When you need a moment to yourself, how do you decompress? For many people these days, the answer to that question is “sauna.” Whether it’s hopping in a traditional sauna or going for a more high-tech infrared sauna sesh, the benefits of sauna use are well documented. “Beyond the immediate feeling of calm, regular sauna use has been linked in long-term studies to cardiovascular support and reduced stress,” explains Andrea Trillo, marketing director of Aire Ancient Baths. “At Aire Ancient Baths, we see the sauna not just as a wellness tool, but as a ritual, one that creates space to slow down and offers a rare, uninterrupted pause for the nervous system to reset.” With the best at-home saunas, you can easily bring that ritual indoors (or into your backyard).
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In This Story
- The benefits of saunas
- Is it worth having a sauna in your home?
- The do’s and don’ts of using your at-home sauna
- Meet the expert
Best Overall: Sunlighten mPulse Infrared Sauna
- Why We Love It: Sunlighten indoor saunas can be found in luxurious and exclusive venues worldwide (for example, we spotted one in the invite-only Alo gym on Fifth Avenue in NYC), and 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 wellness goals. Alternatively, you can customize your session with the brand’s phone app—it’s your call. Available in five sizes to fit up to (you guessed it) five sauna buddies, this advanced infrared sauna is the pinnacle of in-home, good-for-you indulgence.
- Key Features: Full-spectrum infrared sauna, integrated red-light therapy, chromotherapy, Bluetooth connectivity, built-in tablet, mobile app
- Dimensions: Varies depending on model selected (one-person, two-person, three-person, four-person, and five-person capacity models available)
Best Barrel Sauna: SaunaLife Ergo Elegance Sauna Barrel
- Why We Love It: This stunning barrel sauna wouldn’t be out of place tucked away in a mountainside wellness resort—and we love the idea of bringing that aesthetic to our backyard. The glass-front barrel fits four people comfortably, with seating that features lumbar support and footrests, though the inside would also let anyone sweat it out standing if they’d prefer (the interior diameter is 7 3"). Note that the sauna is a DIY build and that its heat source is sold separately, so be sure to add a sauna heater to your cart when you’re purchasing this barrel sauna.
- Key Features: Fits four people, white LED lighting system, glass façade, lumbar support seating
- Dimensions: 63” x 91" diameter
Best Sauna Blanket: HigherDOSE Infrared Sauna Blanket
- Why We Love It: If you want to reap the health benefits of a traditional sauna without taking on a construction project (or using up valuable real estate in your home), this infrared sauna blanket from HigherDose is an excellent option. It heats up in just 10 minutes to your choice of nine heat settings while helping to detoxify the body with far infrared light, crystals, charcoal, and clay. For easier clean up and a more comfortable experience, we recommend buying the brand’s sauna blanket insert—you can strip down, hop in, sweat it out, and rinse off.
- Key Features: Far infrared sauna blanket with nine heat levels featuring crystals and negative ion beads
- Dimensions: 72.5"H x 32"W
- Editor Experience: “I actually bought this blanket as a holiday gift for my sauna-loving husband, but we both enjoy its relaxing, pain-soothing benefits. It’s worth noting that it suits a variety of user sizes (my husband is almost fully submerged in it at 6 4"), and its double-zippered sleeping bag-like design is surprisingly easy to zip into solo. I’ve found that the hardest part of using it is rolling it up tightly enough to fit into the brand’s storage bag…so I often just slide it under a couch or bed, where it disappears until we’re ready to use it again.” —Emily Orofino, contributing writer
Best Pop-Up Sauna: Heat Healer Sauna Dome
- Why We Love It: This semi-portable infrared sauna is as close as you can get to a traditional sauna without investing in a large structure due to its dome shape, which surrounds the body with far infrared energy, red light therapy, and PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) technology. It takes just three minutes to assemble and heats up in just 20 minutes—far faster than a cabin sauna—while keeping your head and hair out of the dry heat, leaving your blowout largely intact. It’s also unexpectedly attractive when compact; when collapsed and placed against a wall, it looks like a modern side table.
- Key Features: PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) technology, far infrared sauna, red light therapy, mat featuring crystals, and negative ion beads
- Dimensions: Open: 35"W x 19"D x 71"H; Closed: 35"W x 22"D x 37"H
Best for Small Spaces: Sun Home Solstice 2-Person Infrared Sauna
- Why We Love It: Unlike a majority of indoor saunas, this petite option from Sun Home Solstice is easy to assemble—no power tools or nails necessary—and heats up more than double wattage for a faster, toastier sweat sesh. Far infrared wavelengths and chromotherapy provide therapeutic rejuvenation, while built-in, Bluetooth-powered surround sound lets you bliss out to your favorite playlist. And, despite its small footprint, this infrared sauna fits two people.
- Key Features: Infrared light, Bluetooth connectivity, chromotherapy
- Dimensions: 50.9"W x 45.9"D x 77.7"H
Everything You Need To Know
The Benefits of Saunas
From Finnish saunas and Russian banyas to Turkish hammams and American sweat lodges, saunas have been used for centuries across cultures for their restorative properties. “Exposure to heat encourages deep muscular relaxation, supports healthy circulation, and stimulates sweating, often associated with a sense of physical and mental release,” explains Trillo. While feel-good vibes and glowing skin are immediate perks, there’s evidence that sauna use can provide lasting health benefits. Studies show that using saunas could protect against cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, preserve muscle mass, optimize the body’s stress response, and even extend one’s lifespan.
Is it worth having a sauna in your home?
That depends on a variety of factors, including your budget, available space, and whether or not you’ll actually use an indoor sauna—and how you use it, says Trillo. “We’ve found that the most transformative sauna experiences often extend beyond heat alone,” she explains. “Atmosphere, intentional design, contrast, and a sense of separation from daily distractions play a powerful role in making the experience truly restorative.”
Some people may find that leaving their home to go sweat in a traditional sauna in their local spa or gym is more helpful in creating a ritual separate from the everyday, while others may appreciate having a private personal wellness retreat in their own home (or backyard, for those who have the space for a barrel sauna or cabin sauna).
The do’s and don ts of using your at-home sauna
As you enter your sauna, be aware of how you’re feeling and do your best to make this a moment of meditation. “Approach each session with intention rather than duration—short, mindful sessions are often more beneficial than prolonged exposure,” says Trillo. You’ll also get the most out of a session by staying hydrated. Drink water or an electrolyte-packed beverage before, during, and after sauna use to help your body detoxify and regulate its body temperature. If you’re feeling more sick than sweaty, get out and try again another day.
Certain health conditions, such as uncontrolled diabetes, hypotension or hypertension, recent heart issues, pregnancy, pacemaker use, or drug and alcohol abuse tend to be incompatible with sauna use, so ask your doctor for the all-clear before investing in an indoor sauna if any of these concerns apply to you. Perhaps obviously, don’t fall asleep inside your sauna, and “don’t neglect proper cleaning and ventilation,” warns Trillo. Without regular cleaning (at least every two or three sessions, if not more frequently), bacteria and mold can build up in the wooden materials of the sauna, causing damage and negatively affecting air quality. Poor ventilation can not only damage the sauna, but can be hazardous to your health—oxygen levels can drop and carbon dioxide levels can rise, making it harder for you to breathe.
Meet the expert
- Andrea Trillo is the marketing director of Aire Ancient Baths, a luxury spa and wellness company with locations in select cities across Europe and the United States.
