A special type of incandescent lamp that is designed to produce energy in the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The lamps produce radiant thermal energy which can be used to heat objects that intercept the radiation. All incandescent lamps have radiation in three regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, the infrared, the visible, and the ultraviolet.

An infrared lamp with a filament operating at 2500 K will release about 85% of its energy in the form of thermal radiant energy, about 15% as visible light, and a tiny fraction of a percent as ultraviolet energy. The amount of infrared radiation produced by a lamp is a function of the input wattage of the lamp and the temperature of its tungsten filament. For most infrared lamps, the thermal radiation will be about 65–70% of the input wattage. A typical 250-W infrared lamp radiates about 175 W of thermal energy.