The newest places to sit in infrared saunas aren’t spas, but studios.
The relaxing, sweat-inducing experience — in which different wavelengths of light are used to heat the body directly, as opposed to heating up a space around you like a typical sauna — has drawn clout in recent years as a celeb favorite and popularized by spas like HigherDOSE, which recently opened its third location in Manhattan.
Now, new studios are devoting prime space to infrared saunas, which are often used to treat pain management and for muscle relaxation.
ReCOVER, a midtown studio that specializes in treatments aimed at aiding athletic recovery and stress management, has two infrared saunas that can fit up to two at a time and are equipped with screens with Netflix, Hulu and more to keep you entertained during the 30- or 60-minute session ($45-$65).
Brrrn, a new boutique studio in Flatiron that offers workouts in temperatures as low as 45 degrees, offers a communal experience. Its infrared sauna can fit up to eight — which also helps bring down the comparative costs ($34 for 40 minutes).
Celeb trainer Bizzie Gold’s first yoga studio, B MVMNT, which opened earlier this month on the Lower East Side, has a chromotherapy infrared sauna decked out with a BOSE sound system to blast your personal soundtrack. The space offers private or communal (up to three people) sessions for 25 or 55 minutes ($15-$50). Guests looking to make the most out of their self-care can also add-on treatments such as face and hair masks.
The forthcoming Upper East Side location of the hit boxing studio Rumble will set itself apart from its other two Manhattan locations by offering such amenities as a Drybar and, yes, an infrared sauna, when it opens this summer.
Luxe gym Equinox is also getting in on the infrared sauna game: Its East 74th Street location is home to that new HigherDOSE location (from $45/30 minutes).
