What Is a Smart Sauna and Why You Should Care

By Dr. Tiffany Dubec

I get asked about infrared saunas all the time. Patients want to know if they actually work, which one to buy, how long to sit in one. Those are great questions. But lately there’s a new one popping up more and more: “What’s a smart sauna?”

Fair question. And honestly, it matters more than most people think.

Let me explain.

The Basics First: Why Infrared Saunas Are Worth Your Time

If you’re not familiar with infrared saunas, here’s the short version. Unlike a traditional sauna that heats the air around you to extreme temperatures, an infrared sauna uses infrared light to heat your body directly. That means you sweat more at a lower, more comfortable temperature. You’re getting the benefits of heat therapy without feeling like you stuck your head in an oven.

And the research behind those benefits? It’s actually pretty solid.

A landmark 20-year prospective study published in JAMA Internal Medicine followed 2,315 Finnish men and found that those who used a sauna four to seven times per week had a 63% lower risk of sudden cardiac death and a 40% reduction in all-cause mortality compared to men who used a sauna just once a week (Laukkanen et al., 2015). A follow-up study published in BMC Medicine confirmed these findings in both men and women, showing that higher frequency and duration of sauna use were independently and inversely associated with fatal cardiovascular events (Laukkanen et al., 2018).

Those are not small numbers.

And it’s not just about the heart. A comprehensive review in Experimental Gerontology by Patrick and Johnson (2021) laid out how repeated sauna use triggers a biological process called hormesis. Basically, your body encounters a mild stress from the heat, and it responds by getting stronger. One of the key players in that response is a group of proteins called heat shock proteins, or HSPs. These proteins repair damaged or misfolded proteins in your cells, protect against oxidative stress, and support your immune system. A study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that infrared sauna use produced core body temperature increases and cardiovascular responses comparable to moderate exercise in healthy women (Mero et al., 2015).

The research also extends to pain. A two-year study published in Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics found that far-infrared sauna therapy significantly reduced chronic pain symptoms (Masuda et al., 2005). A randomized controlled trial published in Clinical Rheumatology showed that infrared sauna sessions produced meaningful reductions in pain, stiffness, and fatigue for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, with no adverse events (Oosterveld et al., 2009).

So the science behind infrared saunas is real. It’s published. It’s peer-reviewed. But here’s the thing nobody talks about enough.

Most People Don’t Use Their Saunas Correctly

This is what I see in practice all the time. Someone buys an infrared sauna, uses it a few times, maybe goes too hot or not long enough, doesn’t build consistency, and then it becomes an expensive towel rack in the spare bedroom.

The research is clear that the benefits of sauna therapy are dose-dependent. That JAMA study? The biggest reductions in mortality risk came from people using a sauna four to seven times per week, with sessions lasting longer than 19 minutes. The BMC Medicine study showed that total sauna minutes per week mattered as much as frequency.

So it’s not just about having a sauna. It’s about using it right, and using it consistently.

And that is exactly where a smart sauna changes the equation.

What Makes a Sauna “Smart”?

A smart sauna is an infrared sauna with built-in technology that helps you actually get results from your sessions instead of guessing.

The Transcend Smart Sauna from High Tech Health is the first infrared sauna to do something no other health product has done before. It can predict your body’s core temperature response during a session based on your individual profile. When you set up the sauna, you answer seven simple questions about yourself (things like height, weight, and so on). From that point forward, the sauna models your body temperature in real-time as your session progresses.

Why does that matter? Because core body temperature is the trigger for everything we just talked about. Heat shock protein production, cardiovascular conditioning, the hormetic stress response, all of it depends on your body actually reaching and sustaining a specific internal temperature. A review published in the Journal of Applied Physiology confirmed that heat shock protein expression and the downstream anti-inflammatory cascade depend on achieving adequate elevations in core body temperature (Brunt and Minson, 2021). A study in Temperature found that passive heating produces HSP70 at levels comparable to moderate cycling exercise, but only when core temperature is sufficiently elevated (Sherdan et al., 2017).

