SweatLabs Eclipse Infrared Sauna Review

Who this sauna is for

The SweatLabs Eclipse is for somebody who wants a way to wind down at night and only has a regular wall outlet to plug it into. I have the 2-person model. It's in my basement, and I use it before bed.

I'd been in a traditional sauna before, but never an infrared one, so I didn't know what to expect. Once I got it put together and plugged in, I was blown away. It lives up to the hype.

How I use it

I could sit in it every single day. I don't get to, because I've got three kids and a lot going on at our house. So it's probably three to five times a week, anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes, depending on the night.

I do it before I go to bed. I really feel like I sleep better on those nights, I'm more rested the next morning, and I wake up easier.

The other thing I love is I can shut out the world. I'll put on some relaxing music and plan out the next day, or just decompress and have some me time. You know that feeling after a killer workout where you're dripping and you feel like you did something? You get that in here.

How hot it gets, and how long it takes

It tops out at 150 degrees. It's a dry heat, because there's no moisture involved, and it gets plenty hot. I'm dripping by the time I'm done.

SweatLabs says it takes about 26 minutes to reach 149 degrees. In my basement it takes longer. My basement sits around 60 to 63 degrees all the time, and that's a long way to go. On average it's 40 to 45 minutes to get to 150.

It's pretty hot within 20 minutes of turning it on, though. In a warmer room, I could see it hitting their number.

Fit at 6'5" and 270 pounds

I have to duck to get in, and I can't stand up straight inside. That doesn't matter, because you sit the whole time. Sitting down I'm perfectly comfortable, and I can put my arms up on the sides.

Two people is a different story. My wife is 5'4", and the two of us fit, but it's not super comfortable. I've got broad shoulders and I take up a lot of room.

If you're two average-size people, you should fit fine. If you're two big people, go with the 3-person. I wish I had.

Why I went with the 2-person anyway

The 2-person plugs into a regular 110 wall outlet. The 3-person needs a 220. I went with the 110 to keep it simple, so I wouldn't have to run any new wires.

That's the trade. More room means an electrician, or at least a different outlet. For the size, I'd still rather have the bigger one.

You can't lean back

This is my one real negative. The heating elements behind you get really hot. Hot enough that you can't lean back against them for long, or you'll burn your skin. My wife and I both found that out the first day.

I've seen saunas that come with a backrest to keep you off the heaters. This one didn't. I've thought about buying one, but really I just sit leaning forward and it's fine. You're only in there 10, 20, 30 minutes.

The side panels get warm, but nowhere near as hot as the rear ones. There's also a heater down by your feet. When the sauna hits the temperature you set, the rear elements shut off, and then they kick back on when it cools.

Size, heaters and the extras

SweatLabs lists the 2-person at 74 inches high, 39 inches deep and 47.2 inches wide, and 330 pounds. So it doesn't take up much of the room, but it's heavy to move.

They list eight heaters, five far infrared carbon panels and three near infrared. It also has color lights in the ceiling with two little remotes, a reading lamp, an ionizer, a vent you can slide open, and a tinted glass door that's heavy and seals up well.

The speakers aren't the best in the world, but they're good enough for a sauna. They connect to your phone over Bluetooth. There's a USB port that will play music, but it would not charge my phone.

The controls are simple. Plus and minus for temperature, plus and minus for the timer. The timer starts at 99 minutes and counts down.

Putting it together

It came freight on a pallet, in four boxes labeled A through D, and I didn't have to schedule a delivery time. The instructions say you need a power drill and a ladder.

The floor goes down first. Then the back and side panels, the bench, the front with the glass door, and the roof. The panels pull together with latches instead of screws. You hook them and push them down, and it sucks everything up nice and tight.

The wires on the roof are lettered, and the plugs are notched, so you can't plug them in wrong. The one thing the book skips is the door handle. It's not hard, I just made it harder than it needed to be. Don't crank it down, because it's glass.

I did it by myself in probably less than an hour, and that includes a couple of breaks and a phone call. A second person would make it a little easier, but you don't need one.

What my wife thinks

She freaking loves it. She loves to be warm, and we're in northern Illinois, where February gets pretty cold. On those days she can come down and warm her whole body up.

Would I buy it again?

Yes. I'm grateful to have this in my house. There's nothing like coming down here after a hard day and just sweating it out. If an infrared sauna fits your budget, I'd go for it.

I'd do one thing differently. I'd find a way to get the 220 outlet and go 3-person, so my wife and I have a little more room.

SweatLabs has a lot on their site about the science and the long-term benefits of heat. I'm excited about that, but those aren't things you can feel right away, so do your own research. What I can tell you is how I sleep on the nights I use it.