Portable Steam Saunas: Top 5 Picks + Science-Backed Benefits

Enduring hot, sweaty temperatures in a small tent isn’t a new fad. Various cultures have carried out similar traditions since ancient times, including Native Americans and people of Finland. Portable steam saunas are a spiritual successor to these cleansing and healing rituals, and modern research has begun to reveal their health benefits.

It can be tough to pick the best portable steam room for your home. We’ve analyzed hundreds of reviews, specs, features, promotional materials, and more to help you find the best portable steam sauna for your needs.

In this guide:

• The best portable steam saunas
• The science-backed benefits of portable steam saunas

See also: Portable Infrared Saunas Guide

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Top 5 Portable Steam Saunas

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Health Benefits of Portable Steam Saunas

Since ancient times, various cultures have praised sauna use (and similar practices) as a means to improve health. Only more recently has research been used to verify such claims.

Here are some of the most prominent research-backed health benefits of sauna usage.

Longevity

Studies have shown that sauna use may be linked to longevity. Here’s a summary of the research.

• Lower Risk of Heart Disease

Research has shown that sauna usage may help lower one’s risk of heart disease.¹Cardiovascular and Other Health Benefits of Sauna Bathing: A Review of the Evidence²Effects of Repeated Sauna Treatment on Ventricular Arrhythmias in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure³Waon Therapy for Managing Chronic Heart Failure – Results From a Multicenter Prospective Randomized WAON-CHF Study Heat exposure, like what one might experience in a portable steam sauna, can be thought of as a sort of workout for the heart.

When exposed heat in a sauna, several cardiovascular changes take place.⁴Sauna bather’s circulation.⁵The blood pressure and heart rate during sauna bath correspond to cardiac responses during submaximal dynamic exercise Blood flow through the skin increases significantly to keep the body cool, while blood flow to internal organs decreases. With an overall increase in blood flow volume, the heart starts beating faster to maintain blood pressure. The extra work placed on the heart is usually similar to that of an intense walk.

These cardiovascular changes and the resultant “workout” for the heart may be part of the reason sauna usage can help lower the risk of heart disease. Using a portable steam room can be an effective way to simulate the same kind of heat exposure at home.

One meta-analysis of 9 studies on sauna usage concluded that there is evidence that saunas may be beneficial for heart health.⁶Far-infrared saunas for treatment of cardiovascular risk factors: summary of published evidence. At the time, they found some evidence that sauna usage can help with normalizing blood pressure and treating congestive heart failure, a chronic condition characterized by weakening heart muscle tissue.

However, this meta-analysis was conducted in 2009. Since then, there has been plenty more research on the relationship between sauna use and heart health.

Only a year later, another study examined the effects of Waon therapy on chronic heart failure peripheral arterial disease.⁷Waon therapy for cardiovascular disease: innovative therapy for the 21st century. Waon therapy involves being exposed to 140-degree Fahrenheit temperatures for a period of time. The study found that this heat exposure was effective in treating both chronic heart failure and peripheral arterial disease.

Another study in 2017 further demonstrated that sauna use can reduce blood pressure.⁸Sauna Bathing and Incident Hypertension: A Prospective Cohort Study They found that among 1,621 subjects aged 42 to 60, those who used saunas more frequently demonstrated far fewer cases of high blood pressure. Those who used a sauna 4 to 7 times per week were 46% less likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure compared to those who used a sauna only once per week.

Further research has shown that sauna use may reduce total cholesterol and LDL “bad” cholesterol.⁹The effect of sauna bathing on lipid profile in young, physically active, male subjects In a 3-week trial, 16 subjects underwent 10 sauna bathing sessions every day or two. They sat in a 195-degree Fahrenheit sauna (standard heat in Finnish saunas) for two 15-minute sessions separated by a 2-minute break. At the end of the trial, they demonstrated reduced total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.

• Reduced Risk of Diabetes

Heat exposure, like what one can experience in a portable steam sauna, can help with reducing the risk of developing diabetes.

For example, research has shown that heat exposure can help improve obesity-induced insulin resistance.¹⁰Whole body hyperthermia improves obesity-induced insulin resistance in diabetic mice Insulin resistance is when cells in the body don’t properly utilize blood glucose, leading to high levels of blood sugar. High blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, closely correlates with prediabetes. People with prediabetes are at risk of developing diabetes.

This appears to be applicable for those who aren’t obese as well. One report noted that for the general population, heat exposure has the potential to improve impaired insulin sensitivity.¹¹Regular thermal therapy may promote insulin sensitivity while boosting expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase – Effects comparable to those of exercise training Based on these findings, higher temperatures in portable steam saunas may have the potential to reduce these impairments.

• Reduced Inflammation

Sauna usage my help reduce inflammation. There is promising evidence thus far to support this inverse relationship between inflammation and sauna use.¹²Far-infrared saunas for treatment of cardiovascular risk factors: summary of published evidence.

For example, one study examined 2,084 men with chronic or acute inflammation.¹³Sauna bathing and systemic inflammation The study found that the more frequently the men used a sauna (up to 7 times per week), the lower their level of inflammation. This was true even when accounting for a whole slew of other factors, including age, weight, smoking habits, physical activity, and more.

