A sauna is a hot, dry room at 70 to 100 °C (160 to 212 °F) heated by stones; a steam room is about 40 to 50 °C (104 to 122 °F) with air close to 100% humidity. Here is how they feel, what each suits and what it takes to build either one at home.
A sauna is a hot, dry room, usually 70 to 100 °C (160 to 212 °F), heated by a stove or electric heater full of stones. A steam room is much cooler, around 40 to 50 °C (104 to 122 °F), but the air is close to 100% humidity from a steam generator. A sauna feels like intense dry heat with short bursts of steam; a steam room feels like warm, heavy fog.
| Sauna | Steam room | |
|---|---|---|
| Air temperature | About 70 to 100 °C (160 to 212 °F) | About 40 to 50 °C (104 to 122 °F) |
| Humidity | Low, rising briefly when water hits the stones | Close to 100% |
| Heat source | Sauna heater or wood stove with stones | Steam generator outside or under the room |
| Room finish | Untreated wood: cedar, spruce, aspen | Tile, stone or acrylic, fully waterproof |
| Typical session | 8 to 15 minutes, repeated with breaks | 10 to 20 minutes |
| What you control | Temperature and how much water you throw | Temperature and steam output |
| Home installation | Wood-lined room plus heater; 240 V or a chimney | Sealed, sloped, waterproof enclosure plus generator and drain |
In a sauna the air is so dry that sweat evaporates quickly, which is why you can tolerate such high temperatures. The top bench is much hotter than the floor, and each ladle of water on the stones sends a wave of heat down from the ceiling. Many people find the contrast between dry heat and short bursts of steam the best part.
In a steam room the moisture stops sweat from evaporating, so even 45 °C feels very warm. You stay damp the whole time. The air is easy on the nose and throat for some people and stifling for others. The heat feels even across the room rather than stacked by height.
Both warm the body, raise the heart rate a little and leave most people relaxed. People choose between them mainly for comfort:
Most long-term research on regular heat bathing comes from Finland and studies traditional saunas; there is much less on steam rooms. Claims about detox or weight loss are not well supported; the weight lost in either room is water and comes back when you drink. If you have a heart condition, blood pressure problems or are pregnant, ask your doctor before using either.
This is where they differ most. A home sauna is a wood-lined, insulated room with a heater, which can be electric, wood-burning or gas. Our guide on how to build a home sauna walks through it.
A steam room is closer to a large, sealed shower. It needs fully waterproof walls and ceiling, a sloped ceiling so condensation runs off instead of dripping, a floor drain, a vapour-tight door and a steam generator, usually installed in a nearby cabinet or vanity. Several sauna brands also make steam generators: Tylö and Amerec are well known for them, and Harvia owns the US steam brand ThermaSol.
Some electric sauna heaters, called combination or combi heaters, add a water reservoir to run a lower-temperature humid mode. They do not make a true steam room, but they let one room offer both. See the Harvia and Tylö pages for those models.
Infrared cabins are a third option. They warm the body with radiant panels at 45 to 65 °C (113 to 150 °F) with dry air and no steam, so they sit between a sauna and a steam room on temperature. The full comparison is in infrared vs traditional sauna.
Gyms and spas often have both. If you use both on the same visit:
How long to stay in each round is covered in how long to stay in a sauna.
If you are going with a sauna, compare heater makers in the sauna heater brand comparison.
A sauna is hot and dry, about 70 to 100 °C (160 to 212 °F), heated by a stone heater. A steam room is cooler, about 40 to 50 °C (104 to 122 °F), but close to 100% humidity from a steam generator.
Neither is better for everyone. A sauna suits people who like intense dry heat and steam they control themselves; a steam room suits people who prefer lower temperatures and humid air.
No. A steam room has a lower air temperature, but it feels very warm because the humid air stops sweat from evaporating.
No. A steam room needs a steam generator and a sealed, waterproof enclosure. Combination sauna heaters can run a humid mode in a wooden sauna, but that is not a true steam room.
Last checked November 8, 2026. Facts come from the brands' own sites and documents. How we check
Heat, humidity, steam, power supply and heat-up time compared, and which one suits your home.
Minutes per round for beginners, regulars and infrared, and how to use a sauna step by step.
Normal and ideal temperatures for traditional and infrared saunas, and why the bench height matters.