Infrared vs. Wood-Fired Saunas (Part 1): History, Ritual, How They Work & Health Benefits
Few wellness practices bridge ancient tradition and modern science quite like the sauna. Across cultures and centuries, people have gathered in heated spaces to sweat, heal, and reconnect—whether in a smoke-filled Finnish cabin or a sleek infrared pod in today’s urban spas. But while modern technology has made saunas more accessible than ever, one question keeps coming up: which is better—infrared or wood-fired?
Both offer undeniable health benefits. Infrared saunas have become popular for their convenience and targeted therapy, but wood-fired saunas carry a deeper connection to nature, culture, and history that infrared panels simply can’t replicate. In this first installment of our three-part series, we’ll explore the rich history of saunas, how each type works, what the experience actually feels like, and the health benefits you can expect.
The Ancient Roots of Sauna Culture
Saunas are far older than most people realize. Long before the word “sauna” even existed, ancient cultures across Northern Europe created primitive sweat lodges—pits dug into the earth, lined with stones, and covered with hides or branches. They would heat large rocks in an open fire, roll them inside the pit, and pour water over them to create steam. These early sweat baths were far from luxury; they were essential for cleansing, healing illness, giving birth, and even spiritual ceremonies (source: Medium).
By around 500 AD, the Finns had taken this practice and turned it into something truly iconic: the savusauna, or smoke sauna. These log cabins had no chimney. Instead, a wood fire burned inside for hours, filling the room with aromatic smoke while heating hundreds of stones. When the fire burned down, the smoke was vented, leaving behind lingering warmth and a faint, comforting scent of wood. Inside, families would gather to relax, heal, and share stories. In fact, the Finnish word löyly, which refers to the steam rising from the hot stones, also means “spirit” or “breath of life”—a reminder that saunas were seen as sacred, almost alive (source: Wikipedia).
For centuries, saunas were central to Finnish life. Babies were born in them because they were the warmest and cleanest space in the home. The sick were brought there for healing. After long days of farm work or fishing, families and neighbors would gather in the sauna to wash, talk, and reconnect. Even death had a sauna ritual—bodies were often washed in the sauna before burial. This wasn’t just a health practice; it was a cultural and spiritual cornerstone (source: Secret Saunas).
And Finland wasn’t the only place where heat and steam rituals evolved. In Russia, people built the banya, a steam sauna where birch branches were used to massage and stimulate circulation. In Turkey, ornate hammams combined steam, marble, and social gathering. Native American tribes held sweat lodge ceremonies for spiritual purification. Across the world, the core idea was the same: fire, stone, and water creating a place of renewal.
How Saunas Evolved Into the Modern Era
The Finnish sauna spread globally in the 19th and early 20th centuries, carried by waves of immigrants. In the late 1800s, Finnish settlers built some of the first saunas in North America, especially in Minnesota, where the 1868 Barberg–Selvälä–Salmonson Smoke Sauna still stands as a cultural landmark (source: Wikipedia).
Then, in 1938, Finland’s Metos company introduced the first electric sauna stove, making sauna life much more convenient for urban dwellers who didn’t have access to wood or outdoor space (source: Wikipedia). This was the first major turning point. Sauna culture began to split—those who wanted quick, easy heat embraced electric saunas, while traditionalists clung to the slower, ritualistic wood-fired style.
A few decades later, infrared saunas entered the scene. American inventor John Harvey Kellogg experimented with radiant heat as far back as 1891, but infrared technology only became popular in the late 20th century (source: Wikipedia Infrared Sauna). Unlike wood or electric saunas, infrared models use invisible light waves to heat your body directly rather than warming the entire room. It was a new kind of sauna—one that felt more clinical and precise than communal or ritualistic.
How They Work: Fire vs. Light
Though both types of sauna will make you sweat, the way they create heat changes everything about the experience.
A wood-fired sauna works like this: you build a fire inside a stove (called a kiuas) filled with dense stones. Over the course of one to three hours, the stones absorb and store the heat like a thermal battery. Once the sauna is ready, you pour water over those stones, releasing bursts of steam called löyly. This raises both the humidity and the perceived intensity of the heat. In a traditional Finnish sauna, the temperature can reach 80 to 110°C (175 to 230°F), with humidity fluctuating from 10% to 40% depending on how much steam you create (source: ResearchGate).
Infrared saunas are very different. Instead of heating the air, they use far-infrared panels that emit invisible light waves. These waves penetrate about 1–2 centimeters into your skin, warming your body directly. As a result, the room itself stays cooler—typically between 43 and 57°C (110 to 135°F)—but you still sweat because your tissues are being heated internally (source: GoodRx).
From a technical perspective, wood-fired saunas use convective heat—hot air warms your skin and the steam makes it feel even hotter. Infrared saunas use radiant heat, bypassing the air entirely. One isn’t “better” than the other in function; they’re just different philosophies.
The Sauna Experience: Atmosphere & Ritual
Here’s where the two sauna styles really diverge.
