do sauna blankets work?

This type of heat therapy uses infrared light (a light wave we can’t see with the human eye) to heat our bodies and generate a host of purported health benefits. This type is also usually ambient heat in a small enclosed space, but there’s also a new technology that brings this infrared light closer to your body in the form of a blanket. It’s shaped almost like a sleeping bag. You may see ads for these infrared sauna blankets pop up in your social media feeds or web browser. If you’re curious about them, keep reading.

Two big obstacles with all kinds of therapeutic heat exposure are access and cost. If you’re not a member of a gym that has a traditional sauna, steam room, or infrared sauna, it’s hard to benefit from this type of therapy consistently. The infrared sauna blanket may solve the access portion of the problem, allowing you to have a blanket at home—we’ll get into cost and other features at the end of this article.

But what does heat really do for you? Is it worth it to invest in something like this or a gym membership to get access to heat therapy? Specifically, what does infrared heat do? And are infrared sauna blankets worth the investment? Are those any better or worse than the saunas you find at the gym?

Let’s first define what an infrared sauna blanket is and what the claims are about its benefits. Then, I’ll share the potential risks and benefits. After that, I’ll touch on some of the available products on the market.

Infrared sauna blankets are innovative, portable devices designed to mimic the effects of an infrared sauna session. Infrared sauna blankets work by using electromagnetic fields to stimulate living tissues [1]. Their biggest selling point is allowing users to enjoy the benefits of infrared heat therapy in the comfort of their own homes. Unfortunately, because these products are so new, there’s virtually no research looking specifically at the benefits of sauna blankets as compared to other forms of heat therapy.

Infrared sauna blankets work by using electromagnetic radiation to stimulate living tissues. This radiation penetrates the skin and heats the body from the inside out, causing the body to sweat and release toxins.

Unlike traditional saunas, which use steam to heat the air around you, infrared sauna blankets use far infrared radiation (FIR) to heat your body directly. FIR is a type of energy that is absorbed by the body and converted into heat. This heat then increases blood flow, which can help reduce inflammation and promote healing.

Most infrared sauna blankets have heating elements made of carbon fibers that are woven into the fabric. These elements emit FIR when they are heated, which is absorbed by the body.