I signed up for a free intro session to check the place out since it's new to the neighborhood. This was my first time in an infrared sauna--and probably my second or third time in any kind of sauna.
I showed up, got a quick 2 minute tour and the staff person directed me to a walk-in closet sized room with a chair and a tv on the wall... and an infrared sauna behind a glass door. My partner and I signed up for intro sessions together, and they put us in the same room...which was fine... usually, you'd get a private room (and can always bring a guest or $20 if you feel like sharing) ...or if you go with another member and want company, you can be in the same room.
We got a quick rundown of the controls--it starts at 130 degrees and goes up to 175. There's red light therapy, but you can turn those LEDs off. There's mood and room lighting, which can also be turned off. You're provided a floormat, a face towel, and a body towel..extra towels cost money, which is a little silly and annoying given how much the membership and sessions cost.
Outside the sauna but inside your room is a small cold washcloth for use after the session. It smells and feels great after baking for nearly an hour. The sessions are 40 minutes long. I do wish there was a clock on the wall, but the sauna itself has a timer, so it's fine. The TV is just a normal TV. There is no speaker inside the sauna, but the audio can be heard fine inside the glass door.
There is a water refill station but they also have water, drink mixes and some swag for sale.
A handful of the rooms also have showers. There is no extra cost to use them; they're just first come, first served and indicated by an icon in the booking app. The rooms with the showers also offer a cold shower feature, which is like taking a cold plunge for 45 seconds. This (the cold shower; regular shower is free) costs extra but is included in the unlimited session membership.
Not sure how long you have to shower and get ready...I hope the block hour-long chunks of time so you have the 40 minute sauna session and then 20 minutes to shower and get out of there while still giving the staff a few minutes to get the room ready for the next customer. I haven't tried the shower room yet but will post my exprience when I do.
The person who helped me book the intro session said it was complimentary and that the "founders rates" would still be available when I came in for my first session. And that water is provided for the intro session. All of that turned out to be false...they tried charging me $20 and for the water....and when I expressed an interest in signing up, the prices were quite a bit higher. But the person quickly backtracked and honored all the original promises, which I appreciated...and I ended up buying a membership.
Overall, it's a welcome wellness addition to the neighborhood, the staff is pleasant, facilities are new and clean and the price is...well... west loop pricing! read more