An infrared sauna is more than just a luxurious addition to your home; it is a powerful tool for your health and well-being. Whether you choose it for deep relaxation after a busy day, targeted recovery after exercising, or relief from chronic complaints: proper use of your infrared cabin is essential to get the most out of every session.

On this page, we explain step-by-step how to prepare, use, and maintain your sauna, so that you can enjoy the soothing heat worry-free for years to come.

Before you take your seat, it is good to determine what your personal goal is. The infrared sauna can be used for various purposes. Tailor the session accordingly for the best results:

• Pain relief for muscle and joint pain: Ideal for rheumatic or chronic complaints. For this purpose, choose a lower starting temperature of around 30°C. Tip: people with rheumatic complaints can safely use the sauna twice a day (morning and evening). You can also leave the door open; this way, the muscles and joints receive the full radiant heat without the cabin becoming too hot.
• Muscle recovery after exercise: Excellent after a workout. Because your body already has a higher temperature from exercising, we recommend a starting temperature of around 40°C and a shorter duration than usual.
• Detoxifying the body: Do you want to sweat intensely to eliminate toxins? Then choose a higher starting temperature of approximately 35°C to 45°C.
• Relaxing and unwinding: Perfect for finding physical and mental peace after a busy day. For this as well, you start with a higher initial temperature of 35°C to 45°C.

During your session, the temperature in the cabin rises gradually by approximately 1°C per minute. Unlike a traditional Finnish sauna (which works via hot air of approximately 75°C and requires 45 minutes of preheating), an infrared sauna works with direct radiant heat. Because of this, the air temperature is less important, making the heat effective and pleasant even at lower temperatures.

SuperSauna® offers cabins with a combination of three types of infrared radiation, each with its own specific depth of penetration:

• Short-wave (IR-A): Penetrates deepest into the body. This is the most therapeutic form, which powerfully stimulates blood flow, supports blood circulation, and helps in the removal of toxins. Ideal for the effective relief of muscle pain, joint pain, and rheumatic complaints.
• Medium-wave (IR-B): Acts directly on the muscles and the skin. This radiation penetrates less deeply than IR-A and is ideally suited for general relaxation, stress reduction, and regular daily use.

• Long-wave (IR-C): This is the most superficial form of radiation and provides a mild, very pleasant warmth. Perfect for releasing tension, improving skin condition, and creating a soothing wellness experience. 

Tip: For extra relaxation, you can upgrade the cabin with professional chromotherapy. This offers up to six times more color intensity than standard systems. Each color has its own therapeutic effect on the body and mind, which further contributes to stress reduction and muscle relaxation.

An infrared sauna offers numerous health benefits, but it is important to use it in the right way. Below are a number of practical tips to get the most out of your sessions:

• Hydrate sufficiently: Drink plenty of water before, during, and after the session. This helps your body regulate the heat better and promotes the removal of toxins. Fruit juice is an option as well, but water is absolutely preferred because it hydrates faster.
• Always listen to your body: Pay close attention to how you feel during the session. If you get a headache, become dizzy, or experience any discomfort, stop immediately. Your body sends signals that you must take seriously.
• Regulate the temperature smartly: If you find the temperature in the cabin too high, simply leave the door open. This allows the infrared sauna to continue radiating at ‘full power,’ while the air temperature in the cabin remains comfortably low.
• Start slowly: Begin with short sessions of 15 to 20 minutes, especially if you are not yet accustomed to infrared heat. Your body needs to get used to the depth of the radiation.
• Build up gradually: Do you feel comfortable with short sessions? Then you can slowly increase the duration to 30 minutes or even longer, depending on your personal preference and your body's response.
• Avoid use immediately after exercise or alcohol: Do not use the sauna directly after an intensive workout or drinking alcohol. Your body already has an elevated heart rate and temperature then, making additional heat stress potentially unhealthy.
• Adjust temperature and duration to your needs: Not everyone reacts the same to heat. Experiment with lower temperatures or shorter sessions if you notice your body responds better to those.
• Use for muscle pain or joint complaints: An infrared sauna can provide excellent relief for muscle and joint pain. In that case, shorter sessions at a milder temperature are often more effective than prolonged exposure.

When installing and maintaining your infrared cabin, it is important to take into account a number of crucial factors for optimal performance and maximum lifespan:

• Infrared sauna installation: First of all, ensure there is sufficient space to place the infrared cabin, with adequate ventilation to properly dissipate heat. In addition, the correct electrical connections are essential to provide the infrared heaters with a stable power supply. The installation process typically involves assembling the walls, connecting the wiring, and thoroughly testing the cabin. It is advisable to enlist help or have this performed entirely by SuperSauna®, ensuring your cabin is always installed safely and efficiently.
• Maintenance of the cabin: Regular maintenance is necessary to ensure that the heaters continue to function perfectly and to prevent any accumulation of dirt and dust. Periodically clean the heaters and the wooden benches carefully according to the instructions from SuperSauna®. By maintaining the cabin well, you are assured of years of carefree wellness and relaxation pleasure.

Infrared saunas and infrared cabins are increasingly being combined with an active lifestyle or sports. The pleasant warmth helps reduce stress, brings the mind to complete rest, and can significantly improve general sleep quality.

