The blanket arrived at my apartment in a cardboard box, and it was super easy to carry up my fourth floor walkup. When I opened the package, the blanket was folded and packed away nicely in the included storage bag.
I didn’t notice any odors during the unboxing, and I loved that the blanket was ready to use right away. Considering I’ve been yearning for one of these wellness tools for years, I decided to give it a test run immediately.
The directions were easy to follow and the interface was definitely intuitive. I set the temperature at 113 degrees Fahrenheit—the initial recommendation for beginners—and got ready to relax.
The blanket took at least 10 minutes to heat up, which taught me an important lesson for future sessions. You should always add an extra 15-minute warm up period to your desired sauna session time to ensure you get every last minute of infrared rays.
The effect of the blanket was similar to those of a full-sized sauna. The only real difference is that you’re lying down in a sleep bag (fully clothed) instead of sitting on a bench . This means your head isn’t exposed to the infrared light, but I think this actually allows me to stay in the blanket even longer than I would stay in a typical sauna.
I should note the blanket felt slightly cooler than an actual sauna, even at the highest temperature. Ultimately, I think that’s a good thing; if the blanket was any warmer, it would have been uncomfortable to stay inside.