Comparison

Infrared vs Traditional Sauna: Heat, Power, Warm-Up and Cost Compared

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A traditional sauna heats the air and a pile of stones, runs hotter, and lets you raise the humidity by pouring water on the stones. An infrared sauna warms you with radiant panels while the air stays cooler, uses no water, and draws less power. For two people, Clearlight’s Sanctuary Outdoor 2 infrared is rated at 2.32 kW, against a 6 kW heater in Almost Heaven’s 2-person Salem barrel. Warm-up times look similar but aim at different air temperatures. Almost Heaven says its saunas reach 165°F in 30–40 minutes and 185°F in under an hour. Sunlighten says to allow 45–60 minutes, and that its cabin air isn’t meant to reach its 150.8°F preset. This site doesn’t give medical advice. If you’re pregnant or have a health condition, ask your doctor before using a sauna.

How each one heats

The North American Sauna Society describes a sauna as a room “heated to about 150 to 195 (F) degrees,” where temperature and humidity “can be controlled with sprinkling water on the rocks in the heater/stove.” It calls an infrared room “Not a traditional Finnish sauna,” because its emitters send heat “directly to the person’s body—rather than heating the air, or stones,” and “There is no water (no steam) used in the infrared rooms.”

Paper-cut illustration comparing a traditional sauna heated by a stove with stones and an infrared cabin heated by wall and bench panels — A traditional heater warms the air; infrared panels warm what's in front of them.

That difference shows up in the manuals. Almost Heaven’s manual for its Harvia Wall heater says “You have the option to pour water onto the stones to generate steam,” and “For most sauna users, a ladle full of water is sufficient.” Sunlighten’s infrared manual says the opposite for its panels: “Keep all liquids away from the heating panels, electronics, and interior wood.” Don’t pour water in an infrared cabin.

Temperature and humidity

The sources measure different things, so each gets its own column:

	Traditional	Infrared
North American Sauna Society	about 150–195°F; humidity from 10% (no water) to 60% or more	no water, no steam
Almost Heaven chart, Pinnacle page	electric: 150–195°F, 10–20% humidity; wood: 160–200°F, variable humidity	120–140°F, low humidity
Almost Heaven chart, Hinton page	dry heat (electric): 158–212°F, 10–20% humidity; wood: 158–230°F	104–140°F
Clearlight FAQ	“can reach up to 90.5 degrees Celsius” (about 195°F)	“usually between 48.8-65.5 degrees Celsius” (about 120–150°F)
Sunlighten Signature manual	—	controls preset to 150.8°F (66°C); cabin air not meant to reach it
Fixr (2025)	158–212°F, 10–20% relative humidity	—

Almost Heaven’s two pages give different ranges for the same heat types, so we show both. Sunlighten’s manual says the cabin air “is not intended to reach” the preset, because the design is “based on the infrared wavelength and not cabin temperature.” The how hot should a sauna be page covers temperature settings.

Warm-up time

Source	Traditional	Infrared
Makers	Almost Heaven heater FAQ: “Typically, our saunas will heat to 165°F in 30–40 minutes and to 185° in less than 60.”	Sunlighten Signature manual: “Allow the sauna to warm-up for 45-60 minutes. The sauna heats up at an average of 1 degree per minute.” Cabin air isn’t meant to reach the 150.8°F preset.
Fixr FAQ (2025)	“about 15-30 minutes”	“10 minutes”

These aren’t times to the same temperature: Almost Heaven counts to 165–185°F, while Sunlighten’s cabin air stays below 150.8°F. The makers’ figures and Fixr’s don’t match either. We’d plan on the makers’ figures. Sunlighten also notes that a sauna placed outside or in an unheated garage may need more warm-up time.

