Since the inside of a car gets really hot during this time of year, it might be possible to use your car as a sauna. For example, the car’s interior temperature could go up to 170°F in hot summer weather. While that’s hot enough for a sauna, it might not be safe.
You shouldn’t use your car as a sauna during summer or any other time of the year. First, there’s no humidity so you can become dehydrated quickly. Second, heat stroke is possible since you can’t control the car’s temperature with it off. Finally, running the heater could cause your car to overheat.
Read on to learn more about why you shouldn’t use your car as a sauna.
Table of Contents
- Reasons You Should Not Use Your Car as a Sauna
- Go to a Gym Sauna Near You
- Use Small Portable Saunas Instead
- Conclusion
Reasons You Should Not Use Your Car as a Sauna
You shouldn’t use your car as a sauna, especially in the summertime. It can be dangerous to your health and cause problems in your vehicle, depending on what methods you use to turn it into a sauna.
First, the air in your car will be dry. In a sauna, the air is very humid, preventing you from dehydrating. Sitting in a hot car for long periods without water can be dangerous. You may also sweat too much and feel like you’re about to pass out. Even “dry” saunas have more moisture in the air than inside a car.
Next, staying in the hot car for too long could cause a heatstroke. While heatstroke is more common in children, it can happen to adults too. Your vehicle might not have an internal thermometer to tell you how hot it’s getting, causing you to stay in dangerous conditions for too long.
Lastly, turning the heater on in the summer could quickly cause your car to overheat. Vehicle repair is very costly, so you wouldn’t want to damage your car!
As you can see, it’s not worth your health or causing damage to your vehicle to use it as a sauna.
Car Sauna Impact on Health
For several reasons, using your car as a sauna isn’t good for you.
One of the biggest concerns would be dehydration, but it can also become hard to breathe in extremely hot temperatures. Closing the windows and turning off the AC to make a car sauna would reduce airflow in the vehicle, which could be harmful on scorching days.
Your body could even enter shock, leading to breathing issues and cardiac abnormalities. These conditions can become worse and lead to heat stroke. If you’re experiencing these symptoms, you’ll need to visit a medical professional immediately.
Standard saunas don’t cause these issues when used correctly because the steam rooms remain at specific heat and humidity levels. A DIY car sauna can’t offer you that same level of control, making them risky to use.
Overall, car saunas can hurt you, and you should avoid them. There are plenty of other options for saunas available, so you don’t need to make your car into one.
Go to a Gym Sauna Near You
Instead of using your car as a sauna, you can find a gym near you. Many gyms offer saunas for their members to use. They’re much better than cars because they were made for that purpose, meaning staff adequately set the temperature and humidity for safety.
Plus, gyms that have saunas can offer other health advantages.
Using a sauna after a workout can increase your recovery. Since the heat causes blood vessels to expand, many people experience improved circulation and blood pressure as well. It’s also a great way to relax after a stressful day.
Your car doesn’t have the humidity you need to be comfortable using it as a sauna. It’s much better for your health to seek out a real one at a gym instead. Suppose you already have a membership at a gym. The sauna is likely complimentary, so you won’t have to pay extra money to use it.
It’s also very easy to find a gym with a sauna online. Simply Googling “gym with a sauna near me” should point you in the right direction. YMCAs, World Gym, and 24-hour Fitness are just a few common gyms that usually offer this feature. There’s probably one close to your area already.
Use Small Portable Saunas Instead
Even if you don’t have access to a local gym, you shouldn’t use your car as a sauna. The better option would be to use a small portable sauna instead. There are two main portable saunas to choose from— steam and infrared.
The best steam portable saunas have easy-to-use controls and useful accessories. These portable saunas come with a machine that fills the tent with steam. Some users combine them with essential oils to get more out of their sauna time through aromatherapy.
Infrared portable saunas are a bit different. They don’t use steam but instead rely on radiant heat to warm you.
The best portable infrared saunas come with various heat, timers, and EMF controls so that you can choose the best settings. While they use dry heat, it’s still much safer than staying in your car because you have much more control over the temperature.
Overall, you still have options for a safe sauna, even if you don’t have a gym in your area. You’ll get all the benefits of a standard sauna from a portable one, and it’s cost-efficient as a one-time purchase. They’re more comfortable than sitting in your hot car, so you’ll want to check them out.
Conclusion
To summarize, you shouldn’t use your car as a sauna. It gets too hot too fast, which can harm your health. You could become dehydrated or even have a heat stroke. Plus, you could break your car if you turn the heat on in the summer.
It’s hazardous to use your car as a sauna, and you have alternate options you can use. For instance, you might have a gym in your area with a sauna. If not, you can always order a portable sauna and use it in the comfort of your home.
(Featured image by Vlad from Pexels)
