Saunas are fast becoming popular. And there are sure lots of different types created these days. But infrared saunas must be the ones that are making real waves in the market.

What are infrared saunas?

Infrared saunas, which is most commonly referred to as IRS, is a type of radiation having a wavelength that is longer than visible light, but is shorter than radio waves. IRS are saunas that heat its occupants with the use of far emitted radiant heat. These saunas don't produce steam. The infrared radiation is what causes heat inside the person's body, without actually changing the air inside the room.

What do they look like?

IRS usually look like a box made of wood. It is also possible to make a sauna room that is made of wood with some infrared heaters installed in and around it. The heat comes from the heaters inside the box. Basically, infrared saunas follow the same principle for heating bodies as the sun. But Far infrared saunas are a notch better because it doesn't produce ultraviolet rays that can be harmful to the body.

How are they different from traditional saunas?

Traditional saunas use heated rocks. They use different types of heat sources to generate warm air. Stones are positioned over the main heating source for it to achieve high temperature levels. It is the stones that maintain heat and temperature inside the room. Stones are usually used because they produce stable heat. The room is usually enclosed to trap heat in.

IRS's are somehow different. For one thing, the room doesn't need to be enclosed at all. This is because the IR heaters are directed towards the person's body, causing it to sweat as it cools down. It doesn't rely on the air circulating around the room to produce and maintain heat.

The temperature inside an IRS room is at 120 degrees Fahrenheit, on the average. In a traditional Finnish sauna, it can go as high as 200 degrees. But research shows that the sweat and effects produced between the two saunas are comparably the same. And if you really think about it, you are likely to spend more time inside an IRS than in a regular one, giving you more health benefits in the process.

If you haven't been inside a IR saunas, you might as well try them now. See how different the experience is going to be. Maybe you would reconsider and build one for yourself!