Saunas

An infrared sauna, also occasionally called a far-infrared sauna, uses unique infrared light heaters powered by electricity rather than steam to warm your body. Infrared light isn’t on the visible light spectrum; rather, we experience it as heat. 

The use of infrared serves to heat your skin directly rather than warming the air around your body and can penetrate up to three centimetres into subcutaneous tissue without making you feel overwhelmingly hot. It delivers a deeper heat that not only improves circulation and blood flow but also induces sweating and helps your muscles relax.  

Home infrared saunas are enjoyed by many due to their many benefits to both physical and mental health. One of the main ways in which people use our best infrared saunas is after a long, hard workout or swim in the pool. Far infrared saunas help to soothe sore muscles, which can potentially help prevent injury or strain on your body. 

You don’t need to have completed a strenuous workout to enjoy a home infrared sauna, however. In fact, many enjoy using their sauna simply to unwind after a long day. Immersing yourself in a heated space, focussing on your breathing and slowing your heart rate down is a soothing and relaxing experience. You can either do this on your own or choose to relax with friends or family in one of our larger infrared saunas, such as a four person sauna.

The debate between infrared saunas vs traditional saunas can come down to personal preference, though there are some ways in which infrared saunas far outperform their traditional counterparts. 

Traditional saunas heat the air through steam, often poured over hot coals, which in turn heats the air and secondarily heats your body. By contrast, infrared light saunas heat the body directly. Again, because it’s infrared light rather than indirect heat, it can penetrate your muscles more deeply, resulting in improved efficacy in delivering those benefits ranging from better skin health and more intense relaxation for your muscles.  Many people also find they can tolerate higher temperatures more comfortably in infrared saunas because of the key difference between steam compared to light-generated heat. 

Infrared saunas use light that is felt through heat rather than seen with your eyes. It won’t increase the temperature of the room you’re in but rather acts directly on your tissues. 

In the same way that natural sunlight can penetrate your skin, unlike harmful ultraviolet light, this considerably more gentle form of infrared light works in the same way to deeply penetrate your body to support both skin and muscle health. 

When you enter an infrared sauna, clothing is key. If you are too covered, the lights will have trouble penetrating your skin, and you won’t reap all of the benefits your far infrared sauna has to offer.

To receive the full benefits of the infrared rays, it’s best to enjoy your sauna session naked. But we do understand that this is not always possible like when you have friends over. We suggest opting for swimwear then before stepping in, so you are decently covered but do not miss out on what your Kiva Wellness sauna has to offer. 

If you prefer to be a little more covered, you can wear a loose lightweight cotton T-shirt and shorts, but you need to remember that this can hinder the full infrared light from penetrating your skin.

Regardless of what you decide to wear, bringing a towel to sit or lie on is a good idea to absorb sweat and maintain hygiene. We also recommend that you go in barefoot. If you’d rather keep something on your feet, however, thongs are okay.

Remember to remove all initial jewellery before stepping into your home infrared sauna, as metal can burn once it heats up.

If you want to buy an infrared sauna, there’s no doubt that you’re curious about the price. Typically, the cost of an infrared sauna depends on the brand, quality and size – so there isn’t one true answer. 

At Kiva Wellness, we want you to have the best home infrared sauna experience possible, which is why we have designed and manufactured high-quality saunas that are built to last – all at an affordable price point. 

Our home infrared saunas are made from sustainably farmed Canadian hemlock wood, which is a hard-wearing timber that’s resistant to warping and heat, making it the perfect option for saunas. You’re also covered by a lifetime warranty across our full spectrum saunas and a lifetime warranty on the carbon fibre heating panels in our far-infrared sauna range. You’ll get an exceptionally relaxing, reliable and resilient sauna when you order from us. No matter your budget or lifestyle needs, we have the perfect infrared sauna for you!

While you will burn some calories during your sauna session, the number varies significantly based on a few factors, including things like your age, weight, and health, as well as the actual temperature setting you’re using and how long you’re in there. 

The reason you burn calories is because of the increased heart rate and body temperature, similar to how you burn calories during exercise. Your body burns calories through this process as it’s trying to cool you down. 

It’s important to remember that the list of infrared sauna benefits does not primarily include burning calories. Rather, it’s designed to support your body’s health through more internal factors. These include helping to alleviate muscle tension for a more relaxed body, improving circulation by increasing blood flow and, of course, relaxation. 

Similar to what to wear in your infrared sauna, how long you stay in there is entirely up to you. We recommend starting off at the lower end of the temperature spectrum for 10 to 15 minutes to see how you feel initially. You may also wish to take a bottle of water with you to help rehydrate as you sweat. 

After that, you can gradually increase both the time and temperature until you find your perfect balance. Typically, 30 to 45 minutes per session is ideal. Everyone’s body is different, and what you enjoy and can comfortably handle will vary. 

As with any aspect of your sauna routine, how frequently you use it is entirely up to you. The benefits of having a home sauna mean you can access it whenever you feel like it! 

Creating your own infrared sauna ritual is a lovely way to celebrate the end of the week, or it could be something you like to do at the end of each day - even if it’s just for a shorter session. Make sure you keep yourself hydrated while you’re in there. You could even take in flavoured water to sip while you luxuriate in the relaxing heat of your home's infrared sauna. 

Cleaning an infrared sauna isn’t as high maintenance as you might expect. The Canadian hemlock wood we use in the production of our range of infrared saunas is resilient against moisture and doesn’t need much more than a wipe-down with a towel at the end of each session. 

For a deeper clean, we recommend sticking to natural alternatives to maintain the integrity of the timber and also to ensure you won’t absorb any chemical cleaners second-hand while you’re using your sauna. Something like a water and vinegar solution or a mild detergent is perfect for keeping your infrared sauna fresh. Alternatively, we also sell multi-purpose cleaners under our Accessories section. Make sure you let the interior dry entirely before using it again; leaving the door open after a more thorough cleaning is a good idea. 

Externally, you can use the same mild detergent to wipe away dust and any dirt. Spraying the glass panels with glass cleaner and wiping them down periodically will also keep your home's infrared sauna looking tidy.

Kiva Wellness creates the best infrared saunas in Australia, and now you can experience the difference in New Zealand, too. Made with exceptionally high-quality materials that are built to last, our saunas give you the safest and most satisfying sauna experience imaginable. 

From verified low-EMF to sustainably sourced timber and a lifetime guarantee on many of our products, you have complete control over your infrared experience.