You haven’t truly sweated through a workout until you’ve trained wearing a sauna suit. These suits are designed to help you sweat. Your body temperature rises as you train, causing your body to trigger its cooldown mechanism – producing more sweat.
Critics of sauna suits argue that they’re dangerous by impeding your body’s natural ability to sweat, risking overheating, causing dehydration. These claims are valid, but it doesn’t mean you should avoid sauna suits altogether. It means you should use a sauna suit correctly. These suits can be a beneficial training tool for fighters who want to sweat out some extra pounds the day before a big fight.
HOTSUIT Sauna Suit
for Weight Loss
Our rating
- Patented heat retention fabric
- Full zip-up jacket
Getting a high-quality sauna suit that holds up during your training sessions is essential for fighters. There are countless options to choose from on the market today. To help you decide, we’ve reviewed the six best sauna suits of 2021.
6 Best Sauna Suits in 2021
The Boxraw Hagler Sauna Suit was designed with boxers and fighters in mind. A common complaint about sauna suits is that they tear easily, making them a bit useless for fighters. The Boxraw suit is made from durable material that maximizes heat retention and allows you to move around as much as you want – without tearing.
Featuring anti-rip fabric along with elastic neck, wrists, waist, and ankles, the suit is as comfortable as it is durable. Boxraw consulted world champions when creating this suit, and it’s used by champions as well.
While the Boxraw Hagler suit is all-in-all a great product, its one downside is that the sizing runs a bit small. If you want to order a size up to have some extra room, order two sizes up instead. Sizes range from S-XXXL, which isn’t a huge range compared to other models. It’s also the priciest suit on this list.
PROS
- Made specifically for fighters
- Doesn’t tear easily
- Absorbs massive amounts of sweat
CONS
- Sizes run a bit small
- Pricey
The RAD Heavy Duty Sweat Suit is for fighters who don’t want to break the bank buying a sauna suit but still want a quality product. The RAD suit is lined with EVA nylon to help keep the heat in and the sweat flowing, ensuring you get a good workout and drop some water weight before a big fight.
The RAD suit also has elastic wristbands to help keep as much moisture in as possible. The heavy-duty, durable lining shouldn’t rip while you’re doing your workout, but be careful when pulling it on or taking it off. To help loosen the suit up as you slip it on, there are six-inch zippers in the legs. Like with most sauna suits, you’ll need to order the RAD Heavy Duty Sweat Suit a few sizes up. The RAD comes in a decent size range, from M-6XL.
PROS
- Durable EVA nylon material
- Six-inch leg zippers
- Looks like a stylish tracksuit
CONS
- Only comes in one color
The Jayefo Sauna Suit stands out for its excellent price point. As the cheapest suit on this list, but still made from durable, quality material, the Jayefo is our pick for the best value. While the Jayefo is suitable for general workouts and cardio, it’s also geared toward fighters as well.
The elastics at the wrists and ankles keep it snug and the hood is a great feature, but you may have trouble getting the neck and hood to fit. And although the lining does help keep your temperature elevated, the fabric might wear down a bit over time. The Jayefo has the widest size range, starting at XS and going up to 9XL.
PROS
- Hooded
- Wide size range
- Adjustable ankle zippers
CONS
- Head and neck area can be a bit tight
- Lining might wear down over time
The DMoose Hot Sweat Sauna Suit is weatherproof, making it perfect for outdoor workouts, even in winter. It also comes with a hood if you want to seal in extra heat. The DMoose jacket is a zip-up, so you don’t have to worry about fitting it over your neck when you put it on.
The DMoose suit is also odor-free, which can’t be said for many other sauna suits. Although this sauna suit has a lot going for it, it can be prone to tearing or cords breaking if you aren’t careful when taking it off. The DMoose comes in sizes S-8XL, and for colors, you can get either black with red stripes or black with blue stripes.
PROS
- Jacket with zipper
- Attractive style
- Weatherproof
CONS
- Less durability
The HOTSUIT Sauna Suit uses a patented fabric called Silver HeatReg which is supposed to maximize heat and resist wear and tear. The technology seems to work well, as the HOTSUIT excels at retaining heat and making you sweat. HOTSUIT was also designed with fighters in mind and is comfortable and easy to move around in. You also have a few choices for colors, including black, gray, red, and blue.
