Buying guide

Infrared vs traditional sauna: which should you buy?

Short answer: if the sauna is going inside your home, buy infrared. If it is going in the backyard and you want the classic high heat and steam, buy a traditional cedar sauna. That one question settles it for most buyers, and the rest of this guide covers the cases where it does not.

How the heat differs

A traditional sauna heats the room. An electric or wood burning heater brings the air to roughly 70 to 90 degrees Celsius, the hot air heats you, and ladling water over the rocks adds a wave of humid heat. It is the experience most people picture when they think of a sauna.

An infrared sauna heats you. Carbon and ceramic panels emit infrared light that your body absorbs directly, so the cabin air stays closer to 45 to 60 degrees. You sweat just as hard, but the sessions feel gentler, which is why people who find traditional saunas oppressive often do 30 to 45 minute infrared sessions comfortably. Clearlight's full spectrum heaters cover near, mid and far infrared rather than far infrared alone.

Where each one can live

This is the practical decider. An infrared cabin like the Clearlight Sanctuary 1 fits through a standard doorway, sits on any level floor, needs no ventilation beyond its roof vent and no drain, and the entry model plugs into an ordinary household outlet. That is why infrared dominates indoor installations.

A traditional sauna wants to be outdoors. Our Serenity cedar saunas are purpose built outdoor rooms in Western red cedar, sold with your choice of heater and installed by our own crews in Ontario. Putting a traditional sauna inside a house is possible but means ventilation planning and a dedicated high amperage circuit, so few of our customers do it.

Running cost

Infrared wins here. The Sanctuary 1 draws 1,740W and most models preheat in about 15 minutes; a one hour session uses roughly 2 to 3 kWh, which at a typical Ontario rate of about 10 to 16 cents per kWh works out to well under a dollar. A traditional electric heater drawing 6 to 9 kW for a 45 minute warm up plus the session uses several times that. Both are cheap compared to almost any other wellness habit; the gap matters more for daily users. Our sauna cost guide runs the full numbers.

Price in Canada

Our Clearlight infrared models run from $10,495 to $16,295 depending on size and wood, shipped free anywhere in Canada. The Serenity outdoor cedar saunas run from $14,995 to $20,995 including the heater, delivered and installed in Ontario. See every model compared side by side for exact footprints and pricing.

The bottom line

Buy infrared if you want the easiest path to a daily habit: indoor convenience, lower running cost, gentler heat and a simple install. Buy traditional cedar if the ritual matters to you, the heat and the steam and the walk through the snow to the backyard room. If you are torn, talk to a specialist; we sell both and have no reason to steer you wrong.

Is an infrared sauna as good as a traditional sauna?

They do the same core job, raising your body temperature so you sweat, through different means. Infrared heats you directly at a lower air temperature, which many people find easier to tolerate for longer sessions. Traditional saunas heat the air and the room, which gives you the classic high heat and the option of steam over the rocks. Neither is better in the abstract; they suit different people and different spaces.

Which is cheaper to run?

Infrared, in most homes. An infrared cabin draws roughly 1.7 to 3.4 kW and preheats in 10 to 15 minutes, while a traditional electric heater typically draws 6 to 9 kW and needs 30 to 45 minutes to bring the room up to temperature. Fewer kilowatts for less time means a lower cost per session.

Can a traditional sauna go indoors, or an infrared sauna outdoors?

Traditional saunas work indoors with proper ventilation and a dedicated circuit, but most Canadian buyers put them outside. Infrared cabins are built for indoor use and should not live outdoors, since the electronics and wood are not weatherized.