Physicality

Sauna usage may also be able to improve athletic endurance and efficiency. Here’s a summary of the research.

• Heat Endurance

Research has shown that sauna use may improve the body’s ability to endure heat. It may seem obvious, but it’s necessary to have the data to back it up.

One notable study examined the effects of heat exposure on ultra-marathon runners before a competition in a hot desert.¹⁴Heat acclimation responses of an ultra-endurance running group preparing for hot desert-based competition In preparation, the athletes ran on a treadmill in temperatures up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. As you might expect, those who underwent exercise-heat training exhibited more resistance to exercise-heat stress and illness during the competition.

• Athletic Performance

In addition to withstanding heat more effectively, research suggests that sauna-like heat exposure can actually improve athletic performance.

One study examined the effects of relatively modest heat exposure in highly-trained athletes.¹⁵Effectiveness of short-term heat acclimation for highly trained athletes They underwent 5 days of 90-minute sessions in 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Comparing the performance of a rowing-based heat stress test before and after the trial, the athletes improved their time by a little more than 1%. They also demonstrated slightly lower internal body temperatures.

• Muscle Glycogen Efficiency

These effects are likely related to the body’s more efficient use of muscle glycogen following heat exposure.

One notable study examined several physiological changes in athletes before and after heat acclimation.¹⁶Substrate utilization in leg muscle of men after heat acclimation In cycling tests, subjects demonstrated a more efficient use of muscle glycogen (a source of energy) following 8 days of 103-degree Fahrenheit heat exposure.

• Reduced Muscle Atrophy

Muscle atrophy is when muscle tissue starts to break down and waste away. This can happen when a muscle is immobile for a long time, such as after an injury.

Research suggests that heat exposure can help with reducing muscle atrophy. A notable study on immobilized animals examined the effects of heat exposure of up to 106.7 degrees Fahrenheit every other day for a week.¹⁷Intermittent hyperthermia enhances skeletal muscle regrowth and attenuates oxidative damage following reloading At the end of the trial, the heat-exposed animals demonstrated more residual muscle mass than the non-heat-exposed animals. This has been repeated in other studies as well, including in human muscle tissue.¹⁸Heat stress attenuates skeletal muscle atrophy in hindlimb-unweighted rats¹⁹Daily heat treatment maintains mitochondrial function and attenuates atrophy in human skeletal muscle subjected to immobilization²⁰Heat treatment reduces oxidative stress and protects muscle mass during immobilization

Brain Health

Quite a bit of research points at the neurological benefits of sauna usage, like one might experience in a portable steam sauna.

These brain health benefits go beyond simple performance enhancements. For example, one study found an association between frequent sauna use and reduced risk of future psychotic disorders.²¹Sauna Bathing and Risk of Psychotic Disorders: A Prospective Cohort Study

Here are a few other brain health benefits associated with sauna use.

• Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease

Some research has suggested that sauna use may decrease risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. One notable study examined the relationship between these conditions and sauna use in 2,315 subjects aged 42-60 years.²²Sauna bathing is inversely associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease in middle-aged Finnish men The researchers found that the more frequently these subjects used a sauna, the less likely they were to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

• Reduced Depression

There is also some evidence to suggest that heat exposure, like what one might experience in a portable steam sauna, can help with reducing symptoms of depression.

One study examined the effects of exposure to heat in 14 depressed subjects.²³Repeated Thermal Therapy Diminishes Appetite Loss and Subjective Complaints in Mildly Depressed Patients They underwent 140-degree Fahrenheit temperatures for 15 minutes for 5 sessions per week, totaling 20 sessions over 4 weeks. At the end of the trial, scores related to mental state and relaxation were significantly improved compared to a control group.

Another study measured the effects of heat exposure therapy in subjects with major depressive disorder.²⁴Whole-Body Hyperthermia for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder Subjects were randomized into two groups, with one undergoing heat exposure therapy for 6 weeks and the other serving as the control. At the end of the trial, the heat-exposed group showed significantly decreased depression score measurements.

• Focus, Attention, and Memory

Research has also shown that sauna use may help with focus and attention. Notably, studies have shown that sauna use can significantly increase levels of norepinephrine.

Norepinephrine is a hormone and neurotransmitter best known for its role in the fight or flight response. It also plays a vital role in focus, attention, and memory.

One study examined the relationship between sauna use and norepinephrine.²⁵Haemodynamic and hormonal responses to heat exposure in a Finnish sauna bath. They tested various temperatures and levels of humidity, and noted significant increases in norepinephrine. The strongest increase was noted at 176-degrees Fahrenheit in a humid sauna, which was associated with a 310% increase in norepinephrine.

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Summary

Portable steam saunas are a great way to take advantage of all the research-backed health benefits of saunas in the comfort of your own home. They’re also much more inexpensive compared to full-size home saunas.

Equipped with the information from this buyers guide, you should be able to pick the best portable steam sauna for your needs. If you aren’t sure you want a steam sauna, a portable infrared sauna might be for you.