Are infrared saunas safe? Risks, side effects and who should skip them
For most healthy adults, sauna use is well tolerated, according to medical reviews. "100% safe" isn't true, though. The real risks are overheating, dizziness or fainting when blood pressure drops, dehydration and burns, and the biggest by far are alcohol and using a sauna alone. Pregnant women, people with unstable heart disease and people on some medicines should check with a doctor first.
One caveat runs through this page: most safety data comes from traditional Finnish saunas, and I say so wherever it does. This page isn't medical advice (medical disclaimer).
The real risks
Deaths in saunas are rare in Finland: fewer than 2 per 100,000 people a year (Kenttämies, 2008). What the forensic and burn-unit data keep pointing to is how people use them.
| Risk | What's known | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol | About half of sauna deaths in Finland involved alcohol. In a small experiment, sauna plus heavy drinking took systolic blood pressure from 136 to 113 mmHg. | Finland, 1990–2002; 10 men, 1992 (traditional) |
| Using it alone | Of 77 sauna deaths in Sweden, all but 2 people were found alone; 71% of those tested had been drinking. | Sweden, 1992–2003 (traditional) |
| Dizziness on standing | Blood pressure medicines can cause a drop in pressure when you stand up after a sauna. | Review, 2006 (traditional) |
| Overheating | The Maxxus infrared manual lists dizziness, lethargy, drowsiness and fainting, and warns of "physical inability to exit sauna" and unconsciousness. "Never sleep inside the sauna." | Maxxus owner's manual (infrared) |
| Dehydration | Three 20-minute sessions took off 1.4–1.8% of body weight in water, not regained after an hour of drinking. | 12 adults, 2003 (traditional, 158°F) |
| Burns | One in four burns treated at a Finnish burn center came from a sauna; 40% of patients had been drinking. | Kuopio, 1994–2000 (traditional heaters) |
Notice that none of this goes away because an infrared sauna is cooler. Alcohol, being alone and standing up too fast matter in any hot room.
Who should skip it or ask a doctor first
| Who | What the source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Unstable heart disease | Don't use a sauna with unstable angina, a heart attack within the past two weeks, uncontrolled high blood pressure, decompensated heart failure or severe aortic stenosis | Brown University Health cardiologist, 2023; review, 2001 |
| Low blood pressure, fever, infection | Also on the "don't" list: low blood pressure, dehydration, fever, acute infection or inflammation, hives | Brown Health |
| People on certain medicines | Diuretics, beta-blockers, anticholinergics, antipsychotics, SSRIs and SNRIs, ACE inhibitors and ARBs lower heat tolerance (CDC guidance on heat in general, not saunas) | CDC, 2025 |
| Heart disease, blood pressure problems, diabetes, obesity | "Should consult a physician" | Maxxus manual |
| Surgical implants | Usually no problems, but consult your doctor or surgeon before starting | Maxxus manual |
| Children | Under 10, blood pressure fell after leaving the heat; "particularly small children should be supervised carefully" | Pediatrics, 1990 |
| Multiple sclerosis, acute illness | Flagged as reasons to avoid an infrared sauna | Cleveland Clinic |
| Eczema (atopic dermatitis) | Sweat may make itching worse | Review, 2001 |
Pregnancy
The data doesn't allow a "safe" verdict. A meta-analysis of 15 studies found that high body temperature in early pregnancy, mostly from fever, was associated with nearly double the odds of neural tube defects (odds ratio 1.92). In a US study of 23,491 pregnant women, hot tub use in the first trimester was linked to neural tube defects; for sauna alone the estimate was too uncertain to call. A large US case-control study also linked early hot tub use to some birth defects. A Finnish study found no link between sauna use and heart defects.
The guidance follows from that. MotherToBaby says "hot tub or sauna use during pregnancy should be limited." Cleveland Clinic says not to use an infrared sauna if you're pregnant or trying to conceive, and the Maxxus manual tells pregnant women to contact their physician first. Talk to yours.
Fertility
In a 2013 study of 10 men, two 15-minute traditional sauna sessions a week at 176–194°F for three months sharply reduced sperm count and motility. Six months after they stopped, the values were back to normal. Ten men and no control group, but it's the one harm a 2018 review of 40 sauna studies found.
