Once you’ve made the choice that you want to buy a sauna, the next step is selecting which type. There are 4 main types of saunas available in North America, with dozens of features and customizations one can add in. The right sauna for you will depend on budget, what sort of experience you’re looking to receive from it, and where you intend to install it.
Traditional saunas
A traditional sauna maintains some of the highest heat of any sauna. Traditional dry saunas use temperatures sometimes as high as 195 degrees Fahrenheit. This can be very overwhelming to someone who is sensitive to heat which is why this isn’t a preferred sauna type. A traditional sauna’s also going to take more power to run, usually up to 6 kilowatts in comparison with an infrared model which only uses roughly 1.6 kilowatts.
A traditional sauna creates benefits from heating the air, through a stove. As the temperature of the air increases, so does the body. This initiates a cooling process responses that moves more circulation to the surface of the skin and which also opens pores to facilitate sweating. Although extremely popular years ago, traditional saunas no longer receive the same attention from business managers or homeowners due to their operating requirements predominantly.
Steam saunas
For people suffering from arthritis, chronic pain, or migraines, steam saunas is a type of sauna perfected to provide dozens of health benefits. The heat from a steam sauna will soothe nerve endings all over the body, warm and relax sore muscles, relieve tension which makes it a great anti-headache solution, and minimizes joint pain.
Steam saunas use wet heat which is known to help open up airways and thins out mucus membranes in the body, alleviating congestion and improving respiratory strength. If you’re suffering from asthma or bronchitis, a steam sauna’s an excellent therapy to try. It’s also been shown to increase metabolism, cause some weight loss, remove toxins, remove impurities from skin, and eradicate blackheads.
Infrared saunas
Should I choose a steam sauna or an infrared sauna – that’s a question a lot of buyers will eventually arrive at. As impressive as a steam sauna is health-wise, an infrared sauna has just as much benefit, if not more.
An infrared sauna uses light to create heat. This is done through far-infrared rays. A traditional sauna warms the air around the body but with an infrared sauna, waves can target the body warming it from the inside out. In fact, infrared waves penetrate a few inches deep, resulting in vigorous sweating and increased heart rate. Some scientific studies have shown sitting in an infrared sauna is like doing a moderately intense cardio workout. It doesn’t feel like that while you’re inside but this is the sort of response the body generates. It’s actually really amazing!
Another reason why a lot of people buy infrared saunas is because they produce all these responses and health benefits at temperatures lower than a traditional sauna. For people who don’t tolerate heat well, this is definitely a recommended option. If you’re considering a home sauna for relaxation and as an anti-stress mechanism, an infrared sauna may be just what to select.
Dry saunas
The last type of sauna we want to bring to your attention are dry saunas. Typically, a sauna’s a very hot room heated through a wood stove, a generator, or an electric or infrared heater. Comparatively, a dry sauna uses a much lower heat somewhere around 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
As you walk into a dry sauna, your heart rate raises which helps to get blood circulating. One’s metabolism also speeds up temporarily, helping to burn off weight through sweating and fat-burning. From a technical standpoint, a dry sauna is built a lot like other saunas except a lot of moisture is taken away. For someone who is looking to clear pathways, aid in respiratory system functioning, or clear up cold and flu symptoms, a dry sauna’s not the choice for you.
Which sauna is the best in Canada?
There is no ‘best sauna in Canada’ from these four types. Each serves a different kind of person and/or household. Your purchase choice again comes down to things like budget and space available for installation. The reason an infrared sauna’s so popular is because it is relatively inexpensive to build, it does not require very much electricity to operate, does not require a connection to your water, and space-wise, it can fit almost anywhere in a home from a guest bedroom to a bathroom, or in the basement, or even outside.
If you’re searching strictly for the health benefits of a sauna or steam sauna, know a lot of the benefits produced in a sauna are similar across the different types. Perhaps the biggest change between saunas is whether you want a dry or wet environment. A wet environment has a lot of advantages however some may find a dry sauna to be more comfortable due to their lower temperatures. Ideally, if you have an unlimited budget and you’re not bogged down with limitations in space, your biggest consideration will probably be a wet or dry sauna.
What sauna accessories can I have?
Once you settle on the type of sauna you intend to buy, next is to select sauna accessories. Although these do increase price, this is really an opportunity to customize the sauna to your interests and preferences.
Backrests and benches for a sauna will communicate a lot to anyone you intend to use it with. Unless it’s just for yourself, you want to make sure the seating is appropriate in size and feel. Even if it’s just yourself, you’re going to want it comfy enough so that you want to go in and sit there, and feel the heat. You don’t want your spa to be a chore – it should feel like a spa!
From an aesthetic perspective, you can also choose things like door handles, heater guards, thermometer type, timer, clock, sauna floor, and more. These simple choices are essentially the interior design part of buying a sauna. You get to craft the look you want. You can make it absolutely unique to you or if you’re intending to sell your home within the next 2-3 years, you alternatively may want something that’s in line with what’s trendy on modern, minimalist design culture.
Chromotherapy is the use of colors to produce therapeutic effects. A lot of saunas include chromotherapy as an accessory you can add to heighten the benefits you find inside. For example, using red is known to inspire warmth, stimulation, and energy, while green is a cooling, sedative-esque color. There are entire color charts you can use to check out what’s the right chromotherapy color for you.
Aromatherapy in a sauna uses essential oils to produce therapeutic spa-like effects. There are numerous essential oils you can use in a sauna through an aromatherapy diffuser, including bergamot, cedarwood, chamomile, clary sage, eucalyptus, geranium, grapefruit, juniperberry, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, mandarin, orange, patchouli, peppermint, rosemary, tea tree, and more.
Are you ready to buy a sauna?
This free sauna buying guide has highlighted a few of the differences between makes, what to look for between different models, and the many benefits that come with having a sauna in your home or place of business. Ultimately, any of the 4 sauna types purchased from a premium company can deliver great performance and excellent value for your money. Though infrared saunas are trending this year, there are still reasons to consider and buy traditional saunas, dry saunas, and steam saunas. Consider it for your property.
If you’re looking for saunas in Canada or the US, please visit Steam Sauna. We have several accessories, customizations, and sauna types to choose from. You’ll find all you’re looking for!