Infrared Sauna Blankets: Real Deal Or Just A Trend? Why Everybody Loves Them

One of the best ways to relax and destress is by using a sauna. Saunas have been used for centuries around the world, with their many health benefits being well known in all time periods.

In recent years we saw an emerging member on this spectrum ‒ Infrared (IR) Saunas and they come at very little cost compared to other types!

The popularity of IR saunas is undeniable. There are many proven benefits to the cardiovascular and skin systems, among others listed above with regards to cellulite reduction and pain relief.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit with its restrictions, people started to look for an at-home version of their favorite saunas and discovered Far Infrared (FIR) Sauna Blankets or simply Infrared Sauna Blanket as they are usually called. These thermal heating blankets became a huge trend in 2020.

But what about now when we can go back? Are infrared sauna blankets still worth hype if you don’t mind being snuggled tightly while sweating profusely.

Now, let’s start from the beginning.

What is an infrared sauna blanket and how does it work?

The Far Infrared Sauna Blanket is a portable device that can be used to heat the body without having any negative effects on skin. Unlike regular saunas, this blanket uses infrared radiation and does not emit visible light so it has no impact on your eyes or internal organs when in use for an extended period of time.

It might sound counterintuitive but by eliminating harsh sunlight from our bodies – which would cause us pain if we weren’t adapted- humans have been able gain more energy through focusing minds internally rather than externally.

The reason IR is so widely popular is that it can penetrate up to an inch and a half into the muscle, fat, warm your body from inside out without heating you with hot air. It’s less intense than sauna experience because of this ability – great for people who have sensitive skin or don’t want their room too hot during warmer months!

The benefits of using the blankets

Infrared saunas are a great way to relax after work or on the weekends. They provide many benefits, including detoxification services for your body’s ecosystem as well as cardiovascular support and skin improvement!
With this type of heat therapy you can even lose weight while getting relief from sport-related injuries like hamstring tears (or any other muscle pain), arthritis problems such injury tenderness in the knee joint area.

Some people use sauna blankets to relieve muscle aches and pain, help with cellulite treatment by providing an effective method of circulation. Additionally, they can be used for light therapy — Ultrasonic Cavitation Treatment which many users notice skin improvement within just one week!

Differences in sauna blankets

Depending on the brand, there are single, two or three heating zones with a temperature range from 30-80°C (86 – 176 F). If you have 2+ zone blankets they can be adjusted to each separate setting through adjustable valves at either end of your purchase! For example I might need my lower half warmer than upper section when soaking in hot water after long days outside during winter time.

The passage discusses the different types of FIR sauna blankets that are available, and how each brand uses a unique material to create more efficient heating. Top-of-the line brands include Heat Healer with Tourmaline stones incorporated into its design; while HigherDOSE has taken this idea one step further by adding Diamonds for supreme heat conduction!

Tourmalines are beautiful stones that emit negative ions when heated. They have been proven to help our kidneys and liver, which are responsible for ridding toxins from the body [19]. The Tourmeline patent can be used as an effective treatment against various ailments including arthritis pain in joints caused by inflammation or gout-related discomfort around your foot due to excess uric acid build up leading towards formation of kidney problems!

When choosing a sauna blanket, the material it is made of should be your top priority. You want to make sure that these materials block harmful electromagnetic fields and are both safe for use around children or people who might have health problems in general. A good option would be an infrared type since they emit very little EMF at all so you can enjoy them with no worries!

How to use Infrared Sauna Blankets

To start using an Infrared sauna blanket, place the blanket on a flat surface (your bed, couch, massage table, floor), put the towel in, plug it and set the temperature. Usually, it takes around 10 minutes for the blanket to heat up.