Is an infrared sauna any different?
The air is cooler: 110–135°F, against 150–195°F in a traditional sauna (Cleveland Clinic). You still heat up. In a small trial of 10 women, 45 minutes in an infrared sauna raised body temperature more than moderate cycling.
The best infrared safety data comes from hospitals. In the WAON-CHF trial, 149 patients with advanced heart failure had daily infrared sessions, and no serious adverse events were reported in either group. They were supervised by staff, which is not the same as a home cabin.
On cancer, the Finnish cohort found no link between sauna use and cancer risk in either direction, in traditional saunas. I found no study on infrared saunas and the eyes.
Recalls you should know about
LifePro BioRemedy sauna blankets. On October 23, 2025, the CPSC announced a recall of about 78,000 BioRemedy infrared sauna blankets that can overheat, with reports of burn injuries; they sold from September 2022 to June 2025 for $179 to $199, and the remedy is a replacement (CPSC recall 26-036). The notice lists specific model numbers; if you own a LifePro blanket, check yours against it.
Sauna360 infrared cabins: Finnleo, Helo, Radiant Health, Tylö. On September 17, 2026, the CPSC announced a recall of about 41,580 infrared and hybrid saunas and infrared kits in the US whose panels "can short circuit, causing them to overheat, posing a risk of serious injury from fire and burn hazards"; 67 reports of overheating, melting, charring or burning, no injuries. The series named are Finnleo IS, S, Sentinel and Sentinel Hybrid, Helo S, Radiant Health Elite and Pause, Sauna360 E, Saunatec B, Tylö IG and Kiruna, and Tylöhelo B and S, sold from 2013 to July 2026 at Costco, pool and spa dealers and online for $6,000 to $13,000. Custom rooms built with the kits can be identified by "Saunalogic," "Infralogic," "Carbonflex" or "Tylö" on the control panel. The remedy is a free in-home repair; the notice says to stop using the sauna until then (CPSC recall 26-784). The same day the CPSC expanded a separate recall of Tylö Halmstad and Kiruna Hybrid saunas, about 6,000 units, for benches that can collapse (CPSC recall 26-783). The Finnleo S-Series and Radiant Health Pause cabins in our database are covered; our pick lists leave them out until the repair program ends. How to read a Radiant Health serial number and what the brand says about new orders is in the Radiant Health review.
Therasage. A 2014 recall, posted by the FDA in 2015, was about marketing, not a hazard: the FDA listed the reason as false and misleading labeling, and the company had to drop claims like "naturally detoxify" and specific calorie counts (FDA recall Z-1539-2015). In 2022 the FDA also sent a warning letter to Living Foods over cancer and kidney claims for its infrared sauna.
None of these makes infrared saunas dangerous as a class. They do show that a safety or health claim on a product page isn't the same as a check by a regulator.
EMF: what brands claim
Almost every infrared brand advertises "low EMF." What they publish varies a lot. Of 73 infrared saunas in our database (indoor, outdoor and red light models), 18 give a figure in milligauss with the distance it was measured at, 20 give a figure without a distance, 26 use words only, and 9 don't mention EMF. A figure without a distance can't be compared: readings fall quickly as you move away from the heater.
