What to Wear in an Infrared Sauna (What I Actually Wear After 6 Months)
What to wear in an infrared sauna is one of those questions that rarely gets a straight answer, so here’s mine, about six months in. It probably isn’t what you’d expect. Inside the booth, I wear nothing at all. On the way there and back, I wear comfy clothes like sweats and flip-flops. The towel and two kinds of hair clips do more for me than any outfit ever could.
I go to a small studio for 40-minute sessions in a full spectrum infrared booth. Every session, I get a private room to myself, the booth is already set up with a towel and goggles, and there’s a robe if you want one. I don’t use the robe.
So here is everything I actually wear, from leaving the house to getting back home: what goes on my body, what goes on the bench, what goes in my hair, and what I’d skip. And if you’d rather not go in with nothing on, I’ll cover that too.
| To the studio | Comfy top and bottoms, like sweats or a loose tee |
| Shoes | Flip-flops whenever I can |
| Inside the booth | Nothing, not even underwear |
| Why | I sweat so much in 40 minutes that anything would be soaked |
| On the bench | My own towel, every single time |
| Hair | A claw clip for my long hair, two snap clips for my bangs |
| Robe | The studio provides one, but I don’t wear it |
| Goggles | Provided by the studio, worn every session |
| Going home | The same comfy clothes, then a shower at home |
| Best for / Good to know | Best for a private room or booth. Good to know: if you share the space, wear something and follow your studio’s rules |
What I Wear to the Studio: Comfy Clothes I Don’t Mind Sweating Into
My rule for the drive there is simple: wear comfy clothes on top and bottom, something like sweats. What I pick for the bottom changes depending on the day, but it’s always something soft and loose. On top, something like this plain white tee.
The reason is the part people don’t think about. My studio doesn’t have a shower, so after the session I put the same clothes right back on and drive home in them. Even after I towel off, I’m still sweaty, so I don’t want anything tight, dressy, or hard to pull on. Sweats are perfect for that.
Everything else rides along in a tote: my towel, my water bottle, an electrolyte stick for after, and my hair clips. It’s a small list, and I shared exactly what’s in my bag and why in what to bring to an infrared sauna session.
What to Wear in an Infrared Sauna Booth: Honestly, Nothing
Here’s the honest answer. When I walk into my private room, I take everything off, including my underwear, and go into the booth with nothing on. The studio leaves a robe in the room, and it’s always there, but I don’t wear it. I undress and get dressed right there in the room.
The reason is sweat. Forty minutes in a booth at around 137°F makes me sweat a lot, and anything I wore would be completely soaked. A wet sports bra or wet underwear isn’t something I want to sit in, and I definitely don’t want to put it back on afterward. Going in with nothing on is simply more comfortable for me.
The other reason I’m comfortable with it is privacy. During my session, I have the room and the booth to myself, so nobody walks in. If your studio is set up differently, or the booth is in a shared space, that changes everything, and you should wear whatever your studio asks.
The one thing I always put on is the goggles. The studio sets out a pair on the bench with a little card showing they’ve been sanitized. Full spectrum booths have bright red light, and I wear the goggles every session.
If You’d Rather Wear Something
Going in with nothing on isn’t for everyone, and you don’t have to. If you’d rather cover up, here’s what makes sense based on what studios generally suggest:
| If you want to wear | Why |
|---|---|
| Loose cotton shorts and a tank | Breathable, and fine if it gets wet |
| A simple swimsuit | Easy if you’re used to wearing one in a spa |
| A towel wrapped around you | The studio towel works, and you can bring your own |
| Skip: heavy synthetic leggings | They trap heat and sweat against your skin |
| Skip: anything you need to wear home dry | It won’t be dry |
Whatever you choose, bring something dry to change into if you can’t stand the idea of putting damp clothes back on. For me, going in with nothing on means my sweats stay dry for the drive home.
The Towel Does the Most Work
If there’s one thing I’d call essential, it’s the towel. I always put a towel on the bench before I sit down. Always. The booth already has a clean studio towel on the bench, and I put my own on top of it.
Then the towel moves around depending on the session. Some days I lay it over my lap. Some days it goes around my neck. Some days I put it over my head. Since I’m not wearing anything, the towel ends up being the only thing I’m using in there, and it’s a lot more useful than an outfit would be.
I bring my own towels from home because I’d rather have something washed in my own detergent against my skin for 40 minutes. The studio’s towel is clean and totally fine, so this part is just my preference.
Hair: A Claw Clip and Two Snap Clips
I sweat a lot in there, and my hair is long, so hair is the other thing I always plan for.
- A claw clip for the back. It keeps my long hair up and off my neck so it doesn’t get soaked with sweat.
- Two snap clips for my bangs. They keep my bangs off my face, so they don’t get wet and stick to my forehead.
Before I started clipping my hair up, it came out damp all the way through and stuck to my neck. Now it stays mostly dry, and I don’t have to wash it after every single session. If your hair is long like mine, here’s the routine that keeps it smooth at home.
After the Session: Wipe Down, Dress, and Go
When the session ends, I give the bench a quick wipe with my towel before I step out of the booth. Then I dry off, get dressed in the room in the same comfy clothes I came in, and grab my tote.
Flip-flops make this part easy. I try to wear them whenever I can, so there’s nothing to tie or pull on after a hot session.
Why I Wear Flip-Flops and Sweats Home
This is what I look like walking out: the same sweats, flip-flops, and my tote. It’s not cute, but it’s practical. Since there’s no shower at my studio, I cool down before I drive and shower as soon as I get home. I wrote about that whole stretch in how to cool down after a sauna session.
If your studio does have showers and you plan to go somewhere right after, that’s when bringing a full change of clothes makes sense. For me, home is the next stop, so sweats it is.
What Not to Wear in an Infrared Sauna
- Metal jewelry. Rings, necklaces and earrings heat up faster than your skin. I take mine off in the car before I even walk in.
- Lotion, makeup or sunscreen. You want clean skin going in. Anything on top just sits there while you sweat.
- Your phone. Not clothing, but I used to bring it in, and it got warm. Now it stays in the car.
- Tight or synthetic clothes, if you do wear something. They trap heat and get clammy fast.
- Anything you’d hate to get soaked. Because it will be.
My Infrared Sauna Outfit Checklist
| Wear there | Comfy tee and sweats, flip-flops |
| Take off before the booth | Everything (jewelry comes off in the car) |
| Put on in the booth | Goggles |
| Bench | My own towel on top of the studio towel |
| Hair | Claw clip and two snap clips |
| Wear home | The same comfy clothes, flip-flops |
| At home | Shower right away |
If you’re still deciding whether a membership or a home sauna makes more sense, I broke down what I pay and what home saunas cost in infrared sauna cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re getting ready for your first session, my advice is this: wear comfy clothes you don’t mind putting back on sweaty, bring your own towel for the bench, and put your hair up. Inside the booth, wear as little as you’re comfortable with. In a private room, for me, that means nothing at all.
Next up in my wellness routine, I’m sharing what it’s actually like to book a mobile IV and have a nurse come to the house. Do you wear anything in the sauna, or do you skip it like I do? Tell me in the comments. And if you’re planning your first visit, here’s how I figured out how long to stay in a red light sauna, from my first session to my 40 minutes now.