In short, regular use of an infrared sauna offers the following benefits:

• Faster muscle recovery: Reduces muscle tension and efficiently removes waste products after an intensive workout.
• Effective pain relief: Soothes joint pain and provides therapeutic relief for chronic or rheumatic complaints.
• Powerful detox: Stimulates the body's natural detoxification process through intensive perspiration.
• Strengthens immune system: Supports overall resistance and helps lower blood pressure through improved blood circulation.
• Healthier skin: Deep blood circulation cleanses pores from the inside out for a radiant result.

Our customer service team is happy to help you further. Click here to contact us.

For SuperSauna retail locations and opening hours in the Netherlands and Belgium: click here.

How do you use an infrared sauna?

Before you start using the infrared sauna, it is important to know the purpose of using the infrared sauna. In fact, infrared saunas can be used for different purposes. Below is a list of the most common purposes:

• Pain relief for muscle and joint pain
• Relaxing, relaxing after a busy day (initial temperature is higher and final temperature too)
• Detoxifying (detoxing) the body (initial temperature is higher and final temperature too)
• Muscle recovery after exercise (initial temperature is higher but residence period is shorter because one has already completed a workout)

1. Session preparation

Before using the infrared sauna, it is recommended to drink a glass of water. In addition, to preserve the infrared sauna, it is important to put a towel on the infrared sauna's floor and bench.

2. Warm up infrared sauna

First, it is important to preheat the infrared sauna for a while before taking a seat in it. Preheating serves two purposes. Firstly, to raise the starting temperature a little so that it is pleasant to sit in the cabin (without clothing). Secondly, the infrared heaters need a few minutes to start up (with the exception of the IR-A heaters). The preheating time depends on what the user himself finds a pleasant starting temperature. Typically, the infrared sauna is preheated for between 5 and 10 minutes.

3. Infrared sauna starting temperature

The starting temperature of the infrared sauna depends on personal preference and purpose of the session. If the aim of the session is to relieve muscle and joint pains (e.g. due to rheumatic complaints), then people often choose a lower starting temperature of around 30 degrees. People who want to detox (detox) or relax in the infrared sauna will usually choose a higher starting temperature of around 35 -45 degrees. For muscle recovery, we recommend an initial temperature of around 40 degrees. An infrared sauna is thus preheated in a different way from a traditional Finnish sauna, where one heats up the sauna a long time (around 45 minutes) in advance until the sauna has almost reached its maximum temperature (around 75 degrees). The reason for this difference is easy to explain. Namely, there is a difference in heat transfer. In a traditional sauna, heat transfer is namely via the hot air. Therefore, if it is not hot, there will be no effect. With an infrared session, the temperature of the air is less important, because here we are dealing with infrared radiant heat, which is also effective at low temperatures. So if you find the traditional sauna unpleasant, you can simply use the infrared sauna at a lower temperature and still enjoy the benefits of the infrared sauna.

4. Temperature gradient during infrared session

During the session, the temperature in the infrared sauna will slowly start to rise. You should think of about 1 degree per minute. What people don't know is that it is important that the set temperature is higher than the actual temperature in the sauna. Only then does the infrared heater give off the most infrared radiant heat. So if the measured temperature in the sauna is 60 degrees, the set temperature must be at least a few degrees higher than 60 degrees!

5. Length of stay in the infrared cabin

Infrared saunas are usually used for slightly longer per session than traditional saunas. This is because the initial temperature in an infrared sauna is longer. Typically, most people use the infrared sauna for between 20 and 30 minutes. Note! Every person is different and therefore it is important to ‘listen’ to your body carefully. It is also important to build up slowly so that the body can also get used to the infrared heat. The infrared sauna may be used daily, however, it is not recommended to do a daily detox in the infrared sauna. The high temperature (above 60 degrees) in the infrared sauna could exhaust the body if used daily. People with rheumatic complaints can even use the infrared sauna twice a day (morning and evening) at a lower temperature. It is advised to simply open the door of the cabin then, so that the temperature does not get too high. The advantage is that the muscles and joints then still get the full infrared radiation heat.

6. After the session

After using it, it is important to turn off the infrared sauna and remove towels from the infrared cabin. Opening the door for good ventilation is definitely a plus. After the session, you do NOT need to rinse off cold like in a normal sauna. Just a lukewarm water and no soap or paraben-free soap.

Infrared sauna installation

An infrared sauna is a popular choice for people who want to enjoy the benefits of saunas in the comfort of their own home. When installing an infrared sauna, it is important to consider several factors. First, there should be enough space available to place the sauna, with sufficient ventilation to dissipate the heat. It is also important to have the right electrical connections to power the infrared heaters. The installation process usually involves assembling the sauna itself, connecting the wiring and testing the sauna to make sure everything works correctly. It is advisable to get help with this or have SuperSauna carry it out so that an infrared sauna is always installed safely and efficiently.

Besides installation, it is also essential to properly maintain the infrared sauna for optimal performance and durability. Regular maintenance of the infrared sauna is necessary to ensure that the emitters are working properly and to prevent any accumulation of dirt and dust. This can be done by cleaning the emitters and benches. It is important to follow SuperSauna®'s instructions regarding infrared sauna maintenance. With regular maintenance, an infrared sauna system can provide years of enjoyment and relaxation.

Some tips

• Drink plenty of water (preferred) or fruit juice before and during the session.
• While using the infrared cabin, always listen carefully to your body.
• If you find the temperature too high, simply open the door. This will keep the infrared sauna at ‘full power’ while keeping the temperature inside the cabin low.

Bronnen

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