Indoor Saunas

Indoor saunas: traditional vs infrared

An indoor sauna comes in two fundamentally different forms, and the right choice depends on how heat reaches your body.

A traditional indoor sauna heats the air. An electric heater warms a bank of stones, the stones warm the cabin to 70–90°C, and you can pour water over them to raise humidity and the perceived intensity. The heat is enveloping and the experience is the classic Finnish one — but it draws more power, takes longer to reach temperature, and a unit like the Hekla Indoor Traditional 160 typically needs a dedicated higher-rated electrical supply.

An infrared indoor sauna heats your body directly. Carbon and halogen emitters radiate energy that your skin absorbs without first heating the surrounding air, so the cabin runs cooler (45–60°C) while still raising core temperature and inducing a sweat. Warm-up is faster — usually 10–15 minutes — and most domestic infrared cabins, including the Hekla IR and Bella ranges, run from a standard 13A plug.

If you want the highest-intensity, steam-capable session and have the electrical supply for it, choose traditional. If you want lower running costs, faster sessions and plug-in installation, choose infrared. Every cabin below is built for indoor installation, with capacities from one to three people.