A traditional sauna heats the air until the air heats you. An infrared sauna skips a step: the panels emit radiant heat that warms your body directly, so the room itself stays far more bearable while you still sweat properly. That single difference is why people who have always found saunas oppressive tend to like this one.
Our infrared sauna is at the St Heliers spa on Tamaki Drive — it is not available at the Viaduct. A session is 45 minutes including a shower: $60 for one person, $90 for two.
First, an honest word about "detox"
You will see the word everywhere in sauna marketing, so here is where we stand on it. A sauna makes you sweat, and a good sweat followed by a warm shower feels genuinely cleansing — skin looks brighter, muscles feel looser, and most people leave calmer than they arrived. What a sauna does not do is flush toxins out of your organs. Your liver and kidneys handle that, and they do not need our help.
So: book it because forty-five minutes of deep warmth is restorative and because you will feel wrung-out in the best way afterwards. Not because of a claim on a poster.
Why infrared suits Auckland
Auckland is not cold in the way that makes people crave saunas — it is damp. A wet July here gets into your joints and stays there. Radiant heat is very good at that particular complaint: it warms deeply without the airless, gasping quality of a high-temperature steam room, and you can hold a conversation the entire time.
It also pairs beautifully with the location. Sauna, shower, then a walk along the waterfront to Kohimarama with your ears still warm is close to the perfect St Heliers hour.
"People come out of the infrared surprised at how much they sweated for how comfortable it felt. That is the whole trick of it."
Siri therapist team
How to actually use the 45 minutes
- Hydrate before, not just after. A glass of water in the twenty minutes beforehand makes a real difference to how you feel at the end.
- Do not eat a large meal first. Light and at least an hour before is ideal.
- Sit for the first ten minutes and be patient. Infrared builds slowly. The sweat usually starts properly around minute twelve to fifteen.
- Take a break if you need one. Stepping out for two minutes and going back in is completely normal, not a failure.
- Finish with the shower. Warm, then cool at the end if you like it. Cool water at the finish leaves you alert; warm leaves you sleepy. Choose according to what happens next in your day.
- Rehydrate properly afterwards. More than you think.
Sauna plus massage — the combination worth booking
Heat first, hands second, is a genuinely better order. Twenty minutes of infrared before a massage means your therapist starts with muscle that has already softened, and the whole treatment goes deeper without needing more pressure. That is exactly what Package B at St Heliers is built around — infrared sauna, full body scrub and an aromatherapy massage across two and a half hours for $280.
If you would rather keep it simple: sauna on its own for $60, then book a 60-minute aromatherapy massage for $105 on another day.
Who should not use the sauna
Please skip it, or check with your doctor first, if you are pregnant, have a heart condition, low or unstable blood pressure, are prone to fainting, have a fever or infection, are under the influence of alcohol, or take medication that affects heat regulation or sweating. If you have recently had surgery or have an open wound or inflamed skin, wait until you have healed. When in doubt, phone us on 027 654 6642 and ask before you book.
And one small practical limitation: the sauna is a single room, so it books out on wet winter weekends. If you want a Saturday slot, book earlier in the week.
The details
- Where — St Heliers only, 417A Tamaki Drive, St Heliers, Auckland 1071
- How long — 45 minutes including shower
- Price — $60 for one person, $90 for two
- Hours — open 7 days, 10.00am to 8.00pm (15% surcharge on public holidays)
Making a day of it? Our guide to a seaside spa day in St Heliers maps out how to put the sauna, a treatment and the waterfront into one very slow afternoon.
Common questions
A traditional sauna heats the air around you; an infrared sauna uses radiant panels that warm your body directly, so the room stays much more comfortable while you still sweat properly. Most people who find traditional saunas overwhelming get on well with infrared.
$60 for one person and $90 for two, for a 45-minute session including a shower. It is available at our St Heliers spa only, not at the Viaduct.
Yes — the two-person price is $90 for the 45-minute session.
Before. Warm, softened muscle lets your therapist work deeper without extra pressure, which is why our St Heliers Package B puts the 20-minute sauna first, then the scrub and massage.
