What is the Best Sauna Blanket? | What You Need To Know
Key Takeaways:
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Sauna blankets can be a great alternative to traditional saunas.
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Sauna blankets are much more affordable that cabin style saunas.
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Sauna blankets can give you the same benefits that larger traditional saunas can.
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There are some important key factors when choosing an infrared sauna blanket and they are all discussed here.
Infrared sauna blankets can offer you a great portable sauna experience. In addition to that, they generally come at a more affordable price than buying a portable sauna or traditional sauna.
Some of the best infrared sauna blankets you'll find are going to be based on a couple of criteria, safety, durability, comfort and heat options. It is important to learn about each of these before purchasing any sauna blankets.
What Can a Sauna Blanket Do For You?
Many people look to sauna blankets for an affordable alternative to a traditional sauna. Traditional saunas that you would find at a local spa, are generally large and require ample space and money commitments.
Infrared saunas in general service the purpose of directly heating the body, opposed to the air around you, so an infrared sauna blanket may not feel extremely hot, but you certainly will while using one. Using sauna therapy in general you can expect several benefits such as:
Improved blood circulation
Boosted immune system
Stress relief
Reduced muscle soreness
Increased muscle recovery
Decreased inflammation
Better sleep
Numerous other health benefits
Why Should You Choose an Infrared Sauna Blanket?
Infrared sauna blankets are super easy to implement into your daily routine. They store very small and come at a price most people can afford.
They require very little space commitment, while still affording the amazing benefits of heat therapy, sauna therapy and deep relaxation in the comfort of your own home.
What to Look For in an Infrared Sauna Blanket
Low EMF
Below 3mG
Transparent and upfront data
Finding a company that is able to truly offer low EMF and guarantee it is extremely important. You will find this in some of the best sauna blankets.
Many companies tend you use the words 'low EMF sauna blanket', and fail to mention the actual EMF readings. This is especially important within sauna blankets because the process of implementing good quality EMF blocking technology, is more different because their is less space.
Low EMF readings should fall below 3mG. Any sort of consistent EMF exposure above 10mG can become extremely dangerous especially when used near sensitive areas. Some companies may advertise low EMF, but have actual readings above even 50mG.
There is no true standard of the term low EMF so many companies can still get away with it. This is why we offer full transparency and give accurate EMF readings for our sauna blankets.
Temperature Range
Many sauna blankets are not hot enough
Find the hottest you can
150°F+ minimum
Temperature ranges can vary heavily from one sauna blanket to another. Oftentimes the maximum heat intensity will be lower in sauna blankets than it will be in traditional saunas.
The desired temperature for therapeutic ranges in far infrared sauna blankets can generally be anything above 120 degrees Fahrenheit because of the way in which far infrared functions.
Many people tend to prefer much higher temperature ranges than this in order to have an intense sweat session. This is why our sauna blankets have full adjustability up to 176 degrees Fahrenheit.
Quality
Waterproof material
Doesn't retain smell
With infrared sauna blankets, you are in direct contact with the material in the sauna. Especially if you choose not to wear clothes, you should consider finding an easy to clean material that lends itself to prolonged periods of use.
Looking for a durable and waterproof nylon material is important because that means the sweat will be able to easily be wiped from the sauna blanket for easy clean up and longevity of the product.
Control panel
Many sauna blankets have temperature control for the whole blanket
Having zone control is useful for optimal comfort
Small temperature increments are great
Many sauna blankets simply have one temperature for the entire blanket. Zone control can be a fantastic alternative to this because it allows you to control the temperature range exactly to your liking.
If you want higher heat at different areas you can change that with the click of a button, this makes your life much easier.
Will I Get the Same Benefits?
As mentioned before, sauna blankets help achieve tons of health benefits. In extent in which they do this is generally the same as a traditional dry sauna because of what causes these health benefits to occur.
Direct heat on the body drives of core temperature. This causes increased blood flow throughout the entire body. Regular saunas do this as well; however far infrared does this better because it directly heats the person rather than the air inside.
Due to the amount of sweat lost, weight loss can still occur, along with a temporary increase in metabolism.
This can aid in workout recovery as well, or even be used in combination with a cold shower to perform hot and cold therapy. Overall, an infrared sauna blanket sessions can truly rival the health benefits of traditional, larger saunas.
What is Better About Larger Infrared Saunas?
Large far infrared dome saunas or cabin saunas are more expensive than sauna blankets, but they do have reasons for this. Infrared sauna blankets have substantially less space than larger saunas.
