My body is a temple, and it needs to be cleansed and detoxed on the regular—hence my obsession with a good sauna session. I’ve built my wellness routine around sauna use so much so that I’ve acquired a pricey spa membership just so I can have unlimited daily use. Knowing that my financial advisor mom would likely warn this habit is not helping me save money, I began to explore the idea that a one-time purchase of an infrared sauna mat might be more savvy in the long run.
Infrared sauna blankets bring you the benefits of sauna use straight to your home—without requiring that you build a literal sauna and spend thousands of dollars spa-ifying your abode. They kind of look like sleeping bags, if sleeping bags were connected to an electricity source and enveloped you in toasty temperatures up to 176 degrees. They’re made with water-resistant materials that don’t absorb your sweat, so they’re easy to wipe down and clean.
Videos by VICE
When you’re using an at-home sauna blanket, the heat you’re feeling is from infrared waves (waves on the electromagnetic spectrum that we experience as heat). Infrared is a type of electromagnetic radiation (EMR)—the same type of radiation we experience with our cell phones. The World Health Organization has reported that low levels of EMFs are not harmful to human health, so the best infrared sauna blankets are those that have EMF-blocking technology or low EMF levels.
With safety and relaxation in mind, here are the best infrared sauna blankets for getting your sweat on.
BEST infrared sauna blankets
- The best overall infrared sauna blanket – Heat Healer
- Best sauna blanket kit – Higher Dose Infrared Sauna Blanket Kit
- Best zero-EMF sauna blanket – HydraGun HeatPod Sauna Blanket
- This affordable sauna blanket – LifePro Far Infrared Sauna Blanket
- Best infrared sauna blanket for tall people – Bon Charge Infrared Sauna Blanket
- Best for beginners – Hooga Far Infrared Sauna Blanket
- The best wearable sauna – Heat Healer Sauna Suit
- The hottest sauna blanket– Reviiv Far Infrared Sauna Blanket
- This sauna blanket with red light therapy – Megelin 3-in-1 Sauna Blanket with Red Light
- Best infrared heating mat – Megelin Red Light PEMF Infrared Heating Therapy Mat Medium
The Best Overall infrared sauna blanket – Heat Healer Infrared Sauna Blanket
This week, I ditched the spa for the at-home Heat Healer Infrared Sauna Blanket. Made with certified non-toxic materials and EMF-blocking technology, I felt safe crawling into this third-party tested infrared sauna blanket.
Unique to Heat Healer, the bottom of this infrared sauna mat is lined with 96 tourmaline and green jade stones to help ensure an equal distribution of infrared heat. While Heat Healer selected these materials for their high infrared emissivity (they radiate infrared energy far more effectively than most other materials). I was psyched about this because I am a stone and crystal junkie: I wear black tourmaline every day to ward off the negative energy of others. Laying on a bed of it is my dream come true.
What I loved the most about the Heat Healer, though, was how I could use the control panel to customize my session—setting a timer and also selecting a temperature from the 9 different options. I did my session at level 8 (167 degrees), and it was hot enough for me to break a significant sweat in thirty minutes: I didn’t feel the need to complete the full 60-minute timer. Cleaning the infrared sauna blanket was as easy as wiping down a countertop. I was relieved that the sauna blanket also came with a carrying/storage case because my apartment is not big enough to house a 75-inch sauna blanket out in the open.
Best sauna blanket kit – Higher Dose Infrared Sauna Blanket Kit
Another widely-trusted infrared sauna blanket comes from Higher Dose. When it comes to pitting Heat Healer vs. Higher Dose, there is a lot the two brands have in common (check out more from Higher Dose) The Higher Dose infrared sauna blanket also has 9 temperature levels and reaches 176 degrees at its peak. While it’s not an EMF-blocking sauna blanket, it does have low EMF levels. The two brands also have similar price points.
However, what’s unique about Higher Dose is that you can bundle and save: when you use an infrared sauna, you need a towel insert between your skin and the mat. Conveniently, Higher Dose puts all the essentials together for you in a bundle so you don’t have to make separate purchases. This kit includes an organic towel insert, a carrying case, and healing body oil. Bundled together, you can save $163.
Best zero-EMF sauna blanket – HydraGun HeatPod Sauna Blanket
If the World Health Organization’s blessing doesn’t put your EMF-worried mind at ease, then the HydraGun Heatpod Sauna Blanket is for you. The brand states that “The HeatPod’s carbon fiber infrared heating coils are fully Faraday-shielded to emit zero EMF, so you can enjoy your sauna session with complete peace of mind.”
