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A portable infrared sauna is a fabric tent with carbon heating panels inside. You sit on a folding chair, zip it closed and switch it on, and when you’re done it folds flat for storage. There are two kinds: head-out tents, where your head sticks out of a hole in the top, and full-size tents, where you sit fully inside. Here are four that are on Amazon now, with what each listing says about it.
Our quick picks
- Best head-out tent: Durherm Portable Infrared Sauna. Heated foot pad and chair included, and it heats up in about 5 minutes per the listing.
- Best full-size tent: SereneLife Infrared Sauna Tent. 35 x 71 inches, room to sit or stand, 3 carbon panels, up to 140°F.
- Most room: Smartmak 1 or 2 Person Sauna. 47 x 35 x 63 inches, a high-back reclining chair and a red light lamp.
How we picked: we haven’t tested these saunas hands-on. We compared the current Amazon listings on size, heat settings, controls and safety features, and only included models that were in stock in the US when we checked. Every spec below is the seller’s own claim from the listing. How we review.
Last updated 14 October 2026. Specs and availability from each Amazon listing, checked that day.
Portable infrared saunas compared
| Sauna | Type | Heat, timer |
|---|---|---|
| Durherm | Head-out | 30 min timer |
| TaTalife | Head-out | 115 to 140°F |
| SereneLife | Full-size | 140°F, 60 min |
| Smartmak | Full-size, 1 or 2 | 140°F |
From each sauna’s Amazon listing. Durherm doesn’t list a maximum temperature.
The best portable infrared saunas on Amazon
1. Durherm Portable Infrared Sauna: best head-out tent
The classic silver clamshell tent. Per its listing it heats up in about 5 minutes, has a timer of up to 30 minutes, and comes with a heated foot pad and a folding chair. Your head stays outside, so it doesn’t feel closed in. The Durasage X-Large is a near-identical tent, 27.5 x 30 x 38 inches, with a timer of up to 60 minutes.
2. TaTalife Portable Infrared Sauna: head-out, more power
Another head-out tent, 27.6 x 31.5 x 37.8 inches set up. Its listing gives 1050 watts of carbon heating panels and a range of 115°F to 140°F on a standard 110V to 120V outlet. The heated foot pad has its own setting on the hand-held remote, and TaTalife says it opens in under a minute and sets up in about 3.
3. SereneLife Infrared Sauna Tent: best full-size tent
If you’d rather be fully inside, the SereneLife is tall enough to sit or stand in at 35 x 71 inches. Per its listing it has 3 carbon fiber panels, a 140°F maximum and sessions of up to 60 minutes, set with a remote. It comes with a folding chair, a heated foot pad, a double zipper, an inside pocket and a clear window.
4. Smartmak 1 or 2 Person: most room
The roomiest tent here at 47.24 x 35.43 x 62.7 inches, with a removable metal frame that Smartmak says sets up in 5 minutes. It has 3 carbon panels with 1050 watts in total, a 140°F maximum and a heat-up time of about 8 minutes per the listing, plus a 660nm red light lamp and a high-back folding chair you can tilt back to semi-recline.
Head-out or full-size?
- Head-out tents are smaller (about 28 x 31 x 38 inches set up) and your head stays in room air. They fit a bedroom corner or a bathroom.
- Full-size tents enclose your head too, which feels more like a real sauna. They need more floor space and more height, so measure first.
- Two people: only the Smartmak here is listed for two. For two people regularly, a wooden 2 person cabin is the more comfortable buy.
Portable infrared sauna vs portable steam sauna
Many tents on Amazon are steam saunas: a kettle-style steamer pipes hot steam into the tent. An infrared tent has no water at all; its panels warm you directly, so the air stays drier and there’s no steamer to refill or clean. Steam tents feel more like a steam room. Check the listing for “infrared” or “steamer” before you buy, because the photos look almost the same. Prefer something you can fold into a drawer? See our infrared sauna blanket picks.
Before you buy
- Power: these tents plug into a standard household outlet. Don’t use an extension cord unless the manual allows it.
- Floor: put a towel or mat under the chair and foot pad, because you’ll sweat.
- Assembly: head-out tents pop open; frame tents take a few minutes, and a second pair of hands helps.
- Safety: start with short, low sessions, drink water and stop if you feel dizzy. Read our guide to using a sauna safely.
Want something permanent? Compare a 1 person infrared sauna or a 2 person infrared sauna cabin.
Frequently asked questions
What is a portable infrared sauna?
A folding fabric tent with carbon infrared heating panels inside. You sit on a chair inside it, and it folds flat when you’re done. Head-out models leave your head outside; full-size models enclose you completely.
How hot does a portable infrared sauna get?
Most list a maximum of about 140°F. The SereneLife and Smartmak both list 140°F, and the TaTalife lists 115°F to 140°F.
How long does a portable infrared sauna take to heat up?
A few minutes. Durherm’s listing says about 5 minutes and Smartmak’s about 8, though it depends on the room temperature.
Is a portable infrared sauna the same as a steam sauna tent?
No. An infrared tent uses heating panels and stays dry. A steam tent has a steamer that fills it with hot steam. They look alike, so check the listing for “infrared” or “steamer”.
Can two people use a portable sauna?
Most portable tents are built for one person. The Smartmak here is sold as a 1 or 2 person model at 47 x 35 inches. For two people regularly, a wooden 2 person cabin is more comfortable.
Sources: each sauna’s Amazon listing, checked 14 October 2026.
