What is the Best Type of Sauna? 5 Sauna Types Explained
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It can be tough to know what is the best type of sauna. If you looking to add sauna bathing to your wellness routine, but are confused as to which type of sauna to use, you are not alone. There are many different saunas on the market today differing in heating source, temperature variations, humidity levels, and size with each offering a unique experience.
In the guide below, we explore 5 main types of saunas, what they are, and their pros and cons. We hope this will help you make an informed decision about your perfect sauna choice.
What is a Sauna?
According to the North American Sauna Society, sweat bathing is any bathing done at a high temperature. Many cultures around the world use sweat bathing. From the Russian banya, to the Turkish hammam, and finally to the Native American sweat lodges, the Finnish sauna is a part of a worldwide tradition of sweat bathing.
Sauna bathing is a type of sweat bathing specifically attributed to the Finnish people. The traditional Finnish sauna is a small room heated with an electric stove or wood stove. Steam is then created by throwing water on heated rocks. It is known for its high temperature and low humidity.
There are also other types of saunas including smoke saunas, infrared saunas, and steam saunas or steam rooms.
While there are numerous health benefits to using any of the saunas listed above, the best type of home sauna for you depends on your personal preferences, budget, space restrictions, and location.
Sauna Types Explained
Let’s continue on to discuss the 5 sauna types in more detail and what you can expect from your sauna session.
Wood Burning Sauna
Picture a crackling fire warming the inside of the cedar-lined sauna as the snow falls gently outside. If you are looking for a traditional Finnish sauna experience, a wood-burning sauna is the way to go. And because you are using wood to heat the sauna, this makes it a great off-grid choice as there is no need for electricity.
The temperatures can get up to almost 200 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature is controlled by adjusting the rate of burn in the stove as well as throwing water on the heated rocks to create steam. While still considered a “dry sauna” due to the high temperature, you can adjust the humidity by throwing more water and creating more steam.
The wood-burning sauna also offers an aromatic experience that is not present in electric or infrared saunas. Birch wood is often used in wood-burning sauna stoves, and dry saunas use cedar on the walls and benches heightening the aroma inside. Most of the wood-burning stoves today are also highly efficient and easy to use making this a great sauna choice.
The health benefits of a traditional sauna are much more than just physical. The calming routine of sitting in a darkened room with a fire burning and throwing water to create sizzling steam could be the most perfect sauna experience out there.
Major sauna companies like Finnleo and Redwood Outdoors, offer many of their saunas with a wood-burning stove option.
Who a Wood-Burning Sauna is For: Someone who has time to enjoy the whole experience and doesn’t mind keeping wood supplied and managing a stove.
Pros/Cons
Pros:
- Traditional authentic experience
- No electricity needed
- Can locate sauna anywhere (on a beach, backyard, forest etc.)
- Intense heat with low humidity
Cons:
- Takes longer to heat
- Must have wood supply ready to use
- Intense heat can be too much for some people
- Clean-up the stove/ashes afterwards
- Heat control is not precise
Electrically Heated Sauna
When most people think of a regular sauna, it’s most likely an electrically heated one. An electric sauna is still considered a traditional Finnish sauna. An electric stove simply replaces the wood-burning stove for a very similar experience. These saunas are also dry saunas with high heat and low humidity.
The air in the electric sauna is warmed all around by the sauna heater. Heat is increased easily by simply pushing a button on the stove control and throwing water on the heated rocks to create steam. The room itself is usually made of cedar wood which smells wonderful as it is heated up.
Who an Electrically Heated Sauna is for: Someone who still wants a traditional sauna experience without the time and clean-up of a wood-fired sauna.
Pros/Cons
Pros:
- Easy to heat
- No wood needed
- Can control heat remotely if wired for it
- Precise temperature control at the push of a button
- Very common sauna type
- Can be installed indoors or outdoors
Cons:
- Need to have a specifically wired electrical outlet by a licensed professional
- Electricity costs
- Not as authentic as the wood-burning experience
- High heat can be too much for some, but this is much more easily controlled than in a wood-burning sauna
Infrared Sauna
Infrared saunas use infrared light waves to heat a person’s body to its core. They are a much newer type of sauna and now have many high-tech benefits that more traditional saunas don’t offer including light therapy, music speakers, Wi-Fi with touch screens, and remote heat control, A big difference between infrared and traditional saunas is that there are no stoves, water, or steam.
