What It Costs to Run an Infrared Sauna (Electricity Use per Session)

Last updated: October 2026

One of the most common questions we get from people shopping for a home infrared sauna is what it will do to their electric bill. The short answer: far less than most people expect. A Clearlight infrared sauna session costs somewhere between about 17 cents and $1.73 in electricity, depending on which model you own and where you live. At the national average rate, most sessions land between 25 and 66 cents.

Below, we walk through the actual wattage of five popular Clearlight models, show the cost per session in eleven states plus the U.S. average, and explain how to calculate your own number using your utility bill.

How we calculated these numbers

Every figure in this article comes from two published sources:

• Wattage: the electrical specifications Clearlight publishes on each model’s product page.
• Electricity rates: the average residential price per kilowatt-hour (kWh) by state for July 2026, the most recent month available from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) at the time of writing.

For the session itself, we assumed a typical routine:

• 30 minutes of heat-up time before you get in
• 30 minutes inside the sauna
• One hour of total run time, with no power drawn the other 23 hours of the day

We also assumed the sauna draws its full rated wattage for that entire hour. In practice it usually won’t. Once the cabin reaches your set temperature, the thermostat cycles the heaters to hold it there, so real-world use is typically lower than the numbers below. Think of these figures as a ceiling rather than an average.

The math is simple: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours of use × your rate per kWh = cost.

How much power each Clearlight model uses

The Sanctuary models draw more than the Premier models of the same size because they add True Wave full spectrum heaters to the front wall: two 500-watt full spectrum heaters in the Sanctuary 1 and Sanctuary 3, and four in the Sanctuary Outdoor 5. The far infrared heaters on the back wall, side walls, behind the calves and under the floor are the same True Wave technology used throughout the Premier line.

Cost per session by state

Here is what one hour of run time (30 minutes heating, 30 minutes inside) costs for each model, using July 2026 average residential rates from the EIA. States are listed from lowest rate to highest.

Even in Hawaii, which has the highest residential rates in the country, a full hour in the largest model on this list costs less than two dollars.

What it costs per month and per year

If you use your sauna every day (30 sessions a month), here is what to expect at the full-draw assumption above:

At the U.S. average rate, daily use for a full year works out to roughly $92 for the Premier IS-1, $116 for the Sanctuary 1, $137 for the Premier IS-3, $179 for the Sanctuary 3 and $241 for the Sanctuary Outdoor 5.

Most people don’t use their sauna every single day. If you settle into three or four sessions a week, which Clearlight suggests is a comfortable routine for most people, your cost will be a little under 60% of the daily-use figures at four sessions a week, and closer to 43% at three.

Sharing a sauna lowers the cost per person

The larger models draw more power, but they also hold more people. A Sanctuary 3 session at the U.S. average rate costs about 49 cents. If two people use it together, that is roughly 25 cents each, and with three people it drops to about 16 cents each, cheaper per person than a solo session in the one-person Premier IS-1. The same logic applies to the Sanctuary Outdoor 5 for families or households that sauna together.

Factors that will move your number up or down

• Thermostat cycling. Our figures assume full power for the entire hour. Once the cabin is at temperature, the heaters cycle, so most owners will use less than shown.
• Where the sauna lives. An indoor sauna in a heated room reaches temperature faster than one in a cold garage. The Sanctuary Outdoor 5 is built for the elements, with insulated double walls and double-pane glass to hold heat in, but in cold weather any outdoor sauna will run closer to its full rated draw.
• Your actual rate. State averages blend many utilities and rate plans together. Your own bill may be higher or lower, and if your utility uses tiered or time-of-use pricing, the hour you choose for your session can change the cost. Running your session during off-peak hours, when your plan offers them, can lower it.
• Add-on heaters. Clearlight offers an optional 300-watt full spectrum door heater for Premier and Sanctuary models. Running it for the full hour adds 0.3 kWh, or about 5.5 cents at the U.S. average rate.
• Longer sessions. If you stay in for 45 minutes instead of 30, add the extra time to your run time. Using the formula below, each additional 15 minutes at full draw adds one quarter of the hourly cost.

