Types of Saunas: Complete Guide to Home Wellness Options

Find the best infrared sauna for home by comparing traditional, infrared, hybrid, and steam types of saunas. Infrared saunas offer deep heat and detoxification at lower temperatures, making them ideal for modern home sauna wellness. Key factors for home sauna installation include unit size, quality materials like cedar, hemlock, or eucalyptus, and choosing between indoor comfort and a weatherproof luxury home sauna outdoors.

Choosing the right sauna involves selecting between traditional steam, infrared, hybrid, and portable models based on your heat tolerance and wellness goals. While traditional saunas utilize high-heat steam (150°F–190°F), infrared models offer a gentler experience by heating the body directly at lower temperatures. Key factors for a successful home installation include material quality, space availability, and desired features like ergonomic seating or chromotherapy.

Key Takeaways

• The best infrared sauna for home offers customizable heat and deep relaxation while supporting detoxification, pain relief, and skin health.
• Understanding traditional, infrared, hybrid, steam, and portable types of saunas helps you match your health and lifestyle needs.
• Home sauna installation should consider size, materials, seating, and location to maximize the wellness benefits and comfort.
• Luxury home sauna options use high-quality wood (cedar, hemlock, or eucalyptus), ergonomic seating, and advanced heat sources for superior at-home spa experiences.
• Choosing the right type of sauna can enhance your home sauna wellness routine by supporting stress relief, heart health, and a youthful glow.

Saunas have been used for centuries for various health benefits, including rejuvenation and relaxation. The units originated in Finland and have evolved over the years to be used worldwide.

Whether you're using the sauna for the first time or are a seasoned enthusiast, it's important to understand the different types of saunas available, their benefits, and how to choose the ideal one for your needs. Join us as we delve further into the world of saunas.

What Are the Different Types of Saunas Available for Home Use?

There are numerous types of saunas available for the sauna enthusiast. These include:

Traditional Saunas

Traditional saunas are heated by wood or an electric sauna heater. Water is poured on the sauna rocks to generate steam, which heats the unit's surroundings. However, when used without adding water to the rocks, traditional saunas can also function as a dry sauna, providing intense radiant heat without humidity.

The traditional wood-burning sauna can be placed outdoors or indoors, and it takes approximately 40 minutes to heat up appropriately. The temperature inside traditional saunas can hit 185 degrees and sometimes more, providing intense heat for an authentic sauna experience.

Also known as a wet sauna, this style relies on hot rocks heated by a wood-burning stove or electric element. The wood-burning saunas offer a classic sauna room atmosphere, though they require proper ventilation.

Hybrid Saunas

Hybrid saunas are an advanced combination of infrared and traditional saunas designed for people seeking to enhance their sweating experience. These models feature dual heating systems, allowing you to use them as either an infrared or traditional sauna, or a combination of both.

Usually, their temperature and the time it takes to heat up depend on your choice of heating, whether you prefer a wet sauna session or infrared therapy.

Infrared Saunas

Unlike the traditional sauna, infrared saunas generate more sweat. These units rely on infrared waves to heat up and raise your body's core temperature through direct body heating. Instead of heating the entire room, infrared heat targets your body using carbon or ceramic panels.

Compared to the traditional sauna, the temperature inside infrared units is way lower. The temperature inside infrared saunas can reach 130 degrees Fahrenheit, and infrared saunas typically take up to 20 minutes to heat up.

Far-infrared saunas are particularly effective for muscle recovery and provide infrared therapy that penetrates deeply into tissues.

For those wanting cutting-edge wellness at home, choosing a quality full-spectrum infrared sauna for sale will help you access deep heat, low EMF, and tech-savvy features. Learn more in the blog Best Infrared Saunas in 2025 (Reviewed by Experts).

Featured Sun Home Infrared Saunas

• Sun Home Pod™ 1-Person Red Light & Infrared Sauna — 120V / 1,710W / 14.2A, NEMA 5-20P (dedicated 20A circuit), Canadian hemlock interior, temperature range 0–165°F.
• Sun Home Equinox™ 2-Person Full-Spectrum Infrared Sauna — 120V / 1,880W, NEMA 5-20P (dedicated 20A circuit), high-powered full-spectrum heaters, available in eco-certified kiln-dried eucalyptus.
• Sun Home Luminar™ Outdoor 2-Person Full-Spectrum Infrared Sauna — 240V / 4,800W / 20A, NEMA L6-20P plug (dedicated circuit required), Canadian Red Cedar interior with aerospace-grade aluminum exterior, smartphone connectivity.

Pro Tip: First-time sauna buyers often start with infrared models, which heat up faster (~20 min vs. ~40 min for traditional), operate at gentler temperatures (~120°F–150°F), and cost less to run than traditional saunas — making them ideal for daily home wellness routines.

Steam Saunas

Also known as a steam room, a steam sauna heats up by generating steam discharged into the unit at regular intervals. These saunas are popular in gyms and are heated through a steam generator that boils water, converts it into steam, and continually releases it into the unit.

