posted 28th October 2025
What is a sauna?
A sauna is a specially designed room or cabin, usually made of wood, where people sit or lie down to experience dry or wet heat at very high temperatures. The purpose is typically relaxation, health benefits (like detoxification through sweating), improved circulation, and overall well-being.
Types of Saunas and Who They Are Best For
Traditional Finnish Sauna (Dry Sauna)
How it works: A heater (wood-burning or electric) heats rocks, and the air temperature is very high (usually 170°F–195°F / 77°C–90°C) with low humidity. Water can be occasionally poured over the rocks (called löyly) to create a short burst of steam and increase the humidity slightly.
Best for:
- The Traditionalist: People seeking the authentic, deep-heat, and intense Scandinavian sauna experience.
- Detoxification Seekers: The high heat promotes profuse sweating, which is excellent for detoxification.
- Those with High Heat Tolerance: This type of sauna reaches the highest temperatures.
- Socializers: Traditional saunas are often a social experience.
Health Benefits
- Traditional saunas, with their intense, high-temperature environment, have been extensively studied, particularly in Finland.
- Cardiovascular Health and Longevity: Regular, high-heat sauna use (especially 4-7 times per week) is associated with:
- Lowered Blood Pressure: The heat causes blood vessels to dilate (vasodilation), improving blood flow and reducing blood pressure.
- Reduced Risk of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and Stroke.
- Increased Longevity: Some studies link frequent use to a reduced risk of all-cause mortality.
- Detoxification: The high temperature promotes profuse sweating, which is your body's most effective natural way of flushing out toxins, including heavy metals and metabolic waste.
- Muscle Recovery: The heat increases circulation to muscles, which helps soothe nerve endings, relieve tension, and speed up the elimination of lactic acid after a workout.
- Brain Health: Frequent sauna use (4-7 times per week) has been linked to a significantly lower risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Steam Room (Turkish Bath / Hammam)
How it works: A steam generator releases steam into the room, creating an atmosphere of 100% humidity at a lower temperature (usually 100°F–120°F / 38°C–49°C). While technically often classified separately from a dry sauna, it's a popular heat therapy option.
Best for:
- Respiratory Relief: The moist heat is excellent for opening airways, sinuses, and soothing coughs.
- Skin Hydration: People looking to hydrate their skin and open pores without the drying effect of intense dry heat.
- Individuals with Low Heat Tolerance: The lower air temperature makes the experience more tolerable for some, despite the intense humidity.
Health Benefits
The moist environment of a steam room provides unique benefits, primarily focused on the respiratory system and skin hydration.
- Respiratory Relief: This is the steam room's standout benefit. The warm, moist air helps to:
- Clear Congestion: It warms the mucous membranes, loosens mucus, and encourages deep breathing, providing relief for colds, allergies, and sinus congestion.
- Soothe Airways: It can ease symptoms related to conditions like asthma and bronchitis.
- Skin Cleansing and Hydration: The high humidity opens pores, allowing for a deep cleanse and the flushing out of impurities. Unlike dry saunas, the steam helps to hydrate the skin, leaving it feeling soft and supple.
- Joint and Muscle Flexibility: The moist heat helps to loosen stiff joints and increase flexibility, making it an excellent warm-up before a workout.
Hybrid Sauna
How it works: Combines both a traditional sauna heater (electric or sometimes wood-burning) and infrared panels in one cabin. This allows the user to switch between the two heat sources or use them simultaneously.
Best for:
- Versatility Seekers: People who want the option of a low-temperature infrared session for deep tissue healing or a high-temperature traditional sweat session.
- Couples/Families with Different Preferences: Allows users to customize the experience based on their personal needs on any given day.
Infrared Sauna
How it works: Uses infrared light to directly heat the body, not the surrounding air. The air temperature is significantly lower (120°F–150°F / 49°C–66°C) compared to a traditional sauna, but the radiant heat penetrates deeper into the tissue. They often offer Full Spectrum (near, mid, and far infrared) benefits.
Best for:
- Heat Sensitive Individuals: Those who want therapeutic heat benefits without enduring very high air temperatures.
- Deep Muscle Recovery: The heat penetration is beneficial for muscle and joint pain relief and speeding up recovery.
- Beginners: It's often considered a gentler introduction to heat therapy.
- Home Use: Infrared saunas are typically easier and more affordable to install at home.
Health Benefits
Infrared saunas work by heating the body directly at lower air temperatures, allowing for longer sessions and deeper heat penetration.
- Deep Tissue and Chronic Pain Relief: The infrared rays (especially Far Infrared, FIR) are believed to penetrate deeper into the body's tissues (up to 1.5-3 inches). This makes it particularly effective for:
- Joint Pain: Relief from conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.
- Muscle Soreness: Faster post-exercise recovery by targeting inflammation.
- Milder Cardiovascular Workout: While it still elevates heart rate and improves circulation, the lower air temperature makes it less strenuous on the cardiovascular system than a traditional sauna. This can be safer for individuals with certain pre-existing heart conditions.
- Increased Comfort and Longer Sessions: The more moderate temperature allows users who are sensitive to intense heat to stay in the sauna longer, potentially maximizing the therapeutic effects of the light therapy.
- Skin Health: Near Infrared (NIR) wavelengths are sometimes associated with stimulating collagen production and improving skin tone.
As you can see, everyone can find a sauna for themselves. The choice can be difficult, which is why it is worth checking which sauna is right for you. On our website, you will find products that will not only meet your expectations but we will also help you choose a product tailored to your needs. If you are interested, write to us or check the available products on the "Saunas" page.
