Today I’m sharing why I personally chose the Thera360 Plus, a portable full-spectrum infrared sauna from Therasage. And I also share my feedback on how I feel after using this sauna. I also have a call to action asking you to share your sauna experiences so the community can benefit from the collective wisdom of everyone who has one or uses one.
I also highlight some of the many health benefits of regular sauna sessions – both mental and physiological.
Mental health benefits: improved well-being, reduced pain, stress reduction and improved sleep
Here are some of the mental health benefits from this paper, Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review):
- In addition to having profound physiological effects, sauna bathing is reported to have beneficial psychological effects that are reflected in the many reports of improved well-being and pain tolerance.
- The psychological impact of sauna bathing may be due to a combination of factors that include release of endorphins and other opioid-like peptides such as dynorphins, forced mindfulness, psychological stress reduction, relaxation, improved sleep, time out from busy life schedules, placebo effects, and other aspects of individual psychological and social interactions that likely occur around frequent sauna activity.
- While it is difficult to distinguish between the different factors that produce positive psychological effects, such effects may enhance other physiological and metabolic benefits as they are likely to promote adherence to regular sauna activity.
Remember, endorphin release leads to feeling joyful.
And this last bullet is an important one to highlight: when you really enjoy doing something you are more likely to continue doing it. This means you’ll continue to see benefits.
There is also research that supports serotonin-boosting effects and cortisol-lowering effects, both of which are important when it comes to anxiety and mood too. (I’ll address this in a future blog on saunas, together with other mechanisms).
Physiological benefits: reduced inflammation, benefits for Alzheimer’s, reducing toxins and improved heart health
Here are a few studies you can read to learn more about some of the many physiological benefits of sauna:
- Elevating body temperature to reduce low-grade inflammation: a welcome strategy for those unable to exercise?
- Could Heat Therapy Be an Effective Treatment for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases? A Narrative Review
- Evaluation of Interventions to Reduce Firefighter Exposures
- Sauna bathing is associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality and improves risk prediction in men and women: a prospective cohort study
- Effectiveness of a far-infrared low-temperature sauna program on geriatric syndrome and frailty in community-dwelling older people [improvements were noted]
- Effects of Waon therapy on chronic fatigue syndrome: a pilot study [Waon therapy is a type of far infrared sauna and improvements were noted]
- Sauna as a valuable clinical tool for cardiovascular, autoimmune, toxicant- induced and other chronic health problems [they are safe and offer multiple health benefits to regular users].
And this is an excerpt from the Therasage site
The Thera360 Plus sauna enhances mitochondrial health and cellular energy, improves microcirculation and blood oxygenation, enhances the natural production of nitric oxide, offers skin and anti-aging benefits, and the best natural detoxification possible, along with all the amazing health benefits of Full Spectrum Infrared.
The many positive features that helped me pick this sauna
The Thera360 Plus is the sauna I own and endorse. Here are a few of the many positive features that helped me decide to purchase this one (I did a fair amount of research and did look at other units too):
- It is a full-spectrum (near and far) infrared sauna
- It comes with red light/photobiomodulation panels (which also help with pain, mood and reducing inflammation).
- It has the tourmaline gemstones built-in (these generate negative ions so it feels like you’ve been at the beach or a waterfall).
- The chair and foot base is made of non-toxic bamboo materials. I’m used to having to leave new items outside for days in order to off-gas. I was surprised that this was not needed. Their “No Off-Gassing” message holds true.
- The bamboo foot base is a grounding mat.
- It is low EMF and shields not only EMF’s but also ELF’s, RF’s and dirty electricity. Before I purchased my sauna, I met with the owner and am super-impressed by this feature. It’s a really important factor for me and anyone with anxiety or chronic illness and/or electromagnetic hypersensitivity). As soon as it arrived I set it up (set up is so easy) and got out my meter and measured all the EMFs and sure enough there is no exposure when inside the sauna.
- The digital temperature controller is simple to use.
- It’s portable, small and convenient to use.
