Infrared Saunas

Niamh O’Reilly gets the inside track on the growing trend for infrared saunas in the wellness and self-care sector.

I won’t lie, I adore the heat of a sauna, but I find it a bit of an endurance test. The heat from a traditional Finnish sauna can feel oppressive. It hits you the second you open the door.

I always resolve to tough it out though and plonk down on the wooden benches, breathing in the hot, heavy air, all the while counting the seconds until I can get out again.

Seconds can feel like hours and somehow it always becomes this strange Mexican-style standoff, as to who’s going to leave the sauna first. Who’s got what it takes to sweat it out?

For those who find traditional saunas too intense, infrared saunas offer something of a more enjoyable heated experience. Made famous by their appearance in the Netflix show Inventing Anna, as well as health guru Gwyneth Paltrow singing their praises, infrared saunas are the latest selfcare trend, but are they all they’re cracked up to be? I had to find out.

>> WHAT IS AN INFRARED SAUNA? Infrared saunas use infrared light to penetrate the body and literally heat it from within. This results in a lower ambient air temperature allowing for a longer stay in the sauna. The infrared light entering the body results in a deep heat and the core temperature rising without the room having to be as hot as a traditional sauna.

>> HOW DOES AN INFRARED SAUNA DIFFER FROM THE TRADITIONAL FINNISH VARIETY? I went to OffGrid Recovery & Wellness in Bray, Co Wicklow to test it out. The biggest difference was the less oppressive nature of the heat. Infrared saunas don’t have that trademark condensation and instant sizzle you get with a regular sauna. A Finnish style sauna works by heating the air, which heats your body, whereas the infrared sauna heats your body from the inside.

A Finnish sauna can run anywhere from 80-90 °C or more, whereas the infrared sauna clocks in at around 40- 60 °C. The lower temperature means you can stay in the sauna for longer and makes for a more comfortable heating experience.

I found the nature of this heating much more tolerable and yet it still felt hot. I still felt as though I’d had a full sauna experience, with less of the heaviness. I found it completely relaxing and I would seek out an infrared sauna over the Finnish style in future.

>> WHY GO? There have been numerous health claims around infrared saunas. Many of these are medically unfounded. However, there’s no doubt it does have a temporary positive effect on circulation, blood pressure, can have benefits for stiff joints and let’s not forget it’s supremely relaxing.

The crucial factor for me was that I felt less floppy. After a session in a regular sauna, I tend to feel ‘cooked’, overly hot and ready for nothing other than relaxing. Ideal if you’re on a spa break, but not so good if you’re looking to get on with your day. And for me this is the biggest benefit. It’s a game changer for sauna therapy, transforming it into something you could pop to on your lunch break and head back to normal life afterwards. Think of it as a reinvigorating therapeutic session that you can fit into your regular wellness routine.

>> WHERE CAN I GO? OffGrid Recovery and Wellness, Bray, Wicklow OffGrid’s private infrared saunas use near, mid, and far infrared wavelengths of light. Treatments include sauna sessions with or without the use of an ice bath for the ultimate in temperature contrast. Prices start at €25 for a single infrared sauna session. offgridrecoveryandwellness.ie

SALT Float & Recovery Suites, Ballybrit, Galway SALT offers infrared sauna therapy on its own or in combination with their other treatments, such as their Float Therapy session. Prices start at €29 for a single infrared sauna session. saltfloatandrecovery.com

YogaVeda Living, Blackrock, Dublin YogaVeda offers infrared sauna sessions with medical grade integrated chromotherapy, which uses colour to adjust body vibrations to frequencies that create balance. Prices start from €45 for a single infrared sauna session. yogavedaliving.com

Four Seasons Hotel, Carlingford, Louth In their thermal and wellness suite, Four Seasons Hotel Carlingford offer guests an infrared sauna which uses near and far wavelengths to give a complete experience. 4seasonshotelcarlingford.ie

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