Most sauna suits tend to be off from normal apparel sizing, but the HOTSUIT seems even more so. Even if you order one or two sizes up – as you should do with most sauna suits – you might find the top to be too long if you’re short-waisted. Another drawback is that it isn’t designed or sized for women. Sizes run from S-5XL.
PROS
- Patented wear-resistant fabric
- Comes in several colors
- Odor-free
- Designed for fighters
CONS
- Men’s suit only
- Odd sizing
If you want the quality of HOTSUIT’s patented fabric but with a full zip-up jacket style, then the HOTSUIT Sauna Suit for Weight Loss might be for you. With their proprietary Nano Silver Fabric, you’ll start sweating after 10 minutes just wearing this suit. This suit is also designed to be lighter than neoprene sauna suits but without ripping.
This HOTSUIT also comes with elastic all around, including inside the hood to keep it from blowing back during a run. This professional suit is definitely a favorite among boxers and fighters for the lightweight yet durable fabric, as well as the style. But HOTSUIT’s sizing is off, more so than usual sauna suits. Order one or two sizes up to be safe, but you might end up with a jacket that’s way too long for your body.
PROS
- Great for boxers and fighters
- Full zip-up jacket
- Elastic hood brim
CONS
- Sizing is off
- Not designed for women
Summary
Because sauna suits pose a danger of overheating, you want to get the right one. And if you’re dropping more than $20 on it, you really don’t want it to rip after two or three outings. Look for a suit that has a high-quality material for the lining. Most suits are lined with PVC, nylon, or neoprene. Neoprene is the most durable and has fewer safety concerns than PVC and nylon when it comes to trapping heat, but it can also feel a bit weightier.
A few more tips to keep in mind when buying and using a sauna suit are: always hand wash the suit, be wary of sizing, and keep safety in mind.
How to wash your sauna suit
Always hand wash your sauna suit
You may have noticed in the reviews that we didn’t mention if the suits were machine-washable or not. While some suits are advertised as washing machine-friendly, we recommend never throwing your sauna suit in the washing machine – and definitely never putting it in the dryer. Instead, handwash your suit with cold water and some laundry detergent in a bucket or basin.
Size considerations
All of these sauna suits are advertised as anti-rip, and most do a pretty good job staying free from tears. However, you should know that if a sauna suit does rip, it’s more likely when you’re putting it on or taking it off than when working out. So be sure you choose a size big enough to pull over your head and put your arms through or choose one of the models with zippers. Your sauna suit should also fit snugly but not too tight, and sizing on sauna suits generally runs small. Triple check the manufacturer’s size chart before ordering. Also, unless otherwise stated, most sauna suits with a jacket/pants combo are unisex.
Use sauna suits safely
If you wear a sauna suit for too long, it can cause you to overheat or even pass out. Only use one if you’re sure your body can take it, and you might check with a physician before using one. For fighters, the safest, most effective use for a sauna suit is training in one the day before a big fight to drop some water weight for the weigh-in. Then, rehydrate appropriately before your fight actually starts.
How We Chose the Best Sauna Suits
Considerations for fighters
We chose our list of sauna suits specifically with fighters in mind. Boxers, MMA fighters, and Muay Thai fighters need a suit that’s both lightweight and durable to conform to the types of movement they do when they train.
We chose the loose-fitting, track-style suits rather than the form-fitting vests and unitards because the pants and jacket combo covers more of your body than a simple vest. If you’re going to make yourself sweat that much you might as well get the most out of it. The jacket and pants sauna suit model is also better suited for training outside in colder weather.
Shedding water weight
For fighters, the main purpose of a sauna suit is to lose water weight before a fight. We wanted to include sauna suits on this list that actually make you work up a sweat and keep the moisture from escaping too easily. While they might have one or two downsides, all of the suits on our list are proven to make you sweat – a lot.
As the point of a sauna suit is to shed water weight, this consideration was also one of our most important in evaluating sauna suits available on the market.
Sauna suits for fighters
Despite what some manufacturers advertise, sauna suits do not help you burn fat. Sauna suits simply help elevate your body temperature so your body produces more sweat in order to cool down. If you do lose any weight during a workout with a sauna suit, it’s water weight. And it’s temporary.
