What’s everyone think of these? I have been using a hot sauna in my building every day and thinking about moving into a new one that will only have an infrared sauna (also a salt room). I always read hot saunas are better but Vera AI seems to make them sound on par with each other.
I’d like to hear what others know while I do more research.
I’ve always heard the same, but in a recent podcast, Rhonda Patrick said you just have to stay in an IR sauna longer
I don’t recall how definitive or not she was about this, so do double check. I’m pretty sure it was in the Attia podcast.
I couldn’t decide so I got a custom sauna built from Alibaba that does both traditional Finnish style and infrared — but not at the same time. So I alternate between the two. Infrared can be very heating actually, because you can end up sitting right next to the heater, so the local heating effect on tissue can be much higher than the general temperature in the hot box.
Besides it’s not just about Finnish style (basically a stove) or infrared, but within infrared you have short wave vs full spectrum and other slight differences based on the type of heater (ceramic vs carbon panels etc.). Another kink is the option to steam up in a Finnish style sauna by pouring water on the hot rocks of the stove. With IR sauna there’s no adding humidity. I’d recommend asking ChatGPT for a breakdown but in the end you might be more overwhelmed by the options than enlightened. It depends on what you like and what you’ll want to keep using and also budget. I write this from inside my sauna!
I am starting off on Infrared mode because it heats up faster — I’m on the other side of that set up you see, the exact mirror image, so you can see how sitting right next to such a heater will make one comfortable in a few minutes even if it’s really cold outside, which tonight it is. Notice also my different heating options, with one actually out of the frame. If I had a sore back, for example, I’d sit right up against those black panels you see. They’re the carbon panels and have more uniform gentle heat.
After the sauna reaches 60 degrees Celsius (its cap on infrared mode) I can and often do switch to the stove option. It takes longer to heat up so it’s good to get a head start from the residual heat of the infrared mode that was just shut off to turn on the stove. In this mode it will get even hotter, up to 90 degrees Celsius. I start throwing some water on the rocks to make it nice and steamy, and got a few drops of eucalyptus oil in that ladle, as well as a birch sauna broom for dry brushing.
Am about to put the phone away for the rest of the season and read on my kindle. This is the most relaxing part of my day, right before shower and bed. And my sleep score is always through the roof with this ritual, so long as I don’t start and end too late at night.
Anyway my sauna is a custom built monstrosity because I couldn’t decide on all these bells and whistles and had to have them all. It’s rather cheaply made in China but it works wonders for me. The thing about hot saunas is there’s more research on them because they’re so commonly used in Finland. Mechanistically you should reap similar benefits with IR saunas but might need more time exposure to get the same effect since their temperature is lower. Even hot baths seem to have about the same benefits more or less.
Yea I heard this too and the AI said the same thing, which is rather annoying. All these new places are trying to be cutting edge when I think I’d rather just stick to my hot sauna so I’m not sitting there for 30-40 minutes a day
Virtually all the studies (close to 100) showing remarkable longterm benefits were done with traditional saunas. I don’t believe many (if any) respected studies have been done with IR saunas.
Is the battery doing okay in the heat?
Yes, I set it down at the bottom of the sauna — mine is outdoors but on top of the patio so there’s quite a bit of cold wind from below and the floor is cooler, hot air moving up. If I stand up my head overheats so it’s a good thing I am mostly lying down. In the hot box right now, actually. Temperature at 80 degrees Celsius so far, working its way up to 90 — the max — and I haven’t broken a sweat yet.
Meant for the rest of the session, not season. The battery would last but not sure I would, phoneless for the rest of the season 
True. But that doesn’t mean the benefits aren’t there. Absence of proof vs proof of absence. I should think the benefits are similar along broad strokes. Then again to hedge my bets I went with both.
Here’s my full sauna protocol (+ data from the Finnish studies):
Chapters
0:00 - Intro
0:26 - Why Didn’t I Do Sauna Earlier?
2:37 - My Protocol
3:00 - Week 1: First Struggles
7:47 - Week 2: Detoxing
8:55 - Icing The Boys
10:02 - Dry, Wet, or Infra-Red?