While the temperature inside a steam sauna is usually lower, the high humidity makes the unit feel warmer. Steam rooms are made of plastic, glass, and tiles, making them easy to clean. This wet sauna environment is excellent for respiratory health and heat bathing rituals.

Portable Home Sauna

Portable home saunas are ideal for sauna enthusiasts who enjoy sessions on the go. They are portable and cheaper than other types of saunas discussed above. Sauna blankets are a popular portable option that wraps around your body for convenient heat bathing sessions.

To use them, you only need to get inside and switch on the unit to begin your sauna session. Portable saunas are available in different sizes and shapes and typically feature an infrared heating mechanism.

Sauna Type Comparison

What Are the Primary Health Benefits of Regular Sauna Sessions?

Saunas have become popular worldwide for various reasons, offering numerous health benefits such as:

Enhancing Well-Being and Overall Health

Research suggests that having regular sauna sessions can help reduce pain and stress levels. In a study conducted in 2019, researchers revealed that saunas can effectively reduce lower back pain.

Another Finnish study established that using the sauna can lower the risk of developing heart disease and prolong life expectancy. The study further revealed that having three sauna sessions weekly lowers the risk of sudden cardiac-related complications.

Besides their physical benefits, saunas help you relax away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Saunas offer proven infrared sauna health benefits for heart health, athletic recovery, relaxation, and more — the science behind regular use is growing rapidly.

Relaxation

Saunas provide an appropriate environment for people seeking relaxation. The body's response to the heat can promote attentiveness, reduce susceptibility to pain, and improve mood. Spending time inside the sauna also relaxes the muscles around your head and neck.

Regular sauna sessions help you connect with your emotions and can be a great meditation opportunity. Whether you're a professional athlete or a workout enthusiast, saunas help relax your muscles after vigorous exercise, supporting muscle recovery and overall wellness.

Key Insight: Finnish research has linked frequent sauna use (4–7 sessions per week) to cardiovascular disease risk up to 47% lower, while regular sessions also help reduce cortisol levels for natural stress relief — making a home sauna an investment in longevity, not just relaxation.

Glowing Skin

Sweating stimulates the production of more nutrients and oxygen on the surface of your skin, triggering skin cell regeneration and helping your skin look healthier. Regular sauna sessions help moisturize your face and body without using clog-causing, harmful chemicals.

As you grow older, managing aging symptoms becomes a focus. Sweating inside the sauna stimulates your body to produce more collagen, improving the appearance of your skin. The temperature inside a sauna can play a big role in clearing dead skin cells.

Detoxification

Detoxification occurs when the body excretes accumulated toxins from its system through the organs, tissues, and muscles. It is worth mentioning that the sauna is not a detoxifier itself. However, it facilitates the elimination of toxins via sweating through the skin. Studies have revealed that organochlorinated pesticides (OCPs) and bisphenol A can be eliminated from the body through sweating.

See how an infrared sauna benefits detox processes: Does Sauna Help Detox? Exploring the Facts (for an in-depth look at the science).

How Do You Choose the Best Sauna for Your Lifestyle and Space?

Various considerations should be made before choosing a sauna, including understanding the different types of saunas available and how they fit your needs, as seen below.

Size

Studies suggest that the standard sauna height should be around seven feet, helpful for reducing heat loss. Still, you can choose a small sauna around four by four feet. If you plan to accommodate multiple people in the sauna, an eight-by-twelve-foot footprint would be more appropriate.

The available space within your home or compound determines the size of your sauna. Additionally, you must consider how you plan to use the unit. Will multiple people be using it at the same time? What additional structures do you plan to incorporate inside the sauna? Remember, the more structures in the sauna, the more space you need.

Tip: If you want flexibility and fast installation, consider an outdoor infrared sauna. Modern weatherproof and insulated designs fit nearly any space — including 1-person outdoor or indoor models.

Materials

The classic material for saunas is wood. Cedar (including Western Red Cedar and Canadian Red Cedar) is one of the most common choices because it resists rot, hardly splinters thanks to its natural cedarwood oils, and gives off a pleasant aroma when heated. Sun Home's Luminar outdoor saunas, for example, use Canadian Red Cedar for the interior cabin.

That said, cedar isn't the only quality option. Look for kiln-dried hardwoods or properly cured softwoods such as eucalyptus and Canadian hemlock — all of which are used by reputable sauna makers. Sun Home's Equinox saunas ship in eco-certified kiln-dried eucalyptus, and the Pod Sauna uses kiln-dried Canadian hemlock. Spruce and pine are also popular in traditional Finnish saunas, where these woods have been used for centuries and emit a pleasant aroma when heated. The material you choose should retain heat without making the unit uncomfortable for users.

More reading: cedar releases a pleasant scent when heated, and What Kind of Wood Is Best for a Sauna? covers the full trade-off matrix.

Seating

What type of seating do you prefer for your sauna? Commercial saunas usually feature benches in tiered rows. Consider having two-tiered benches, with the lower bench acting as a footrest and step stool for users sitting on the higher bench.

