Made Simple: Red Light Therapy Pads vs. Infrared Saunas

Medically reviewed by Karen Wolters, RN and Joanna Fearnley, LPN

Over the past few years, red light therapy pads and infrared saunas have garnered considerable attention for their health benefits. Each treatment offers unique features and benefits catering to different usage scenarios, from home treatments to professional settings. Understanding the differences between these options is crucial in selecting the ideal solution for your specific needs.

Red Light Therapy Pads

HealthLight’s red light therapy pads stand out for their focused treatment approach, providing a cost-effective and portable solution for at-home or professional use. These pads are designed to wrap perfectly around your body, allowing for direct application to the affected area. This ensures that your body gets maximal light energy without significant loss. The main reason for using red light therapy pads is for pain relief, as the pad can target one specific area for treatment. 

Key features of red light therapy pads:

• Focused Treatment Area: These pads offer targeted therapy, allowing users to apply light directly to specific body areas, facilitating deep tissue penetration and minimal loss of light energy. Helping immensely with pain relief.
• Low-Level, Incoherent Light: The safe and low-heat LEDs make it possible to place the pad directly on the body, with the pad’s temperature remaining below 105°F, reducing the risk of burns or injuries.
• Portability: Red light therapy pads are lightweight and portable, making them convenient for use at home or in different office settings, catering to individualized treatment needs.

Infrared Saunas

Contrasting red light therapy pads, the LED wall panels in infrared saunas are primarily designed for use in wellness centers, offering a diffused treatment approach with larger panels emitting a broader spectrum of light. The infrared sauna is great for home, gyms, or wellness centers. They can be equated to a vitamin, as they will not work for pain relief. See the key features of infrared saunas below:

Key features of infrared saunas:

• Diffused Treatment Area: LED Wall Panels cover a broader area, but with a lower dosage of light energy reaching the body due to the distance from the source. Independent testing reveals that a smaller amount of light energy penetrates the tissue.
• Primarily used in gyms and wellness centers: These panels are often wall-mounted and better suited for use in wellness centers, providing a fixed setup catering to professional wellness treatments. They are also much more expensive, making them inaccessible to the general population.

Choosing the Right Solution for Your Needs

When deciding between red light therapy pads and infrared saunas, consider your specific requirements and intended usage. HealthLight offers red light therapy pads for targeted therapy, portability, and affordability, making them suitable for both home and professional use. In contrast, the LED wall panels that you find in infrared saunas are ideal for wellness treatments, as they don’t offer the same pain relief that you will get from red light therapy pads.

Ultimately, the choice between these red light therapy solutions hinges on factors such as treatment objectives, convenience, budget, and intended usage—selecting the one that aligns best with your specific needs will ensure an effective and rewarding light therapy experience. Always consult a healthcare professional before initiating any new therapy, ensuring it aligns with your health conditions and objectives for wellness and vitality.