11:15 - Week 3: Midway Results
13:03 - Weeks 4-7
13:47 - Final Results
15:19 - What Should You Do?
Introduction to Sauna Therapy
Origins and Popularity of Saunas in Finland
Concerns and Considerations About Sauna Use
Implementing a Sauna Protocol
Experiences During Sauna Sessions
Hydration and Electrolyte Management
Health Markers and Progress
Continued Adaptation and Results
Fertility Considerations
Comparison of Sauna Types
Long-Term Results and Observations
Best Practices for Sauna Use
Oooh this was a really interesting video overall.
The hot sauna sounds like the best one here as I initially thought so I might not move into that building after all.
Great video, I agree.
The blood pressure thing is very real. If I do a long session, I can have a heart rate of 150bpm, and can feel light headed with low blood pressure. The cramp thing is also very real. I’ve had absolutely wicked calf and hamstring cramps during the night after sauna.
The “icing the boys” thing is really interesting. I’m done having kids, but I never ice mine in the sauna, hmm.
My blood presssure is generally averaging 110/65 and I would imagine the daily sauna use plays a role in that. I am on no BP meds either.
I despise being hot, but I went through a phase when I was considering a sauna for heart health, but then I was afraid to make the investment after hearing it’s great for your heart, unless it’s too much for you… and then it will kill you 
If one has heart disease, how does one make this call?
PS,
I recently received a great email from Blueprint, and my take away from it was they are going to get back on track again instead of all the woo woo stuff. We shall see.
I love BJ when he is not talking about ‘the movement’ and just sharing great ideas!
I think he’s unimaginative in not trying infrared precisely BECAUSE it doesn’t have much data behind it. It’s very likely that the effects are there if you lengthen the time exposure and if they’re not, that would be interesting for him to be the first one to test on his body and herald that signal. He tested icing vs not icing his balls but not infrared vs dry sauna? Nice….
I personally had some reversal in sleep scores early on when using sauna but I must have become so heat adapted that I no longer experience them. Never had cramps either but I take magnesium right before going in. No sodium, no problem so I must not be a salty sweater. Of course it’s best to go in naked there. There can be bacteria in clothes that you don’t want to inhale, and they get sticky with sweat — it’s so gross I’m amazed he even has to ask what’s best to wear in there. But sure he can enjoy his bpa free ice diaper. I don’t want my husband on one by any means as I already have 5 kids and don’t need more.
And the notion that pouring water on the rocks is bad because of forever chemicals is nonsense since we drink water. Just make it clean water and you’ll be fine. If it’s the type of water you’d drink, why wouldn’t you inhale it as steam?
I came extremely close to ordering IR Sauna from Costco. It was an indoor with 110 V hook up and my wife didnt go along with the idea. So, now looking for outdoor which are all 220 V. It will need more electrical set up etc. Can anyone recommend reliable brands for outdoor set up? And, if they assemble or is it DIY?
Most flattered but unfortunately I can’t help at all on the last leg of the install, unless I put my handyman on a plane to whoever needs him. Setup is your own PITA.
Unless I am mistaken, he is looking for brands for outdoor units
But a good handyman is hard to fine… worth the plane ticket IMHO
I don’t know brands for saunas. For mine I dealt direct with a Chinese manufacturer because I wanted it custom built. Took a good 4 months too because they needed to wait for their shipment of red cedar from California. Some of the components were too cheaply built and that’s annoying but not surprising. Still it works very well and it’s where I spend some of my favorite 30-60 minutes of the day. If you want the best quality maybe get something locally built. It will cost an arm and a leg though. Mine was just $5k, shipped, which is actually a lot but not for what I got. A lot of the brands online are actually Chinese products anyway. I’d say if it’s made in china and you consider buying it, you can save yourself money or get something better for the money by going direct to the manufacturer. They even support the product and had to send me a replacement part at some point. So it’s not as if you’re left supportless. But it’s still a tradeoff in some respects to locally built products.