Without knowing what’s happening inside your body, you’re flying blind. You might be sitting in a sauna for 30 minutes and barely scratching the surface. Or you might be overdoing it and not even realize.

The Sauna Fitness Indicator

The Transcend Smart Sauna introduces a concept called Sauna Fitness, which is a patent-pending measurement of how your body is adapting to heat stress at the cellular level. Think of it like a fitness tracker, but for your sauna practice.

This isn’t a marketing gimmick. High Tech Health collected thousands of core body temperature data points from real people using their saunas and built a predictive model based on the latest physiological research on heat adaptation and the heat shock protein response. The sauna uses this model to show you where you stand and how your body is progressing over time.

Just like you wouldn’t go to the gym without knowing if your workouts are actually doing something, the Sauna Fitness indicator gives you that same kind of feedback for heat therapy. It takes the guesswork out of it.

The Sauna Guide Calendar: When to Use Your Sauna for Maximum Benefit

Here’s where it gets really practical.

One of the biggest barriers to consistent sauna use isn’t motivation. It’s time. People are busy. Self-care gets pushed to the bottom of the list. And when it does, you lose the cumulative benefits that the research says matter most.

The Sauna Guide calendar shows you the relative benefit of using your sauna on any given day and the shortest session you need for the progress you want. So if you only have 15 minutes before the kids get home, you’ll know whether that’s worth it today or whether you’d get more benefit from a session tomorrow.

It’s based on the same kind of physiological modeling used in exercise science. Just like your muscles need recovery between workouts, your body’s heat adaptation follows predictable patterns. The calendar accounts for that and helps you plan around your actual life.

The Other Smart Features That Actually Matter

Beyond the core technology, there are practical features that make a difference in whether you actually use your sauna regularly.

Remote start through the Transcend app means your sauna can be warmed up and ready before you walk through the door. Leaving the office? Start it from your phone. It notifies you when it hits your target temperature.

Voice control lets you adjust settings without opening your eyes or reaching for anything. And unlike smart speakers that send your voice data to cloud servers, the Transcend processes all voice commands locally. Nothing leaves your sauna.

Guided meditations and breathing exercises are built right in, designed to complement the relaxation response that heat therapy naturally produces. A study in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that combining passive heat therapy with mindfulness techniques enhanced both subjective relaxation and objective stress biomarker reduction (Hussain and Cohen, 2018).

And there’s the scheduling feature. You can set your sauna to warm up at the same time every morning, so it becomes part of your routine instead of an afterthought. Consistency, as the research shows over and over, is where the real benefits live.

What About EMF? A Smart Sauna Has More Electronics. Is That Safe?

This is a smart question and one I hear a lot. If you’re adding a computer, WiFi, and Bluetooth to a sauna, doesn’t that increase your exposure to electromagnetic fields?

High Tech Health thought about this. Their patented heaters already produce the lowest EMF in the industry, addressing both electric and magnetic fields (something most brands ignore entirely). Independent third-party testing has verified their heaters produce just 0.36 milligauss, well below the levels most experts consider safe. You can read more about why EMF matters in infrared saunas on their site.

But the Transcend Smart Sauna goes further. It has a patent-pending feature called Smart EMF Mode that automatically removes WiFi during your session when you don’t need it, and adds it back when you do. Or you can skip WiFi entirely and use a hardwired Ethernet connection.

So yes, it’s a smart sauna. But it’s designed to be a low-EMF smart sauna. That distinction matters.

The Wood Matters Too

This might sound like a weird thing to bring up in an article about technology, but it’s important. When your sauna heats up, the wood it’s made from off-gases. That means the chemicals and volatile organic compounds in the wood get released into the air you’re breathing.

Most saunas use cedar or basswood. High Tech Health uses 100% solid poplar, which has one of the lowest VOC emission profiles of any wood used in saunas. Their cabins also have an active ventilation system that reduces CO2 buildup by 46% compared to passive-ventilation saunas.

You’re sitting in this thing sweating, breathing deeply, with your pores wide open. What’s in the air around you should matter just as much as the technology behind the heaters.