1. Wearing cotton clothes from neck to toe is recommended for people who want to sweat profusely. However, it’s not necessary and will not affect the intensity of your sweating experience in any way!
2. Drink plenty of water or consume a sports drink as you’re going to be sweating intensely while using the FIR Sauna Blanket. Ingest at least 1 gallon per day, and try drinking 16 ounces every hour- it’ll help keep your body hydrated!
3. It’s easy to forget how overheated you can get when exercising in an environment without air conditioning. Don’t let it happen!
4. Make sure you have a pillow, towel and water with you before your session. You are able to pull out your phone or read an e-book during the process if needed!
5. Once you have heated your blanket, slip inside it with a towel over your shoulders. You can wipe sweat from around your face and neck as needed!
   Enjoy your sweating session!

When not to use infrared sauna blanket

Infrared sauna blankets are a great way to get all those toxins out of your system. There is, however, one significant drawback: they’re only for adults and can be quite dangerous if used incorrectly or without caution where there’s sensitive skin underneath the blanket (such as near eyes).

❌If you are pregnant, it may be risky to use the sauna blanket.

❗ Avoid using the sauna blanket if you have a high fever. Wait until your body has fought off its infection and resume sessions after that!

❌ Don’t use a sauna blanket while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Alcohol and other substances in your system can disrupt blood vessel function, so they won ‘t be able to expand as much and resultantly put pressure on them which leads ​to rupture.

❗ It is important to drink plenty of water before entering a sauna, as it can dehydrate you and make lightheadedness worse. Give yourself time so that when going in for your session with lower temperature settings have allayed any symptoms from being thirsty or not hydrated enough beforehand.

The science behind Infrared Sauna Blankets

As of now, there’s little to no research on infrared sauna blankets in particular. However, IR has been studied for decades and used regularly by hospitals as it keeps newborn babies warm with minimal risk factors to their health or well-being from overheating due to the heat they produce while doing so!

The use of far-infrared saunas for medical treatment is based on the deep skin penetration that these rays provide.

In patients suffering from osteoarthritis or cardiovascular respiratory problems, far-infrared saunas could be an alternative to moderate exercise. They produce therapeutic effects without any adverse effects on congestive heart failure , premature ventricular contractions, brain natriuretic peptide levels . Vascular endothelial function weight loss oxidative stress chronic fatigue [1].

Sweating is an excellent way to get rid of toxins and sweating in the sauna can help detoxify your body from heavy metals such as lead, mercury nickel cadmium etc[2] . Sweat also helps remove alcohol nicotine sulfurous acid compounds this includes organic matter too!

Dr. Richard Beever has published a review of available data in the literature about the health benefits of far-infrared saunas for treatment of cardiovascular risk factors. Although this study is limited, he notes that due to lower temperatures found only with FIRs (Infra Red) compared to regular ones they can be preferable if you suffer from various medical conditions like heart problems or osteoarthritis among others [1, 3, 4].

Chronic heart failure is a condition where the heart is not able to effectively pump blood and send it throughout your body. IR sauna therapy can improve these conditions by reducing oxidative stress, which helps detoxify cells in our bodies as well as increase circulation among other benefits. These findings have been demonstrated through clinical trials with patients suffering from chronic HF who show improvement after using Far Infrared Sauna Therapy sessions.

A group of doctors in North York, Ontario conducted a study on IR therapy for chronic low back pain and found that it was effective in reducing symptoms with no adverse effects. [7].

For their study, doctors conducted a double-blind placebo-controlled trial in patients suffering from chronic back pain. The results are shown below where Group 0 is the infrared wrap treatment group and Group 1 is Placebo.

In one study, researchers tested the use of infrared sauna on patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. The results showed that their fatigue levels significantly decreased and anxiety improved; no adverse effects were reported during or after therapy [8].

The researchers from the Saxion University of Applied Science in Netherlands found that infrared sauna treatment healed chronic pain and fatigue for patients with rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis [9].

Other studies have shown that time spent in an infrared sauna can bring relief from different forms of arthritis. One study found people were able to experience less pain and stiffness when they used them regularly [9, 10–13, 18].

A new treatment for cellulite has been developed and it’s working! In a controlled clinical trial, twenty women of different ages (25-57 years old) with moderate bilateral cases were treated bimonthly. The results showed that after eight weekly treatments they had less visible dimpling on both sides of their legs from just one side being affected before surgery as well as improved circumferential measurements which indicate better distribution around the entire leg instead of being concentrated in certain spots like other remedies might be doing so far.