How to calculate your own cost

Find the “price per kWh” on your electric bill (some bills split it into supply and delivery charges; add them together). Then use this formula:

Rated watts ÷ 1,000 × hours of run time × your price per kWh = cost per session

Example: a Sanctuary 1 (1,740 watts) run for one hour at 25 cents per kWh: 1,740 ÷ 1,000 = 1.74 kWh. 1.74 × 1 hour × $0.25 = about 44 cents per session.

The bottom line

Electricity is one of the smallest costs of owning an infrared sauna. At the national average rate, a daily session in a one-person Clearlight costs roughly $1.75 to $2.25 a week, and even the largest outdoor model costs well under a dollar per session in most of the country. The bigger decisions when choosing a sauna are the ones that affect your experience for decades: heater quality, EMF and ELF levels, heater placement and the warranty that stands behind them.

The electrical setup matters more than the electric bill. The one-person models plug into a standard household outlet, while the larger models need a 20-amp 120V circuit or a 240V circuit. Before you order, we confirm your electrical requirements, delivery path and placement so your sauna works the day it arrives. If you have questions about which Clearlight is right for your space, call us at 800-317-5070 or email info@HealwithHeat.com.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run an infrared sauna per session?

At the July 2026 U.S. average residential rate of 18.31 cents per kWh, one hour of run time (30 minutes of heat-up plus a 30-minute session) costs about 25 cents in a Clearlight Premier IS-1, 32 cents in a Sanctuary 1, 38 cents in a Premier IS-3, 49 cents in a Sanctuary 3 and 66 cents in a Sanctuary Outdoor 5. These figures assume full rated power for the entire hour, so actual costs are usually lower.

Does an infrared sauna use its full wattage the whole time it is on?

No. The rated wattage is the maximum the heaters can draw. Once the cabin reaches your set temperature, the thermostat cycles the heaters to maintain it, so average power use over a session is typically below the rated figure.

How much does it cost per month to use an infrared sauna every day?

At the U.S. average rate and assuming one hour of full-power run time per day, daily use costs about $7.53 a month for a Premier IS-1, $9.56 for a Sanctuary 1, $11.26 for a Premier IS-3, $14.72 for a Sanctuary 3 and $19.77 for a Sanctuary Outdoor 5. Costs are lower in states with cheaper electricity and higher in states like California and Hawaii.

What electrical hookup does each Clearlight sauna need?

According to Clearlight’s published specifications, the Premier IS-1 and Sanctuary 1 plug into a standard 120V, 15-amp household outlet. The Premier IS-3 requires a 120V, 20-amp outlet. The Sanctuary 3 and Sanctuary Outdoor 5 require a 240V outlet. Adding options such as a red light therapy tower can change the requirement for some models, so we confirm the electrical setup with every customer before ordering, and a licensed electrician should handle any new circuit.

Does an outdoor infrared sauna cost more to run in winter?

It can. The rated wattage does not change, but in cold weather the heaters spend more time running at full output to reach and hold temperature. The Sanctuary Outdoor 5 is designed for year-round outdoor use with insulated walls and double-pane glass, which helps it hold heat. Even running at full power for a full hour, it costs about 66 cents per session at the U.S. average rate.

How do I calculate the electricity cost for my own sauna?

Divide the sauna’s rated watts by 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by the hours you run it, then multiply by the price per kWh on your electric bill. For example, a 1,740-watt Sanctuary 1 run for one hour at 25 cents per kWh costs about 44 cents.

Sources: Wattage and electrical specifications are from Clearlight’s published product specifications (infraredsauna.com) for the Premier IS-1, Premier IS-3, Sanctuary 1, Sanctuary 3 and Sanctuary Outdoor 5, accessed October 2026. Electricity rates are July 2026 average residential prices by state from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly (Table 5.6.A), released September 24, 2026. Rates change monthly; check your own utility bill for your current price.

Dealer disclosure: Heal with Heat is an authorized dealer of Clearlight Infrared Saunas. We sell the saunas discussed in this article. The cost figures above are calculated directly from Clearlight’s published specifications and federal electricity data so you can check our math against your own bill.