Sweet Heat Relief: The Best Infrared Sauna Blankets (and How They Work)

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You’d be forgiven for still being reticent to go to high risk public places, such as the spa or your gym’s steam room, given the state of the pandemic. But just because you’re being responsible doesn’t mean you have to lose out on the benefits of a good steam session. In fact, many have found ways to recreate this experience right at home. The good news is that you don’t have to pay a small fortune. The answer? The infrared sauna blanket.

There are many sauna blankets out there, so it can be hard to know which one to get. Our guide explains what to look for, whether you’re looking for a sauna blanket to help with recovery, to help relieve stress or to incorporate as part of your at-home fitness and wellness routine. Here are the sauna blankets that our editors recommend.

What Are the Best Infrared Sauna Blankets?

You don’t have to go to a pricey spa or gym to get the effects of an infrared sauna. Below, we’ve rounded up some of the best infrared sauna blankets that you can buy online right now.

Best Overall: Higher Dose Infrared Sauna Blanket

Best for Beginners: Sun Home Infrared Sauna Blanket

Open-Arm Design: SurmountWay Sauna Blanket

Best Quality: MiHigh Infrared Sauna Blanket

Best Portable Option: REVIIV Infrared Sauna Blanket

Luxury Pick: HeatPod Sauna Blanket

Best Budget Pick: VANELL Sauna Blanket

1. Sun Home Infrared Sauna Blanket

EDITOR’S PICK

Sun Home

With a huge temperature range, this Sun Home infrared sauna blanket is great for newbies and sauna veterans alike. It can be adjusted between a mellow 95 degrees and an intense 167 degrees. The temperature, as well as the timer function, is easily adjustable using the blanket’s control panel.

Editor’s picks

The blanket itself is made of a comfortable, easy-to-clean material, and heavy-duty velcro closures do a great job of trapping heat while you get your sweat on. Plus, a year-long warranty ensures peace of mind in case anything should happen to the blanket.

Buy Sun Home Infrared Sauna Blanket $499

2. Higher Dose Infrared Sauna Blanket

BEST OVERALL

Higher Dose’s infrared blanket has a lot of fans, and it’s easy to see why: the cozy blanket gives you the luxurious feeling of a premier spa, boasting eight adjustable temperature settings. After just 10 minutes of heating, you can zip yourself in and sweat your worries away. The automatic timer ensures your session lasts the optimal amount of time without pushing your body’s limit. A handheld remote control is included.

The blanket is heavy without feeling suffocating, and surprisingly comfortable. Everything was easy to set up and understand right out of the box.

Buy Higher Dose Infrared Sauna Blanket $599

3. SurmountWay Sauna Blanket

OPEN ARM HOLE

We love this blanket’s hands-freeing design which makes it easy to change the song on your relaxation playlist or the channel on the TV you’re watching. The blanket lets you relax and enjoy yourself without feeling claustrophobic as you sweat out harmful toxins and nourish your body and mind. There’s also a helpful safety feature that automatically disconnects when the blanket exceeds 85 degrees. The foldable design makes set up and storage a breeze.

When it comes to the best sauna blankets, MiHigh is another name that often pops up. MiHigh’s sauna blanket is revered by athletes for its premium construction and the quality recovery experience it provides. The foldable blanket envelops your body and penetrates your skin more directly. By improving blood flow and circulation, MiHigh says its sauna blanket can aid in detoxifying your body and helps ease any tension, aches and pain throughout.

MiHigh also offers a 30 day risk-free trial, so if you aren’t loving your blanket you can send it back and get a full refund, though we don’t think you’ll want to.

Buy MiHigh Infrared Sauna Blanket $499

5. REVIIV Far Infrared Sauna Blanket

PORTABLE PICK

Built with five layers of infrared heating fabric, this sauna blanket from REVIIV promises to provide the ultimate detoxifying experience; you’ll feel lighter and happier by the end of your 30 minute session. Travel is no hassle thanks to the handy carry bag that’s included, if you’re looking to bring this with you on a trip.

One reviewer wrote that they use this blanket in their post-cardio recovery routine, adding that it’s “roomy” and that it didn’t take long to heat up. Another raved about how easy it was to set up and maintain, thanks to its waterproof cotton interior blanket.

Buy REVIIV Infrared Sauna Blanket $349.00

6. Hydragun HeatPod Sauna Blanket

Hydragun is known for its super quiet massage gun, but the company also makes a top-rated sauna blanket. Appropriately dubbed the “HeatPod,” this infrared blanket evenly disperses heat to your entire body, to help with recovery, health and stress relief.

