What is the key difference between a steam room and a sauna?

Humidity. A sauna is hot and dry, about 80 to 100 °C at 10 to 20 % humidity; a steam room is cooler, about 40 to 50 °C, at close to 100 % humidity.

Why does a steam room feel hotter than its temperature?

Humid air carries heat to the skin better than dry air, and sweat cannot evaporate in saturated air, so 45 °C of steam feels intense.

How long should you stay in a steam room or sauna?

Usually 10 to 15 minutes per round in either. Infrared saunas, with milder air, are used for 20 to 40 minutes.

A traditional sauna with water poured on the stones, which raises the humidity for a short time. It is still drier than a steam room.

What should you not do after a steam room or sauna?

Do not stand up too quickly, skip alcohol, and replace the fluid you lost. Cool down gradually.

Glossary

Sauna vs. steam room

A sauna uses dry heat of about 80 to 100 °C with low humidity, while a steam room runs at about 40 to 50 °C with humidity close to 100 %.

Also: steam room vs sauna, wet vs dry sauna, steam bath

Updated 1 November 2026

Dry heat or wet heat

A sauna heats the air with a stove; the air stays dry, and water on the stones only raises the humidity for a moment. A steam room uses a steam generator that fills a sealed, tiled room with water vapour. Because humid air carries heat to the skin much better than dry air, 45 °C in a steam room feels about as intense as far higher temperatures in a sauna.

	Sauna	Steam room	Infrared sauna
Air temperature	80–100 °C	40–50 °C	about 45–65 °C
Humidity	10–20 %	close to 100 %	dry
Heat source	Stove, hot air	Steam generator	Infrared heaters
Typical session	8–15 minutes	10–15 minutes	20–40 minutes
Build	Timber room	Sealed, tiled room with a drain	Cabin or portable
Cleaning	Wipe benches, air out	Daily, against damp and mould	Wipe the mat, air out

Which one works at home

A steam room needs a waterproof room, a drain and a steam generator, so it is usually a renovation project. A traditional sauna needs a fixed spot and often a dedicated high-power circuit. An infrared sauna is the simplest to fit: dry heat, no plumbing, often a normal power point.

At Helsi™

The Helsi™ One Sauna Dome is a portable infrared sauna: graphene far-infrared heaters in both domes and the mat, 132 red and near-infrared LEDs, 1,800 W on a normal power point, warm in 15 to 20 minutes. No water, no steam, no installation.

Person lying in the Helsi™ One Sauna Dome — Helsi™ One Sauna Dome: dry infrared heat at home.

If you have a heart or circulation condition or are pregnant, ask a doctor before using any sauna or steam room. Drink enough water and stop if you feel unwell.

More at Helsi™

See the Helsi™ One Sauna Dome Infrared sauna guide