Types of Sauna at a Glance: From Finnish to Steam Bath
Finnish sauna, bio sauna, steam bath, infrared cabin – anyone visiting a larger sauna complex for the first time often faces a whole corridor of doors. The types of sauna differ mainly in two values: temperature and humidity. On top of that come construction, wood, heat source and ritual. In this overview you will learn which types of sauna exist, how they feel, who they suit and which towel fits which cabin.
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Types of sauna compared: the table
The values in the table are typical guidelines. Every sauna runs its cabins a little differently, which is why many doors have a thermometer and sometimes a hygrometer for humidity.
| Type of sauna | Temperature (approx.) | Humidity (approx.) | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finnish sauna | 80–100 °C | 10–20 %, briefly higher during an infusion | Classic, hot and dry |
| Kelo and earth sauna | 80–110 °C | Dry | Rustic, often with a wood-fired stove |
| Smoke sauna | 60–90 °C | Rather soft | Original Finnish form, smoky scent |
| Bio sauna / sanarium | 45–60 °C | 40–55 % | Mild, often with coloured light and scents |
| Laconium | 45–55 °C | Low | Gentle, dry warmth |
| Tepidarium | 35–40 °C | Low | Warm loungers and walls for resting |
| Infrared cabin | 35–60 °C air temperature | Dry | Heat from emitters, often for 1–4 people |
| Steam bath / caldarium | 40–50 °C | Close to 100 % | Mist, tiled benches |
| Hammam | 40–50 °C | High | Warm stone, washing, foam |
| Russian banya | 60–90 °C | Humid from frequent infusions | Moist heat, venik made of birch twigs |
As a rule of thumb: the more humid the air, the lower the temperature usually is. Moist heat feels more intense because sweat evaporates less easily from the skin.
Classic types of sauna with dry heat
Finnish sauna
The Finnish sauna is what most people picture when they hear the word sauna: a wooden cabin with several bench levels, a stove with stones and a temperature between 80 and 100 °C. The air is dry until someone pours water onto the hot stones. This infusion – called “löyly” in Finland – sends a brief wave of moist heat through the room. It is much hotter on the top bench than at the bottom. If you want to get used to the heat gradually, start on the lower level.
Kelo sauna
A kelo sauna is essentially a Finnish sauna built from special wood: kelo are pine trees in Lapland that died standing and dried out over many years. The silvery-grey wood has a resinous scent and gives the cabin a rustic atmosphere. Many sauna complexes build their kelo sauna as a separate log cabin in the garden.
Earth sauna
In an earth sauna, the cabin is partly sunk into the ground or a slope. The soil retains the heat well, and it is often heated with a wood-fired stove. Earth saunas are among the hottest cabins in many complexes; temperatures above 100 °C are not unusual. They are more for experienced sauna-goers.
Smoke sauna
The smoke sauna (Finnish “savusauna”) is the oldest form of the Finnish sauna. It has no chimney: the stove is heated for hours, the smoke drifts through the cabin and is let out before bathing. What remains is a soft, even warmth and a characteristic smoky scent. It is rare in Germany because it takes a lot of effort.
Mild types of sauna for gentle warmth
Bio sauna and sanarium
Bio sauna, sanarium or soft sauna are different names for a similar idea: a wooden cabin at 45 to 60 °C with noticeably more humid air than in a Finnish sauna. There is often coloured light, bowls of herbs or scents on the stove and quiet music. Because the warmth is milder, many people stay longer. It is a good cabin for beginners to get used to the sauna.
Laconium
The laconium goes back to Roman bathing complexes. The warmth usually comes from the walls, floor and benches, the air is dry and the temperature is around 45 to 55 °C. You sweat more slowly, but the stay is relaxed. It is a good way to start a sauna day or for people who find intense heat unpleasant.
Tepidarium
The tepidarium is only pleasantly warm, around 35 to 40 °C. Heated loungers and walls provide even warmth. Strictly speaking, it is less a sweating cabin than a warm relaxation room. Many use it between sauna sessions or to warm up after cooling off outdoors.
Infrared cabin
The infrared cabin works differently from all other types of sauna: instead of heating the air strongly, emitters warm the skin directly. The air temperature therefore stays comparatively low. You usually sit on a bench with a backrest, with the emitters aimed at your back or legs. Infrared cabins are small and heat up quickly, which makes them popular at home too. What towels you need there is explained in the article Sauna towel for the infrared cabin.
Moist heat: steam bath, hammam and banya
Steam bath and caldarium
A steam bath is only around 40 to 50 °C, but the humidity is close to 100 %. A steam generator fills the room with mist, and the benches are usually tiled. Like the laconium, the caldarium comes from Roman bathing culture and today is often a steam bath with added scents. Because sweat does not evaporate, the heat feels more intense than the thermometer suggests. Which towel suits this wet environment is explained in Sauna towel in the steam bath.