- It’s affordable, is made in California and the company ships internationally.
My personal feedback as to how I feel after using this sauna
For me, this infrared sauna (with red light therapy and tourmaline) helps me with sleep, digestion and energy primarily (I have chronic Lyme). I also know it’s helping me with ongoing detoxification, mitochondrial health, stress reduction and mood support, immune function and cardiovascular health.
The good news is that the sauna has anti-inflammatory benefits and provides me with wonderful relief from pain, muscle spasms and other injuries.
Also, I feel a real sense of joy after using it … I can’t stop smiling for hours after a session. That is the endorphin and serotonin boost I’m getting, plus some of the benefits of negative ions! I love the outdoors and after a session in the sauna, I almost feel like I’ve been for a hike or walk on the beach.
I’ve also positioned my sauna facing a large window that looks onto our covered patio. It has lots of greenery and I can see the blue sky off to the left. This is particularly pleasant on a cold winter’s day and I get some of the benefits of nature.
I love the bamboo chair that ships with it but it wasn’t providing me with any lower back support (I’m prone to back injuries). I made a modification with a bamboo garden stake and PVC bracket (with some help from my darling father-in-law). Here are some images in case it’s something you’ve been considering….it works perfectly for the back support I need, keeps my bare back exposed to the heat and the bamboo garden stake slides out if needed.
A more in-depth blog post: mechanisms and additional insights
I believe we can all benefit from regular sauna bathing! And I’ll be sharing a more in-depth blog post on additional benefits of infrared sauna, some of the mechanisms, how to interpret the research (since there is so much research on traditional/Finnish saunas which are shorter duration and higher temperatures), how to assess the different saunas that are available, and how to use one and get the most benefits.
I’ll also share my insights on using sauna bathing for benzodiazepine, SSRI, opioid and alcohol detox; why folks with pyroluria may see specific benefits; and using sauna bathing to help reduce the impact of these things that increase anxiety – toxic mold, heavy metals, Lyme disease, pesticides, glyphosate, fluoride, phthalates and much more.
Learn more about the Thera360 Plus sauna here on the Therasage site. If you decide to purchase use coupon code TRUDY10 to save 10%.
I was confused when I started looking into saunas and if you’ve been following me for a while you know I like to share what I learn – hence this blog post. I’m still learning and will continue to share in follow-up posts.
There are many excellent saunas available for purchase and this is just one of them that I landed upon after researching a number of them.
If you have a home sauna, please share:
- which one you have
- why you purchased this type/brand (or use this type of sauna)
- and the benefits you have experienced.
And do feel free to share more about:
- how you use yours – duration, frequency, temperature
- what you do before and after (for hydration)
- if you dry-brush (before or after)
- if you use certain nutrients (like niacin, charcoal, magnesium and other electrolytes, glutathione, NAC etc)
- anything else you do as part of your sauna bathing
- what other detox approaches you use (such as rebounding or castor oil packs etc).
By using the collective wisdom from this community we can all learn and benefit. And giving/contributing gives you a nice endorphin boost too!
If you have questions please share them here too.
I went to buy one and it’s over $400 to ship to Australia do you have anyone in Australia that sends them? I find alot of the things you recommended so helpful and I want to purchase or use but they are generally in the states which is fine as I am there half the year but not when I’m home here in Australia . Something for you to maybe negotiate with the companies you work with?
Georgina
It cost me $225 to ship 2 years ago so something has changed that I was not aware of – my apologies. Maybe a bulk shipment of say 5 units will be more viable. I also paid $300 import duty and the shipping/import duty could be split. I’ll check with Therasage and I’ll also ask if they plan to find a distributor here.
