Infrared sauna
Easy to sit through Quiet
30–45 min $$
Explore Infrared saunaSauna, ice, float and the rest compared in Perth
Hot, cold, wet, dry, and how long you actually have to stay in. What each recovery room is like to sit through, and what you need to bring.
Traditional sauna
8–15 min a round, two or three rounds $$
Explore Traditional saunaIce bath / cold plunge
Takes some getting through Sound-led
1–5 min $$
Explore Ice bath / cold plungeContrast therapy
Takes some getting through Sound-led
30–60 min for the full circuit $$
Explore Contrast therapyAt a glance
Where these differ most. Everything is a description of the session, never a promise about you.
| Attribute | Infrared sauna | Traditional sauna | Ice bath / cold plunge | Contrast therapy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How hard it is to stay in | ●●●●● 2/5 Low | ●●●●● 3/5 Moderate | ●●●●● 5/5 Very high | ●●●●● 4/5 High |
| Quietness | ●●●●● 4/5 High | ●●●●● 3/5 Moderate | ●●●●● 2/5 Low | ●●●●● 2/5 Low |
| Temperature | 45–60 °C, dry heat | 80–100 °C, hotter on the top bench | 2–10 °C | Alternating — hot room, then 2–10 °C water |
| Wet or dry | Dry | Dry, unless water goes on the rocks | Wet | Both |
| What you wear | Swimmers, or a towel | Swimmers, or a towel | Swimmers | Swimmers |
| How long you are in | 30–45 min | 8–15 min a round, two or three rounds | 1–5 min | 30–60 min for the full circuit |
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Oria Haven insight
- Ice bath / cold plunge takes the most getting through; Infrared sauna you could sit in all day.
- Infrared sauna is the quietest room of the set.
Scores describe a typical Perth session — what the hour is like, not what it will do for you. Individual studios vary; their listings carry the specifics.
The conditions
| Attribute | Infrared sauna | Traditional sauna | Ice bath / cold plunge | Contrast therapy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 45–60 °C, dry heat | 80–100 °C, hotter on the top bench | 2–10 °C | Alternating — hot room, then 2–10 °C water |
| Wet or dry | Dry | Dry, unless water goes on the rocks | Wet | Both |
| What you wear | Swimmers, or a towel | Swimmers, or a towel | Swimmers | Swimmers |
| How long you are in | 30–45 min | 8–15 min a round, two or three rounds | 1–5 min | 30–60 min for the full circuit |
Sitting through it
| Attribute | Infrared sauna | Traditional sauna | Ice bath / cold plunge | Contrast therapy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How hard it is to stay in You could sit there all day (1) to every second is a decision (5) | ●●●●● 2/5 Low | ●●●●● 3/5 Moderate | ●●●●● 5/5 Very high | ●●●●● 4/5 High |
| Quietness Coaching and chatter (1) to near silence (5) | ●●●●● 4/5 High | ●●●●● 3/5 Moderate | ●●●●● 2/5 Low | ●●●●● 2/5 Low |
| Alone or shared | Usually a private room, sometimes a pair | A shared room, usually | Your own tub, or a group session | Often a group circuit on a timer |
Practical
| Attribute | Infrared sauna | Traditional sauna | Ice bath / cold plunge | Contrast therapy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $$ | $$ | $$ | $$ |
| At home | Only with your own cabin | Only with your own sauna | A cold shower is the free version | Hot shower to cold, roughly |
| Your first time What staff typically do for someone new | Staff set the temperature and show you the controls | Sit on a lower bench first — it is markedly cooler | Staff talk you through the breathing and watch the clock | The circuit is timed and called out, so you follow along |
Which one sounds more like you?
A summary of the differences above, not advice — only you know which you would rather walk into.
Still not sure?
Four questions, about a minute, and the Finder narrows it to what fits — drawn from practices checked by hand.
Take the Wellness FinderReady to explore?
Try them for yourself
A few places offering what you compared — somewhere to start, not a shortlist.
The Broadway room of a two-site wellness studio, built around equipment rather than treatment beds: an infrared sauna, a Cocoon infrared pod, a salt cabin for halotherapy, LED facial light, oxygen and hydrogen therapy, and lymphatic roller massage. There is also a heated RedFit sauna studio running yoga, pilates, cycle and weights classes in the warm. Sister site in Rockingham; each books on its own number.
Ice baths, traditional and infrared saunas and contrast sessions in private one-hour bookings for singles or pairs. Prices are stated plainly: $45 a session, $80 for two, a five-pack at $200, or a $50 weekly membership covering up to three visits. Group sessions run too.
$45 / session
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Jessica Wrightson's skin studio, founded in 2016 and now inside Henosis & Co on Cambridge Street, West Leederville; she is the senior dermal therapist with twenty years in the field. Facials run from a teen mini to holistic, bespoke and peel rituals, with skin needling, IPL and RF alongside, lymphatic and remedial-technique massage, and a wellness room with infrared sauna, ice bath and LED, plus classes and workshops. Synergie Skin cosmeceuticals throughout.
Perth's first fully dedicated recovery centre: cold plunge pools alongside a magnesium-enriched hot plunge for contrast work, a Finnish sauna, steam room, red light therapy, compression boots and IV drips. Memberships run in two tiers with casual dips available, and professional teams train through here.