If you’re a health freak, you probably A) love saunas, B) love your WHOOP, or C) love both. But do saunas and WHOOPs love each other?
You can wear the WHOOP band 4.0 in the sauna as long as it doesn’t surpass 140°F as that is the maximum operating temperature of the band. The WHOOP 3.0 is also safe to use in the sauna. Both are rated IP68, which is the highest water resistance rating out there.
Keep reading to learn all about how to safely use your WHOOP band in the sauna and how the sauna will affect your band’s metrics!
Is it okay to wear a WHOOP band in the sauna?
WHOOP bands are designed to stay with you wherever you go in order to perfectly track your fitness and health.
According to WHOOP’s Twitter, you can wear a WHOOP band in the sauna. However, you have to be mindful of what temperature your sauna reaches because it’s not recommended to operate your band above 140°F.
The tweet was posted on October 19, 2019. At that point, only the WHOOP 3.0 had been released. However, since the WHOOP 4.0 is a more advanced version of the 3.0, it is safe to assume that both can be used in the sauna.
Although WHOOP doesn’t offer “sauna” as an activity, you can use your WHOOP band to measure how your body reacts to the sauna. For example, you will likely see an increased heart rate similar to moderate exercise.
Is WHOOP heat resistant?
Saunas are hot. So how does the WHOOP hold up against that heat?
WHOOP is pretty heat resistant. It is not advised to operate WHOOP above 140°F.
The WHOOP Regulatory Information does not advise operating your WHOOP above 140°F.
This information was released in 2019, while the WHOOP 3.0 first launched in 2015 and the WHOOP 4.0 launched in late 2021.
Is WHOOP water resistant?
When considering if something can be used in the sauna, water resistance is a key factor.
WHOOP and its battery pack are IP68 water-resistant. This is the highest water resistance rating that a product can receive.
Even the WHOOP website says that you can charge your WHOOP 4.0 in the sauna!
Can you wear the WHOOP band in the steam room?
If you prefer the steam room to other types of saunas, you can bring your handy-dandy WHOOP in with you!
You can wear the WHOOP band in the steam room. The humidity of the steam room isn’t an issue because the WHOOP band is IP68 water-resistant. In addition, steam rooms usually only reach around 120°F, while the WHOOP band can withstand up to 140°F.
To fully utilize a steam room, go three times a week with 15-minute sessions, ramping your way up from 5-minute sessions as a beginner.
Can you wear the WHOOP band in an infrared sauna?
Although the health benefits are understudied, infrared saunas are gaining in popularity. You can even buy a portable one for your home! But can you bring your band in with you?
You can wear the WHOOP band in an infrared sauna as long as it stays at or below 140°F. Most infrared saunas operate between 120 and 140°F.
Who knows – maybe the readings of the WHOOP band might even help us uncover the hidden health benefits of infrared saunas!
How does the sauna affect the WHOOP’s measurements?
WHOOP was developed to measure many aspects of your health. Since saunas improve your health, it only makes sense that the WHOOP would pick up on those changes.
The sauna will affect all of WHOOP’s measurements: strain, recovery, and sleep. You may see an increase in calories expended, improved recovery metrics, and an improved sleep score.
WHOOP measures Strain, Recovery, and Sleep:
- Strain – You may see increased Calories expended because your metabolic rate will increase.
- Recovery – Your recovery metrics may improve because you will be less stressed.
- Sleep – Your sleep score may improve because saunas promote sleep.
How does WHOOP track skin temperature?
If you’re hoping to see how much your skin temperature rises during your sauna session, you’re unfortunately out of luck.
WHOOP only measures skin temperature during sleep, so you won’t be able to see the effects of your sauna session. The WHOOP 4.0 measures your skin’s surface temperature via a sensor, and can then tell you when the temperature of your skin increases or decreases from that baseline. Skin temperature does not indicate core body temperature.
Since skin temperature is only measured at night, this feature doesn’t help sauna users and is only designed to catch fevers and the like.
If you are interested, I’ve also covered wearing an Oura ring, Samsung Watch, or Apple Watch in the sauna!