I have a well documented love affair with infrared heat. From standing saunas to blankets, I love the feeling of being cocooned in radiant heat. My relationship with this kind of heat eventually sent me in search of a way to bring it into my fitness practice without relying on a heated studio. That’s when I happened upon the UTK Full Body Infrared Mat.
To be fair, I was already familiar with this brand during my paralysis episode in 2021. I have a smaller version that I used to help bring circulation back into my affected limbs. The company had yet to release a full body version. But another company, Higher Dose, was already touting their version of the ‘infrared yoga mat.’ I was gifted that version from a friend, but I didn’t find the same infrared properties as it did with my small UTK heating pad. I suspect it has something to do with the construction and distribution of heat (their distribution is uneven and prone to burn your parts from time to time). So I gave up my search until 2022.
That’s when I found that UTK released several versions of the full body mat, one of which uses Quantum Wave Technology. There is a lot of buzz about this technology (including criticism that it might even be a thing). I was down to test it out for myself. I can’t tell you if it’s a thing or not, but I can tell you that you literally have to drag me off of that mat once I get on it. I set it out with the intention of practicing (and I do everything from traditional yoga to Habibi Body Technique on it). When I’m done I lay on it to recover.. always with the intention to get up after a few minutes. This never happens. I usually have to fuss at myself and drag myself upright to turn it off, clean it and put it away.
What really convinces me about this brand is that it is the only one that my physical therapist (who I started seeing regularly since the episode) uses. I also found a few versions that cannot be purchased by consumers. You have to have a medical or a therapy license to even access certain technology. This further inspired confidence. Add to that the attractive price point (some mats are going for twice what UTK charges)… and you can consider me a lifelong fan.