Get to Know About Infrared Sauna Blanket

It’s essentially an infrared sauna — which uses infrared rays to heat the body directly — but in blanket form. So instead of having four walls and a bench for sitting, an infrared sauna blanket wraps around your body as if it’s a sleeping bag that plugs into a wall and heats up.

Other than those differences, the two — blanket and physical sauna — are pretty similar. As their names imply, both products use infrared light to heat the body directly, thereby warming you up but not the area around you. This also means that while the blanket will be toasty on the inside, it shouldn’t be hot to the touch on the outside.

While there are a variety of infrared sauna blankets on the market, they’re all generally the same in that they offer a range of heat settings so you can ease into higher temperatures. So, if you’re an infrared sauna (blanket, or otherwise) newbie, you can start at, say, 60 degrees Fahrenheit and gradually work your way up to the max (which is typically 160 degrees Fahrenheit). Believe it or not, these temps aren’t as high as those that you’d experience in a regular ole sauna — and that’s the point. The more tolerable the temp, the more time you’ll be able to spend sweating it out or the higher you might turn the dial, and, in turn, reap the supposed benefits.

Research on infrared saunas does point to a few potential advantages. For starters, evidence suggests that when used frequently (we’re talking, five times a week), these sweat-inducing treatments may help with heart function. This may result from a reduction in blood pressure, as well as in oxidative stress and inflammation. One small study on male athletes also found that it may help with post-workout recovery. Evidence also suggests infrared saunas may also alleviate chronic pain, including aches for those with rheumatoid arthritis. Where the science lacks: anything having to do with weight loss and the idea the sitting in a blanket is just as good for you as breaking a sweat in a workout.