It heats the person, not the air.

Emitters radiate directly onto skin.

The surrounding air stays comparatively cool.

A traditional sauna heats air, which heats the occupant.

Sessions run longer and gentler as a result.

The two suit different guests.

No water, drainage or vapour control.

Power draw is considerably lower.

Many run from an ordinary domestic circuit.

Warm-up takes a fraction of the time.

Rooms that could not take a sauna can take one.

That opens up sites with limited services.

Wavelength, and therefore how it is felt.

Far-infrared panels are large and run cooler at the surface.

They heat evenly across a seated occupant.

Full-spectrum adds shorter wavelengths.

Those emitters run hotter and are more localised.

Most cabins use far-infrared panels.

More than total output does.

An occupant is warmed only where radiation reaches.

Sitting with your back to the sole panel warms one side.

Distribution around the seating is the thing to check.

Count emitters against seat positions.

Ask for the layout, not just the wattage.

Occupants sit close to warm surfaces for longer.

Timber and adhesives release more when warmed.

Low-emission specifications are worth insisting on.

Session length makes this more relevant than in a sauna.

Ask what the interior is finished with.

Unfinished suitable timbers are the usual answer.

It complements rather than replaces.

The experience is genuinely different.

Guests who dislike high air temperature prefer infrared.

Guests seeking intense heat will not.

Facilities offering both serve two audiences.

Dropping either one loses that audience.

Very little compared with wet heat.

There is no water system to service.

Emitters are long-lived but eventually fail.

Ask whether individual panels are replaceable.

Interior timber needs cleaning, not treating.

Controls and sensors are the other service item.