Stepping into a wood-fired sauna is an experience that engages all your senses. You smell the earthy aroma of cedar, pine, or birch wood smoldering in the stove. You hear the quiet crackle of the fire and the satisfying hiss of steam when you ladle water onto the stones. The heat feels heavy and alive, wrapping around you, making each breath deep and deliberate. Between rounds, you step outside into cool air—or plunge into an icy lake—before returning to the comforting heat.
This rhythm of heat, cool, repeat isn’t just physical—it’s meditative. It forces you to slow down and be present, to honor the process. And if you’re with friends or family, it becomes a shared ritual, full of conversation, laughter, and a sense of connection to both people and nature.
Now compare that to an infrared sauna. It feels almost like a personal therapy pod. You press a button, wait ten minutes, and sit in dry, silent heat. The warmth is gentler, more gradual, but it penetrates deeply, making you sweat without overwhelming you. It’s convenient. It’s quiet. It’s perfect for reading a book or meditating in solitude. But it lacks the sensory richness—no firelight, no wood scent, no steam. It’s therapy, not ritual.
Health Benefits: Science-Backed Results
Both sauna types are good for you. Both will make you sweat, increase your heart rate, and promote relaxation. But the evidence base for each varies.
Studies show that all sauna use can improve cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure and improving circulation (source: PMC). Regular sessions also reduce stress hormones like cortisol, help you sleep better, and support muscle recovery after exercise (source: Cleveland Clinic). Saunas even activate heat shock proteins, which help repair damaged cells and improve immune resilience over time.
But when it comes to long-term population data, wood-fired saunas have the edge. A famous Finnish study followed more than 2,300 men for 20 years. Those who used a traditional sauna four to seven times a week had:
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63% lower risk of sudden cardiac death
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62% lower risk of stroke
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78% lower risk of psychosis
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And significantly longer overall lifespans
(source: Global Wellness Institute).
Infrared saunas, on the other hand, are newer, so the research focuses on specific conditions. Clinical trials show they can help reduce pain and stiffness for people with arthritis or fibromyalgia (source: Mayo Clinic). They also improve vascular function in heart failure patients and speed up recovery after intense workouts (source: Wikipedia Infrared Sauna).
So both work. But if you’re looking for proven long-term cardiovascular benefits tied to decades of real-world use, the traditional wood-fired sauna still reigns supreme.
So Which Is Better?
It really depends on what you value.
If you’re looking for something quick, efficient, and easy to maintain, an infrared sauna is perfect. It’s convenient, low-temperature, and great for solo use or targeted pain relief. But if you’re after ritual, connection, and an experience that engages your whole being, the wood-fired sauna is hard to beat.
There’s something deeply restorative about gathering wood, tending a fire, waiting as the heat builds, and then stepping into a warm cabin filled with the smell of burning wood. It’s not just about sweating—it’s about reconnecting with the primal elements of fire, stone, and water. And for many, that’s what makes it feel like real sauna therapy.
Bridging the Gap: How North Shore Sauna’s Portable Tent Saunas Combine the Best of Both Worlds
If you’re torn between the ritual and authenticity of a wood-fired sauna and the convenience of an infrared sauna, there’s a middle ground—portable tent saunas from North Shore Sauna (saunatent.com).
These saunas use a compact wood-fired stove, so you still get the full, authentic sauna experience: the natural smell of burning wood, the satisfying hiss of löyly when water hits the stones, and that unmistakable deep heat that only real fire can create. But unlike a traditional permanent sauna cabin, a tent sauna heats up much faster, making it far closer to the speed and ease of an infrared session.
Because the sauna tent is highly insulated but smaller in volume, it doesn’t take hours to prepare. In fact, North Shore Sauna tents can reach proper sauna temperatures in under 30 minutes—a fraction of the time a traditional log sauna requires. That means you can enjoy the ritual of wood-fired heat even on a busy day without sacrificing the depth of the experience.
And since the sauna is portable, it’s easy to set up anywhere—next to a lake, on a beach, or even in your backyard—so you can combine sauna time with nature just like in Finland, but without the need for permanent construction. You still get fire, stones, water, and steam, but with the flexibility and efficiency that modern life demands.
In many ways, a North Shore Sauna tent is the perfect hybrid: it keeps the soul and sensory richness of a traditional wood sauna while adding some of the speed and practicality of infrared technology.
Coming Next in Part 2
In the next installment of this series, we’ll dive into:
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Energy & Sustainability: Is burning wood more eco-friendly than electricity?
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Maintenance & Practicality: How hard is it really to own each type of sauna?
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Who They’re Best For: Ritual lovers, athletes, biohackers, or busy professionals?
Until then, if you ever get the chance, step into a wood-fired sauna by a lake in the winter. Take a deep breath of warm, wood-scented air. Feel the hiss of steam rise around you. And you’ll know instantly why tradition still matters.
References
Medium: History of Estonian Saunas
Secret Saunas: Finnish Origins
Barberg–Selvälä–Salmonson Smoke Sauna
Mayo Clinic: Infrared Sauna FAQ
GoodRx: Infrared vs Traditional Sauna
Cleveland Clinic: Infrared Sauna Benefits
