Traditional Dry Saunas
A sauna is a room designed to be heated to very high temperatures, with well-controlled humidity. Saunas are used both for recreational and therapeutic purposes, with most people using to relax, as well as for their health benefits. Most are built of aromatic wood, which releases pleasing aromas as they heat.
There are two main types of saunas: dry and wet. Which type you prefer is just a matter of taste. Wet saunas are sometimes called steam rooms, and are kept at lower temperatures than their dry counterparts — usually between 100 to 115°F (37 to 46°C) to prevent the superheated water from scalding the skin on contact. Dry saunas may be kept at much higher temperatures of up to 250 Fahrenheit (121 Celsius), by keeping the ambient moisture down to nearly zero. Sauna bathers like set-off a blast of moist heat by pouring water over hot rocks creating steam. This results in a temperature of 160 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity of 5 to 20%
The traditional dry sauna is the sauna room with the sauna heater and sauna stones.
Infrared Saunas
Infrared saunas deliver a milder environment and experience compared to dry saunas with no added humidity. An infrared sauna uses infrared heaters to emit infrared light experienced as radiant heat which is absorbed by the surface of the skin. Infrared sauna rays heat up in about 5-10 seconds and heat the body directly as well as the air. For those who enjoy a penetrating heat blast experience, but cannot take or do not enjoy the intense heat of a traditional saunas, infrared is an excellent alternative. Infrared saunas do provide a very good sauna experience especially if you do not like high heat, but infrared saunas are very different from a traditional sauna.