Like my other top picks, the HydraGun reaches up to 176 degrees and lets you select your temperature of choice. With the towel insert, the infrared sauna blanket costs $549. While that’s not a small price, it is a bit more affordable than Heat Healer or Higher Dose.
This affordable sauna blanket – LifePro Far Infrared Sauna Blanket
At under $400, LifePro makes a more budget-friendly infrared sauna mat. Like the others so far, it reaches 176 degrees, and can go as gentle as 95 degrees. At 71 inches, it’s a little shorter than some of the picks—but that’s not a bad thing, especially if you don’t have tons of space for sprawling out on your sauna mat.
One Amazon reviewer, William, writes, “I own a few products from this company and they are very particular about quality and this sauna blanket is proof of it. I use this blanket at least 3x a week.”
Best infrared sauna blanket for tall people – Bon Charge Infrared Sauna Blanket
As a self-professed wellness podcast Kool-Aid drinker, I’ve been hearing about the gloriousness of Bon Charge for years now. Bon Charge boasts a host of benefits from its sauna blanket, including helping with weight loss, sleep, skin, reducing stress, and soothing muscles.
It’s chemically safe and low EMF, and lets you choose your own adventure temperature-wise up to 176 degrees. The brand also says that its infrared sauna blanket can accommodate folks up to 6 foot 7 inches in height.
best sauna blanket for beginners – Hooga Far Infrared Sauna Blanket
This at-home infrared sauna blanket from Hooga is less expensive—but also less hot, maxing out at 167 degrees. While that’s certainly a drawback for sauna die-hards, it’s a welcome feature for those who are just starting to dip their toes into experiencing sauna therapy without paying a premium price tag.
The best wearable sauna – Heat Healer Sauana Suit
A close cousin to the infrared sauna blanket is the sauna suit. Yes, you read that correctly: wearable sauna suits exist, and no, they don’t involve any electricity—although they still rely on infrared technology. In this case, Heat Healer uses CELLIANT Infrared Fabric, which is Clinically proven “to enhance muscle performance, boost local circulation, and improve cellular oxygenation.”
The suit is a game-changer for athletes: according to Heat Healer, it’s designed to “accelerate sweat production to detoxify and enhance your workout efficiency.” Plus, it has a luxe inner layer that absorbs your sweat so the toxins you’ve detoxed don’t get absorbed back into your skin.
The hottest sauna blanket – Reviiv Far Infrared Sauna Blanket
Interestingly, this $225 Amazon-find sauna blanket is the hottest sauna blanket I found, reaching up to 185 degrees. It has a 4+ star rating, but only 130 reviews—most of them extolling satisfaction nonetheless.
Jen W. writes, “I was skeptical about buying this but am not disappointed. It was very easy to set up and use. I love that it shuts off after 30 min so I can just lay there and relax with my eyes closed.” KP writes, “I love infrared spas. There are none in my area that are affordable. My daughter bought an infrared blanket where she lives and loves it. Hers is a much more expensive brand. I bought this one for half the price and it works perfectly.”
While Amazon has marked this sauna blanket as a highly returned item, some sleuthing uncovered that some folks run into zipper issues, but as a whole, customers are happy with this budget pick.
This sauna blanket with red light therapy – Megelin 3-in-1 Sauna Blanket with Red Light
Megelin’s sauna blanket is the most expensive one on this list—and that’s because it combines three different kinds of therapy in one mat. In addition to being an infrared sauna blanket, it incorporates red light therapy (which is said to promote cell repair) and ionizing stones (which help improve infrared heating and red light therapy results).
With a 158-degree maximum temperature, this isn’t one of the hottest sauna blankets. Instead, it’s a better pick for folks who want to experience red light therapy with some nourishing heat.
Best infrared heating mat – Megelin Red Light PEMF Infrared Heating Therapy Mat Medium
Sauna blankets are not for the claustrophobes among us. However, just because you don’t want to be zipped up in a bag of heat and sweat doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the relaxation and woo-woo. This mat from Megelin uses infrared heating therapy to help you relax and feel your best, along with red light therapy, ionizing stones, and PEMF therapy— think delta, alpha, and beta waves—to “enhance your body’s natural healing powers.” Sign me up!