How is an infrared sauna different from a traditional sauna?
Short answer
The difference is what gets heated. A traditional sauna heats the air around you to a high temperature; an infrared sauna uses infrared light to warm your body directly, leaving the air cooler. The result is a room that feels gentler to sit in while still being properly warm.
Air temperature
Because infrared does not rely on the air to carry heat to you, the room can run at a noticeably lower air temperature than a traditional sauna and still feel warm.
Comfort
The most common feedback is simply that it is easier to breathe. For people who have tried a traditional sauna and found it too much, that difference is usually the deciding one.