When was the last time you went anywhere without your phone? Our phone is an extension of ourselves, and we feel somewhat naked without it in our pocket or nestled in our bag.

Communications changed dramatically over the last decade. Now we can reach out to anyone on a FaceTime call, anywhere in the world, at an affordable cost. Since the introduction of the smartphone and selfie-driven social platforms like Instagram, everyone’s snapping away pictures of themselves wherever they go.

Even when you’re in the gym, people take pictures of themselves in their workout gear, posting updates of their workout results. Phones are everywhere, and they’re even in the locker room. We’ll bet that you’ve even seen people using their phones in the sauna?

Are these people crazy? Don’t they know that water and electricity don’t mix? So, why aren’t their phones dying or exploding in the sauna? Can you take your phone into a sauna without damaging it?

Can You Take Your Phone In a Sauna? – Sure, why not?

It seems like spending twenty minutes in silence in the sauna is too much for many people to bear. Maybe they just want to read or watch something to take their mind off the intense heat?

Whatever the reason, chances are your phone will likely survive in the sauna, but you’re going to have an issue with the steam as well as snapping pictures and there are some risks you should consider as well.

Won’t the Steam and Heat Penetrate the Phone?

When you bring your phone into the sauna, there are two issues – the heat and the steam. If you’re using an IR-sauna that relies on infrared light instead of steam to heat the space, you don’t have to worry about the moisture.

However, if you’re in a steam sauna, the water vapor likely penetrates your device’s internal electronics. As a result, you might experience some water damage. Even if you have an IPX-rated model that’s water-resistant, there’s still the heat to contend with in the sauna.

Temperatures get hot in the sauna, and that presents us with the second issue – the heat. Your sauna might get up to 150°F to 212°F, depending on the settings. Your phone’s internal electronics don’t have the design to operate in these conditions, presenting the risk of your device overheating.

Since max operating temperatures on mobile devices are around 95°F, there’s a real risk the phone could explode in your hands in the first 5-minutes. Even if your phone stays operational, there’s a chance that it warps or melts, and you might even get damage to your SIM or SD cards.

Do You Really Need to Take Your Phone in the Sauna?

So, it’s a bit of a risk when taking your phone into the sauna. Heat and steam are enemies of electronics, and the last thing you want is your phone exploding sitting next to someone; think about the liability.

Even if you have an IPX-rated phone that’s water-resistant, do you really want to take it in the sauna? Try taking the time to unplug from the world for those 15 or 20-minutes; it’s good for your brain, mind, and body.