Purchasing a portable sauna was one of the best decisions that I’ve made for my health, and it saves me a heck of a lot of time. While my portable sauna was great, nothing comes close to The Sauna Pod 2.0 by The Pod Company.
Granted, a portable sauna isn’t for everyone. If you’re a regular gym shark and you hit the sauna at your fitness center, you might not need a sauna at home.
That said, here’s my review for The Sauna Pod by The Pod Company. Learn the pros and potential downsides to decide if it’s right for you.
Also, to be clear, when I say “the sauna pod” in this blog post, I am referring to The Sauna Pod 2.0 product specifically – the latest version by The Pod Company at the time of this writing.
The World’s First Hot Air Sauna
In my quest for my ideal home portable sauna, my must-have is that it gets really hot. I also prefer dry saunas, but steam rooms are fine if there’s no other option.
Browsing online, I quickly discovered that nearly every portable sauna tent seems to be steam-based. That’s fine, though not ideal. So, I went ahead and purchased the X-Vak Portable Sauna. Great product that can work well for many people.
While I enjoyed the product and got in some great sweating sessions, I realized it didn’t get as hot as I wanted. How hot? I’m not sure… maybe 120 degrees or so. Great for getting in a good sweat, but not ideal for maximizing sauna benefits.
I had almost given up on finding a portable dry sauna at home when I discovered The Sauna Pod. It’s the world’s first patented hot-air sauna, and I’ve never seen another product like it.
Pros
While nothing beats the vibe of a traditional wooden Finnish sauna, it comes pretty freak’in close! I didn’t expect a bad product, but it’s way better than what I expected for a portable sauna. It offers a unique sauna experience that shares many features with traditional saunas while also offering its own perks.
Very Affordable
For a home wooden sauna, you’re looking to spend at least $2,000 or more. And that’s just for one person! I’m not knocking the wooden home sauna. They are definitely worth the money if you purchase from a high-quality brand.
However, if you’re on a tight budget, a portable sauna might be the best option. I purchased The Sauna Pod during a special. The box included The Sauna Pod 2.0, The Ice Pod, and ice packs for The Ice Pod. The total cost was about $681.
At the time of this writing, the same deal isn’t available, and the pod costs $697 and also offers an easy payment plan with monthly installments.
While the pod isn’t as cheap as a typical portable steam-based sauna on Amazon, it’s worth its weight in gold as far as I’m concerned. The technology is great and, in my opinion, far ahead of most (if not all) portable saunas out there.
Space Saving Design
One of the biggest advantages of having a portable sauna at home is its space-saving perk. You might live in a small home, have roommates, or live in a small apartment. A portable sauna, whether it’s The Sauna Pod or not, is a great option for those with limited space.
The pod fits easily in my basement, though I could use it in my closet if I wanted to. It’s so compact that you could put it in the corner of a small room without taking up too much space.
I find that its rounded structure, which I don’t normally see with portable saunas, seems to allow it to blend in more easily with the surroundings. Something about a big, bulky, rectangular-shaped sauna, which is typically seen on the market, seems to visually take up more space.
It Gets Hot
While I enjoyed my portable steam sauna tent, especially for the benefits of a steam room, it didn’t get hot enough to my liking. Granted, I’ve been doing sauna for a long time, and I’m very heat-adapted. What’s cooler for me might be hot for you.
One thing that really impressed me about The Sauna Pod is how hot it gets! I can honestly say it gets as hot as the hottest wooden saunas I’ve used at health clubs. The Pod Company claims that it can reach a maximum temperature of 185 degrees Fahrenheit. I confirm that this is true.
With The Sauna Pod, I am pouring sweat by the end of my session. It normally takes me at least 10 minutes to start sweating inside a regular wooden sauna. With The Sauna Pod, I’m sweating before I’m 10 minutes in – even if I’ve just come in from the cold outdoors.
If you’re worried that it gets too hot, don’t worry, you can adjust the temperature to a much lower temperature just by hitting the button. The pod works nicely for both sauna newbies and for heat-adapted sauna users like me.
Saves Valuable Time
Don’t get me wrong. I love the entire communal sauna experience. Commuting to the gym or another health club is enjoyable, but sometimes I’m so busy that even the commute itself is valuable time that could be spent on more important activities.
The Sauna Pod saves time because it’s in the comfort of your own home. I love to hit it after a long day at work when I’m too tuckered out for a commute.
I’m a big fan of building a little wellness area at home so that on days when I’m not able to commute as much, I can still take care of myself. Having an area to stretch out, work out, and take advantage of health technologies makes it easy to incorporate those rituals into busy days.
Futuristic Design
One thing that stands out to me about The Sauna Pod is, at least for me, a futuristic-looking design. The rounded top, sleek black design, and ambient red light give it a very futuristic feel.
