Can You Take Your Phone Into A Sauna?

Many of us enjoy the convenience of staying connected, even in an infrared sauna. But bringing phones into the hot environment can be risky.

Boiling temperatures and potential water mishaps can cause permanent damage to your phone and its precious contents. Not to mention, EMF/ELF radiation that’s emitted from your device when you use it in the sauna.

Thankfully, some simple precautions can make taking your phone in the sauna problem-free.

We’ve got all the tips you need to take your phone into your sauna with minimal risks in today's blog post!

Before we go ahead, we've also discussed how other electronic devices perform inside an sauna environment, that you might find interesting:

• Can you take electronics into a sauna?
• Can you take AirPods into a sauna?
• Can you take a laptop into a sauna?
• Can you take an Apple Watch into a sauna?
• Can you wear an Oura Ring in a sauna?

Now let's delve into these helpful tips for enjoying your sauna without any phone damage!

‍

Should I take my phone into the sauna?

The short answer is, that it's up to you...

Phones, be it Android phones or an iPhone, all work best in a certain temperature range. An iPhone may shut down, break, overheat or have its electronics damaged if exposed to high heat.

This may have a negative impact on your warranty and it's probably a good idea to check with your manufacturer first about your warranty.

Similar to overheating in the sun, permanent damage may happen to your mobile phone and cause damage similar to the effects of humidity or moisture.

The truth is that while infrared saunas provide many health benefits without the humidity levels of traditional saunas, putting an iPhone in an infrared sauna may not be the best idea.

However, if you do choose to take your phone in a sauna, we've outlined 5 ways cell phones can enhance your experience.

5 ways an iPhone can improve your infrared sauna experience

There are a number of reasons you may want to take a phone into a dry sauna.

1. First and foremost, having your cell phone with you can help keep you connected to the outside world. This can be especially helpful if you're using the sauna for recreational purposes and want to be able to easily contact someone if needed. Whether that's connecting with a friend in another state or a family member in another country, sauna bathing with a friend (either in-person or virtually) can greatly enhance your experience.

2. Another benefit, if you wish to take your phone into an infrared sauna, is that it can help keep you entertained. If you're someone who gets bored easily, having your phone with you can help keep you occupied. You can use it to listen to music, video streaming, or even just scroll through your social media feeds. Like the first benefit, keeping yourself occupied can prolong your heat tolerance and help you stay in the sauna for longer. Our Clearlight Infrared Saunas have both Bluetooth and AUX connections so that you can use our high-quality in-built speaker system for your relaxation music. We also have a dedicated podcast called The Sauna Show that has extremely interesting conversations with health professionals about sauna and other wellness technologies. Or more simply, you can browse our range of blogs, such as this one, to learn more about sauna-related topics. Whichever entertainment you prefer, we have you covered.

3. There's also the ability to get some work done if you don't have time to do it at home. Life can get in the way, but if you take advantage of the quiet atmosphere, you may find that the lack of distractions will help to get things done. If you're interested in this topic, we have an article on the effects infrared has on your brain if you would like to read more. Beware that after about the 20-minute mark, you'll find it hard to concentrate on anything too tricky.

4. Your phone can also act as a timer, letting you know when your sauna session is over, or if you incorporate exercise or stretching into your routine. This can be really helpful if you're trying to stick to a specific time limit or different intervals during your session. If stretching in a sauna is something you want to learn about, we have written an article about this previously.

5. It can also be a useful tool for tracking your progress and measuring the results of your sauna sessions. If you use a wearable device, such as an Aurora Ring or Fitbit, you can track your progress in real-time. By tracking your heart rate and body temperature, you can get a better sense of how well each session is working for you, and whether your goal is weight loss or muscle recovery you will be able to tailor your session to suit. 

What to do if my iPhone exceeds its temperature range?

If your iPhone starts to get to overheat it's important to remove it immediately.

Continuing to use your phone in the heat, be it android phones or an iPhone, may cause damage to the internal components and force it to shut down.