The results have shown that 90% (18/20) of patients noticed an overall improvement and effects from treatment seem to last longer [12].

It has been reported that IR can improve the healing of skin wounds, photo-aging prevention and pigmentation. It also helps produce collagen [1, 16, 17].

A single session of infrared body fat reduction helps individuals lose as many calories they would in a 30-minute cardio workout. This is achieved due to the increment of your heart rate that reaches 120–140 beats per minute or ‘cardio zone’ (bpm).

Losing up to 4% in body fat is possible with the help of this new drug-like compound. The participants did not change their exercise or diet patterns during study, but they still saw an average weekly loss around 0.5% [20].

Researchers found that infrared saunas were preferable for exercise recovery. In a conducted study on 10 healthy physically active male volunteers who had different days either an 60 min hypertrophic strength training session (STS) or 34–40 minutes of maximal endurance workout promotion called “endurance.” The researchers noticed that while both types of sessions involved high intensity exercises such as running and weight lifting, FIRS was more favorable because it allows you to sweat profusely in warmer temperatures without overdoing your body with heat by using TRAD Finnsauna which has typically colder air flow [15].

Best Infrared Sauna Blankets

Higher Dose Infrared Sauna Blanket V3 ‒ Mood-enhancing sauna blanket

Very popular among celebrities and influencers, HigherDOSE was the best-selling infrared sauna blanket in 2020. Lauren Berlingeri, a co-founder of the brand and certified holistic nutritionist with over 10 years of experience in health coaching was first introduced to infrared technology while working for an upstart startup. She tried an infrared sauna and was instantly hooked. Berlingeri then researched everything surrounding infrared technology from its benefits to safeness and concluded that infrared saunas were going to be the next hottest trend.

HigherDOSE Infrared Sauna Blanket V3 is a low EMF (electromagnetic fields) one heating zone Far Infrared (FIR) sauna blanket with a hand-held controller with 8 levels of heat intensity that goes from 20°C (68°F) up to 70°C (158°F). 

The sauna blanket is designed to comfortably fit a 190 cm (6’3’) tall person and is made of high-quality waterproof Polyurethane (PU). The layer of Amethyst Tourmalines crystals combined with medical-grade magnetic strips provides the best performance.

The company offers a 1-year limited warranty and 14 days return policy on unopened products.

MiHIGH Infrared Sauna Blanket ‒ Easy to carry everywhere

The brand was launched last year, in the middle of a pandemic lockdown. Two close friends from Australia saw that people wanted quality health and wellness products without going into traditional stores so they developed their own line with help from professionals who had been through everything themselves.

MiHIGH Infrared Sauna Blanket is not the only product in its particular niche, but it is perhaps the most refined with its smallest controller that is easy to operate while inside the blanket.

This blanket operates at 25 – 75°C (77 – 177°F) temperature and has a low EMF infrared heating element. Made with high-quality non-toxic materials, easily foldable for storage or travel convenience!

The company also offers a 30-day risk-free trial, international shipping, and 1-year warranty.

Altratech Far Infrared Sauna Blanket ‒ Good for cellulite treatments

For a budget-friendly, skin friendly and durable infrared sauna blanket with high quality Oxford fabric Altratech Far Infrared Sauna Blanket is the perfect choice. This well designed sauna blanket comes in different sizes so that you can choose one according to your needs or just place an order for two! The use of this fabric makes the Altratech FIR sauna blanket 40% more durable than other sauna blankets in this price category.

The size of this sauna blanket is 178 by 80 cm (70 by 31.5 inches) when closed and it has two heating zones. 

It is important to open the blanket fully when heating up the sauna so that there are no contact points between its inner sides. Additionally, use body-friendly wrapping for your purchase which will prevent skin irritation from occurring due poor manufacturing quality control in some cases.

The newly designed model has an automatic overheating protection that stops heating and disconnects power at 85°C (185 °F). When this happens, it will alarm for 1 minute before shutting off completely.

