The debate of the century is steam sauna vs infrared sauna.

Which is better and what are the differences?

Both types of sauna are different and both affect the body in different ways.

Below we highlight some key differences from the perspective of the user.

It’s important to note that a traditional steam sauna is often associated as being a wet sauna. And an infrared sauna is a dry sauna.

Steam Sauna Vs Infrared Sauna

What are the differences?

1. Presence of Steam

I want to know more about the sauna

A traditional steam sauna is very well known for it’s steam! It brings to mind a communal experience sitting around, draped in towels. The environment is very hot and humid and seemingly your sweating out all the bad stuff.

Traditional saunas often have hot rocks, where water is poured over to create steam in the surrounding room. Alternatively, steam generators can be connected to bring steam to the sauna that way.

There are also dry saunas on the market, that uses a stove or other heating element to heat the small space.

This makes the saunas very hot!

The addition of steam to a sauna can assist with clearing up the lungs and opening blocked sinus’.

The steam can also assist with opening up of pores which can help with clearing up skin conditions.

Infrared Saunas are known as dry Saunas. They emit dry heat as well as invisible infrared waves.

The Infrared Sauna doesn’t use stoves or rocks, but rather electricity and infrared waves to heat the space.

2. Temperature

I’d like to book a sauna

Because of the type of heating mechanisms that steam saunas use as well as the steam, they are generally far hotter then an Infrared Sauna. The type and degree of heat, of course comes down to personal preference. Generally speaking the length of time spent in a steam sauna will be much shorter due to the degree of heat experienced. Both saunas will cause a decent sweat response. Steam saunas get you sweating from the hot air around you, opening your pores up and releasing toxins in the skin.

Infrared waves penetrate deep into your core. This raises your body temperature from the inside, creating a deeper level of detoxification. Despite having a lower temperature, the sweat response can sometime be more profound then in a steam sauna!

An infrared sauna will often run cooler then a steam sauna, but don’t get me wrong it’s still hot inside! It is a much more tolerable heat, which means that you can spend a longer time in the sauna and yield greater benefit.