The next option is to find a comparable sauna that is made in Australia. Have you perhaps looked into any and can share your findings? I’ve seen many similar looking portable units in the $200-$300 range but that’s a red flag to me
Hi Georgina, I bought one to be shipped to the UK from the US last year. It worked out well worth it with the 20% discount though the shipping and taxes added another 1/3 to the price. Yes it was about $350 a year ago for the shipping and taxes so can imagine it being $400 this year. Shipping & taxes just rocketted the last couple of years it seems. But I cannot recommend the Therasage 360 Plus highly enough. I love sitting in it, it is like being on the beach: so relaxing. The main thing I noticed benefit is improved circulation and stopping leg swelling, as well as much less neuropathic pain. I had heavy metal toxicity (gadolinium from an MRI) that caused a variety of symptoms and I had to start low and slow and build up the sauna time and temperature slowly from just 2 mins at first. Now happy with 25 mins twice weekly at a mid range temperature. I found the customer service brilliant too when I had queries.
Connie
Thanks for sharing and so wonderful to hear the benefits you’re seeing – improved circulation and stopping leg swelling, as well as much less neuropathic pain. And yes the relaxation feeling and beach feeling is quite something isn’t it!?
Gadolinium toxicity from MRIs is not well recognized so I’m going to share a link for other blog readers – Gadolinium-based contrast agent toxicity: a review of known and proposed mechanisms https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4879157/ As I’m sure you’re aware, it’s somewhat recognized as being an issue for folks with renal/kidney issues however “Newer reports have emerged regarding the accumulation of gadolinium in various tissues of patients who do not have renal impairment, including bone, brain, and kidneys.”
I’m so glad you started slow and are now able to enjoy 25 min 2 x week. Can you share how long it took you to get to 2 x week and what temperature you used initially and use now? And what nutrients and other detox strategies you use too?
Thanks for the input on shipping and taxes for Georgina (that was my thinking too since I hadn’t been able to find anything comparable locally) and yes customer service is excellent.
Connie
Just a heads up that I’m sharing some of your wonderful feedback via social media and email so we can inspire others to consider sauna therapy. I plan to use some of it in a future blog post too so thanks again for sharing here!
Hi Connie,
Did you develop neuropathy from the gadolinium? I had a gad MRI in May 2018, the day after starting Cipro eye drops and very quickly developed widespread muscle pain and later neuropathy, among other things.
The only thing I’ve read that seems to remove the gadolinium is chelation therapy. Did you do that as well?
Thanks,
Erin
Hi Georgina
I just saw your post from a year ago about shopping the sauna to Australia. I’m also in aus in nsw. If you haven’t already purchased one, perhaps we could ship them together to save $$$
Debbie.kleyn@gmail.com
Cheers Debbie
haha…. I just stepped out of mine and when I came to the computer, there was your email. It’s great. I like it a lot. It gets better each time I use it.
Patricia
Wonderful! Which one to you have and how often/how long do you use it? Can you share what benefits you’ve seen and what nutrients and other detox strategies you use?
Hello Trudy, Thank you for your response! Yes gadolinium toxicity is becoming more well known now in research & there is an excellent website with information for those interested: https://gadoliniumtoxicity.com/ (The Lighthouse Project).
I had become extremely sensitive to all treatments and supplements following my toxicity. So I began my Therasage temperature at 35 deg C (the lowest) at 2 minutes, & worked up slowly over 6 months increasing time. Once I reached around 20 mins tolerance without exacerbation of my symptoms, I began increasing the temperature: all this was on the advice of Therasage Customer Support. I can now tolerate 50 – 55 deg C but some days this is too much and 45 is comfortable. It goes up to 70 deg C max I believe! (I had become temperature intolerant post gadolinium & unable to sweat unfortunately).
Supplements: I take BioNutrition’s BioSuperfood Formula 3/ F3 – a very special algae developed by a scientist Dr Kiriac. It is made in such a way as to be toxin free, very important, and has really aided my recovery & detoxification. I also take magnesium, iodine (Iodoral), MegasporeBiotic, OxyPowder (GHC) for my gut, D3, a digestive enzyme with betaine HCl, a B complex, Sea Buckthorn Oil. I would take other things but it is all I can tolerate. However the BioSuperfood algae has most nutrients in so I am well covered! I also have freshly squeezed lemon in luke warm water when I rise in the morning to cleanse the liver and it wakens me up! (use a straw so it does not sensitise the teeth).
