Unlike a traditional sauna, infrared saunas don’t heat the air around you. Instead, they use infrared lamps (that use electromagnetic radiation – don’t worry, it’s not bad radiation) to warm your body directly

These saunas use infrared panels instead of conventional heat to easily penetrate human tissue, heating up your body before heating up the air.

Because of this, infrared saunas can operate at a lower temperature (usually between 120˚F and 140˚F) versus a traditional sauna, which is typically between 150˚F and 180˚F, which may make it difficult for people to stay in that high of heat.