Therefore it's best to stay on the side of caution if you spend time in saunas

If you're worried about your phone getting too hot, you can always take a break from using it during your saunas

This will give it a chance to cool down and won't cause any harm to your device.

Finally, if you're really concerned about overheating your phone, you can always choose to leave it at home altogether.

This is a safer option, but it also means that you'll miss out on all of the benefits that come with using your phone in the sauna.

Luckily our Clearlight Saunas have you covered in this area. 

We've specifically designed a coolbox inside your Sanctuary Sauna, with a glass door, to protect it from the increasing heat temperatures.

But even if that doesn't work, we've also designed the door handle to have a dual purpose as a smartphone and/or tablet holder. 

This allows you to watch something while your phone remains on the outside of the sauna. 

Simply connect the speakers via Bluetooth and you have yourself insanely good audio quality, with non of the risk factors of your phone getting too hot.

How to take a phone correctly in an infrared sauna?

When it comes to taking your phone into the sauna, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.

Firstly, you'll want to make sure that your phone is protected from the heat. 

One way to do this is by using a phone case that can withstand high temperatures. 

Or as we mention, using a Clearlight Sauna as mentioned above provides you with two different heat-proof options.

Secondly, you'll want to make sure it is fully charged before you take your phone with you. 

This is because the high temperatures can quickly drain your battery. 

Again, we've got you covered as our coolbox also is a charging station.

Finally, you'll want to make sure that you keep an eye on your phone while you're in the sauna. 

If it starts to get too hot, remove it from the sauna immediately.

What could go wrong if I take my phone into a sauna?

Taking your phone into the sauna can be a great way to stay connected to the outside world, keep entertained, and get some work done.

However, there are also a number of risks associated with taking your phone into the sauna.

One of the biggest risks is that your phone can get too hot. 

If it gets too hot, it can damage the internal components and cause serious damage to your device.

Another risk is that your phone can accidentally get wet. 

This can happen if you're not careful with your sweat or if you accidentally spill water onto your phone.

For this reason, you'll want to make sure you have a water-resistant case. 

Because most phones use touch screens, the moisture sensors might make it difficult to use if your hands are wet.

It'll also depend on what kind of sauna you are in. If you're entering a steam room, then the moisture in the air will be much higher. 

Therefore a steam room is not ideal for bringing in phones.

A public sauna is also not a great place to take your phone for similar reasons and we'd recommend leaving it in the changing room with your clothes.

Finally, there's always a risk that phones will be exposing you to potentially harmful EMF exposure during your time of rest and revitalisation.

The level of EMF exposure from phones in our day-to-day life may be common but it may not be something you want during your special downtime.

Are there potential problems with EMF and ELF exposure?

The long answer is yes.

There are a number of potential problems with EMF and ELF exposure.

First and foremost, there is some evidence to suggest that EMF and ELF exposure can be harmful to our health.

This means that prolonged exposure to these frequencies could potentially increase our risk of developing cancer or other diseases.

Secondly, EMF and ELF exposure can be disruptive to our sleep.

This is because these frequencies can interfere with our natural sleep rhythms, making it difficult for us to get a good night's sleep.

Finally, EMF and ELF exposure can be stressful. 

This is because these frequencies can activate the stress response in our bodies, leading to feelings of anxiety and tension.

We've written a previous article on EMF exposure that you can read if you're interested.

Phone in sauna, yay or nay?

Taking your phone into the sauna can be great, and deciding why you are entering the sauna in the first place will help determine if the risks outweigh the benefits.

If you do decide on taking your phone into the sauna, keep in mind that you'll want to make sure that your phone is protected from the heat, is fully charged, and that you keep an eye on it.

For us at Clearlight, we prefer to opt for solitude in our sauna sessions, however, whichever way you like to sauna is totally up to you and we will always do our best to support you as best we can.

If you're interested in getting the benefits of sauna bathing, see our range of infrared saunas here.