill you might get is around 10$. On the other hand, a steam sauna takes more time to heat the room so you might get an additional 20$ electricity bill.
To get the exact figures for your additional electricity bill, you can multiply the cost per kilowatt-hour.
5. Difference in Maintenance
You purchase Sauna in order to relax and not spend money on maintenance. Though they require less maintenance but, unfortunately, a few need a lot of cleaning.
If you do not want to spend a lot of money on this factor, better choose Infrared saunas because they don’t require a lot of attention and do not need cleaning now and then.
Infrared provides you with dry heat, so you do not use anything to create moisture in the room. Hence, it reduces the chances of mold and debris. However, a steam sauna uses a steam generator that boils the water and makes the room full of moisture.
Due to this, the chances of mold and mildew increase.
6. Installation Method
The installation methods of both saunas are different. You know that installing saunas in the home brings a lot of advantages, and it also adds value. The worth of your house also increases if you have Sauna installed.
However, the installation method is quite different. When you install a steam sauna, you need to hire a professional because there is a lot of work of ventilation, plumbing, draining, etc.
Combining all these factors, the total price of this sauna increases to more than 3 times that of Infrared saunas. They are easy to install because they often come in portable form, so you can easily and quickly assemble them.
You do not need to hire a professional for this work, so you can save a lot. You can take anyone’s help as it takes only 2 or 3 hours to get it fully installed. However, you can also call a plumber as he will charge less.
7. Sauna Cost
Here comes the last major difference which is cost. The price of Sauna depends on the quality and type of wood, quality of heater, and features it provides you with. Infrared Saunas are low in price as the starting price starts from $2,500.
However, if you have high-quality, it will cost you approximately $7,000 to $10,000. For premium models, it will cost $10,000+.
On the other hand, if we talk about the price of Steam saunas, the starting price starts from $10,000 to $30,000. Hence, if you have already set your budget and you do not want to go for the expensive one, Infrared is the best choice.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
Are you curious to know more about the benefits of sauna vs steam room or you are still confused about infrared sauna vs traditional sauna, here are a few queries that will clear your mind.
Which Sauna is Better, Infrared or Steam?
Infrared Sauna is better in numerous ways as it consumes less energy and quickly heats the room. Moreover, it is less costly, and the installation is easy and quick.
There is no need to maintain this Sauna because the chances of debris and molds are less compared to a steam Sauna.
What is the Healthiest Type of Sauna?
The most healthy Sauna that provides you with a lot of health benefits is Infrared. The light used in this Sauna enters deep into the body, making you feel calm and relaxed.
It heats the room at a lower temperature, causing more sweat that is good for your health.
What Type of Sauna is Better?
If you are about to purchase a Sauna and install it in your home, better go for Infrared because it provides you with a lot of all the benefits one needs in this regard.
From low cost to lower electricity bills to low maintenance, you can get all the possible advantages. Hence, it is the best of all.
Can I Take My Phone to the Sauna?
It is better not to bring your Smartphones to Sauna because the temperature of the Sauna might damage your phone. Sometimes, the temperature exceeds 113°F or 45°C, so your phone might never be recovered. Better avoid it.
Final Thoughts
I hope now you clearly understand all the benefits of a sauna room, so if you want to get your hands on one of them, this guide will fully assist you in this manner. There are different types of Saunas, and each one serves different purposes.
Each type carries some advantages that make our experience great. In this guide, we have explained and compared the two most common types i.e, infrared sauna vs steam sauna.
The clear difference between both types is mentioned above so that it becomes easy for you to make the final decision. I hope this article will help you in the future so that you can easily install a Sauna in your house to give your body full relaxation.
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