Can You Bring Your Phone in a Sauna?

Bringing your cell phone to the sauna for entertainment is a smart move. You can watch TikTok and take care of tasks while chilling in the sauna. Sounds great, right? Will it be allowed?

As a phone owner and sauna enthusiast, you might wonder, “Can I bring my phone to the sauna?” This article explores the safety and reasons behind bringing your phone in a sauna.

A sauna is a relaxing experience with multiple health benefits, but what about bringing your phone along? 

• Not Recommended in Public Saunas: Taking your phone into a sauna is generally not recommended, especially in public saunas where most people avoid bringing their phones.

• Privacy Concerns: Saunas are designed for 15 to 20 minutes of relaxation in a warm space, and the presence of phones with cameras can disrupt people’s privacy.

• Disruptive Noise: Phone sounds may be disruptive to others trying to enjoy a peaceful atmosphere.

• Sauna Temperatures Can Damage Your Smartphone: The temperature in a dry sauna typically ranges from 150–195°F, and 120–140°F for infrared saunas, far exceeding the safe operating range for smartphones, which is generally between 0°C and 35°C (32°F to 95°F).

• Infrared Sauna Isn’t Safer: While infrared saunas operate at slightly lower temperatures, they still exceed safe operating conditions for most electronics.

• Risk of Hardware Damage: The intense heat can damage your phone’s battery or internal parts, and moisture inside the sauna can cause short circuits or corrosion.

• Chemical Reactions Inside: Moisture and contaminants can trigger chemical reactions that break down internal phone components.

• Thermal Expansion Issues: Different materials in your phone expand at different rates under heat, possibly causing warping or internal disconnections.

Unless your phone has a heat-resistant case specifically designed for extreme temperatures, it’s better left outside.

Here are the pros and cons of bringing phones in the sauna to consider.

A phone is an amazing way to stay entertained and beat boredom in the sauna. You can play games, listen to music, check social media, or watch reels during your session.

Staying entertained with reels and games is great, but sauna sessions offer an excellent chance to tackle small daily tasks like responding to emails, creating to-do lists, or scheduling appointments.

Being able to get in contact with your friends, family, or colleagues easily and quickly is undoubtedly one of the biggest positives to having a cell phone in a sauna. 

To avoid damaging your device, keep sessions short and try placing your phone near a cooler area like the entrance or ventilation spot. 

Choosing to use a phone in the sauna offers a clear benefit: reading books becomes effortless, without concerns about heat and humidity damaging pages, as opposed to a physical book. 

Taking your phone to the sauna helps check the time. In the sauna, it’s crucial not to stay too long, as it can be bad for your health.

Having your phone lets you keep track of time and know when your sauna session will end.

• Water-Resistant Doesn’t Mean Sauna-Safe: Despite being labeled as waterproof or water-resistant, exposing your phone to high humidity inside a sauna can cause potential damage. Although many iPhones have an IP rating that provides some level of water resistance, this doesn’t mean they’re safe in a sauna.

• iPhones Aren’t Safe to Use in a Sauna: iPhones like the iPhone 7 and newer models come with an IP67 or IP68 rating, meaning they can withstand water exposure to a certain degree, typically up to 30 minutes at depths of 1 to 6 meters. However, this water resistance is designed for brief, accidental immersion, such as dropping your phone in a puddle or exposure to rain. In the intense heat and high humidity of a sauna, these ratings don’t provide the same level of protection and may not prevent damage.

• Condensation Can Creep Inside Your Phone: Condensation Damage – When a phone is taken from the hot sauna to a cooler area, moisture can condense inside the device, potentially causing short circuits unintended paths of current that can lead to overheating, fire, or damage or corrosion over time.

• Accessories Aren’t Safe Either (AirPods & More): Even iPhones with the highest IP ratings, like the iPhone 15, which can handle up to 6 meters of water for 30 minutes, aren’t designed to endure the extreme conditions of a sauna. AirPods & Warranty Voiding – Using AirPods in a sauna can expose them to heat and humidity beyond their design limits, potentially voiding the warranty due to moisture damage.

• Best Practice: Leave It Outside: The combination of heat and moisture can damage sensitive internal components, so it’s best to leave your phone outside.