Unlike some of the cheaper blankets on the market, the HeatPod is made from a luxe vegan leather, that’s thick enough to create a cocoon without making you feel constricted. The material is soft and plush, and also sweat-resistant. Hydragun also throws in a towel insert in addition to the triple-layer cotton lining, so there’s no mess involved.

Carbon-fiber coils heat up in seconds and you can control everything from the temperature to the duration with the easy settings feature. When it comes to the best infrared sauna blankets on the market, few models look — and feel — as good as this one.

Buy HeatPod Sauna Blanket $549

7. VANELL Larger Infrared Sauna Blanket

BUDGET PICK

VANELL’s sauna blanket is available in two sizes and a variety of colors for added personalization and comfort. Made from high-quality Oxford cloth exterior and a waterproof PVC exterior, it’s extremely easy to zip up thanks to its hands-free design (though you zip them inside if you’d like. The remote control makes controlling the temperature easy, but will automatically shut off once it exceeds 82 degrees to avoid overheating.

Buy VANELL Infrared Sauna Blanket $159.00

Infrared Sauna Blanket Buying Guide

Here are a couple more things to keep in mind when shopping for the best infrared sauna blankets for you.

Material: Look for a blanket that is made of waterproof PVC, which is both durable and comfortable to lounge in. It should be easy to clean and wipe down afterwards too — usually with a towel or a good disinfectant wipe.

Features and Capabilities: It’s important to evaluate things like temperature range and timer settings, while also checking to see if it boasts any extra features, like independent heating zones; each zone can be heated and timed differently. We also recommend looking for a blanket that’s foldable, which is easier to store and maintain.

How Do Infrared Sauna Blankets Work?

The best infrared sauna blankets (also known as just “sauna blankets” or sometimes “red light therapy blankets”) mimic the experience of a sauna by enveloping your body and producing spa-grade infrared light to directly penetrate your skin to produce sweat. But unlike saunas, your body won’t feel overheated; most sauna blankets come with a way to control the level of heat, either by way of remote control that can be plugged into an outlet so you can relax while you steam, or by simply peeling back the blanket when it gets too hot (you should not feel faint or overheated when you’re using a sauna blanket).

Sauna blankets should also not be confused with portable saunas, which also re-create a spa-like experience at home, but in a mini tent that heats up, rather than a blanket. While portable infrared saunas have their benefits, they are more cumbersome and won’t be as comfortable or relaxing to use compared to an infrared sauna blanket.

The best way to use an infrared sauna blanket is lying down and using the blanket to form a “cocoon” or sleeping bag-style wrap around your body. It’s similar to tucking yourself into bed, albeit under the power of red light therapy.

It’s important to remember that because you’re going to be sweating, you’ll need to make sure you’re hydrated before and after you plan on using the blanket. We also recommend easing into the experience of using your blanket, always in moderation. As you’re starting out, don’t exceed 100 degrees until your body has acclimated to the experience. It is generally recommended to never exceed three times a week for 30 minutes of use, so start off small and work your way up as it becomes more routine. When using the blanket, make sure to wear clothes that are looser and made from breathable material; tighter clothing can make your body feel overheated. If you’re ever feeling lightheaded or dizzy, make sure to stop using the blanket and have some water.

After you’re finished with a session, make sure to take a warm shower and wash away the lingering sweat to wash away the lingering sweat and impurities; using water that’s too cold can shock your body, so be sure to ease your body back into homeostasis.

Are Infrared Sauna Blankets Worth It?

Though some see it as gross, sweating is extremely beneficial to our body’s overall health and wellness; the glands that produce sweat assist our skin with filtering out harmful toxins. There’s also an increase in blood circulation throughout our organs, muscles and tissues, which can in turn nourish our skin cells and give it a natural, healthier glow.

There’s also evidence that suggests that using these blankets can help with regulating anxiety, by lowering cortisol levels and helping you feel more “enveloped” (similar to a weighted blanket).

Many athletes also swear by infrared treatments to help their bodies recover faster after a workout, with the heated blankets helping to ease sore muscles and body aches.

How We Chose the Best Infrared Sauna Blankets

We tested each sauna blanket at home, considering factors like portability, ease of use, and ease of maintenance (I.e. how easy the blankets are to clean and maintain).

We narrowed down the options we tested to only include new models released in last year or so, and models from trusted brands — each model we looked at has above-average reviews across customers and retailers.

Each of the sauna blankets we reviewed are also suitable for multi-purpose use — from stress relief and recovery to health benefits like sweating out toxins from your skin.

Sweet Heat Relief: The Best Infrared Sauna Blankets (and How They Work)

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