Is it better to have an infrared sauna than an infrared heating mat? Can an infrared heating mat be used as an alternative to an infrared heated sauna? This question has often been asked by people who are looking for the best product that uses infrared heat. If you’re one of those people trying to weigh the benefits of an infrared heating mat versus a sauna blanket, read this article and get everything you need to know.

The Therapy of Infrared Heat

Infrared heat is an excellent way to heat up your body. All of the infrared heating mats use the energy of infrared light to gently heat up your body. This light energy penetrates deep without relying on other heat sources-heating your body directly without heating the air between you and the mat. It’s a great way to apply heat to tired, stiff muscles and ease minor aches and pains throughout the body. Infrared heat is highly effective, and it’s safe to use. In fact, it is used in hospitals to provide a gentle source of warmth for newborn babies.

Infrared light stimulates the body’s natural healing processes by penetrating deep into the body:

  • Relaxation of the body and mind.
  • Enhance the immune system.
  • Improvement of blood circulation.
  • Improve the quality of sleeping.
  • Increases your sense of well-being and energy.

Infrared Mat vs. Sauna Blanket, Which is Better?

Both the Infrared Mat and Infrared Sauna Blankets use the ultra-therapeutic combination of infrared warmth, crystal therapy and negative ion therapy. Together, these three facets create a well-balanced experience for an improved mood and an optimal sense of well-being.

WHICH OF THE TWO IS BETTER?

It’s a matter of what you’re in search of. Both of them use infrared energy to heat up the body and have a therapeutic and relaxing effect on the body. And compared to a cabin infrared sauna, they are both portable and much more affordable. What makes them different is the way you use them and the unique experience each provides.

Overview of Infrared Mat vs. Sauna Blanket

IN GENERAL: IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR.

For longer sessions, less intense heat and relaxation, infrared mats are a better option. Often include PEMF therapies. They’re easier to use and don’t restrict your range of motion. Sauna blankets are better for more intense heat, full-body sweating, instant revitalization, energizing, complete detoxification, and increased cardiovascular activity. They’re also more portable, so they’re easier to take with you on your travels. Below, we’ve covered everything you need to know about them. Now let’s take a closer look.

5-Gems Infrared PEMF Mat

5-Gems Infrared PEMF Mat

Portable Infrared Sauna Blanket

Infrared Sauna Blanket

Advantages of an Infrared Mat

What are the main advantages of an infrared heater mat compared to a sauna blanket? Let’s take a look at the ways in which an infrared mat is superior to a sauna blanket. Here are the unique features that make an infrared mat such an appealing home infrared device.

Lower Temperature

One of the most obvious differences between an infrared heating mat and a sauna blanket is the temperature. Infrared mats operate at much lower temperatures than a blanket’s intense heat. If you are looking for a softer experience and prefer a milder heat level, you may prefer the feel of a mat. They are a great choice for people who are sensitive to heat.

Longer Sessions

Infrared mats are a good choice for longer sessions. It’s not uncommon for people to spend anywhere from 2 to 4 hours on an infrared mat. This is due in large part to the lower level of heat that is used by an infrared mat. A typical session on a sauna blanket will last anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes. It is a shorter and more intense experience than a blanket.

Relaxation

Infrared mats are designed with relaxation and potential healing effects in mind. They are used for longer sessions and milder levels of health. If you’re in the market for a unit that has relaxation and stress reduction as a priority, then a mat may be what you’re looking for. While sauna blankets can also provide a relaxing experience, they are often used to induce intense sweating, detoxification and increased cardiovascular activity.

Earthing Gems Power

All PHYMAT infrared mats are built with premium quality crystals and gemstones. These 100% natural, untreated, unpainted, crushed and tumbled gemstones and crystals bring you the earth’s gemstones intense energy concentrations, unlocking gemstones healing power and consistent, long-lasting results.

gemstones healing power
crystals

Reduced amount of sweating

Another key difference between an infrared mat and a blanket is perspiration. To be more specific, a mat will induce a much lower level of sweating when compared to a sauna blanket. In fact, you can use an infrared mat and experience little or no sweating at all. If you want to enjoy the infrared experience without having to trigger an intense sweat response in your body – then an infrared mat is the right choice for you.

PEMF Therapy

Some models of PHYMAT infrared mat are equipped with professional PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) technology, which mimics vibrations found in nature to make your cells recharge, restore, and reengize. PEMF therapy uses short bursts of electromagnetic fields to potentially trigger a healing response. Many believe it plays a role in pain relief, inflammation reduction, and healing.

Our Infrared Mat doesn’t require any set up or clean up, just lying down. In the same way being in nature prompts an immediate parasympathetic response, you can expect to feel totally de-stressed and relaxed upon lying down on our mat, thanks to low-level frequency being pulsed throughout your body. That’s because PEMF and infrared work together to help increase oxygenation and circulation on a cellular level that help boost your immune system and stimulate your body’s healing process.

