Infrared sauna
Easy to sit through Quiet
30–45 min $$
Explore Infrared saunaInfrared vs traditional sauna in Perth
Infrared and traditional saunas compared: how hot each one runs, how long a session lasts, whether you sit alone or with others, and what each costs across Perth.
A traditional sauna heats the air, and the air heats you. An infrared sauna heats you more directly, which is why it runs at a much lower room temperature and still feels like work.
In practice the choice is about what you find bearable and how you like to sit. A traditional room is hot enough that most people stay for shorter stretches and step out between them; an infrared cabin is cooler, usually private, and easier to sit in for a longer single session. Perth studios increasingly run both, so the table below is as much about picking a session as picking a venue.
Traditional sauna
8–15 min a round, two or three rounds $$
Explore Traditional saunaAt a glance
Where these differ most. Everything is a description of the session, never a promise about you.
| Attribute | Infrared sauna | Traditional sauna |
|---|---|---|
| How hard it is to stay in | ●●●●● 2/5 Low | ●●●●● 3/5 Moderate |
| Quietness | ●●●●● 4/5 High | ●●●●● 3/5 Moderate |
| Temperature | 45–60 °C, dry heat | 80–100 °C, hotter on the top bench |
| Wet or dry | Dry | Dry, unless water goes on the rocks |
| How long you are in | 30–45 min | 8–15 min a round, two or three rounds |
| Alone or shared | Usually a private room, sometimes a pair | A shared room, usually |
Scroll sideways for the rest
Oria Haven insight
- Traditional sauna 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 45–60 °C, dry heat | 80–100 °C, hotter on the top bench |
| Wet or dry | Dry | Dry, unless water goes on the rocks |
| What you wear | Swimmers, or a towel | Swimmers, or a towel |
| How long you are in | 30–45 min | 8–15 min a round, two or three rounds |
Sitting through it
| Attribute | Infrared sauna | Traditional sauna |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Quietness Coaching and chatter (1) to near silence (5) | ●●●●● 4/5 High | ●●●●● 3/5 Moderate |
| Alone or shared | Usually a private room, sometimes a pair | A shared room, usually |
Practical
| Attribute | Infrared sauna | Traditional sauna |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | $$ | $$ |
| At home | Only with your own cabin | Only with your own sauna |
| 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 |
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.
A day spa on Scarborough Beach Road with a wide menu: aromatherapy and full-body massage, tailored and aromatherapy facials, peels, LED, skin needling, microdermabrasion and lymphatic therapy, body rituals, an infrared sauna, a couples room and pregnancy and men's packages, plus brows, lashes, waxing and tanning. Open six days with late nights Tuesday and Thursday; closed Sundays and public holidays.
A long-running float space in Willetton that has grown into a compact recovery studio: float tanks for full sensory rest, plus sauna, cold plunge and red light therapy. One of the few float options south-east of the river.
A Perth day-spa institution running since 1994, with rooms in Nedlands and at Carine Glades in Duncraig. The massage menu spans relaxation, full-body, deep tissue, hot stone, pregnancy and remedial work, sitting alongside facials, infrared sauna and full spa packages — the classic long-afternoon escape as much as a treatment stop.
A sauna and ice bath on Worthington Road, booked for exclusive use — you get the facility to yourself for the session rather than sharing it. Hot and cold are taken in contrast or on their own, and groups can book together. Open from 7am on weekdays, earlier finish on Fridays, and closed Sundays.