Sauna
vs.
Sauna Blanket
History of the sauna
The sauna as we know it today, was first invented in Finland. It has deep roots in modern Finnish society, with over 3 million saunas shared across 5 million people.
With famous experts and thought leaders such as Joe Rogan, Tony Robbins, Tim Ferris and Andrew Huberman declaring their love for sauna bathing, it’s no surprise that sauna usage has exploded in popularity across the United States and many other parts of the world, as people are starting to become aware of the numerous health benefits that sauna bathing brings.
A quick search on Google Trends shows that “sauna” searches in the US doubled over the past two years.
Why do people go to saunas?
Most people go to the sauna for 3 main reasons - to improve their health, to relax, and to socialise with their friends and colleagues.
1. Health Benefits
The science and data behind the health benefits are staggering, which explains why many thought leaders, athletes and entrepreneurs are jumping onto the sauna bandwagon over the past two years.
With lots of data and multiple studies conducted across large populations of people (mainly the Finnish population), the number of benefits are heavily stacked.
These benefits include:
✔️ Decrease in risk of cardiovascular disease
✔️ Increase in rate of muscle recovery
✔️ Increase in brain function and reduction of risk of brain disease
✔️ Pain Reduction
✔️ Improvement in immune function
If you are more interested in diving deeper into the health benefits of sauna bathing, we highly recommend either watching the podcasts referenced earlier, or reading the following articles:
b) Regular Sauna Bathing and the Incidence of Common Colds
d) Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review - Joy Hussain, Marc Cohen
e) Benefits and risks of sauna bathing - Minna L Hannuksela MD, Samer Ellahham MD
2. Relaxation, Stress Reduction, Sleep
Besides the longer-term health benefits that are mentioned in the previous paragraph, sauna bathing also comes with many immediate health benefits which can be felt immediately.
The heat generated from a sauna room causes the body to release “feel-good hormones” known as endorphins, which can help to loosen up stiff muscles, aid in relaxation, and decrease stress.
Many sauna bathers do report having a more restful sleep at night 1-2 days after the sauna session.
3. Socialising with family, friends & colleagues
Saunas are a great place to socialise as well. Regardless of whether you’re meeting your family or friends at a home or public sauna, the sauna offers an alternative place to relax and unwind. It could be a good place to catch up on old times, current affairs, or even to discuss business deals.
Downsides of going to a public sauna
Public saunas do come with several downsides.
1. Inconvenience
Most people don’t stay near public saunas. If you’re a gym-goer, looking to enjoy a sauna bath right after your gym session, chances are that your gym wouldn’t be equipped with a sauna.
The inconvenience of visiting a public sauna makes sauna bathing on a regular basis a huge challenge, especially when multiple studies show that the frequency of sauna bathing affects the amount of health benefits experienced by it.
In fact, the recommended “dosage” of sauna bathing, in order to experience the full range of health benefits, is 4 times a week, 20 min per session.
Just as staying near a gym is important in helping one keep up with one’s fitness routine and goals, having a sauna that is easily accessible can also help one adhere to one’s own sauna bathing routine more easily.
2. Socialising is not for everyone
Approximately half the human population are introverts, and studies found that close to 10% of adults in the US experience some level of social anxiety, with 7% of adults having experienced social anxiety over the last year, and 12% of adults having experienced social anxiety at least once in their lives.
Many people do not enjoy having to interact with, and being stared at (while being naked) by strangers at public saunas.
3. Cleanliness, hygiene and disease control
Depending on how well a public sauna is cleaned and maintained, it may be unhygienic to use saunas when many other people are using it as well. During the COVID-19 pandemic, public saunas may have been responsible for contributing to the spread of bacteria and viruses.
Not to mention the stench from sweat produced by others - it can start to smell really badly if the sauna isn’t cleaned and sterilised thoroughly on a regular basis.
4. Cost
If you intend to use the sauna multiple times each week to enjoy the full health benefits of sauna bathing, what you’ll find is that the costs can quickly add up.
If we assume that each trip to the public sauna cost $30 (per person), and that we intend to sauna bathe thrice a week, it would mean that over a full year, it would cost
$30 X 3 X 52 weeks = $4680 / year / person
5. Dry saunas may damage your hair
Sauna bathing in dry saunas may cause your hair to dry out and become frizzy. And it seemed that among Reddit users in the /sauna subreddit, many people were posting about this exact problem.
Downsides of installing a home sauna
Home saunas come with many upsides compared to public saunas (such as convenience, hygiene and privacy) but share some of the same downsides as public saunas (such as hair damage). They also come with other downsides such as:
1. Cost
The biggest downside of installing a home sauna at home is the huge cost that comes with it. An infrared box sauna can cost anywhere between $2000-10000, depending on its size and build material, making it something that’s only available for the ultra-wealthy (if you’re staying outside of Finland)
2. Space
Many modern homes, especially in larger cities, are smaller apartments that simply lack the floor space to install saunas.
Home saunas are a luxury that’s only available to the rich
This means that owning a home sauna is something that’s only possible for the super-rich.
Which would suck, if you are convinced about the numerous health benefits that sauna bathing can bring, but are looking for a more affordable & accessible option.
Introducing the HeatPod Sauna Blanket
We’ve read the studies.
We’ve seen the endless podcasts on thought leaders enthusing their love for saunas.
We’re convinced that saunas are game-changing for our health.
Thus, here at Hydragun, we’ve designed the HeatPod Sauna Blanket to solve the primary problems of cost and convenience that are associated with saunas.
We don’t see why this “miracle elixir” should be something that’s only exclusive to the super-rich. We want to make sauna bathing more accessible for everyone and level the playing field.
At only $499 (in the US), enjoy a sauna bathing experience from the comfort and privacy of home at an affordable price, anytime you want.
Imagine how much time you can save just by having a more accessible sauna at home.
✔️ No more stinky sweat smell from others.
✔️ No more having to deal with stares from strangers in public saunas.
✔️ No more having to put yourself at risk of getting infected by others.
✔️ No more dry, frizzy hair from dry saunas.
Downsides of using a sauna blanket compared to a regular sauna
Of course there are some downsides to using a sauna blanket such as the HeatPod Sauna Blanket. The main one being that it takes away the social aspect of sauna bathing which is enjoyed by many.
But if you’re someone who’s looking to sauna bathe very frequently, like anywhere upwards of 3-4 times a week, you would probably end up sauna bathing alone more than 75% of the time, which means that having that larger space to chat with your buddies or partner isn’t going to be as crucial.
In fact, what we would recommend is to sauna bathe with the HeatPod at home most of the time for the health benefits, but continue to visit public saunas with your friends if you do want to hang out together regularly.
Comparison Table
Reviews
Still not convinced about the HeatPod Sauna Blanket? Here are some reviews left by highly-satisfied customers:
The HeatPod is convenient & saves time compared to traveling to public saunas
The HeatPod has a small footprint and is easier to store away than full-sized home saunas
Conclusion
If you live in a huge house and if price isn’t an issue at all, we recommend purchasing and installing a home sauna.
If your local gym has a public sauna and you enjoy relaxing with your buddies after a tough workout session, you probably should continue doing just that.
However, if you live in a smaller house or are on a tighter budget, the HeatPod Sauna Blanket by Hydragun could be a cheaper and more accessible alternative compared to a home sauna or a public sauna.
And even if you were to sauna bathe with your buddies once a week/month, it doesn’t mean that the HeatPod wouldn’t be suitable for you. You could still meet up with your friends at the public sauna for a more social sauna-bathing experience, while sauna bathing at home with the HeatPod when you’re alone but are still looking to get your sauna fix.