Last Updated: on February 18, 2024 by Jack
Wearing headphones in a sauna or steam room is generally not recommended. Saunas are hot and humid environments, and exposing electronic devices such as headphones to high temperatures and moisture can lead to internal damage over time.
Headphones aren’t designed for these 15-20 min sweat sessions, which is echoed by the manufacturers who all cover themselves by telling you not to use them in such environments.
That being said, wireless earbuds are still popular in saunas and steam rooms today. So is it worth risking wearing them, or should you just use the time to relax in some zen silence?
What Are The Issues?
There are plenty of instances of sauna goers using headphones, but what issues does the heat cause for them?
Moisture Build-Up
The biggest issue is moisture build-up from the steam and sweat inside the electronics.
Because saunas and steam rooms are such hot and humid environments, steam will eventually enter the device and become moisture over time.
It’s easy for the steam to get in, using all the little small openings on the unit, such as the driver speakers and microphone holes.
Suppose steam does get in and condenses, turning to moisture. In that case, you’ve got a problem with the water just sitting inside, as it will cause chaos to the circuitry and battery, eventually ruining it and reducing its lifespan.
You’re pretty much guaranteed to be sweating in the sauna, which, again, poses the problem of water seeping in through the holes or gaps in the headphones. Not that you can’t use headphones for sweating, but excessive sweating plus all the pressure on the electronics from the heat isn’t recommended for headphone units.
Battery Issues and Dangers
The internal headphone battery will take a beating over time if continually exposed to the extreme sauna heat, especially those using lithium-ion technology.
A significant concern is a shortened battery life, as extreme temperatures will cause chemical reactions within the battery, leading to faster degradation and reduced overall lifespan.
Prolonged exposure to heat also poses the risk of overheating, potentially causing thermal runaway and, in extreme cases, leading to battery damage, leakage, or even a fire.
There is literally no upside to using batteries in such conditions, and there’s even the possibility that the battery could straight up explode under such pressure.
Manufacturers Don’t Recommend It
Headphone manufacturers don’t advise using any of their headphones in saunas or extreme temperatures, even if they’re listed as waterproof or water resistant.
Electronics are designed to work in specific temperature ranges, and saunas are way over that recommended range with average temperatures of 70-90 degrees Celsius.
Read manufacturer documentation for any headphones, earphones or earbuds. You’ll see that they discourage you from using them in extreme temperatures, and some even specifically mention not to use them in saunas or steam rooms.
Manufacturers need to protect themselves from damages and returns, so rightly, they state not to use them in such conditions as they can cause the electronics to fail and even pose a safety issue.
What About Using AirPods or Beats in The Suana?
AirPods and Beats are popular headphones these days, so it’s quite a common question to ask if they’re ok to wear in a sauna or steam room.
You’ll see many people swear by using AirPods in saunas, one of them being Joe Rogan, who posted on his Instagram that he recommends wearing the first-generation model. Joe mentions that the first-gen AirPods are the only models that can handle the heat in his experience, with a lot of comments concurring and even recommending other generation AirPods.
The post was a while back now, so Joe Rogan might have chanced his thoughts and recommendations, but here’s the Instagram post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CekHeCFsKVR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading&hl=en
Apple and Beats, of course, don’t recommend using any of their models in a sauna or steam room, and we don’t either. Here’s a discussion on the Apple forums about an issue: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253887503?sortBy=best
You might get away with using them for a while under such extreme conditions because they’re higher quality than your average earbuds or headphones. With that being said, they’re expensive, and it’s a massive risk.
Smartphone or Audio Device Not Lasting
Though we’re talking about the electronics inside headphones not lasting, you need to play the audio through a device, usually, the device in question being a smartphone.
You’re not going to take your smartphone into the sauna as they’re even more prone to steam getting in them and moisture building up inside than headphones. MP3 players suffer the same fate as the screens, and the batteries are at risk.
This leaves the dilemma of how you will play the music through your cans or earbuds.
If you’re positive you want to play some personal music, you’ll probably need to opt for a Bluetooth set of earbuds; then, you can at least leave your smartphone or device outside the sauna if that’s an option for you.
Wired headphones or earphones are not recommended, as it’s not just the issue of plugging them into a physical device. The cable being exposed to such temperatures isn’t advised as it can damage the rubber shielding the wires inside.
Ear Infections and Discomfort
Wearing headphones in a sauna can potentially increase the risk of developing an ear infection due to the combination of moisture, heat, and the headphones themselves. The high temperatures will cause sweating, leading to moisture buildup in the ear canal.
The headphones trap this moisture and heat, causing bacterial or fungal growth. Also, if the headphones are not properly cleaned or sanitized after getting all waxy and sweaty, they could create a nasty bacteria buildup that gets into the ear canal.
To minimise the risk of ear infections while using headphones in the sauna, use water-resistant headphones designed for sports, clean the sweat and wax off the headphones, limit the time spent wearing them in the sauna, and ensure proper drying of the ears after use.
Wearing big over-ear headphones isn’t advised either, as they’re obviously going to be super uncomfortable, especially with sweat all over them, squishing into your head. Skin irritation is also an issue as they put pressure on the skin.
Recommended Sauna and Steam Room Headphones
Although pretty much every manufacturer will not recommend using their models for sauna environments, Shokz has a waterproof swimming set of bone-conducting earphones that people use and recommend:
Note: Shokz does NOT advertise these as sauna headphones. We are mentioning that WE believe they are robust enough for short sauna or steam room sessions. Using them in such conditions is still a massive risk as they’re not designed for it.
If you do opt to choose a set of headphones specifically for sauna or steam room use, ensure they’re water-resistant and look at the IP ratings. Ideally, you want to go with something with a decent IP rating that’s waterproof and not just water-resistant like the Shokz model we’ve recommended above.
Why Wear Headphones In A Suana?
Although it seems obvious that you probably shouldn’t wear them in the first place, there are reasons why one might want to.
The main reason you would want to wear headphones in a sauna or similar environment is so you can relax and listen to music, a podcast or recording uninterrupted and in private.
The headphones, earphones or earbuds should give you a better noise-isolation experience, blocking out any background noises or talking to allow you to sweat it out with your own audio choice playing away.
Depending on the sauna you’re using, there might not be any alternatives or any other way to pipe in some music or audio through speakers.
It could also be the case that you need a distraction from the heat and need something to focus on if you’re struggling to last it out.
Bluetooth Speaker Alternative
Using Bluetooth speakers designed for high-temperature environments is an excellent alternative to risking wearing headphones to listen to audio in the sauna or steam room.
You can get wireless Bluetooth speakers with good IP ratings that will comfortably handle playing whatever audio you want in the background while you sweat it out in the humid environment.
A good set of waterproof Bluetooth speakers is all that’s required here. Just ensure you have permission to take it inside the sauna and play the chosen audio.
Wireless Bluetooth speakers will also allow you to connect your smartphone or music device to them from outside the sauna, saving you from also bringing them in and risking moisture getting into the circuitry.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, we would not recommend using headphones or any other electronic devices in a sauna or steam room environment, except maybe the use of waterproof Bluetooth speakers.
If sitting in silence or doing some meditation isn’t what you’re all about, then there are some headphones you can probably get away with using for 10-15-minute periods in the heat.
AirPods are popular and recommended by regular sauna users these days. The waterproof Shokz model we recommended above is another popular set of bone-conducting earphones for these environments.
Regardless of whether you use any of these recommendations above, they’re not designed for these environments, so limit your use with them under such conditions, wipe the sweat off after every use, and give them a regular cleaning.