Infrared vs Steam Sauna: Differences and Which to Choose
Infrared vs steam sauna: what is the difference?
Quick answer: An infrared sauna is dry heat: radiant panels warm your body at about 110 to 140°F. A steam sauna is wet heat: either a steam room at 110 to 120°F and near 100% humidity, or a traditional sauna where you pour water on hot stones. Infrared is far simpler to set up at home.
Key takeaways
- "Steam sauna" means three different things: a steam room, a traditional sauna with water on the stones, or a portable steam tent.
- An infrared sauna and a steam room run at similar air temperatures, 110 to 140°F against 110 to 120°F. The humidity is what separates them.
- A steam room sits at 95 to 100% humidity. An infrared cabin stays close to the humidity of the room around it.
- Steam feels hotter at the same temperature because sweat cannot evaporate in air that is already full of water.
- A small infrared cabin plugs into a standard 120V outlet. A built-in steam room needs a 240V steam generator, a water line and a drain.
- You cannot add steam to an infrared sauna. A hybrid sauna or a portable steam tent is how you get both.
People compare these two because both promise a good sweat at home. They get there in opposite ways. One keeps the air dry and warms you with radiant heat. The other fills the air with water vapor. That single difference decides how each one feels, how long you stay in, and what it takes to install.
| Infrared sauna | Steam room | Traditional sauna with steam | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat source | Radiant panels | Steam generator | Heater and hot stones |
| Air temperature | 110 to 140°F | 110 to 120°F | 150 to 195°F |
| Humidity | Close to the room outside | 95 to 100% | About 10 to 20%, higher for a moment when you pour |
| Heat-up time | About 10 to 20 minutes | About 15 to 30 minutes | About 30 to 45 minutes |
| Typical session | One sit of 20 to 30 minutes | 10 to 15 minutes | Rounds of 10 to 20 minutes |
| Power | 120V outlet (1 to 2 person) | 240V dedicated circuit | 240V hardwired |
| Plumbing | None | Water line and drain | None |
What is a steam sauna? Steam room, wet sauna and steam tent
A steam sauna is any hot room where water vapor does part of the heating. The name gets used for three setups, and they are not the same.
- Steam room: a sealed, tiled room fed by a steam generator that boils water and pipes the steam in. The air stays at 110 to 120°F and 95 to 100% humidity the whole time.
- Traditional sauna with steam (wet sauna): a wood-lined Finnish sauna at 150 to 195°F. The air is dry until you ladle water onto the hot stones, which makes a short wave of steam called löyly (LOY-loo). You decide when and how much.
- Portable steam sauna tent: a fabric tent you sit inside, fed through a hose by a small plug-in steam generator. Most run at about 110 to 130°F.
When someone asks "infrared or steam sauna," they usually mean an infrared cabin against a steam room. If you meant the Finnish kind, the full comparison is in infrared vs traditional sauna.
How does an infrared sauna work?
An infrared sauna warms your body directly instead of heating the air. Heater panels in the walls give off radiant heat that your skin absorbs, so the cabin only needs to reach about 110 to 140°F.
- Dry heat. There are no stones and no steam, and humidity stays close to that of the room around the cabin.
- No water. Water should never be poured or sprayed on infrared heaters.
Infrared sauna vs steam room: temperature and humidity
The two run at almost the same air temperature. An infrared sauna sits at 110 to 140°F and a steam room at 110 to 120°F. What you feel is the humidity: close to room level in infrared, 95 to 100% in a steam room.
That is why a steam room feels much hotter than its thermostat suggests. Your body cools itself by letting sweat evaporate. In air that is already saturated with water, sweat has nowhere to go, so the heat builds on your skin.
- Infrared: dry air that is easy to breathe, and you sweat from the radiant heat on your body.
- Steam room: thick, wet air, and you feel hot and soaked within a few minutes.
- Traditional sauna with steam: the hottest air of the three, dry between pours, with a sharp burst of heat each time water hits the stones.
Infrared vs steam sauna: heat-up time and session length
Infrared is ready first, and you can stay in it longest.
- Infrared sauna: usable in about 10 to 20 minutes. Sessions are one sit of 20 to 30 minutes.
- Steam room: steam starts within a few minutes, and the room reaches temperature in about 15 to 30 minutes. Sessions are shorter, usually 10 to 15 minutes, because the wet heat is harder to sit in.
- Traditional sauna: about 30 to 45 minutes to heat the room and the stones, then rounds of 10 to 20 minutes with breaks.
- Portable steam tent: the quickest way to get steam. In our own steam tent, which is on the way, a 1,500-watt steam generator brings the tent to about 120°F in around 10 minutes.
Whichever you use, follow the manual, start with short sessions, drink water, and step out when you have had enough.
Infrared sauna vs steam room: installation at home
An infrared sauna is the easy one to install. A built-in steam room is a construction job.
- Infrared sauna: most 1 to 2 person cabins plug into a standard 120V outlet, arrive as prefab panels, and need no plumbing or waterproofing.
- Steam room: needs a steam generator on a dedicated 240V circuit, a water supply line and a drain. The room has to be fully enclosed and lined with a waterproof surface such as tile, with a sloped ceiling so condensation does not drip on you.
- Traditional sauna: a 240V hardwired heater and a wood-lined room with vents, but no water line or drain. You bring the water in a bucket.
