Steam room vs sauna at home
The short answer
A sauna heats dry air to about 66 to 91°C. A steam room runs at about 39 to 49°C but up to 100% humidity. At home, a sauna is usually simpler: it's a self-contained timber cabin, while a steam room needs a waterproofed, sealed, drained and plumbed room. A steam shower is the easiest way to get steam at home.
Side by side
| Sauna | Steam room | |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | About 66 to 91°C (infrared 43 to 57°C) | About 39 to 49°C |
| Humidity | Usually low, with bursts from water on the stones | Up to 100% |
| Built from | Untreated timber | Tile, stone or acrylic, fully sealed |
| Needs | Electrics (or a flue for wood-fired) | Water supply, drainage and electrics |
| Installed by | Seller or you, plus an electrician | Usually a builder or tiler, plumber and electrician |
| Indoors or out | Either | Almost always indoors |
Temperatures from Quickcrop and Cleveland Clinic. Quickcrop gives a higher range for saunas, 75 to 105°C.
What each takes to install
A sauna
An indoor cabin arrives as panels and goes up in a day or two. Infrared cabins often plug in; traditional heaters need a dedicated circuit. A garden sauna needs a level base. See installing a home sauna.
A steam room
- Waterproofing: tile or stone on sealed walls and ceiling.
- A sloped floor and ceiling, so water drains away and doesn't drip on you.
- A steam generator, plumbed in and wired, with a steam head into the room.
- Rust-proof fittings and lighting rated for wet areas.
- Ventilation, to clear the steam afterwards.
Steam showers
A steam shower is a sealed shower cabin with a built-in steam generator. It fits where a shower would, needs the same plumbing plus a supply for the generator, and is the most common way to get steam at home. Crystal Bathroom is one Irish retailer that sells both steam showers and saunas.
Which to choose
- Choose a sauna if you want strong heat, the option of a garden building, and the simplest install.
- Choose a steam room or steam shower if you prefer gentler, wet heat and are renovating a bathroom anyway.
- Want a bit of both? A traditional sauna with water on the stones, or a combi heater, gives softer, steamier heat.
Common questions
What is the difference between a sauna and a steam room?
A sauna heats dry air to about 66 to 91°C, with short bursts of steam from water on the stones. A steam room runs much cooler, around 39 to 49°C, but at up to 100% humidity, so the air is thick with steam.
Is a steam room or a sauna better for home?
For most homes, a sauna is simpler. It's a self-contained timber cabin with a heater. A steam room has to be fully waterproofed, sealed, drained and plumbed, which usually means a bathroom-style build.
Is a steam room cheaper to run than a sauna?
It depends on the steam generator's power and how long you use it. Steam rooms run cooler but have to boil water continuously. Compare the rated power (kW) of the generator and the heater, and how long each takes to warm up.
Can I put a steam room in my bathroom?
Often, yes. Steam showers, a shower cabin with a built-in steam generator, are the most common home option, and fit where a shower would. A walk-in steam room needs a fully tiled, sealed room with a sloped floor and drain.
Can you have steam in a sauna?
Yes. In a traditional sauna you throw water on the hot stones for bursts of steam. Combi heaters add a built-in steamer for softer, more humid heat. See combi and hybrid saunas.
Sources
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