The tiered benches are ideal for multiple-user saunas. Every sauna user will need approximately two feet of bench space and roughly six feet of length to facilitate reclining. Benches should be deep enough for comfort, and if users plan to recline, the sauna should include a lounging bench.

Tip: For families, the 2–3-person home sauna benefits include shared health sessions, connection, and spacious comfort for everyone.

Location

Before choosing a sauna, you must decide between an indoor or outdoor unit. If you prefer an indoor sauna, having enough space in your surroundings is key. The advantage of an indoor sauna is that nearly all the structures you need are already available, making installation less costly and easier. While outdoor saunas can be costlier, they let you experiment with the design and size.

If you opt for an outdoor sauna, you must identify an ideal location. Some people build a sauna close to their houses for easy access, while others incorporate it within their swimming pool area.

Weatherproof outdoor infrared sauna setups now fit nearly any climate or backyard. Explore considerations in Important Things to Consider When Getting an Outdoor Sauna.

Heat Source

You can choose between infrared light, an advanced technology, or a conventional external heat source. Traditional saunas use electric, gas, or wood-fired heating. However, many sauna owners prefer electric heating, eliminating the manual and tiresome process of heating the sauna by hand.

Electric saunas are particularly popular among different types of saunas because they offer convenient temperature control and consistent heating. A practical note on power: most Sun Home infrared saunas plug into a dedicated 120V 20A circuit (NEMA 5-20P), while larger outdoor models like the Luminar require a dedicated 240V circuit (NEMA L6-20P for the 2-person, NEMA L6-30P for the 5-person). Always plan electrical work with a licensed electrician.

"When selecting a home sauna, people often focus solely on the maximum temperature, but the true metric of a quality sauna is 'thermal emissivity.' A high-end infrared cabin isn't just a box that gets hot — it's a precision wellness tool designed to induce a vigorous sweat at lower, more comfortable air temperatures, allowing for longer, more effective sessions." — Sun Home Saunas Product Specialist

Tip: Not sure whether infrared sauna vs traditional sauna is right for you? Each has unique heating methods, installation requirements, and price points. Research both to choose your perfect fit.

Quick Facts About Sauna Types and Benefits

• Detoxification Profile: Infrared saunas are often cited as inducing a higher proportion of non-water content in sweat (such as heavy metals and other compounds) compared to traditional saunas, supporting their reputation for detoxification.
• Energy Efficiency: Portable and infrared models typically use 1.5 kW to 3 kW of power, costing roughly $0.20 to $0.40 per hour to operate, depending on local utility rates. Electric saunas generally fall within this efficient range as well.
• Heart Rate Response: A 20-minute sauna session can increase a user's heart rate to 120–150 beats per minute, providing a cardiovascular stimulus broadly comparable to moderate-intensity exercise.

Finally

Saunas offer various health benefits and promote overall well-being. As seen above, there are various types of saunas and considerations to weigh before choosing one for your needs. Before buying a sauna, it's important to understand how to choose the model that best suits your goals, space, and budget.

Sun Home Saunas sells some of the world's best infrared saunas, the popular infrared sauna blanket, and home cold plunge tub setups — all backed by a Limited Lifetime Warranty on residential cabinetry and heaters. Improve your health with our infrared saunas.

Reach out today and connect with our sauna experts to bring the full benefits of sauna therapy into your daily life.

FAQs

What are the key differences between sauna types for home wellness?

Traditional saunas use steam and high heat, infrared saunas use radiant heat to warm the body directly at lower air temperatures, hybrid saunas combine both, and portable models offer flexibility for relaxation at home.

How do I select the best infrared sauna for home use?

Consider your space, heat preferences, installation style (indoor vs. outdoor; 120V vs. 240V), and materials. Cedar, eucalyptus, and Canadian hemlock are all quality options for a luxury home sauna build.

Are there unique home sauna wellness benefits to infrared models?

Yes — infrared saunas provide deeper sweat at lower air temperatures and targeted relief for pain, recovery, detox support, and relaxation.

What features matter most in home sauna installation?

Sauna height, bench design, heat source, electrical requirements (dedicated 20A or 30A circuit), and placement (indoor vs. outdoor) all impact user comfort and efficiency.

Can a home sauna wellness regimen improve skin and overall health?

Regular sessions can brighten skin, support detoxification, help your cardiovascular system, and aid recovery for enhanced well-being.

References

1. Azeemi, S. T., & Raza, S. M. (2005). A critical analysis of chromotherapy and its scientific evolution. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine: eCAM, 2(4), 481–488. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/neh137
2. Laukkanen, J. A., Laukkanen, T., & Kunutsor, S. K. (2018). Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 93(8), 1111–1121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.04.008
3. Tsai, S. R., & Hamblin, M. R. (2017). Biological effects and medical applications of infrared radiation. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology. B, Biology, 170, 197–207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2017.04.014
4. Western Red Cedar | The Wood Database — Lumber Identification (Softwood). The Wood Database. https://www.wood-database.com/western-red-cedar/