The history of saunas goes deep in the centuries, but infrared sauna is a relatively new concept. It is based on far infrared heating technology, where a person taking a sauna is heated by infrared radiation which comes from heaters usually mounted on the walls. Infrared radiation is a type of electromagnetic waves which has longer wavelength than visible light. It heats the body but not the air. The sun has some infrared light in its spectrum too, and the heat you feel when exposed to sunlight comes from infrared part of it. That's why when sun is suddenly covered by a cloud you feel cold although the air temperature hasn't changed.

It is reported that an infrared sauna made its first appearance somewhere in the 60s, in Japan. In USA it appeared in the late 70s. Since then infrared sauna industry has grown and became available worldwide.