| Brand | Model | What the brand says | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dynamic Saunas | Dynamic Saunas Barcelona 1–2 Person | Low EMF: 5–10 mG at 2–3 in from the heating panels (brand) | Figure and distance |
| Golden Designs | Golden Designs Reserve Edition 1 Person Full Spectrum | PureTech Near Zero EMF: less than 3 mG at 2–3 in from the panels (brand) | Figure and distance |
| Health Mate | Health Mate Enrich 2 | "Ultra-Low EMF"; brand cites Vitatech report VTE-3076-HMS (Oct 19, 2018) on the heater: 2.66 mG RMS at 2 in from the surface (30–1000 Hz), 3.76 mG RMS (12–4000 Hz) | Figure and distance |
| Maxxus | Maxxus Seattle 2 Person | Low EMF: 5–10 mG at 2–3 in from the heating panels (brand) | Figure and distance |
| Heavenly Heat | Heavenly Heat 1-Person Far Infrared Sauna | Under 2 mG EMF and under 7 V/m ELF "in our testing" (the brand's own test; distance not stated) | Figure, no distance |
| JNH Lifestyles | JNH Lifestyles Joyous 1-Person | Less than 8 mG, distance not stated (brand) | Figure, no distance |
| Radiant Health | Radiant Health Pause 1-Person | EMF 0.65 mG and EF 1 V/m on average at body-contact points, third-party tested; the brand posts the EMF, EF and VOC reports | Figure, no distance |
| Sun Home | Sun Home Eclipse 2-Person Red Light & Full-Spectrum Infrared Sauna | 0.5 mG (distance not stated; brand blog cites Vitatech lab measurement) | Figure, no distance |
| Sunlighten | Sunlighten Amplify RED II | < 1 mG, third-party verified (distance not stated) | Figure, no distance |
| Clearlight | Clearlight Sanctuary 2 Full Spectrum + Red Light Therapy | Low EMF/ELF, True Wave; no figures | Words only |
| Finnleo | Finnleo S-Series S-810 | "Low EMR & Low EF", Pure Infra (no figures published) | Words only |
| PlatinumLED | PlatinumLED SaunaMAX Pro | Decreased EMF emissions; no figures | Words only |
| Therasage | Therasage Thera360 Plus Portable Infrared Sauna | Zero EMF exposure claim; EMF/ELF/RF shielding; no figures | Words only |
| Almost Heaven | Almost Heaven Laurel 1 Person Infrared Sauna | — | Not mentioned |
| HigherDOSE | HigherDOSE Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna | — | Not mentioned |
| Medical Saunas | Medical Saunas Nature 4 Outdoor Infrared Sauna | — | Not mentioned |
I'm not making any claim about EMF and health here. I haven't reviewed that research, and "low EMF" on a product page isn't evidence that a sauna is safer.
What makes one safer
A few things you can check before buying:
- Electrical listing. Look for an ETL or UL mark for the whole sauna, not just a part.
- A temperature limit you can trust. Specs don't always agree with themselves: the JNH Lifestyles Joyous+ 2-Person lists "up to 170°F," while the FAQ on the same page says its control panel won't go over 140°F, citing its ETL listing. Ask the seller which is right.
- The right circuit. Many cabins need a dedicated 120 V line, and some need 240 V. Have a licensed electrician check before it arrives.
Of the infrared cabins we link to a store, this one publishes an EMF figure with a distance; the table above shows every brand (compare all on infrared saunas):
- Health Mate Enrich 2: "Ultra-Low EMF"; brand cites Vitatech report VTE-3076-HMS (Oct 19, 2018) on the heater: 2.66 mG RMS at 2 in from the surface (30–1000 Hz), 3.76 mG RMS (12–4000 Hz); 120 V / 15 A, 1,780 W; standard 120 V 15 A outlet, NEMA 5-15P (info sheet: 1,810 W); $5,300
If you're looking at blankets, check the CPSC notice above first, then compare on sauna blankets.
Safe-use checklist
- Keep sessions short at first. Cleveland Clinic suggests no more than 30 minutes for infrared; Brown Health's cardiologist says no more than 20 minutes for people with heart disease. More on how long to stay in a sauna.
- Bring water in with you, as Cleveland Clinic advises.
- No alcohol before or during, and not right after.
- Don't go alone if you can help it, and never sleep inside.
- Get out at the first sign of dizziness, and stand up slowly.
- With heart disease, skip the cold plunge afterward.
What the research says saunas can and can't do is on sauna benefits and infrared sauna benefits.
Questions people ask
What are the downsides of infrared saunas?
The same as other saunas: overheating, dizziness when you stand up, dehydration, and real danger when combined with alcohol. Blankets add a burn risk if they overheat, as the 2025 LifePro recall showed.
Why do I feel weird after an infrared sauna?
Most often it's a drop in blood pressure when you stand up, or lost water. Dizziness, drowsiness and fainting are also signs of overheating listed in sauna manuals. Sit down, cool off and drink water; if symptoms are severe or don't pass, get medical help.
What is the healthiest type of sauna?
No trial compares them directly. See infrared vs traditional sauna for what each has been studied for.