Hammam
The hammam is more a washing ritual than a sweat bath. At its centre is a heated marble stone you lie on, plus warm washing, scrubbing with the kese mitt and a foam massage. The cloth wrapped around the hips is the peshtemal – known to us as the hammam towel. How a visit works is described in the article Visiting a hammam: what happens.
Russian banya
The banya combines heat with plenty of moisture: water is poured on often and the air is dense and warm. Typical is the venik, a bundle of birch or oak twigs used to tap the skin. Afterwards people go outside to cool off, in winter sometimes into the snow. You can read more about the rituals in Banya rituals.
Special designs and concepts
Besides the classic types of sauna, there are cabins that differ more in construction, location or concept:
- Outdoor and panorama sauna: Usually at Finnish temperatures, but with a large window onto a garden, forest or water. The view outside makes the session especially calm.
- Barrel sauna: A round, barrel-shaped cabin, popular in gardens and on campsites. The shape creates a compact interior that warms up quickly.
- Salt or brine sauna: Walls of salt bricks or a mist of brine give the cabin its character. It is usually milder than a Finnish sauna.
- Infusion sauna: A large Finnish cabin where infusions take place at set times, often with towel waving and changing scents.
- Textile sauna: Here you wear swimwear. In Germany, saunas are usually textile-free, but hotels and saunas abroad often have textile areas.
- Children's sauna: Some spas offer cabins with lower temperatures and shorter sessions for families.
Which type of sauna suits you?
There is no best type of sauna, only the one that suits you and your day. A few pointers:
| You … | Try first |
|---|---|
| are going to the sauna for the first time | Bio sauna or the lower bench of the Finnish sauna |
| like it hot and short | Finnish sauna, earth or kelo sauna |
| find dry heat exhausting | Laconium or steam bath |
| mainly want to relax | Tepidarium, bio sauna with coloured light |
| are looking for community and ritual | Infusion sauna or banya |
| want to sweat at home | Infrared cabin or a small Finnish home sauna |
Many sauna-goers build up over the day: a mild cabin first, a hotter one later. This is not a fixed rule, but a common way to avoid overdoing it straight away. How long you stay in each cabin is up to how you feel. If you have health questions, check with a doctor beforehand which types of sauna are right for you.
Which towel suits which type of sauna?
In almost every cabin, the rule is: no sweat on the wood. So you sit or lie on your towel in a way that your feet are on it too. Depending on the type of sauna, the requirements differ slightly.
Finnish sauna, bio sauna, laconium
Here you need a large towel to lie on. The Ocean hammam towel measures 180 × 100 cm, is flat-woven from 100 % cotton and dries quickly between sessions. In our experience at the Meri Sauna, a hammam towel dries indoors in about 60 minutes and in the sun in around 30 minutes. If you prefer a thicker towel, go for the DOTWAVE sauna towel XL at 90 × 175 cm.
Steam bath and hammam
In moist heat, the hammam towel shows where it comes from: it is light, doesn't get heavy when wet and can be wrapped around the hips. In many steam baths, however, you sit directly on the tiles, which you rinse with water first. Follow the house rules here.
Infrared cabin
One towel as a base for the bench and one for the backrest. A narrow, long towel such as the Ocean StayOn hammam towel at 200 × 70 cm works well; its sewn-in pocket is actually designed for the backrest of a lounger in the relaxation area.
Between sessions
For walking between cabins and resting, you need something light to slip on. The Trimita Barok bathrobe made of Turkish cotton is not terry cloth but a light cotton quality that dries quickly.
Related reading: Bathing Cultures of the World: From Sauna and Hammam to Onsen · Sauna terms explained: the glossary from infusion to venik · How to Recognise a Good Sauna: The Checklist for Guests
Conclusion
The types of sauna differ mainly in temperature, humidity and ritual: dry and hot in the Finnish sauna, mild in the bio sauna and laconium, humid in the steam bath, hammam and banya, radiant in the infrared cabin. Try them out, start on the mild side and listen to your body. A light, large hammam towel fits almost any cabin – and is dry again quickly between sessions.
Frequently asked questions
Which type of sauna is the hottest?
Usually the Finnish sauna, the earth sauna or the kelo sauna at 80 to over 100 °C. How hot it feels also depends on the humidity and where you sit on the bench.
What is the difference between a bio sauna and a steam bath?
The bio sauna is a wooden cabin at 45 to 60 °C with medium humidity. The steam bath is cooler at 40 to 50 °C, but almost completely saturated with steam.
Is an infrared cabin a real sauna?
It counts as a type of sauna in the broader sense but works differently: emitters warm the body directly while the air stays comparatively cool. There are no infusions.
Which type of sauna is suitable for beginners?
Many start in the bio sauna or sit on the lower bench in the Finnish sauna. It is noticeably milder there than at the top.
Do I need a separate towel for each cabin?
Not necessarily. But a dry towel for the bench is more pleasant. Many people take two hammam towels: one for the cabin, one for drying off and for the lounger.
Personally written by Martin – founder of BeachAndSteam and sauna operator at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years.