Incandescent Near Infrared Sauna: What It Is and What to Check Before You Buy

An incandescent near infrared sauna is a sauna built around heat lamps instead of heating panels or LEDs. A few 250 W incandescent bulbs give off red and near infrared light with enough radiant energy to warm your body directly. There is no cabin to install and nothing to pre-heat.

How an incandescent near infrared sauna works

A filament glowing at high temperature emits a broad, continuous spectrum: visible red, near infrared and radiant heat. That light warms your skin and the tissue beneath it, not just the air around you, so you need much less air heat than in a Finnish sauna. Most people feel strong, fire-like warmth within minutes, even in an ordinary room.

How much you sweat depends on where you use it. In a living room you get strong warmth on the side facing the bulbs. In a bathroom or another small room the lamps also warm the space and most people sweat properly. In a sauna tent or enclosure the sweat is strongest and closest to a classic sauna session.

Incandescent, LED or far infrared

Three different products are sold under similar names, and they do different things.

• LED red light panels give light at a few narrow wavelengths and little heat. They are red light therapy devices, not saunas.
• Far infrared cabins use carbon or ceramic heaters. They give real sauna heat, little or no red and near infrared light, and need about 1–2 m² of floor.
• Incandescent near infrared panels give both: real heat and a broad red and near infrared spectrum, from a device you can carry.

For the details, see our NIR vs FAR vs LED comparison and red light therapy vs near infrared sauna.

What to check before you buy

• Bulbs. Check the wattage, the voltage and the socket. Ours are TheraBulb 250 W, 240 V, E27, with a spectrum peak around 850 nm.
• Sockets and materials. The bulbs run hot, so the sockets should be ceramic. Our frame is solid pine with no formaldehyde, so there are no fumes when it warms up.
• EMF. Ask for measured values at a stated distance, not a general promise. Ours are 0 V/m and 0 mG at 40 cm, with a grounded shield.
• Irradiance. Again, a measured figure at a stated distance. Ours is 70 mW/cm² at 40 cm.
• Switches. Separate switches let you run fewer bulbs for a single area such as the back, neck or a knee. Our panel has three.
• Power. Four 250 W bulbs draw 1000 W, which is 1 kWh per hour at full power, from a normal grounded socket.
• Delivery and import costs. A panel shipped from outside the EU comes with shipping and import duties on top of the list price. We worked through one example in our SaunaSpace comparison.
• Warranty and returns. Look for both in writing. Ours are a 2-year warranty and 30-day returns with no reason needed.

How to use an incandescent near infrared sauna

• Put the panel on a table, a chair or the floor, or hang it on a door or wall, and plug it into a normal socket.
• Sit 40–50 cm away, as close as feels comfortable.
• Wear as little clothing as you can, because the light does not pass through fabric.
• Turn your body every few minutes: front, back, sides.
• A full session is 15–30 minutes. Start shorter.
• For a single area, use 1–4 bulbs for 5–10 minutes.
• Do not stare into the bulbs and do not touch them while they are on.

The full instructions are in our user guide.

Our incandescent near infrared sauna panel

Red Light Sauna is a four-bulb incandescent panel made in the EU. It measures 65 × 40 × 21 cm and weighs 8 kg including bulbs, so you can store it in a cupboard and take it out for a session. It has an EU Schuko plug, ships from the EU to EU countries with no customs clearance, and comes with a 2-year warranty and 30-day returns.

See the near infrared sauna panel, the options and the current price.

Red Light Sauna is a wellness and heating appliance. It is not a medical device, and we make no claims about treating, curing or preventing any illness.