CAN YOU BRING YOUR PHONE IN A SAUNA? WEIGHING THE OPTIONS

With its therapeutic warmth, the sauna offers a momentary escape from our busy days. However, before you enjoy the steamy goodness, a pressing question arises—can you bring your phone to the sauna? 

Undeniably, phones have almost become an additional limb. It is hard to let go of them. Whether you use a traditional sauna or an infrared one, are saunas the right place to take your phone? Do you still want to stay connected and entertained by taking your phone in a sauna but don't know whether you should or shouldn't? 

To answer if you can take your phone in a sauna, keep reading as we weigh the options of taking your phone along with you. 

Can You Bring Your Phone to a Sauna?

Let's start with clearing some miswording here. You "can" bring your phone almost anywhere; it's yours! The real question is, should you bring your phone into a sauna?

Unfortunately, cell phones have become a real source of dependency for many people these days. Cell phone addiction is a real problem, especially among teenagers. We're not saying everyone brings their phone to a sauna because they're addicted, but is it negating the benefits the sauna offers?

Is it necessary, and do we recommend taking your phone there? Not really; there is no ideal situation that allows you to take your phone inside a sauna. 

Let's examine the points for and against this topic in more detail. 

The Benefits of Taking Your Phone Into the Sauna

Regardless of the outcome, you may still want to take your phone to the sauna. Let's look at some of these benefits and what we suggest you do instead:

Staying Connected

It has become a habit to stay connected with your friends, family, colleagues, or acquaintances on your phone, no matter where you are. You may want to use your phone in the sauna to have an update on your day, or perhaps the sauna is the only time you get in the day to talk to a loved one.

Let's not forget that saunas can also be used for recreational and healing purposes. One would want a friend to accompany them to improve their experience. Instead of connecting online, we recommend bringing your friend with you instead of connecting online for a proper sauna experience. 

Keeping Yourself Entertained 

If you quickly get bored, a phone in the sauna can keep you busy. You can:

• Listen to music

• Watch some reels

• Scroll through social media

• Read an e-book

• Take pictures 

Instead, we recommend that you connect your phone to the built-in Bluetooth system in the sauna and listen to some health-related podcasts or tranquil music. Keeping yourself entertained can help you tolerate the heat for a little longer. 

Getting Work Done

Saunas have the benefit of no distractions. If you cannot check your emails at home or in the office, doing these small tasks while using your phone in the sauna may seem like the perfect idea. The quiet atmosphere would help you concentrate before heading out for the rest of your day. 

However, wouldn't it be beneficial to manage your time better instead? After all, you'll only be in a sauna for 15 to 20 minutes per session. Why would you want to spend this short time worrying about work? Not to mention, you are depriving yourself of the mental clarity you gain while sitting in the sauna uninterrupted.

Checking Time 

You may want to use your phone in the sauna to check the time; sauna sessions are time specific. Some people may also want to include a small exercise and stretching routine consisting of various intervals. Having a phone in the sauna in such a case may be helpful. 

A more pragmatic approach in case the sauna does not have a built-in clock is a mechanical timer or a sand hourglass, which can help you stay on track.

Reasons Not to Take Your Phone in the Sauna

Using your phone in the sauna can damage your phone and your health. While no rules stop you from doing this — is it worth the risk? Read the following cons and decide:

High Temperature

You may like having your phone in the sauna, but your phone might not like it. Even an infrared sauna's temperature range starts from 110F. Traditional Sauna Temperatures go even hotter than that, so is it worth damaging your phone for a few minutes of entertainment? 

Both wet and dry saunas are typically heated to temperatures between 150F and 195F. Your phones are only designed to work at 32F to 95F — any more than that can cause issues and permanently damage your phone. 

High temperatures can damage your phone's internals — including its SD cards, SIM, and other components thus causing you to replace your phone. That can become a very expensive habit.

Humidity 

Dry saunas and steam rooms both have high humidity levels. The humidity of saunas can go up to 100%. This can potentially cause water damage to your phone and require high-cost repairs or buying a new phone altogether.

EMF and ELF Exposure 

Infrared saunas have low EMF and ELF frequencies (a type of low energy radiation). However, electronic devices such as mobile phones, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi can contribute to increasing these frequencies, which can eventually cause many health problems. 

Studies show that prolonged exposure to EMF and ELF frequencies can cause:

• Disruptive sleep cycles 

• Growth of cancer cells 

• Stress and anxiety 

• Fatigue 

• Memory changes 

• Numbness and tingling 

• Memory changes

• Tremors

• Dizziness

• Depressive symptoms 

Sweat

A phone may be water resistant, but is it also sweat resistant? The primary purpose of a sauna is to make you sweat. Sweat dripping down from your arms may cause water damage to your phone. Plus, using a phone in the sauna while wet and sweaty seems like a struggle. 

Germs

Scientists have found that your phone can be ten times dirtier than your toilet seat. When you're in a public sauna, it increases the probability of your phone getting even more germs. Think about this next time you want to take your phone in there. 

Invasion of Privacy 

Whether or not a sauna clearly states against using a cell phone, you should still leave it in your locker to comply with sauna etiquette. People often prefer to enjoy their sauna in swimwear or no clothing at all, which is why it is not ideal to take any photographic devices with respect to their privacy. 

While this might not be a big issue in a home sauna, it is for a public sauna. Put yourself in other people's shoes. Would you be comfortable with someone using their phone in the sauna while you’re in there? 

Kills the Purpose 

Saunas provide both physical and mental health benefits. You can relax, unwind and spend some time being mindful. With each session, you get the following:

• Improved circulation

• Muscle relaxation and stress relief

• Detoxification 

• Enhanced skin health and improved respiratory function

• Better sleep and pain management 

• Boosted immune system, weight loss, and calorie burn

With undivided attention, you can immerse yourself fully in the experience, which is better than spending time being distracted.

How to Keep Your Phone from Overheating in the Sauna

If you're still willing to risk your phone in the sauna — here are some precautions to help minimize its likelihood of overheating:

• Keep your session brief. You can avoid exposing your phone to heat for a long time. 

• Let your phone cool down after the session.

• Stay close to the entrance as it has a better chance of being cooler and ventilated. 

• You can use a towel to protect it from the heat and moisture. It can also be used to remove the moisture build-up from the phone. 

• A waterproof and thermal-protective phone case might do the trick to keep your phone safe.

There is no guarantee that your phone will be safe even after following these tips, so take these precautionary tips with a grain of salt. 

FAQ on Bringing Your Phone in a Sauna

Do Thermal Phone Cases Protect Phones from Saunas?

Thermal phone cases may protect your phone from the heat but may not be of much against humidity and germs.

Can I wear AirPods in the Sauna?

No, you can not. Wearing your AirPods in high-temperature settings — such as a sauna — can permanently damage their battery life. Their ideal working temperature range is between 32F and 95F.

Can an iPhone Survive a Dry Sauna? 

No, most dry saunas operate between 150F and 195F, whereas the ideal working temperature range for an iPhone is 32F and 95F. 

Conclusion: Can You Bring Your Phone in a Sauna?

As stated, bringing your phone to the sauna can cause damage to both your health and the device itself. The ultimate decision is yours. However, we recommend against using cell phones in the sauna. Saunas are a place to unload, relax and enjoy a calming experience, and bringing a phone with you takes away from those benefits. Besides, using your phone in a public sauna goes against sauna etiquette. 

However, if you want to enjoy a home sauna session (with or without your phone alongside), check out My Sauna World. It offers a wide variety of traditional one-person saunas and indoor saunas. For more information, feel free to contact us, and our team will gladly help!