The short-term, water-weight cutting effects of a sauna suit make them appealing to fighters who want to make weight the day before a fight. Since MMA, Muay Thai, boxing, and most other combat sports do weigh-ins the day before the fight, you’ll have time to rehydrate and gain that water weight back before the fight starts. It’s generally not recommended to cut more than 15-20 pounds in one session, and using a sauna suit for a short workout could help you lose between 5-10 pounds of water weight, depending on your body type and training method.
Wearing a sauna suit isn’t the only method for cutting weight, and some fighters avoid training with sauna suits because of the overheating risks. But when used properly, they can be a helpful tool for dropping water weight fast.
Fit
How a sauna suit fits is an important consideration when choosing one for your workout. You want it to fit snugly but still allow you a free range of motion. Being able to move freely is essential for fighters, who might use their sauna suit for shadow boxing or other intensive workouts.
Most sauna suits seem to be sized a bit off from normal garments and by far, the most critiques we’ve seen about sauna suits have had to do with sizing. On this list, we attempted to include suits with the widest size ranges, which are more likely to fit several body shapes and sizes while still maintaining their durability. If you’ve worn or purchased a sauna suit before, you’ll have a better idea of which size to select. If it’s your first time buying a suit, be prepared to send it back for a different size just in case.
Materials
The material a sauna suit is made of is vital to whether it will retain heat or not. The quality of the fabric used will also determine if it rips easily or not. We only chose sauna suits lined with high-quality materials that trap heat, such as nylon, neoprene, and even graphene in the case of HOTSUIT products.
A good sauna suit should have an inside lining that traps moisture and a breathable exterior material that stands up to wind and light rain. The sauna suits on our list were chosen for their materials that successfully trap heat and protect you against the elements if you train outdoors.
Extra features
Additional features such as pockets, hoods, and zippers also make a sauna suit worth buying or not. If you need a place to stash your phone so you can listen to music while you work out, pockets are a must. Zippers along pant leg bottoms or in the sauna suit’s top make it more adjustable, and hoods provide more space to lock the heat in.
These extra features make quality suits stand out from so-so suits. All the sauna suits on our list have pockets of some kind – most of which zip up. We also chose a few models with hoods because some people like hoods but others don’t.
Style
Style of the suit wasn’t a huge factor, but the ones we’ve picked are certainly more fashionable than some suits that resemble large trash bags. Most of them also come in different colors so you can personalize them to your style even more.
Q&As
Q: Should I wear anything underneath my sauna suit?
A: You can wear a sauna suit with or without anything underneath. Clothes underneath will increase sweating, though. If you do wear something underneath, it should be a form-fitting, moisture-wick garment that won’t get saturated with sweat easily and is comfortable to wear while working out. If you’re wearing your sauna suit outside on a cold day, you might also consider throwing a sweatshirt or hoodie on over it. Be careful about your layers, though, you don’t want to cause yourself to overheat.
Q: Can I wear a sauna suit all day?
A: Do not wear a sauna suit longer than 60 minutes at one time. Fighters should generally only wear them for a short workout and then take them off. Wearing a sauna suit for longer than 60 minutes might cause you to lose too much water and dehydrate you. Also, avoid using a sauna suit every day – they’re safest to use on a short-term basis.
Q: Do sauna suits burn fat?
A: When you’re wearing a sauna suit, you’re not burning fat you’re losing water weight – which is temporary weight loss. When you get hot, your body relies on carbohydrates to refuel, not fat stores. If you do burn fat, it’s from the exercise you’re doing, not the sauna suit you’re wearing.
Q: Should I get a zip-up or pullover sauna suit jacket?
A: Whether you get a zip-up or pullover style sauna suit is entirely up to you. There aren’t significant differences between the two styles; both do a good job of trapping the heat and helping you sweat. A zip-up might be easier to put on, reducing the potential risk for tears. A zipper might, however, chafe you a bit more under your neck.
Q: How much should I spend on a sauna suit?
A: How much you’re willing to pay depends on your budget, and sauna suits can range from $10-$100. If you pick up a super cheap sauna suit from a discount store like Wal-Mart, your sauna suit is sure to rip after one or two uses.
If you spend $5 on a sauna suit and it rips after the first use, you might not consider it a huge waste of money. But if you want a sauna suit that you don’t have to replace after each workout, then you should look to spend at least $20-40 on a decent-quality sauna suit. You’ll find better suits made of higher quality material in the $40-60 range. We recommend not spending more than $80-100 on a sauna suit, though.
