10 Rejuvenating Portable Saunas For At-Home Use

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It feels nice to work up a sweat, and for good reason. Sweating brings a myriad of benefits such as weight loss and increased blood circulation. Getting to that point, however, can be a bit of a struggle. Exercise is important, but doing it every day isn’t for everyone. As such, having your very own portable sauna is an easy and relaxing way to sweat out your worries, all from the comfort of your home.

What Is a Portable Sauna?

Portable saunas are an at-home equivalent of traditional steam or infrared saunas. They typically come in the form of a sauna kit, with a tent and either a steamer or infrared panels. These personal saunas are perfect for at-home use, especially since they either fold up or disassemble into more storable forms. You can even take them on trips if you have space in your bags for both the mechanism and the folded tent.

Types of Portable Saunas

There are two main types of portable saunas: the traditional steam sauna and the infrared sauna. Before you decide which to buy, let’s take a look at how each works.

Steam Sauna

Steam saunas are conceptually more traditional and familiar. They work via a separate steamer with a hose that goes into the sauna tent. The steamer is filled with water and left on for a bit to prep. You can even drop some essential oils and other fragrances into the water to add a hint of aromatherapy to your steam. Once a few minutes pass, your sauna tent should be ready for you to enter, filled with relaxing and fragrant steam.

Infrared Sauna

Infrared saunas are relatively new compared to their steam-based counterparts, but they function similarly. Both types of sauna cause heat to build up inside the tent, leading to a good sweat. The difference here is that instead of steam, infrared saunas make use of infrared rays to heat your body. They’re even able to make the body sweat at lower temperatures than steam saunas. This makes them ideal for those who are uncomfortable with the very high temperatures in a traditional sauna. Also, no steam means there’s a lot less water to clean up after.

Why Buy a Portable Sauna?

Buying a portable sauna may not be a necessity, but it is a very nice convenience. Imagine not needing to leave the comforts of home to enjoy a lovely sitting in the steam or infrared rays. Cleanup is easy enough, and storage shouldn’t be a problem for most portable saunas. You can fold them up and tuck them away in a closet, and the steamer can just as easily be put on a shelf.

Sitting in a sauna also brings a myriad of benefits, which we’ll talk more about later. Many of these benefits were only observed by people who’d been doing daily sauna sessions for extended periods. To have one so close at hand means you can enjoy a sauna session every day without worrying about commuting or pricey gym memberships.

Best Portable Saunas for Sitting

The tent of a personal sauna is meant to enclose your body and keep all the hot steam from escaping. This allows the temperature to rise inside, causing you to sweat. Some sauna tents allow you to keep your head outside via a hole at their top. These are typically sit-down saunas and often come with a chair included. We’ve compiled some of our favorites from Amazon below for you to browse.

1. [TOREAD] Portable Folding Steam Sauna

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The Portable Folding Steam Sauna from TOREAD is a good starting sauna if you just want to give it a try. The thick material of the sauna tent pairs with a handy hood to keep all the steam inside. The included sweat pad is there to make cleanup even easier, and there’s even a foot massager thrown in to complete the little set.

2. [casulo] Portable Sauna Home Spa

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The remote-controlled Portable Sauna Home Spa from casulo is for those who’d rather go without the steam-trapping hood. This design lets your head cool off in the open air while still enjoying the heat. If you’d like to keep your hair from getting frizzy from all the extra humidity, this is the home sauna for you. It comes in a handful of colors, but we like the sleek beige the most, as it adds an earthy spa feeling.

3. [Crew and Axel] Infrared Individual Sauna

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The Infrared Individual Sauna from Crew & Axel is the first of its kind on our list. It makes use of newer technology to heat your body at lower temperatures, eliminating the need for steam. The set comes with a foldable chair and a heating foot panel to raise you to the proper temperature faster. The infrared panels inside the tent are strategically placed to make folding it up for storage an absolute breeze.

Read more: How To Build A Sauna In Basement

4. [Durasage] Oversized Portable Steam Sauna

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Durasage’s Oversized Portable Steam Sauna has two large pockets, easily accessible from the armholes on either side. You can store your phone while listening to music, keep a TV remote close at hand, or even sneak in a snack in the middle of your very healthy sauna-sitting.

5. [AW] Two-Way Portable Steam Sauna

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If you like a portable sauna that is a bit more multi-purpose, we recommend the Two-Way Portable Steam Sauna from AW. This clever twist on the traditional sauna tent allows you to dip your toes, so to speak, into the steam while keeping the rest of your body nice and cool outside. It’s a lovely way to warm up your feet on a cold winter day, and the fact that it doubles as a sitting sauna only makes it that much more flexible.

6. [ZONEMEL] Portable Sauna Tent

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The Portable Sauna Tent from ZONEMEL may seem like an odd purchase at first. After all, why buy the tent without the heater? Well, if you previously owned a different portable sauna whose tent has been damaged, this is the perfect solution. In addition, if you’d like to switch out your sitting sauna tent to one that can also enclose your head, then this is the product for you. Two sauna steamers can even be rigged to the tent. This lets the inside reach hotter temperatures and retain heat for longer periods.