Mobility

With the use of an infrared mat, you are not in any way restricted. You have complete freedom to move, you can position your body and limbs on the mat as you wish. Even during your session, you are free to move around. An infrared sauna blanket, on the other hand, does restrict your movement. It wraps around your body like a sleeping bag, enclosing your body and limbs.

Less Effort to Use

While both an infrared sauna mat and an infrared sauna blanket are easy to use, a mat requires less maintenance and cleanup than a blanket. An infrared blanket produces an intense sweat, enveloping your whole body. And you will have to wipe it down and clean it up every time you are done using it. A mat works on a much more gentle level of heat. There’s little or no sweat. Occasional cleaning is all it takes.

Variety of Sizes Available

Another feature that distinguishes an infrared mat from a sauna blanket is size availability. Mats come in various sizes, ranging from full body to smaller units designed to be more portable and cover only part of the body. Sauna blankets, on the other hand, are designed to provide full body coverage. They are about the size of a standard sleeping bag and come in one standard size with minimal variation.

infrared mat amethyst tourmaline
red light infrared therapy benefits
small size infrared mat

Can use while sitting

There are some models of infrared heating mats that are specifically designed to be used in a sitting position. The dimensions of such mats enable them to be placed in a chair, sofa or office chair. This makes them ideal for people who want to use an infrared mat while they are working at a desk or table. With the use of a sauna blanket, this is not possible.

Your best companion for meditating

You can even practice yoga or meditate on infrared mats. And this is something you definitely cannot do while wrapped in a sauna blanket. You can swap your regular yoga mat for an infrared mat if you’re a yoga fan and want to add some infrared heat therapy to your session.

Now that we’ve covered the main benefits of an infrared mat as opposed to a sauna blanket, we’re going to take a closer look at the benefits of an infrared blanket. And if you want more information on the benefits of an infrared mat – check out The Pros and Cons of an Infrared Mat.

Advantages of an Infrared Sauna Blanket

What are the main advantages of a sauna blanket vs infrared mat? Let’s take a look at the features of a sauna blanket that give it an edge over an infrared mat. Here’s everything you need to know about why a sauna blanket might be just what you’re looking for.

More Intense Heat

The first advantage of a sauna blanket over an infrared mat is heat intensity. The heat generated by the blanket is significantly higher than the heat generated by the mat. If intense heat is what you are looking for – reach for an infrared blanket. They are an excellent way to heat up quickly and efficiently, right to the core of your body.

Sweating

Sauna blankets trigger heavy sweating. The higher level of heat and the 360-degree envelopment of your body allow you to absorb a lot more of the infrared heat energy in a sauna blanket. Your body responds by trying to cool down, resulting in heavy sweating. This is something that you will not get from using a mat.

360° Wrap Around Your Body

An infrared mat only heats the body areas in direct contact with the mat surface. A sauna blanket provides 360-degree coverage, simultaneously delivering infrared heat to your entire body from feet to shoulders.

relaxing in a portable infrared sauna blanket

Detoxification

Sauna blankets are the preferred option for detoxifying the body. The increased heat helps flush toxins from the body through intense sweating. As the body heats up, it forces sweat droplets through the pores of the skin to cool down. This action is part of the body’s cleansing process of toxins and impurities.

Improve Heart Health

And it doesn’t just help to detoxify the body. The elevated heat levels and sweating experienced in a sauna blanket are believed to promote other health benefits such as increased cardiovascular activity and skin cleansing. Heart rate increases in response to increased body temperature, and the movement of sweat droplets to the surface of the skin helps cleanse the skin of dirt and debris.

Highly portable design

Blankets are lightweight and portable. It’s easy to take them with you when traveling in the convenient carrying bag included. While weighted gemstone infrared heating pads are too heavy to carry around in comparison to an infrared blanket. We recommend a sauna blanket if you want a device that’s easy to take with you on your travels.

To learn more about the pros and cons of using an infrared blanket, see The Pros and Cons of Using a Sauna Blanket.

Which should I buy?

So, what is your purchase? An infrared heating mat or a sauna blanket? It all depends on personal preference. And the two are not mutually exclusive of each other. Many people like to use both. In our opinion, however, it’s a matter of what your needs are.

Are you looking for a device that will provide you with gentle heat for a long, relaxing session? Or do you want something that packs more of a punch – with intense levels of heat, lots of sweating, increased cardiovascular activity, and a full system detox?

For people who want a gentler infrared heating experience, infrared mats are best. They’re great for longer sessions and can be enjoyed without having to start sweating. In addition, PEMF, a therapy rarely found in sauna blankets, is often included with mats.

However, if you want to experience the effects of high heat similar to that found in a sauna, a blanket is the way to go. The blankets can be cranked up right away and used to induce an intense sweat and all of the potential health benefits that go hand in hand with it.

Acada Health