Your first infrared sauna: what actually happens

If you have never used an infrared sauna, the first booking can feel like a small leap. You don’t know what to wear, how hot it gets, or what you are supposed to do for the time you’re in there.

The short answer is that it is simpler and gentler than most people expect. You have a private room, a set amount of time, and nothing to get right. This guide walks through a first visit at being from arrival to leaving, so you can turn up knowing what happens next.

If you want the background on how infrared differs from the hot, steamy kind, read our guide to infrared vs traditional saunas. This post is the practical version.

What a first infrared sauna session actually looks like

A session at being is 30 minutes. That breaks down as 25 minutes in the sauna, plus time to change and shower. Here is how it usually runs.

Arriving

We’re at 1 Francis Bacon House on Bricket Road, a short walk from St Albans City station. If you’re driving, The Maltings (AL1 3HL) and the Civic Centre car park (AL1 3JX) are both close. Give yourself a few minutes so you aren’t rushing in hot and flustered, which is the opposite of the point.

Your room

The infrared sauna is in a private room, so nobody else is in there with you. You change, shower if you’d like to, and step in when you’re ready. There’s no group etiquette to work out and no one to make small talk with.

The 25 minutes

You sit, lean back and let the warmth build. Most people notice very little for the first few minutes, then a slow, even heat that seems to come from inside rather than from the air. Sweating usually starts somewhere in the middle of the session. Some people close their eyes, some sit and think, some just breathe. There is no right way to use the time.

Afterwards

You shower, cool down, get dressed and head out. Take it slowly. A few minutes sitting with some water before you walk back into the town centre makes a real difference to how the rest of your day feels.

What to wear and what to bring

Because the room is private, wear what you’re comfortable in. Light clothing or swimwear both work, and towels are provided, so there’s nothing special to buy or remember.

A few things worth bringing:

A water bottle. You’ll want to drink before, during and after.
A hair tie if you have long hair, so it stays off your neck.
Loose clothes that are easy to pull on while you’re still warm.
Whatever you normally use after a shower, like moisturiser or a comb.

Take off jewellery and watches before you go in. Metal warms up in the heat and can become uncomfortable against your skin. The same goes for your phone, which is a good excuse to have 25 minutes without it.

If you’d like to see the room and the practical details before you book, the page on our infrared sauna in St Albans covers it, and you can book your first session online when you’re ready.

How it feels compared with a hot traditional sauna

This is the part that surprises most first-timers. A traditional sauna heats the air around you, often to a temperature that makes your first breath feel sharp. An infrared sauna works differently. Infrared panels warm your body directly, so the air itself stays much gentler.

As a rough guide, infrared saunas typically run at around 50 to 60°C, while traditional saunas are often 80°C or more. The feeling matters more than the number. You breathe easily, your face doesn’t sting, and you can stay in for the whole session without needing to dash out.

What you get instead is a deep, steady warmth. It builds gradually, and by the end of the 25 minutes most people have had a proper sweat without ever feeling blasted by heat. If you’ve tried a hot sauna before and found it too much, infrared is often the one that clicks.

Drinking enough and listening to your body

You lose fluid when you sweat, so hydration is the one thing worth taking seriously.

Have a glass or two of water in the hour before you arrive.
Have water to hand and sip it through the session.
Drink again afterwards, more than you think you need.
Avoid alcohol before a session, and skip a heavy meal straight beforehand.

Mild light-headedness when you stand up is common, so get up slowly. If you feel dizzy, sick or uncomfortably hot at any point, step out, sit down and drink some water. Leaving early is completely fine. Nobody is timing you, and there is nothing to prove on a first visit.

Who should check with a GP first

For most healthy adults an infrared sauna is a comfortable experience. Heat does put some extra demand on the body, though, so speak to your GP before booking if any of these apply to you:

You are pregnant.
You have a heart condition, or have been told to avoid heat.
You have low blood pressure or are prone to fainting.
You have had surgery recently.

The same applies if you’re on medication that affects your blood pressure or how you handle heat, or if you’re simply unsure. A quick conversation with your doctor is better than spending the session worrying about it.

Combining it with a float? Float first

Plenty of people pair their first sauna with a float or a massage. If you’re booking floatation and the sauna in the same visit, always float first and do the sauna second.

There are good practical reasons for that order. The float is an hour in body-temperature water with over 500kg of Epsom salts, in a private room with an open pool. You come out very still and loose, and you shower off the salt before moving on. Going into the sauna afterwards means you arrive already relaxed and the warmth carries that feeling on. Do it the other way round and you’d be stepping into the water warm and sweaty, which is less comfortable and less settling.

If floating is new too, our guide to your first float covers it step by step, and you can read more about floatation in St Albans. For a longer visit, a sauna pairs well with massage in St Albans, and our post on combining sauna and massage explains why. Not sure which treatment to pick? Which massage should I book keeps it simple.

A lot of people find us while searching for a spa day. Being isn’t a spa. It’s three things done properly under one roof, and if that sounds like what you were after, here’s why many people see us as an alternative to a spa in St Albans.

A single infrared sauna session is £30, and a couple’s session is £37. When you know which slot suits you, book online and we’ll have the room ready for you.

Frequently asked questions

How long should my first infrared sauna session be?

A 25-minute session is a comfortable length for most first-timers, which is what you get within a 30-minute booking at being. If you feel you’ve had enough before then, step out. You can build up over later visits.

Will I sweat a lot?

Usually yes, though it tends to start later than in a hot sauna because the air is gentler. Most people are sweating properly by the second half of the session. Drink water before and after to replace what you lose.

Can I go in with my partner or a friend?

Yes. We offer a couple’s sauna session for two people sharing the room, priced at £37. It’s a good option if one of you is nervous about trying it alone, and a nice way to catch up with a friend.

Should I shower before or after?

Both is ideal. A quick rinse beforehand means you go in fresh, and a shower afterwards helps you cool down and wash off the sweat before getting dressed. The 30-minute booking allows time for this.

Can I give an infrared sauna session as a gift?

Yes. Gift vouchers start from £50 and can be bought online, and can be put towards a sauna, a float or a massage.

Before your first session

Want to see the room first? Our sauna page shows the private infrared sauna room and how a session runs. See the infrared sauna room.

Got a health question? If you are pregnant or have a heart condition, ask us before you book. Message us on WhatsApp.

Ready to try it? A 30 minute session is a simple first step. Book online.