• Phones Can Violate Others’ Privacy in Saunas: Phones come with high-quality cameras, and if used inappropriately, they can compromise the privacy of other sauna users. Due to this significant risk, many public saunas have strict rules against bringing phones inside.

• Camera Phones in Saunas and Gyms Can Make Others Uncomfortable: In places like saunas, gyms, or steam rooms where people typically wear short clothes, the presence of phones equipped with cameras can make others uncomfortable.

• Limit Phone Use to Emergencies Only: If you are permitted to bring your phone into a sauna, it’s advised to use it only for emergencies. Otherwise, it’s best to turn your phone off to respect the privacy and comfort of everyone in the sauna.

• Not Built for Sauna Heat: Phones aren’t designed to handle sauna temperatures (150°F to 195°F). Even heat-resistant models are at risk of damage in such environments.

• Component Damage from Heat: Extreme heat can damage critical phone parts like the battery, processor, and screen, leading to potential long-term hardware failure.
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• Risk of Data Corruption: Excessive heat may interfere with internal memory, possibly corrupting data or triggering sudden system crashes.

• Screen Vulnerability: The phone display is sensitive to heat prolonged exposure can cause screen discoloration, dead pixels, or permanent display damage.

• Overheating Warning Signs: If your phone slows down, dims the screen, or some apps stop functioning, it’s likely overheating built-in sensors try to prevent serious damage.

• Respect Shared Space: Talking on the phone or listening to music may seem enjoyable to you, but it might be bothering the other people in the sauna who are trying to relax.

• Use With Caution: So, while you’re enjoying your phone in the sauna, make sure to keep the sound low and the device cool to avoid disturbing others and harming your phone.

• EMF & ELF Radiation Risk: You should not bring your phone into a sauna, as it emits low-frequency EMF and ELF radiation. Scientists recommend protecting yourself from high EMF and ELF frequencies, as they can potentially damage human DNA and cells.

• Healthier Alternatives to Phones: consider bringing a physical book (if heat-resistant) or practicing mindfulness meditation to enhance relaxation without digital distractions. These activities allow you to fully immerse yourself in the sauna’s calming environment, promoting true relaxation away from the digital world.

• Digital Distractions Follow You: More than  86% of U.S. adults say they constantly or often check emails, texts, or social media, according to the American Psychological Association, a habit that makes it difficult to find peace of mind, even in relaxing spaces like a sauna. 

• Mental Escape Interrupted: Saunas are a space to escape this habit. Bringing your phone may keep you physically present, but it stops your mind from truly relaxing. 

It’s tough to use your phone if your hands are sweaty. Using it with sweaty hands can make it slip and risk damage. 

In a hot sauna, where you sweat a lot, using the phone becomes harder and the chance of it slipping increases 

While it’s generally not recommended to bring your phone into a sauna due to the risk of overheating and water damage, it's essential to take precautions if you choose to do so.

• Use Heat-Resistant & Waterproof Protection: Protect your phone by placing it in a heat-resistant and waterproof case, which safeguards it from the sauna’s elevated temperatures and moisture, helping prevent potential battery drainage or damage.

• Use a Towel (Last Resort Option): If a dedicated case isn’t available, consider using a towel as an alternative, although we recommend a proper case for optimal protection against the heat and humidity of the sauna.

In conclusion, bringing your phone into a sauna may not be recommended due to potential damage from the combination of heat and humidity and potential health concerns. 

Instead, consider utilizing your time in the sauna as an opportunity for mental relaxation. 

After all, saunas are meant to be a space for peace and rejuvenation, a tradition deeply respected in countries like Finland, which boasts an incredible 3.3 million saunas for its 5.6 million residents. 

This highlights how saunas are more than just a place to sweat; they are a cherished part of life. 

Embracing this mindset can help you make the most of your sauna sessions.

If you feel it’s necessary to have your phone with you, use a heatproof and waterproof case to safeguard it. 

However, it’s important to recognize that bringing a phone into a sauna goes against the principles of sauna etiquette, as the presence of cameras and phone audio can invade the privacy of others, leading to discomfort.