Electrical requirements

This is the biggest practical difference. Figures are from each maker’s spec sheet or product page:

Model	Type	Power per maker
Sunlighten Signature I (1 person, indoor)	Infrared	120 V, 1,350 W, 20 A; “Dedicated 120V 20A circuit required”
Almost Heaven Hinton (2–3 people, indoor)	Infrared	“120V, 20 amp dedicated outlet”
Clearlight Sanctuary Outdoor 2	Infrared	240 V, 2,320 W, 9.7 A; plugs into a 240 V outlet
Clearlight Sanctuary Outdoor 5	Infrared	240 V, 3,600 W, 15 A; plugs into a 240 V outlet
Almost Heaven Salem (2 people) and Pinnacle (4 people) barrels	Traditional, 6 kW	“240V, 30-amp requirement, hardwire connect”

So infrared doesn’t mean any household outlet will do. The indoor models above want their own 120 V, 20 A circuit, and the outdoor Clearlight models want a 240 V outlet. Sunlighten says to plug “directly into wall outlet; not a power strip, extension cord or converter,” and to have “a certified electrician install the dedicated outlet.” A traditional heater is hardwired on its own 240 V circuit. Either way, a licensed electrician confirms the circuit and pulls the permit. Details are in sauna electrical requirements.

Purchase and running costs

Fixr’s installed prices for 2–4 person saunas: infrared $2,000–$12,000, electric traditional $3,000–$5,000. Its monthly running costs: infrared $15–$20, electric $25–$30. Sunlighten’s manual puts its Signature at “typically $.20-.50” per hour, varying “with the model and local utility cost.”

You can check the upper limit yourself. At the U.S. residential average of 18.16 cents per kWh (EIA, August 2026), a heater running at full power for one hour costs about $1.09 at 6 kW (the Salem) and about $0.42 at 2.32 kW (the Sanctuary Outdoor 2), our arithmetic. Thermostats cycle the power, so real use is lower. The sauna calculator runs the numbers for your heater, sessions and local rate.

Listed prices on Almost Heaven’s site, checked Nov 1, 2026: the Hinton 2–3 person infrared cabin (indoor) at $6,840, and the Salem 2-person outdoor barrel with a 6 kW heater at $4,485. These are different products for different spots, and prices change. Clearlight doesn’t list a price for its outdoor models; the page says “Get Pricing.”

Outdoor use

Traditional barrels and cabins are built for the yard. Almost Heaven’s barrel manual says its barrel “is designed for outdoor use.” Infrared depends on the model:

Clearlight sells outdoor versions, the Sanctuary Outdoor 2 and 5, with a weather-resistant exterior finish, a roof cap and a sauna cover. They weigh 765 and 1,050 lbs; check Clearlight’s install instructions for the base they need. See sauna foundation options.
Sunlighten says its saunas “aren’t designed to be placed outdoors.” If you put one outside anyway, it “must have a sauna cover for the warranty to be honored.” Its manual also asks for drainage “so that water cannot pool around the base.”
Almost Heaven’s Hinton infrared is an indoor model that, in the company’s words, installs “using your existing flooring.”

How to choose

You want steam, air around 165–185°F, and a wood or electric heater on stones: traditional. Plan a 240 V circuit sized to the heater manual.
You want lower air temperature and lower power draw, and you have a spot indoors or a model rated for outdoors: infrared. Check the circuit the spec sheet asks for, and check whether the warranty allows outdoor use.
You want both: some makers sell infrared rooms as well as traditional saunas; check the spec sheet for the power each heater needs.

For a traditional outdoor build, compare barrel and cabin saunas next.

Sizing a heater or pricing a setup? Run the Sauna Planner — volume, kW, breaker and cost in one place.

Illustrations on this page are AI-generated to help you picture the situation. They are not photos of real homes, jobs or people.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-02

Safety and permits

A sauna heater needs its own circuit sized to the maker's manual — have a licensed electrician wire it and pull the permit. Wood-burning stoves need the clearances and chimney in the stove's manual and local code approval. Before digging for a foundation, call 811. This site doesn't give medical advice: if you're pregnant or have a health condition, ask your doctor before using a sauna.