Contrast therapy involves alternating between hot and cold temperatures to support muscle recovery, improve circulation, and promote overall relaxation. With origins stretching back to ancient Greece and Rome, and modern-day roots in Nordic culture, contrast therapy has been catching on in the U.S. as more people prioritize whole-body wellness.
After a recent cross-country road trip left us feeling stiff and run-down, my husband and I looked for a sauna/cold plunge at our destination and found SweatHouz — or SWTHZ — a nationwide chain specializing in sauna and cold plunge.
The Experience
I’ve gotten lots of questions about my contrast therapy experiences, particularly SweatHouz, since it’s one of the most recognizable contrast therapy studio brands in the country. And I decided to write about it because there aren’t many Sweathouz reviews out there. I’ve since tried a lot of different places — contrast therapy helps with elevation acclimation, so they’re popular in Colorado — and have a membership to a local sauna club. However, in many areas, SweatHouz is the best option.
When you first walk in, you check in and are given a cool towel and a chance to fill up on water or electrolytes before you head back to your private room. Inside, there’s an infrared sauna, shower, and cold plunge tub that’s all yours for an hour, exactly.
Pros
- Privacy: Unlike a lot of other contrast therapy studios, where you share the space with other people, SweatHouz gives you a private room for your session. While sauna and cold plunge are traditionally communal (even social) experiences, that’s not always what everyone wants. If you prefer a quieter, more private setup, this approach is a big plus.
- Pricing: SweatHouz only charges around $35-$40 for your first session (depending on location), which makes it an easy entry point if you’re new to sauna and cold plunge. Many other studios charge more upfront — or don’t offer a first-time discount at all — so this is a low-risk way to give it a try.
- Time tracking: Each room has a digital clock on the wall, which makes it easier to keep track of how long you’ve been in the sauna or cold plunge. If you’re short on time — or trying to follow a specific protocol — this can end up being surprisingly helpful.
Cons
- Time limits: You only get an hour per session. That includes everything: your contrast therapy rounds, plus showering, drying off, and getting dressed. Ideally, you want to spend 10-20 minutes in the sauna, and another 1-3 minutes per cold plunge, repeating that for about 3 rounds per session. With only an hour to fit all of that in, the experience can start to feel a little (or a lot) rushed — especially for two people.
- Infrared Sauna: Traditional saunas get their heat from hot stones and are either wood-fired or electric, while SweatHouz uses infrared saunas. An infrared sauna is said to heat your skin directly instead of the air around you, which is supposed to be better for sensitive skin and eczema. I found this not true at all — the direct heat from an infrared sauna flared up my eczema immediately and it was hard to break a sweat. That can be a plus if you’re more heat-averse or new to using saunas.
- Temp: Infrared saunas are usually only about 160-170 degrees, which can make it challenging to really break a sweat. Especially if you only have an hour. If you’re looking for a more authentic sauna experience, where temps can reach around 200 degrees, it can feel a bit underwhelming. Stone-heated saunas tend to warm the body more evenly, and you can usually pour water over the stones — a practice called löyly — to create a quick burst of steam that makes the heat more intense.
All in all, SweatHouz delivers a clean, streamlined experience that’s great for contrast therapy novices — albeit one that’s less immersive and traditional. But if you’re looking for something a bit more authentic and something you can do more regularly, instead of a splurge (regular SweatHouse prices are $80ish per session unless you have a membership, which is upwards of $200/mo), I suggest branching out and exploring what else is out there.
However, if you prefer an infrared sauna and don’t mind the time limits of SweatHouz, it’s a great, relaxing, spa-like reset for your nervous system.
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