The temperature is much lower in an infrared sauna, usually 120-150 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of the lower temperature, this type of sauna provides a milder option for those who cannot tolerate the high heat of a more traditional sauna, while still providing similar health benefits.
There are two types of infrared saunas- far infrared and near infrared saunas. The far infrared sauna is the most common.
Who an Infrared Sauna is for: Infrared saunas are better for someone limited on time, space and prefers lower temperatures
Pros/Cons
Pros:
- Lower temperatures
- High tech features including light therapy options
- Easy push-button temperature controls
- Low electricity use
- Efficient and quick to heat up
- Small infrared saunas can be less expensive
Cons:
- Not a traditional sauna experience
- Can feel sterile
- Lack of humidity due to no steam
- Not for a sauna purist
- Due to technology involved, repair costs may be more expensive
Steam Room
Technically a steam room is not a sauna, but it is often thought that way. Popular in gyms and spas, a steam room is a Turkish-style bath with very high humidity (100%) and lower temperatures than dry saunas (up to 120 degrees Fahrenheit).
A steam room is usually covered entirely in tile, stone, or glass instead of wood. There is a heat source that continuously produces steam.
Who a steam room is for: Someone who prefers high humidity and a more wet heat.
Pros/Cons
Pros:
- High humidity can be beneficial to those with respiratory conditions
- Wet heat
- Lower temperature
Cons:
- Not a traditional sauna experience
- Due to high humidity, need to keep very clean and monitor for mold growth
- Should be installed by a professional
Smoke Sauna
The last type of sauna on our list is the smoke sauna. Smoke saunas are considered an ancient and rare form of sauna. It is a wooden building containing a large wood-burning stove. However, the stove does not have a chimney. Hundreds of pounds of rocks are heated directly by the fire for several hours.
After being heated the flame is put out and the room is ventilated by opening the door. It is then ready for use by using the stored heat coming from the rocks.
Smoke sauna kits are not available in the United States, but we included the smoke sauna here as it could be an interesting experience to try overseas. If you are traveling in Europe, check out this smoke sauna in Saimaa, Finland. It is a true traditional experience and is located on a clear lake for cooling down afterward.
Who the Smoke Sauna is for: Someone who has lots of time to manage the fire, heat the rocks, and take care of the ventilation. Or it could be for someone who is traveling abroad looking for a new experience.
Pros/Cons
Pros:
- Ancient traditional sauna experience
- Raw elements
- No technology involved
Cons:
- Time-consuming
- No kits
- Rare in the United States
Sauna Benefits
Each of the 5 types of saunas discussed above offer relaxation, a way to unplug, ease muscle aches and pain, cleanse your skin, and help with circulation and cardiovascular health. Different types of saunas offer slightly different benefits.
The traditional sauna offers extreme hot and cold therapy if that is what you are desiring. The infrared sauna offers a gentler approach. Both help detoxify the body. The steam room may not offer the detoxifying benefits of the traditional and infrared saunas, but can help with muscle aches and breathing conditions.
If you go to a gym that has a sauna, then you will be able to use whatever type they provide, but if you are looking to get a outdoor sauna for home, you have more options.
Consider the following questions when deciding on the best sauna for your home:
- What is my current health status?
- Do I have a heart condition that can handle extreme heat? (Check with your doctor)
- Am I on any medications that could interfere with my ability to function well in the sauna?
- Do I have a backyard or patio or only a very small area to fit a sauna?
- Do I prefer dry heat with low humidity or more of a wet heat like in a steam room?
- Do I prefer a traditional experience or a more modern experience where I can have Wi-Fi and tablets installed?
- Will my sauna be off-grid or do I need an electrical hook-up?
- What’s my budget?
- How often do I plan to use it?
- How many people will regularly use the sauna?
- What size of sauna do I need?
The Best Type of Sauna
As you start making sauna therapy part of your weekly wellness routine, you will find your body craving the heat and the cleansing it provides.
The best type of sauna is the one you have access to on at least a weekly basis, preferably 2-3 times a week. It’s the consistent use over time that creates the health benefits, and whether it uses wood or electricity to achieve that end is really a minor point.