- Portable steam tent: a fold-up tent and a small plug-in steam generator. No building work.
Requirements vary by model. Check the manual for yours before you plan plumbing or electrical work.
Infrared vs steam sauna: cleaning and upkeep
Dry heat is less work to look after than wet heat.
- Infrared sauna: wipe the bench after a session. The cabin stays dry, so there is little else to do.
- Steam room: constant moisture means regular cleaning to keep mold and mildew away, sealing the tile grout every so often, and descaling the steam generator, more often if your water is hard.
- Traditional sauna: the wood dries out between sessions. Check the stones from time to time and replace them when they wear.
Infrared and steam sauna combo: can you have both?
Not by adding steam to an infrared cabin. Infrared heaters and wiring are not built for moisture, and steam can damage the panels and the wood. A steam generator does not belong in a traditional sauna either.
There are two real ways to get both kinds of heat:
- A hybrid sauna. One wood-lined room with infrared panels and a traditional stone heater. You run a dry infrared session, or heat the stones and pour water for steam. Hybrids generally need a 240V circuit because of the traditional heater.
- Two separate units. An infrared cabin for dry sessions and a steam room or portable steam tent for wet ones.
Which is better, infrared or steam sauna? How to choose
Neither is better for everyone. Choose by the kind of heat you like and what your home allows.
An infrared sauna fits if you:
- prefer dry air that is easy to breathe
- want one longer, quieter session
- want a smaller cabin that plugs into a standard 120V outlet; larger cabins can need a dedicated 20-amp circuit
- do not want plumbing, tile work or moisture to manage
Steam fits if you:
- like humid heat and the feeling of thick, wet air
- are happy with shorter sessions
- can build a steam room, or would rather start with a portable steam tent
- want the Finnish option: a traditional sauna where you make the steam yourself
We make sauna products, not medical claims, so we will not tell you one is healthier than the other. If you have a health condition, talk to your doctor before using either.
What we use, and why
Our own sauna is a traditional Finnish one, where the steam comes from water on hot stones. Most of what we make is for that: Kivi sauna stones, and the Virta bucket and ladle for pouring.
Two more ways to sweat are on the way from us: far infrared saunas for dry heat, and a portable steam sauna tent for steam without building a room.
See the bucket and ladle we use for löyly →
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an infrared sauna and a steam sauna?
An infrared sauna is dry heat: radiant panels warm your body at about 110 to 140°F. A steam sauna is wet heat, either a steam room at 110 to 120°F and near 100% humidity or a traditional sauna where water is poured on hot stones.
Which is better, an infrared sauna or a steam sauna?
Neither is better for everyone. Infrared gives dry heat, longer sessions and plug-in setup. Steam gives humid heat and shorter sessions, and a built-in steam room needs plumbing and a 240V circuit. Pick the heat you enjoy and the setup your home allows.
Is a steam sauna the same as a steam room?
Not always. A steam room is a sealed, tiled room filled by a steam generator. "Steam sauna" can also mean a traditional Finnish sauna where you pour water on hot stones, or a portable steam tent. The three differ in temperature, humidity and setup.
Which is hotter, an infrared sauna or a steam room?
The air temperature is similar: about 110 to 140°F in an infrared sauna and 110 to 120°F in a steam room. The steam room feels hotter because its air is at 95 to 100% humidity, which stops sweat from evaporating and cooling you.
Is an infrared sauna dry or wet?
Dry. An infrared sauna has no stones, no steam and no water. Its panels warm your body with radiant heat while the air stays close to the humidity of the room around the cabin. You still sweat, but the air itself is not humid.
Can you add steam to an infrared sauna?
No. Infrared heaters, wiring and cabin wood are not built for moisture, and steam or poured water can damage them. If you want both dry infrared heat and steam, look at a hybrid sauna with a stone heater, or use a separate steam room or steam tent.
Is there an infrared and steam sauna combo?
Yes, in the form of a hybrid sauna. It has infrared panels plus a traditional stone heater in one wood-lined room, so you can run a dry infrared session or pour water on the stones for steam. Hybrids generally need a 240V circuit.
Which is easier to install at home, an infrared sauna or a steam room?
An infrared sauna. Most small cabins plug into a standard 120V outlet and need no plumbing. A steam room needs a steam generator on a 240V circuit, a water line, a drain, and a fully waterproofed, enclosed room with a sloped ceiling.
How long should you stay in a steam room vs an infrared sauna?
Steam room sessions are usually 10 to 15 minutes, because the humid heat is harder to sit in. Infrared sessions are usually one sit of 20 to 30 minutes. Follow the manual, start short, drink water, and step out when you have had enough.
How long does a steam room take to heat up compared with an infrared sauna?
An infrared sauna is usable in about 10 to 20 minutes. A steam room starts making steam within a few minutes and reaches temperature in about 15 to 30 minutes. A portable steam tent is quicker, often around 10 minutes.
What is a portable steam sauna tent?
A fold-up fabric tent you sit inside, fed through a hose by a small plug-in steam generator. Most reach about 110 to 130°F with high humidity. It gives you steam at home without the plumbing, tile work and wiring of a built-in steam room.
Is an infrared sauna the same as a traditional sauna?
No. A traditional sauna heats the air to 150 to 195°F with a heater and hot stones, and you can pour water for steam. An infrared sauna warms your body directly at 110 to 140°F. See the full infrared vs traditional sauna comparison.