Saunas and steam rooms have long been used as health and wellness aids predating Roman times. They are more than just hot and humid rooms filled with tightly packed sweaty bodies! In the modern world, you can find them in gyms and fitness centers as well as in private homes. Both saunas and steam rooms use heat as a therapeutic tool for the body. They differ mainly in the temperature and humidity of the heated air. For help determining which is right for your lifestyle and desired sauna experience, read on!
What is a Sauna?
A sauna produces low humidity and dry air, typically around 150-195 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat is produced by a sauna heater. These heaters vary by the fuel used to heat them (wood, electric, gas, or infrared), the size and location of the sauna heater, and the installation and maintenance cost. Some saunas employ hot rocks and water to produce some steam humidity. Humidity can vary from 10% to 60% if water is used. Saunas can range in size and can be found either inside a building or outside as a standalone building.
What is a Steam Room?
A steam room or steam bath is like a sauna but produces higher humidity (near or at 100%) with steam and typically lower temperatures (around 100-120 degrees Fahrenheit). Steam is created via a generator or manually through water poured over hot stones. A Steam shower with sauna is a perfect combination of the two. The heat in a steam room is typically more intense because of the higher humidity.
Health Benefits of Both
Because of the heat produced in both saunas and steam sauna rooms, they both have similar health benefits. The heat produced by a sauna and a steam room raises your body temperature, and this temperature increase has many health effects. Both steam rooms and saunas can increase circulation, lower blood pressure for regular users, ease muscle tension, and aid in stress relief and relaxation. People with asthma or other respiratory ailments may enjoy or benefit from steam rooms more than saunas because of the high humidity.
Why SteamSaunaBath?
It can get overwhelming with so many different products and equipment for steam rooms and saunas. Whether you decide a steam room or sauna (or both!) is better for your lifestyle, Steam Sauna Bath can help. We take the guesswork out of your home and commercial sauna and steam room setup. Choose a custom steam shower to grace your steam room or a wood sauna stove for your home sauna. We also sell everything in between. Steam Sauna Bath exists to provide a variety of quality equipment and custom room packages and designs for all of your steam room and sauna needs.