I do Perry Nickelstons lymphatic massage on rising too https://vimeo.com/518602280/10e438aa3a. I have an anti inflammatory diet (paleo/ keto/ high in good fats), & reduce toxic load whereever I can. I do intermittent fasting/ time restricted eating (8 hour eating window). I exercise daily & have a mini rebounder to help lymph flow too, & I enjoy Leslie Sansone’s walk-at-home videos free online if I cannot get outside. I also do Joe Dispenza’s meditations to help rebalance my autonomic nervous system. I recently began colonic hydrotherapy: it is important to keep the gut moving & clear toxins, as it is to keep all the body’s detoxification channels open where possible. I also like to use the Wim Hof Method of breathing & cold showers!
Connie
Thanks for sharing all this. I feel the timing and temps of your slow-to-start sauna approach will be so helpful for many folks. I also love all the other wonderful approaches you are using. I especially love Perry Nickelston’s lymphatic massage exercise on rising!
I don’t see any mention of the amino acids so I assume they are not tolerated? I mention this because both GABA and tryptophan can be very helpful with toxin-induced anxiety and anxiety/stress/overwhelm in general (which we always need to address for healing).
Trudy – Thank you so much for your reply on 6th June (apologies for replying to myself, I cannot see where to click ‘reply’ to your message!). I have found I am unable to tolerate amino acids very sadly, I seem to have a bad reaction with all of them. I have read your helpful book and purchased GABA Calm. It was not easy to find in UK but I found a source of the lozenges in the UK! I took a 1/4 and experienced: being ”fine for an hour then became weirdly unbalanced, difficult to do things or think straight/ think at all, very very tired” – this is the record from my diary 6 months ago. Is this reaction unusual? I am prone to low blood pressure, so not sure if it was related to that but felt very different.
Connie
Too much could cause a reaction like that or it could be due to some of the other ingredients in the product. For really sensitive folks with the signs of low GABA I recommend a GABA-only powder with no other ingredients and just a pinch to start.
Glad to hear my book is helpful! My online GABA Quickstart group program is also very helpful when you have questions and need guidance (and moral support/encouragement). More here about the program and purchase info https://www.anxietynutritioninstitute.com/gabaquickstart/
No problem about where you replied
Thank you Trudy for your time given to reply, greatly appreciated!
You may find this podcast interesting from a neurologist perspective: https://hubermanlab.com/the-science-and-health-benefits-of-deliberate-heat-exposure/
I have an infrared sauna but am challenged by herpe outbreaks ….does anyone else experience this ?
Is there a supplement to avoid this?
Susan
This can be challenging because herpes can be made worse or reactivated by “hyperthermia [heat], hypothermia [cold], fatigue, and immunosuppression” https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12013-011-9167-7 It may mean using the sauna for a shorter duration, lower temperature and/or using protocols for herpes at the same time (like lysine and other approaches discussed here https://ndnr.com/womens-health/naturopathic-approach-to-hsv-infections/).
It may also mean not using a sauna at all and finding other ways to support detox if that is your objective (dry-brush, castor oil packs, NAC, rebounding etc) or using GABA/tryptophan and nutritional approaches if stress reduction is your objective, and so on for other objectives like cognitive, cardiovascular health etc.
Can you share more about your herpes outbreaks – are they more extensive when using a sauna and dormant when not using one? Which sauna do you have and how often/how long do you use it and at what temperature?
I purchased a sauna blanket, and I think I leaned on my left side for too long, and did some nerve damage on my left arm, thigh, and calf. No redness on the skin. It has been over two months now, and I have a constant slight burning feeling in those three areas. Do you have any advice?
Lin
I would discuss with your doctor and reach out to the company as this is very concerning and should not have happened.
Can you share which sauna blanket, how often you used it and for how long, and at what temperature?
