I love having a spa day but it’s not something I get to do as often as I’d like. The new Gymproluxe sauna pod has changed all that.
It’s a portable steam room that can reach up to 131℉ (55℃), and it packs down into a bag that’s less than 2 feet in diameter, so it’s easily stored in a wardrobe or under a bed.
There are multiple benefits of heat therapy from a sauna: it can reduce inflammation, muscle and joint pain and stress, as well as speeding up post-workout recovery while improving circulation and sleep.
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I tried the Gymproluxe sauna pod for a month to see how many of these benefits I could tick off the list. Here’s what happened, plus everything you need to know about the sauna pod.
Using the Gymproluxe sauna pod
The sauna pod is like a pop-up tent or spray tan booth in structure, so it’s really quick and easy to throw up as you don’t need to use poles or tools.
It has 15 temperature settings ranging from 59℉ to 131℉ (15-55℃). I kept the temperature on the highest setting and was pleased with how hot it got, as I had wrongly thought it wouldn’t be hot enough to feel worthwhile.
I tended to spend 10-15 minutes in it, anything longer was too much for me—the brand recommends between 20 to 30 minutes.
I set it up in my living room and feared this would mean the room would be full of condensation at first, but I was pleasantly surprised. It didn’t steam up anything apart from the pod itself.
The sauna pod takes about 10 minutes to heat up. It comes with a steamer unit that you put water into and then close the lid before plugging it into a power source. A tube from the steamer unit connects to the pod to fill the space with heat.
Add water to a steamer unit to heat up the pop-up sauna
(Image credit: Maddy Biddulph / Fit&Well)
Running costs are pretty cheap, with a 30-minute session costing around the same as boiling a kettle—about $0.25.
The Gymproluxe sauna pod also comes with a waterproof LED disco light that can be stowed in an overhead pocket, which is a nice touch.
The portable sauna has a height limit of 6 feet 4 inches, which is worth paying attention to. While it comes with a foldable chair—like the type you’d take camping—you don’t experience as much heat when you sit down. I found it better to stand.
(Image credit: Future / Maddy Biddulph)
Another reason why I liked it more than I thought I would is that the pod is quick to clean and take down.
After turning the sauna off, let it cool for around 30 minutes with the zip still closed to keep the steam in. Then, open it up and clean any leftover moisture with a sponge.
The benefits of the Gymproluxe sauna pod
It took the edge off my post-workout muscle soreness
I find that delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) can be really painful, especially on day two after a workout. While upping my protein and drinking more water can help with my achy muscles, it’s basically a waiting game. Or, so I thought.
I started having a 10-minute sauna post-exercise and it honestly took the edge off my usual post-workout achy muscles. The soreness was less intense and didn’t last as long.
This is because the heat from the sauna makes the blood vessels in your skin and muscles expand (a process known as vasodilation), which boosts circulation and helps your sore muscles recover after exercise.
It helped me relax
As a busy single mom working as a fitness writer and personal trainer, it can be hard to make time to switch off and slow down. But having a home sauna was great because I didn’t need to spend loads of time in it to feel the benefit.
It also helped me get into a self-care routine on weekends when my daughters were away. I’d start my Sunday with a cold water swim in the lake near my house, then warm up in the sauna afterwards.
Over the month, this became a relaxing ritual that helped me to feel calmer and more present. Forcing myself to concentrate on my breathing while in the sauna also became a meditative practice.
This calm feeling is backed by science. Heat therapy stimulates thermoreceptors in the skin that tell the brain to relax, triggering feel-good hormones like endorphins, which boost mood.
Switching between cold and heat therapy can also be beneficial for improving circulation, although starting with hot therapy followed by a cold plunge is what’s generally recommended.
It made my skin glow
The pod generates a moist heat rather than the dryness of a traditional sauna, but it was still more than hot enough to get me sweaty.
The heat opens the pores, and I noticed my skin felt more refreshed and dewy after a month of using it. You can even put essential oils in the steamer unit, or go in with a face or hair mask on, to give yourself a real home spa experience.
One caveat: after having a couple of sauna sessions in the same day, a few days later, I woke up with pimples (fortunately, a rare occurrence for me) so I’d recommend limiting it to once daily if you have sensitive skin.
The steam also quickly sent my hair into a crazy ’80s style bouffant, so it’s probably not advisable to use the pod before a night out.
It helped me sleep better
Saunas can boost relaxation and reduce stress, and this can improve sleep quality. As I’m perimenopausal, struggling to sleep and waking several times a night has become a regular occurrence for me.
The sauna sessions made a noticeable difference. I found I was falling asleep faster, waking less in the night, and if I did wake up I could fall back to sleep quicker.
When I looked into it, I discovered that being in a sauna raises your core body temperature and then when you get out, you cool down fairly fast. This cooling phase mimics a drop in temperature that happens just before you fall asleep, which can make you feel deeply relaxed and able to drop off more quickly.
Buy from Gymproluxe
Gymproluxe Tropical Sauna Pod