How to Use a Home Sauna the Right Way

If you’re thinking about adding an infrared sauna to your home (or you already have one and want to get more out of it), here’s what the research supports.

Aim for four or more sessions per week. The Laukkanen studies consistently show that four to seven sessions per week provide the most significant reductions in cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risk. Sessions of 20 minutes or longer at temperatures that raise your core body temperature by at least 1 to 1.5 degrees Celsius seem to be where the benefits really kick in.

Build up gradually. If you’re new to sauna use, start with shorter sessions at lower temperatures. Your body needs time to develop heat tolerance. A smart sauna like the Transcend can help you track this progression so you’re not pushing too hard or going too easy.

Stay hydrated. You’re going to sweat. A lot. Drink water before, during, and after your session. Adding electrolytes is a good idea, especially if you’re using your sauna daily.

Be consistent. A sauna session here and there is pleasant, sure. But the health benefits the studies describe come from regular, repeated use over time. This is exactly the kind of habit a smart sauna is designed to support.

The Bottom Line

An infrared sauna is a wellness tool with legitimate, peer-reviewed science behind it. A smart sauna takes that science and makes it personal. It tells you what’s happening in your body. It shows you whether you’re getting results. It helps you build consistency. It removes the friction and guesswork that cause most people to abandon their sauna practice before they ever see the real benefits.

If you’re going to invest in a home sauna, it makes sense to invest in one that’s actually designed to help you use it right. You can explore the full Transcend Smart Sauna lineup or read the complete infrared sauna guide to learn more.

Your health is worth more than guesswork.

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References

1. Laukkanen, T., Khan, H., Zaccardi, F., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2015). Association between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(4), 542-548. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8187
2. Laukkanen, T., Kunutsor, S. K., Khan, H., Willeit, P., Zaccardi, F., & Laukkanen, J. A. (2018). Sauna bathing is associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality and improves risk prediction in men and women: A prospective cohort study. BMC Medicine, 16(1), 219. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-018-1198-0
3. Patrick, R. P., & Johnson, T. L. (2021). Sauna use as a lifestyle practice to extend healthspan. Experimental Gerontology, 154, 111509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exger.2021.111509
4. Brunt, V. E., & Minson, C. T. (2021). Heat therapy: Mechanistic underpinnings and applications to cardiovascular health. Journal of Applied Physiology, 130(6), 1684-1704. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00141.2020
5. Hussain, J., & Cohen, M. (2018). Clinical effects of regular dry sauna bathing: A systematic review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2018, 1857413. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1857413
6. Beever, R. (2009). Far-infrared saunas for treatment of cardiovascular risk factors: Summary of published evidence. Canadian Family Physician, 55(7), 691-696.
7. Masuda, A., Koga, Y., Hattanmaru, M., Minagoe, S., & Tei, C. (2005). The effects of repeated thermal therapy for patients with chronic pain. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 74(5), 288-294. https://doi.org/10.1159/000086319
8. Oosterveld, F. G., Rasker, J. J., Floors, M., Landkroon, R., van Rennes, B., Zwijnenberg, J., van de Laar, M. A., & Koel, G. J. (2009). Infrared sauna in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Clinical Rheumatology, 28(1), 29-34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-008-0977-y
9. Laukkanen, J. A., & Kunutsor, S. K. (2024). The multifaceted benefits of passive heat therapies for extending the healthspan: A comprehensive review with a focus on Finnish sauna. Temperature, 11(1), 27-51. https://doi.org/10.1080/23328940.2023.2300623
10. Laukkanen, J. A., Laukkanen, T., & Kunutsor, S. K. (2018). Cardiovascular and other health benefits of sauna bathing: A review of the evidence. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 93(8), 1111-1121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.04.008
11. Hoekstra, S. P., Bishop, N. C., Faulkner, S. H., Bailey, S. J., & Leicht, C. A. (2018). The effect of passive heating on heat shock protein 70 and interleukin-6: A possible treatment tool for metabolic diseases? Temperature, 5(4), 292-304. https://doi.org/10.1080/23328940.2018.1475253