The doctor said it may or may not get better and I may need to watch sun exposure this summer, as the areas are probably more sensitive. He said that it is probably ok to use a regular sauna, that would not touch my skin, which makes me want to order the Therasage even more. My sauna blanket does not have a name on it, or on the control box. I used it at around 50 degrees Celsius about three times a week. Thank you!
Thank you for all of your sauna info. posts on fb. So helpful and encouraging to read. I just upgraded from our cheap amazon pop up sauna to a Therasage. I absolutely love it. It makes me feel relaxed before bed. I sweat way more than my other sauna. I felt so good when in it that I accidentally stayed in too long. My advice for anyone starting out is dont ignore the warnings to go slow. I started off with max heat because it felt so good that I ended up staying in for an hour. I then felt awful the rest of the day even with supplementing electrolytes. Low and slow is key. I lowered the temperature and now feel great/calm after.
Angela
It’s so great to hear that you absolutely love the Therasage – you really do get what you pay for! Thanks for sharing your benefits here – relaxation before bed. Do you use it right before bed and do you notice any other benefits?
Thanks for the tip to go slow too. I’m curious what temperature you initially used (max is 170 F/ 76C) and then what lower temperature you used?
Angela
Just a heads up that I’m sharing some of your wonderful feedback via social media and email so we can inspire others to consider sauna therapy. I plan to use some of it in a future blog post too so thanks again for sharing here!
When you see this I’ll love some additional feedback on temps and timing (see above)
I too purchased the same Therasage sauna and am very glad I did. I was using it every day (including body brushing + rebounding) to get myself in best possible condition prior to surgery. I also will be using the therasage healing pad on surgical area. The go slow approach worked, as well as the ease of adjusting temperature/time while in the sauna. I can relate to Trudy having a view of sky and plants while in the sauna. I’ve also listened to health related videos while in it. You’re right: when you enjoy doing something, you wish to continue doing it! My main immediate benefit from using it is a
calmness and peace I feel afterwards.
Rochelle
This is great to hear – thanks for sharing! Feel free to share your slow approach – how long and what temp did you start with and how are you doing now?
I hope the surgery goes well.
Rochelle
Just a heads up that I’m sharing some of your wonderful feedback via social media and email so we can inspire others to consider sauna therapy. I plan to use some of it in a future blog post too so thanks again for sharing here!
When you see this I’d love some additional feedback on temps and timing (see above)
Hi!
Thank you for bringing this sauna to my attention.
Are there benefits to not having your head exposed to the heat like in a regular sauna?
Jay
You are most welcome. Do let us know how it goes if you decide to get one.
Per the FAQ on the Therasage site: “The body below can withstand more heat than the brain. The most effective way to initiate a natural immune response, is by raising the core temperature. This is the body’s front line defense against invading foreign viruses and bacteria. In fact, at higher than normal temperatures bacteria, parasites, and viruses will begin to die off. At higher temperatures, the brain actually begins to be negatively affected, so most health professionals recommend their patients use the format that protects your brain from over-heating. It has been scientifically proven that when you promote organ and tissue detoxification, it enhances the pull of toxins from your brain. This way you can efficiently detox, gain all the benefits of full body infrared healing Including the ability to raise your core body temperature (create a false fever) and not effect the temperature of your brain.” https://therasage.com/pages/thera360-plus-faqs
There are however many many studies on the multitude of benefits of saunas where your head/brain is exposed to the sauna heat. The Finnish sauna is a great example and has the most research. They recommend wearing a hat to keep the head cooler and the head must be “continually cooled down by cold and wet towels, so that the brain’s temperature stays low.” More on this here https://www.infraredsauna.co.uk/blog/heat-from-sauna-on-the-brain
Hi Jay, I asked the same thing of the Customer Support team at Therasage – could I put my head inside? They said that it was fine to do so at low temperature, no problem. The reason I like to do this is that red light is beneficial to the head and facial skin and I have many issues with skin and hair, vitiligo, oral issues etc due to my gadolinium exposure. So I figure that exposing my head to the red light is helpful, and I do so for a few minutes at the end of my body session by just pulling my head in. Or, you could sit on the floor of the portable sauna. Red light is also good for the eyes and I don’t feel a need to close them. I keep the temperature low for this part, 35 deg C. You can quickly lower the temperature by unzipping the sauna!