Although infrared sauna blankets of this grade will not last as long as previous models we looked at in this article, it is definitely worth the try. With good care, the blanket can easily be used for 100+ sessions.

TTLIFE Far Infrared Sauna Blanket ‒ To try out when on a budget

Another affordable option, the TTLIFE FIR sauna blanket offers two heating zones with a temperature range of 35 – 75°C (95 – 176°F) and is made with waterproof PVC. 

The blanket is larger than the previous model with an enlarged size of 180 by 80 cm (70.8 by 31.5 inch). It features zippers on both sides and closed form dimensions, which makes it easy to carry around in your bag or suitcase without getting dirty from dirt accumulating inside.The overheating protection design of the blanket will automatically stop heating and disconnect power when it reaches a maximum safe temperature of 85°C (185 °F).

Smomar Far Infrared Sauna Blanket 2.0 ‒ Lightweight and very hot!

Are you still not sure if a sauna blanket is for your needs? Smomar offers their customers the opportunity to try it out with no risk, during which they ask that you use the product for two weeks before returning them.

Smomar offers lightweight one-zone FIR sauna blankets with impressive dimensions at 180 by 180 cm (71 inches). These products are designed and built following Medical Devices standards to ensure safety, quality, hygiene compliance. The company also has been diligent in ensuring that these high end infrared heating pads meet all necessary certification from Anbotek Laboratories – a global organization setting the standard for new product releases onto markets around the world.

With a hand-held controller, you can adjust the temperature level on your way up to 80°C (176 °F) and it will automatically turn off after 60 minutes.

For new users, the founders recommend starting at 45 – 50°C (113 – 122 °F) and gradually build your tolerance over time.

HeatHealer Infrared Sauna Blanket ‒ Most versatile, with Tourmaline stones and 3 heating zones.

The Australian brand offers the highest quality far infrared sauna blankets with three zones, each made of non-toxic RoHS & SGS certified fabrics and an additional 96 Tourmaline and Jade stones.

The use of Tourmaline and Jade stones in Heat Healer Infrared Sauna Blanket intensifies healing properties of IR (by emitting negative ions) and brings additional liver and kidneys support, collagen production, strengthening, and boosting of the immune system, mood-enhancing and calming of nerves properties. 

The stones are embedded in a mesh material that’s why it is recommended to use the provided cover sheet for sweat absorption, plus you’ll have an easier time keeping your blanket dry and clean.

The Heat Healer is made from a special fabric that makes it the safest and most durable on the market. Unlike other sauna blankets, this one uses an amide material that protects you against over 100 common toxic substances. Amide fabric is a premium material that is durable, heat resistant, and non-toxic. It is the same material that gets used by NASA in an astronaut’s spacesuit, for firefighters’ uniforms, and in military applications.

The Heat Healer is the perfect accessory for anyone who loves to stay warm during winter. It can be used by up to 6’6″ (198 cm) tall and 300 lbs (136 kg). The blanket has an overall length of 75 inches, with a circumference size at just under 70″.

The Heat Healer is a revolutionary new tool that will be able to help you release the maximum amount of toxins from your body. The carbon fiber heating element along with 96 jade & tourmaline stones produce high quality infrared heat, where it’s most effective–without EMF or radiation!

The company is focused on delivering a product that’s as comfortable and hassle free for their customers to use. They offer complimentary waterproof pillows, cotton coversheets with every purchase of an air mattress, fast shipping across the United States (3-7 business days) as well as 2 year limited warranties if needed.

Summary

Infrared sauna blankets have become a popular alternative to traditional IR heating systems. They offer many benefits, including improvement in physical and mental state-of-mind as well as better flexibility for those who use them often enough! Doctors recommend infrared treatment because it’s effective at healing pain without generating much heat or discomfort compared with other methods that can cause burns from excess sun exposure such has been seen on beaches all over the world during summer months when people get too close together due their proximity generally being safe distances apart depending upon where you live).

The idea of sweating in a sleeping bag may not sound so appealing, but with high-quality products available now on the market, you’ll find it nothing more than pleasurable.

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