Best Full-Sized Portable Saunas

Full-sized sauna tents are also available. These personal saunas are easy to step into and allow you to stand while enjoying the steam or infrared waves. If you’re the type who can’t sit still for long, we recommend a full-sized sauna since you can stretch your legs if sitting gets too tiresome. Full-sized portable saunas are usually not quite as foldable as sitting portable saunas, but they can still be disassembled and kept away when not in use, saving you space.

Read also: 8 Incredible Sauna Chair For 2024

7. [COSVALVE] Full-Size Personal Steam Sauna Tent

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COSVALVE’s Full-Size Personal Steam Sauna Tent is just right for you if you got more room to spare. At 67 inches tall, this portable sauna is on the shorter side of the full-sized spectrum but is still ideal for smaller sauna lovers. If you just want a little more headroom while sitting down, then this is the best sauna for you!

8. [HMMFOX] Portable Steam Sauna Full Size

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The HMMFOX Portable Steam Sauna Full Size is more flexible when it comes to height. It also boasts some quality-of-life features that make it one of our favorites on this list. From the removable transparent window to the anti-bug steamer, this full-sized indoor sauna was clearly designed with your convenience in mind.

9. [SereneLife] Portable Full Size Infrared Home Spa

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If you’re looking for a non-steam sauna, then the Portable Full Size Infrared Home Spa from SereneLife may suit. This infrared sauna boasts a sturdy metal frame to help keep all the panels in place. The frame can still be easily disassembled after use, and the whole set comes bundled with a foot heating pad for extra warmth.

10. [spikerking] Full-Sized Portable Infrared Sauna Tent

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The spikerking Full-Sized Portable Infrared Sauna Tent comes with its own chair and foot heating pad to provide a great bang for your buck. The quilt-like tent material and rust-free PVC frame promise a build that’s sure to last through your sauna-loving journey.

Sauna Health and Wellness Benefits

Now you may be wondering what benefits arise from using your new sauna daily. Well firstly, exposure to sauna heat does a lot more than make you sweat. It elevates your heart rate and blood flow, which is important in healing skin that’s been damaged.

On a more internal level, medical studies have found that regular sauna use can help patients with cardiovascular diseases and reduce the risk of heart attacks. These studies report that patients who went through sauna treatment were able to walk longer and showed improvements in their heart health.

Your mental health can also benefit from sauna use. The most obvious perk is taking time away from the hassles of life, giving yourself time to rest and relax. It doesn’t end there too. Frequent sauna use over long periods has also been linked to reduced chances of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It’s also been reported that frequent sauna use can even help improve mild depression.

The ailments that may affect everyday life can also be aided with this healthy habit. For those suffering from arthritis or other body pains, daily sauna use has also been known to help alleviate pain and stiffness. Sauna use has also been linked to reducing the intensity of chronic tension headaches and allergic rhinitis.

In short, daily sauna use has the potential to improve your general quality of life. Buying a portable sauna just makes all these benefits easier to access.

How to Clean Your Portable Sauna

Keeping your portable sauna in tip-top shape means keeping it nice and clean for everyday use. It’s generally best to do a quick clean after every session, with a deeper clean every few weeks. For all types of home saunas, it’s good to take a preventive approach when it comes to your sweat on the tent material. Having a towel or sweat mat on the bottom of the sauna helps catch a lot of droplets. In addition, wearing a bathrobe can help absorb the moisture and keep your body warm.

Steam saunas need to be wiped down with a damp cloth and dried out before storing. On the other hand, because they rely on dry heat, infrared saunas don’t need as much drying, but it’s generally best to air them out regardless. Keeping the heat on for 10 to 15 minutes is generally recommended.

For the sauna tents, try to check if there are care instructions included with your purchase. You can likely let them soak in some soapy water and rinse them out for a deeper clean.

Frequently Asked Questions about Portable Sauna

• Read also: 8 Best Sauna Shorts For 2024

  Is a portable sauna worth it?

Yes. Portable saunas may be a heavy investment out the gate, but they can save you money in the long run when compared to a yearly gym membership. In addition to their cost, these saunas offer all the convenience of an at-home sauna without the need for a huge bathroom, backyard, or other large space. These reasons don’t even touch on the health benefits, so either way, we say they’re a good investment and very much worth it.

• What are the benefits of a portable steam sauna?

Portable steam saunas are great for smaller spaces or those who simply don’t want to build a sauna in their homes. They’re in the same vein as portable bathtubs – providing a little luxury without sacrificing your space. Portable steam saunas are also great at cutting costs. Purchasing a gym membership solely for a sauna will add up, so these clever products save you both money and space.

You can even bring them with you on trips, as long as the steamer fits in your luggage. Imagine enjoying a nice hot sauna bath wherever you travel. Now that’s convenient!

• How hot does a portable steam sauna get?

Portable steam saunas generally reach temperatures over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, with many capping around the 150 degrees mark. Most have temperature controls, which allow you to set the level of heat you’re comfortable with.

Conclusion

Whether you’re out to start a new and healthy habit or just enjoy nice relaxing steam, portable saunas are there to make sure you can bask in them whenever and wherever you like. They go hand in hand with sauna blankets for providing some of the best, most relaxing ways to get a good sweat, all without leaving the comforts of home.