HigherDose Sauna Blanket Review

I’ve had my sauna blanket for a while now and LOVE IT. Here’s my HigherDOSE sauna blanket review and all the details you need to know before trying it out. Get 15% off with the code KATHEATS and my affiliate link.

I have had my eye on the HigherDOSE Infrared Sauna Blanket for years now. I kept convincing myself we didn’t need one at home because we have access to a steam sauna at our gym.

Thomas and I are both sauna people who love a good sweat and love using our gym sauna all year long (definitely more in the winter). So I’ve had some interest in getting a home sauna for a while, but I kept convincing myself that being able to use the gym steam sauna a few times a week was “good enough.”

But what finally sold me on the HigherDOSE sauna blanket was listening to the HigherDOSE founders, Lauren and Katie, on the Goal Digger podcast. I knew I would love the warmth of a sauna at home, but I didn’t realize there were so many benefits of infrared light. Cozy, relaxing spa vibes AND health benefits? Sign me up! Plus I love that it is a small and portable, so it was a good way to see if we liked a sweat session at home without the upfront cost of putting in a huge wood sauna in the basement. 

I bought my sauna blanket over Black Friday when it was 20% off. If you missed that sale, you can get 15% off with my affiliate link and code KATHEATS anything at the HigherDOSE site.

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HigherDOSE Sauna Blanket Review

HigherDOSE creates products that use light technology to support wellness. This is one form of biohacking, which is using technology or tools to affect your health on a cellular level. In addition to the sauna blanket, their red light face mask and infrared PEMF grounding mats are very popular products. 

HigherDOSE also focuses on using low tox and medical grade materials as well as making products with a very low EMF so the radiation coming off isn’t cancelling out the benefits (not all sauna blankets have this in mind!)

The blanket says “Get High Naturally” on the side and I can attest that a session leaves me very zenned out. That’s where the name HigherDOSE comes from. A natural high + DOSE = Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins. All the feel good chemicals. 

The Benefits of Infrared

The older I get, the more I feel the need to help my body and cells repair and function at their best. Workout recovery time has increased and I’m stiffer than I used to be. Infrared can help with these! Infrared light creates heat. Unlike a steam sauna which heats the air which then heats you from the outside in, the infrared sauna heats you directly so you are warmed from the inside out. You know when you feel chilled to the bone in the winter? This is the solution you need.

You might think that the sauna blanket is only about getting a good sweat (I did!), but the benefits of infrared include:

• I have an Apple Watch and measured my heart rate at rest and while using the sauna. My resting HR is about 60 and during peak sauna use it was consistently at 74-76 bpm. So I definitely saw a spike. Is that going to born 400 calories? Probably not. But it was a sign the heat did have an effect on my circulatory system and was doing what it says it does!
• My skin isn’t as dry. Super hot showers and baths are one way to warm up your core, but they leave my skin dry. The sweat in the blanket has helped my skin maintain more of its moisture and help promote glowing skin rather than the crocodile look I sometimes get in the winter. 
• Extreme relaxation!!! I read that the sauna can “enhance the quality of your relaxation” and that is 100% true for me. More on that below. 
• This upcoming soccer season will be a really test for me and my foot that gets so stiff after games. 
• And even if everything above is a placebo effect, placebos work. A cozy meditation session carved out of a busy day is always worth doing, infrared or not. The infrared just makes me want to do it. 

How Does The HigherDOSE Infrared Sauna Blanket Work?

The blanket is like an electric blanket laced with infrared light. There are multiple layers:

• Leather Layer: The wipe-dry layer that touches you is made of a low-EOC leather
• Far-infrared Heat Layer: all that good heat!
• Charcoal and Clay Layers: deepen your detox,  emits negative ions, and balances the heat.
• Magnetic Layer: A grounding medical-grade magnetic strip improves blood flow and circulation.
• Crystal Layer: that emits negative ions and does some other woo-woo things!

To use it:

• Unroll, plug it in, and turn it on to your desired temp level. I started with 5 and worked up to 7. Make sure you’re on a heat resistant surface, although I’ve found carpet is fine. 
• Once it is preheated it will chime a few times. 
• You’ll want a barrier between you and the blanket, whether that is loose fitting clothing, your own towels around you, or one of the HigherDOSE sleeping bag-style towels. 
• Slide in and totally relax. I normally start to sweat in about 15 minutes and feel like I’ve reached a happy point around 35-45 minutes. 

