I AM THE ambivalent owner of a basement sauna. Not because I don’t like the sauna or regret getting it—I do and I don’t; more on both in a second—but because I’ve never really thought of myself as the type of guy who would ever have a sauna in his basement. Those types of guys drive Porsches, or play golf, or speak Finnish because they’re from Finland, and I don’t do any of those things. But then I went ahead and overhauled my basement, installed a family gym, and saw the empty (sauna-sized!) closet next to it, and I started thinking about all the health benefits of heat therapy I’ve learned about, and next thing you know: Look, honey, we got a sauna!
When I started shopping around, I knew that I needed something compact, preferably one of the newer infrared-light models with integrated red-light panels. After doing some research, I set my sights on the mPulse Aspire from Sunlighten, which looked less like a wooden sweat box and more like a home spa pod—serious, intentional, quietly high-tech. Assembly and installation were straightforward but absolutely a two- (or three-) person job; think of it as a weekend project rather than an impulsive plug-and-play. The components clicked together cleanly, the wiring was all color-coded and easy to understand, and when I powered it up, the cabin filled with an even, penetrating warmth.
The Aspire dashboard offers a maximum temperature of 167 degrees—mine usually tops out around 160—and it’s one of the only home saunas I found that delivers near, mid, and far infrared wavelengths and red light, each reaching slightly different depths in the body. Near infrared and red light stay closer to the surface—it’s less about heat and more about light interacting with your cells. (There’s some evidence it can help with skin quality and minor inflammation.) Mid and far waves go a bit deeper, warming tissue and, yes, making you sweat. Once you’re in, the varying wavelengths come at you from the back and the sides, creating a gentle, steady heat—not the lung-searing blast of a hot-rock sauna, but a slow build that still brings on a real sweat and that unmistakable full-body “reset” feeling.
The Sunlighten mPulse Inspire installed in my home.
SHOP THE SUNLIGHTEN MPULSE ASPIRE
What’s actually happening in there, beyond the vibe, is a mix of light and heat that your body reads as a kind of mild, controlled stress. Sit in a hot box long enough and your heart rate climbs, your blood starts moving faster, and your body basically acts like it’s doing a very light workout without your having to do anything. Over time, that kind of repeated heat exposure has been linked—mostly in long-term studies of Finnish sauna users—to better heart health and lower risk of heart disease and stroke, with some evidence around lower blood pressure and reduced risk of dementia. You also get the stuff you can feel right away: Muscles loosen up, joints feel less stiff, and your brain downshifts a bit. You come out calmer, a little lighter. Whether infrared setups deliver all the same long-term benefits as old-school saunas—circulation, relaxation, feeling less beat up—isn’t totally clear yet, but in the short term, they’re playing in the same sandbox.
Read more: 8 Best Home Saunas, According to Fitness Editors and Experts
Inside, the built-in Android tablet and integrated sound system let you listen to Spotify, stream Netflix, or check your Gmail. For me, having a home sauna isn’t about pushing limits or chasing PRs. It’s about looser muscles, faster recoveries, and a sense of calm at the end of a long day. Most of the research points to a pretty simple formula for usage: 15 to 20 minutes per session, a few times a week, consistently. Not heroic, just regular. And the Aspire makes it easy.
Just know what you’re signing up for. This is not a budget wellness toy. You need space, a dedicated circuit, and the commitment to use it—wellness as infrastructure, the same way we think about cold plunges, home gyms, and recovery tools. But if that’s your mindset, the mPulse Aspire doesn’t just deliver heat. It delivers a pause. A built-in moment to reset. Sauna guy or not, who doesn’t want that?
This story is part of Men’s Health Editorial Director Richard Dorment’s The Optimized Man column. Sign up here.
Richard Dorment is the editorial director of Men’s Health.
