Water ladled onto hot sauna stones, sending up a cloud of steam in a wooden sauna

Dry Sauna vs Wet Sauna: What's the Difference?

"Dry sauna" and "wet sauna" get used loosely, so it helps to pin them down. A dry sauna usually means a traditional sauna: a wooden room heated by a stove full of stones, with very hot, fairly dry air. A wet sauna usually means a steam room: a sealed, tiled space filled with steam at a much lower temperature.

The catch is that a Finnish sauna is a bit of both. The air is dry most of the time, and it turns briefly humid every time you ladle water onto the stones. This guide covers how the two compare, where that steam fits in, and what makes sense if you are building one at home.

Dry sauna vs wet sauna at a glance

Dry (traditional) sauna Wet sauna (steam room) Infrared sauna
Typical temperature 80–100°C (176–212°F) in Finnish sauna research; Finnstyle gives 160–200°F Around 110–120°F (43–49°C), per Finnstyle 45–60°C (113–140°F), per a 2018 systematic review
Humidity Relative humidity of 10–20%, with short bursts higher when water hits the stones Close to 100% No added humidity
Heat source Electric heater or wood stove with stones Steam generator Infrared panels
Room Wood-lined, vented Tile, stone or glass, near airtight Wood cabin
Water use A ladle at a time on the stones Constant steam None; never pour water on panels

What is a dry sauna?

A dry sauna is the classic sauna most people picture. An electric heater or wood stove heats a basket of stones, and the stones heat the air in a wood-lined room. The finland.fi guide notes that the Finnish Sauna Society recommends 80–100°C (176–212°F), while some people prefer about 70°C (158°F).

The air stays dry because the room is vented and heated well above the point where moisture condenses. A 2018 systematic review by Hussain and Cohen describes traditional Finnish saunas as running at 80–100°C with a relative humidity of 10–20%, "interspersed with periods of increased humidity" from water thrown on the rocks.

If you want this kind of sauna at home, you are looking at a traditional sauna with an electric or wood-burning heater. The Golden Designs Forssa, for example, is a 4-person indoor traditional sauna with a Canadian red cedar interior and a digital control panel.

Infrared saunas are dry too

Infrared saunas also count as dry, but they work differently. Mayo Clinic explains that a regular sauna heats the air, which then warms you, while an infrared sauna heats your body directly without warming the air as much. That is why infrared cabins run cooler. Our infrared vs traditional sauna guide goes deeper on that choice.

What is a wet sauna?

In everyday use, "wet sauna" means a steam room. Finnstyle, a sauna retailer, puts it plainly: the term is usually used to describe a steam room, which generates moist heat. A steam room is almost airtight, so humidity builds up to close to 100%, at a temperature of around 110–120°F.

That lower temperature can feel just as intense, because the air is saturated. Hussain and Cohen note that in steam, the higher humidity leads to water condensing on the skin and less evaporation of sweat. That moisture on your skin is a mix of condensed steam and sweat.

A steam room is a different build from a sauna. It needs a steam generator, waterproof surfaces such as tile or glass, a sloped floor with a drain, and a vapor-tight enclosure. That is why most home steam rooms are steam showers rather than wooden rooms. A simpler way to try moist heat at home is a portable steam sauna, a fabric tent with a small plug-in steamer. Those start at about $119 in our catalog.

Where Finnish löyly fits

Löyly is the Finnish word for the steam that rises when you throw water on hot sauna stones. UNESCO, which added Finnish sauna culture to its intangible heritage list in 2020, calls löyly the heart of the experience.

So is a Finnish sauna dry or wet? It is a dry sauna that you can make humid for a moment. Saunafin suggests one to two ladles at a time, adding more every few minutes as the steam fades, and says this raises overall humidity only mildly. The room never approaches steam-room humidity, but each ladle makes the heat feel stronger for a while. A bucket and ladle set is all you need.

A note on product names

Product titles do not always follow these definitions. Some traditional saunas are sold as "steam saunas" because you can make steam on the stones. The Blisspod Prague barrel, for example, is listed as a steam sauna, but it uses a 6,000 W heater with sauna stones, which makes it a traditional sauna, not a steam room. Look at the heater type, not just the name.

How they feel

Which one feels better is personal. A dry sauna has high, sharp heat, and you control the intensity with the ladle and by choosing a higher or lower bench. A steam room is cooler on the thermometer but feels heavy and enveloping, and you cannot adjust it much once you are inside. An infrared cabin is the gentlest of the three on air temperature.

Many sauna lovers mix them. The traditional Finnish rhythm, as described by Sauna From Finland, is to warm up, cool down and rest, then repeat as many times as feels right. You can do that rhythm in any of them.

Dry or wet at home: what changes

Factor Dry sauna Steam room
Materials Softwood such as cedar, hemlock or spruce Tile, stone, acrylic or glass
Heater Sized to room volume (about 1 kW per cubic meter, per Harvia's guidance) Steam generator sized to the enclosure
Moisture control Ventilation, dries out between sessions Full waterproofing, vapor barrier and drain
Typical home form Indoor cabin, outdoor cabin or barrel Steam shower or portable steam tent

For a dry sauna, the heater is the main decision. Our sauna heater size calculator matches your room size to a heater, and our electric sauna heaters run from $133.25 to $220.95. For the full budget picture, see how much a sauna costs.

Which should you choose?

  • Choose a dry sauna if you want the classic high heat, the option to add löyly, and a wooden room that is relatively simple to maintain.
  • Choose a steam room if you prefer lower temperatures with saturated air and you are already planning a tiled bathroom or shower remodel.
  • Choose infrared if you want lower air temperatures, a plug-in cabin and no water at all.
  • Try a portable unit first if you are unsure. A steam tent or an infrared tent costs far less than a cabin.

Safety basics for either type

The same common-sense rules apply whatever the humidity. Harvard Health suggests staying in no more than 15–20 minutes, avoiding alcohol and medications that may impair sweating, drinking two to four glasses of cool water afterward, cooling down gradually, and skipping the sauna when you are ill. It also says people with uncontrolled high blood pressure or heart disease should check with their doctor first. If you are pregnant or have any health condition, talk to your doctor before using a sauna or steam room. Our guides on how to use a sauna and how long to stay in a sauna cover the routine in more detail.

FAQ

What is a dry sauna?

A traditional sauna heated by an electric heater or wood stove with stones. The air is hot and fairly dry, typically 80–100°C (176–212°F) in Finnish practice, with a relative humidity of about 10–20% between ladles of water.

What is a wet sauna?

Usually a steam room: a near-airtight room filled with steam at around 110–120°F and close to 100% humidity.

Is a Finnish sauna dry or wet?

Mostly dry. Throwing water on the stones creates löyly, which raises humidity for a short time, but a Finnish sauna never gets close to steam-room humidity.

Which is better, a dry sauna or a wet sauna?

Neither is better for everyone. It comes down to the heat you enjoy, your space and your budget. Dry saunas are simpler to build in wood; steam rooms need full waterproofing.

Can you pour water in a dry sauna?

Yes, on a traditional heater built to hold stones. Follow the heater manual and start with a ladle at a time. Never pour water on an infrared panel or a heater not designed for it.

Should you go into a sauna wet or dry?

Shower first; both finland.fi and Sauna From Finland list a shower as the first step. Whether you towel off before stepping in is up to you.

Sources

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