When I first started using the “steam room” at my gym, I thought the terms sauna and steam room were interchangeable. I would say things like “I’m taking a steam.” Only later would I learn that the “steam room” at my gym was actually a sauna.
What is the difference between a sauna and steam room? Saunas are dry and work by heating the air inside the sauna. Steam rooms are wet and boil water to fill the room with hot steam. Saunas can be used at much higher temperatures than steam rooms. Saunas are constructed out of wood, while steam rooms are mostly tile.
Because saunas and steam rooms have similar and overlapping benefits, whether one is better than the other is largely a matter of personal preference. I will explain the difference of design and use below, as well as discuss the shared benefits.
A Traditional Sauna is a wooden room with a heater in it. During a dry sauna, it is common practice to heat the room to 170°F (77°C). At this temperature, a user will typically sit for 15 to 20 minutes.
A Steam Room is covered, floor to ceiling, in tile or some other non-porous material. The steam room is entirely heated by the generation of steam. Steam rooms are typically heated to about a 105°F (41C°). Although the temperature is lower, it can produce a comparable feeling of heat to a sauna due to the humidity. Similar to a traditional sauna, users usually steam for about 15 minutes.
A traditional sauna can be used as a steam sauna when the user pours water on rocks that cover the surface of the heater. In doing so, the user can raise the humidity as desired, even to the point of mimicking steam room conditions. As the humidity of the sauna increases, the user will be able to tolerate less heat and the sauna will be used at lower temperatures. High humidity sauna sessions are commonly referred to as “soft saunas.”
Infrared Saunas are becoming more and more common and produce yet another experience. Infrared saunas are entirely dry, but unlike traditional saunas, the infrared rays primarily penetrate and heat the body, rather than the air. Because of this, the same feeling of heat and the same amount of perspiration occurs at much lower temperatures. Infrared saunas typically only heat the air to about 120°F (49°C).
Shared Health Benefits
Most of the health benefits associated with saunas are attributable to hyperthermic conditioning—raising the core body temperature, causing the body to experience heat stress. Because both saunas and steam rooms elevate core body temperature, both provide similar health benefits.
- Saunas and steam rooms both provide cardiovascular benefits as heating the body causes an increase heart rate similar to exercise.
- Saunas and steam rooms cause blood vessels to expand, which can have a lasting effect and improve hypertension (high blood pressure).
- Saunas and steam rooms alleviate join pain and sore muscles.
- Saunas and steam rooms benefit your skin by opening your pores. They tend to improve skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
- The steam produced in either a steam room or by pouring water onto the rocks of a traditional sauna can help ease congestion caused by cold or flu.
- The high temperatures produce a stress response, activating the production of “heat shock proteins,” which have been found to prevent muscle atrophy and promote longevity.
- The heat stress response can also produce growth factors in the brain, causing the brain to repair and create new neurons.
Shock Proteins
Perhaps the most important (and interesting) benefit of exposure to high heat is the production of heat shock proteins. When the body is exposed to short bouts of high stress, it responds by activating certain genes, which produce heat shock proteins to deal with this stress. The presence of these proteins benefits the body in numerous ways.
Heat shock proteins promote longevity and studies of individuals living to be 100 or older show that they tend to produce a greater number of heat shock proteins than the average person. Heat shock proteins reduce the deterioration of skeletal muscle. They can also prevent the formation of harmful plaque s in your arteries and brain.
Who Shouldn’t Use a Sauna or Steam Room
Although the use of saunas and steam rooms both produce a myriad of health benefits, there are certain conditions that may prevent an individual from using a sauna or steam room.
People who have very bad cardio vascular issues, extremely severe hypertension, epilepsy, erythema or multiple sclerosis should not use a sauna without first consulting with their physician.
Pregnant women should usually avoid saunas and steam rooms. Increases in core temperature may affect the development of an unborn baby, especially during the early stages of pregnancy.
Saunas Tend to Cost More Than Steam Rooms
Building a sauna is typically more expensive than building a comparable steam room, as the tiles used to cover the walls of a sauna are cheaper than the expensive high-quality woods which are used for constructing saunas. That said, there is a great deal of overlap in the costs, depending on the design or models chosen, and both can cost anywhere in the $2000 to $8000 range. Similarly, the heaters used in saunas and the steam generators used in steam rooms are comparable in price. Low-end sauna heaters and steam generators will cost $300 to $600, while higher end models can cost $2000 or more.
Steam Rooms Are More Convenient Than Saunas
It will take a matter of minutes for a steam generator to heat up and begin filling a steam room with hot steam. In this regard it is not too different from a typical shower or bath. Traditional saunas typically require 30 to 40 minutes to heat up.
The tile of a steam room is also much easier to clean that wood in a sauna. The sauna tiles are more durable and any household tile cleaner can be used to clean them. The wood in a sauna should only be cleaned with gentle soaps or other gentle cleaning agents like vinegar and baking soda. The wood in a sauna should be sanded periodically to keep it in top shape. Check out this comprehensive guide to cleaning and caring for your sauna.
Finally, for the ultimate convenience, you can install a steam shower rather than a dedicated steam room. A steam shower is simply a shower with a steam generator attached allowing you to seamlessly combine your daily shower with a daily steam.
Best of Both Worlds
Personally, I would recommend getting a traditional sauna, rather than a steam room. A traditional sauna provides the best of both worlds. The traditional sauna user can enjoy a completely dry sauna or pour water on the sauna stones to inject steam into the atmosphere.
The downsides to a traditional sauna are that they are usually more expensive than steam rooms and infrared saunas. Also, a traditional sauna must be preheated for longer amounts of time and are thus, slightly less convenient.
Related Questions
How long should you stay in a sauna or steam room? You should spend about 15 to 20 minutes in either a traditional sauna or steam room. Because infrared saunas operate at lower temperatures, individuals can stay in an infrared sauna longer—up to 30 minutes. In any type of sauna, you must pay close attention to the sensations of your own body. In the event you feel light headed, dehydrated or over heated, you should exit immediately.
Are saunas and steam rooms good for weight loss? Saunas and steam rooms cause you to sweat. Weight loss is almost entirely the result of losing water weight and you will gain back that weight as soon as you drink liquid.
Do saunas and steam rooms burn fat? Saunas and steam rooms are not effective tools for losing weight. While the high temperatures can elevate your heart rate similar to exercise, most of the fat burned during exercise is the result of expanding and contracting your muscles. This muscle activity simply does not occur while sitting in a sauna or steam room.
Which is better for detox? A dry sauna, either traditional or infrared, is better than a steam room for detoxification purposes. Toxins exit the body through sweat. Your body will sweat more effectively in dry conditions.