HigherDOSE Infrared Sauna Blanket Pros and Cons

Pros

• Convenience: As far as home infrared saunas go, this couldn’t be more convenient. When not in use, it takes up about 2 feet of space and can easily slide under a bed. Check out my YouTube video for how easy it is to store!
• You Get To Lie Down: Something I didn’t really think about as I was sitting upright in our gym sauna is how much more relaxing it is to sweat lying down. In my opinion it’s one of the greatest pros of the blanket. Lying on the floor is grounding, relaxing, and comfortable. 
• Heats Up Quickly: Since the blanket only has to heat up a small sliver of volume, it heats up super fast. I have heard this is a big drawback of bigger saunas – you have to heat them for a long time to get them hot enough. 
• VERY HOT! I really didn’t know if I’d be able to get a good sweat because I am actually not much of a natural sweater. This thing gets very hot. You will sweat!
• Forced Relaxation: I originally imagined myself multitasking or working on my laptop in here, but I find it’s so relaxing and the heat can be somewhat intense that it’s a forced relaxation for me. Even listening to a podcast can feel a bit overwhelming. This is the first time in my life I’ve had a meditation practice. 

Cons

• Cost: Compared to a walk-in sauna, the cost is probably a huge pro, but I know the blanket isn’t inexpensive for most people. I did just learn that HigherDOSE is now HSA supported, meaning you can use your HSA/FSA accounts towards your purchase! 
• Towels: I tried to get by without their towels and wish it came with one! I ended up buying one and do like using it. I’d say half the time I get it in my workout / cozy clothes and half the time (when I’m planning to stay in a while) I use the towel. The towels are quite big and cumbersome to wash and dry, however, for the best sweat session I do recommend them. 
• Shower Required: Some might call this a pro, but the fact that sweat means you want to shower after means that for me the times of day I can use the blanket are somewhat limited by whether or not I’ll be able to do a shower after (especially if I have on makeup, hair done, etc.) However, sometimes I just get in and stay in until I’m warm but not sweaty (usually 10-15 minutes) and that means I get the benefits without needing a shower. 

Honest HigherDOSE Sauna Blanket Review

Physical benefits

I’ve been using the sauna blanket since November and absolutely love it! The relax benefits are immediate. The cellular benefits are much harder to track. While there are too many variables in my life to say that one thing helped, I will say that my body has felt good and nimble since starting to use it. My skin feels less dry this winter, and I am DEFINITELY less cold!!! I will turn it on for a quick sauna blanket session at all times of the day just to warm up. My kids love it for this reason too and use it on a lower temp setting for about 10 minutes  as well. 

Mental benefits

The mental benefits are also compounding. I’ve written before that I mostly use reading to relax because it helps me turn off my mind. When I start a sauna session, I usually find a guided meditation on Apple Music (this playlist has a huge variety) and choose one that is 25-30 minutes. The time FLIES by and my brain is truly empty. It’s been great for me! Most often I get in the blanket at the tail end of a workout, so I am already in my workout clothes and can either hop in as is or get into a towel in my underwear. I do shorter sessions when combined with a workout and longer sessions on rest days. I’d say I use the blanket 4 out of 7 days a week. Time is the number one reason I do it more. 

The Investment

Investing is your health is priceless. Prior to getting the blanket, I always wanted to go to a spa just so I could relax on a table with spa music playing. This sauna blanket creates the same vibe at home, and it costs the same as ONE spa day yet I can use it over and over again. So while it’s an investment, it’s something that you can gift to yourself on repeat. The ROI on you is worth it!

Where To Buy The HigherDOSE Sauna Blanket

• Buying it at the HigherDOSE website will get you the 15% off using my link and KATHEATS. You can save 15% off site wide and it works on everything but the bundles, which are discounted already! Those are a good option if you want everything that comes with too. 
• You can also buy it through Amazon if that’s easier for you. 
• It’s also at Nordstrom if you’re a frequent shopper there. 

Stay cozy and warm!!