Many portable home saunas have a boxy look. The square design, at least to me, isn’t as appealing to the eyes. The Sauna Pod is very simplistic and a reflection of great strides in modern health technologies.
The inside of the pod is definitely very pod-like indeed. The ambient red light, sleek patented technology, and easy-to-use touchpad are awesome improvements in the sauna world.
Ambient Interior
The inside of The Sauna Pod is like some sort of meditation chamber. While there’s not a ton of room inside, like in large at-home wooden saunas, I find the small area is rather relaxing for one person.
The pod’s red light can be turned on and off, so it’s up to you whether you want to use it. I utilize it sometimes for the relaxing ambience that truly reflects the entire sauna experience. Relax, take a break, and calm your mind.
I want to be clear: the red light is not infrared light – the type of light that potentially provides healing benefits. The red light is just that – regular red light. The intention is not infrared light healing but relaxation.
Mimics Traditional Saunas
While I’m a huge fan of traditional saunas, there’s a bit more involved in having one at home, including space, cost, and maintenance. A good traditional sauna is a worthy investment if bought from a reputable, high-quality company.
While The Sauna Pod certainly has modern qualities, it provided an experience I compared to that of a traditional wooden sauna. The relaxing atmosphere, the comfortable chair, and the intense sweating all mirror the experience of a classic sauna.
While nothing beats a classic wooden sauna, we all hit the sauna for one primary reason – to sweat. The Sauna Pod delivers a relaxing atmosphere that is an excellent throwback to old-school Finnish saunas.
Potential Downsides
I had to think hard about the downsides of The Sauna Pod. There’s not really anything about the pod that I’m disappointed about. That said, I can see some potential downsides on an individual basis. What might be a downside to you may not be a downside to me, and vice versa.
No Steam
Both steam rooms and dry saunas offer unique benefits. The Sauna Pod is a dry sauna; steam is not involved in the heating process.
For some like myself, that works out perfectly. For people with sensitive skin who are affected by dry air, the pod might not be a good match. A portable steam room might be a better fit.
Steam rooms are great for opening pores and offering health benefits. One thing that I love about steam rooms is their moisturizing effect. Opening up the pores, sweating, and nurturing the skin with warm steam is a great combo.
One Person Only
The sauna has been a great place for communities to come together for thousands of years. Granted, you might be an introvert like me and not always feel like going to a sauna filled with people, as in some fitness centers. The Sauna Pod only fits one person.
While I still enjoy communing with people in local saunas, I also enjoy my alone time in The Sauna Pod. I could see a one-person sauna pod being a downside for someone who likes the social aspect of sauna.
Tips for Maximizing the Sauna Pod
While a portable home sauna is pretty straightforward and easy to use, I have discovered some tips for maximizing the portable sauna experience. Here are my best tips.
Use Blankets to Keep It Warm
I currently use my sauna pod in my basement, and it can get very cool down there, especially in the wintertime. For my first use of the sauna pod, I could only heat it to about 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Not nearly hot enough for me.
I read some reviews where people put space blankets over the sauna to keep the heat in. While I didn’t think it’d make much difference, I went ahead and gathered several extra blankets at home and draped them over the top.
The result? A temperature jump of 35 degrees Fahrenheit! It really does work, and it honestly blew my mind how much hotter the sauna got. That might not be necessary if you have a consistent temperature throughout your home, but if you have a colder basement, as I do, using blankets really does work.
Heat It Up For At Least Half An Hour
Any sauna, wooden or not, needs to preheat just like an oven. The Pod Company website says that The Sauna Pod reaches a hot temperature in 15 minutes.
I find it warms up quite a bit, but since my pod is in a colder environment in my basement, I give it a good 30-60 mins to fully heat up. I find that it maximizes the temperature.
I’ve also found the preheating tip to be true for my portable steam room. It’s different, though, when steam is involved, because the steam generator loses water quickly, so I only heat it up for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Use Inside As Much As Possible
The sauna pod was designed for indoor and outdoor use. However, it’s much better to use it inside. If the pod is outdoors, I could see it being blown over by strong gusts at some point. It’s not a giant heavy structure like a classic sauna.
While I haven’t tested the sauna outside, I do find that the outside temperature drastically affects the inside, as with any portable sauna. The waxed cotton lining is still incredibly durable, but the elements still affect the temperature to some extent.
I definitely wouldn’t use the sauna outside when it’s hot. That could risk the sauna getting too dangerously hot. Of course, that’s affected by the climate you live in and the time of year. When the sauna is indoors, I always know what to expect, as it doesn’t vary much from the typical home temperature.
Over to You
The Sauna Pod has become a cornerstone of my wellness routine. I’m very happy with the product and very much recommend it. Give it a look right here if you’re interested.
I did not realize that a portable sauna could get this hot and this good. With a temperature comparable to a typical hot Finnish sauna, it meets my sauna needs.
Let me know in the comments below any questions that you have about using a portable home sauna pod.