Thanks so much for the responses! I appreciate it. I’ll let you know how it goes if I get one.
Hello. I have been reading posts, comments, and reviews for hours looking for a couple of specific topics. Your review is thorough and engagement thoughtful, so I thought I’d take a chance and ask you..
1. How much heat is emitted outside of the sauna?
I live in a warm climate on an island where electricity is expensive & if you actually have a/c you try not to run it too often.
2. How portable is it once set up?
If I can fit it onto my lanai (to avoid heating up my small condo), I wonder if it’s feasible to push back inside, by myself, after it’s cooled to keep it out of the elements. Not tearing down for storage, just moving it upright 5-8ft back inside and over the sliding glass door track.
3. How easy is assembly/disassembly?
How much of a hassle would it be to put it in its bag to slide under a bed, then the next day take it back out to set up and use? I assume it’s not feasible to do daily… For someone with chronic illness, even “easy” tasks often get skipped, so if I can’t make room for it, I need to know if storing it between uses would be unreasonable. The website states it’s easy to store in a closet or under a bed, but the one video I found makes me think it wouldn’t be as quick or easy as is alluded.
4. What are the dimensions once it’s zipped up in the bag, LxWxH?
The shipping and assembled dimensions are listed on the website, but I need to know if I could store it under my bed or in a closet..
If you made it this far, thank you very much. I appreciate any information you might have.
Jessica
1. no heat that I have observed
2. yes it’s very easy to move around once it’s set up
3. it does fold up and open up easily but for someone with a chronic illness some help would make a difference
4. I believe the shipping dimensions are what you’re looking for as far as storage goes but this one may be best to check with the company
Do keep us posted if you get one
Hello
I have RA and sometimes my flare up is so bad I can not walk or get dressed unaided. My sauna arrives Thursday and was just wondering what the majority go with temp wise and time wise and if anyone else uses this sauna for RA.
Thank you
Victoria
I’m sorry to hear about your RA (rheumatoid arthritis for other readers) flares but infrared sauna is a wonderful modality to incorporate.
Per this paper – “Infrared sauna in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. A pilot study showing good tolerance, short-term improvement of pain and stiffness, and a trend towards long-term beneficial effects” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18685882/ “IR was well tolerated, and no adverse effects were reported, no exacerbation of disease. Pain and stiffness decreased clinically, and improvements were statistically significant during an IR session. Fatigue also decreased.”
If in doubt I recommend clients start low and slow and increase from 10-15 mins at 35 deg C.
I purchased a Therasage 360 sauna more than a year ago and I love it. Sitting in it makes me feel very relaxed and I love the feeling of sweat pouring out of me because I know those are toxins being released.
I started low and slow (although I do think I pushed it a little too much in the beginning and had to back down from frequency) but am now able to sit in it for 40-45 minutes at a temp of 150. I listen to my body though. If I ever feel like it’s too much on a particular day, I lower the temp and cut my session short.
I make sure I’m well hydrated prior to my session and always make sure to hydrate after with added electrolytes. I also use a binder to help absorb the released toxins.
Just wanted to note one thing, my unit definitely had a very strong odor associated with it. I called the company and they recommended running several cycles for it to air out. I even had to place it outside for a time as the smell was so strong. Thankfully it calmed down after several days. This might just be unique to my experience, or maybe I am just really sensitive to smell, but thought I’d mention it since some of your readers could experience the same thing.
Katie
Thanks for sharing and wonderful to hear you are loving it!
Thanks too for the feedback about the need to out-gas your unit to get rid of the smell. Glad that worked so quickly. I am also very sensitive to smells but interestingly mine had no odor at all.