Infrared sauna blankets also come in direct contact with your body while you sweat. This may be a similar feeling that you could have sweating in a sleeping bag. This can be unpleasant for some, but often during a heavy sweat session this is not noticeable until getting out.
Space
Having the extra space in large cabin style or dome style saunas is awesome, but it also does mean you will have more area to clean and to heat.
The bigger the sauna the longer pre heat time, which is something you should consider. Since you are able to keep your heat out in a sauna blanket, it generally doesn't feel very claustrophic.
Larger sauna where you heat is inside and your breathing in the hot air may cause this. Nevertheless, having more space can still be beneficial.
Comfort
Comfortable experiences are generally more present in larger saunas. You are generally not in full contact with the material that is heating you, this can allow you to fully relax better and maybe even fall asleep from the comfort.
As stated before sauna blankets can feel similar to sleeping bags and sweating in something like that may not always be desired.
With infrared sauna blankets they also need to be make with waterproof material like nylon so that they can resist a long sweat session. This material, while not uncomfortable, may not be as comfortable as something such as a dome sauna.
Can Infrared Sauna Blankets Burn Belly Fat?
Infrared sauna blanket session does not directly burn belly fat. An infrared sauna blanket can help you increase caloric burn throughout each session.
This means that if in combination with a good diet, infrared blankets can be a valuable tool in a burning body fat, even though they don't directly cause it. The relationship between an infrared sauna and fat loss is quite common, but there are many intricacies to this.
Can You Lose Weight With an Infrared Sauna Blanket?
Weight loss can be quite a broad term. In general, an infrared sauna does contribute to weight loss; however in the short term, a less desirable way.
Weight loss during an infrared heat session is directly related to water lost via sweat.
Most sauna blankets allow you to sweat tons which can have many benefits, but you did need to properly hydrate before and after each session. Any sort of long term weight loss you could expect from infrared blanket use would be from the temporary upregulation of metabolism while in your sweat session.
Do Infrared Sauna Blankets Burn Calories?
A infrared sauna blanket does burn calories
Not as many as some promote
As we have discussed before, intense heat sessions via sauna blankets can be a useful tool in an overall weight loss program, but do not directly burn fat.
This is entirely due to the increased metabolic output from the body's core temperature being heavily increased. This increases heart rate dramatically to ranges of even 150bpm!
In that, a sauna blanket may be a useful tool in a weight loss routine, but that is not the primary benefit of the product, the true focus should be overall health and wellness.
Should You Shower After a Sauna Blanket?
Some people may forget to shower after a good sweat session. This can cause poor skin health because of the vulnerable position that the pores are in while using extreme heat.
The heat allows the pores to open and sweat to release, so it is very important to shower quickly after a sauna session, just like you would with any sort of workout.
Can I Use a Sauna Blanket Daily?
58 minutes of sauna per week for health
Daily use is encouraged
Be sure to hydrate
Therapy through the use of infrared rays is generally beneficial the more you use it. Weekly sauna use totaling about 60 minutes is generally where you start to see the benefit.
Each session could range anywhere from 15 minutes to even one hour as long as you properly hydrate with cool down breaks.
Generally 20 minutes is a great sweet spot, allowing for your core body temperature to increase along with heart rate.
Daily sauna use can certainly be a great addition to your routine. Many people often use saunas to kickstart their day with a clear mind. Inversely some people leverage the cool down effect post sauna to stimulate relaxation before sleep. Morning or night, leveraging sauna use daily can benefit many people.
Are Sauna Blankets Worth it?
Great alternative to cabin-style or dome-style infrared saunas
Much more portable than regular saunas
Low space commitment
A infrared sauna blanket helps with tons of health benefits. Infrared rays are able to penetrate deeply below the skins surface to cause deep relaxation and recovery.
This can also help detoxify the body, which is why some people may reference it as a detox blanket. Implementing an infrared sauna blanket into your daily routine will allow you to feel better each day and promote a truly healthy lifestyle.
Regular sauna use is good for anybody, with an infrared sauna blanket you could have a sauna session while laying down and watching tv which is awesome.
This portable device is amazing to even implement into your post workout routine. The lower temperature of infrared sauna blankets in comparison to traditional saunas will offer a more pleasant experience for most people.
This will allow you to lose weight and even reduce high blood pressure. The cooldown effect from getting out of a sauna will promote a mood boost and even relief sore muscles.