What is a Sauna?

The experienced sauna user is quite familiar with the proper definitions of the sauna experience, but the average person can get confused by all the terminology used in reference to sauna. Suffice it to say there is much well-intentioned yet inaccurate information out there, especially on the internet.

At Almost Heaven Saunas we want you to make a well-informed decision when purchasing a sauna. For that reason we provide some very basic explanations to some of the terminology often associated with saunas. Here, then, are some helpful definitions to help you in selecting the exact experience you want:

Sauna

According to the dictionary, a sauna is “A bath that uses dry heat to induce perspiration, and in which steam is produced by pouring water on heated stones.” The true sauna involves hot rocks, water and steam, which is what you will experience in an Almost Heaven Sauna.

Wet vs. Dry

People often ask if we produce dry or wet saunas, and the answer is both, as they are one and the same thing. When you enter the hot sauna room, it is considered a dry sauna because there is very little humidity in the air. When you pour water on rocks, steam is generated that quickly engulfs the room. The sudden increase in the level of humidity makes it a wet sauna. In other words, wet vs. dry is a measure of whether or not there is humidity in the sauna room.

Steam Room

Saunas and steam rooms are often confused as being the same thing, but they are quite different. Unlike a sauna, a steam room actually has hot mist that is created by a steam generator and sprayed through nozzles located throughout the room. The room is tiled and is often used in conjunction with a shower.

Infrared

While infrared is often called sauna, it is not a sauna in the true sense of the word. Since hot stones or water are not used, an infrared room does not meet the definition of a sauna. Instead, an infrared room generates heat from the infrared portion of the light spectrum. The whole point of an infrared room is that it delivers heat therapy without getting extremely hot. Rather than the room getting hot from a central heater, the infrared rays penetrate the body and are delivered from several heaters located throughout the room.