5 Best Infrared Sauna Blankets To Gift In 2023

Out of all the wacky wellness trends out there — being pricked by acupressure mats, floating in dark pools of water — becoming a human hot pocket may rank among the oddest things folks do in the name of health. We’re, of course, talking about the newest wellness craze: infrared sauna blankets. Saunas — a centuries-old invention with roots tracing back to Finland, Turkey, and Korea, among other places —have historically existed as small wood-panel-clad rooms that are heated between 150°F and 190°F and, sometimes, enhanced with heat-conducting rocks. As infrared heat (aka the process of emitting radiant heat as opposed to expressing hot air or steam) has risen in sauna scene popularity, the technology has worked its way into our homes in the form of Hot Pocket-like blankets that promise to swaddle users in the same therapeutic warmth.

While there’s scant medical evidence surrounding these wellness inventions, purported benefits include healthier, clearer skin; muscle pain relief; and an intoxicating level of relaxation. Samantha Baker, VICE’s VP of Commerce & Partnerships, invested in a HigherDOSE infrared sauna blanket when the stay-at-home order restricted her monthly spa visits, and the investment was, in her words, “life-changing.”

While it might seem intimidating to cook yourself inside a burning vinyl burrito, “using a far infrared sauna is extremely safe,” according to Svetlana Kogan, MD, in a previous Refinery29 interview. (Note: In this case, “far” refers to where the infrared waves fall on the light spectrum). “But whenever heat therapy is involved, you cannot do it with pregnant women, people with pacemakers or battery-operated or electric devices, or patients on an insulin pump.” Keep reading to learn more about these human-size pouches of heat — and, more importantly, why they may be the game-changing addition to your (or a giftee’s) wellness routine.