Sauna types explained: Finnish, infrared, steam and wood-fired

“Sauna” covers a lot of ground. A wood-fired cabin on a Cornish beach, an infrared room in a city gym and a steam room at a spa hotel all go by the name, but they feel very different. Here’s what you’re likely to find at UK venues, and what to expect from each.

Traditional Finnish sauna

The classic. A wood-lined room heated by a stove topped with stones, usually kept somewhere between 70 and 100°C. The air is fairly dry until someone pours water on the stones, which releases a burst of steam known as löyly and makes the room feel much hotter. Most sauna clubs and many spas use this style, with either an electric or a wood-burning stove.

Wood-fired sauna

A Finnish-style sauna heated by a wood-burning stove rather than an electric one. Fans love the softer, rounder heat, the crackle of the fire and the smell of the wood. Many of the outdoor and coastal saunas that have opened around the UK are wood-fired, often in barrel-shaped or cabin-style buildings, and some are on trailers so they can move between locations.

Smoke sauna

The oldest form of Finnish sauna. There’s no chimney: a large stove heats the room and the stones for hours, the smoke is let out, and bathers go in once the fire has died down. The heat is gentle but deep, and the room has a distinctive smoky smell. Smoke saunas are rare in the UK because they take so long to prepare, but a few venues run them for special sessions.

Infrared sauna

Infrared saunas use panels that warm your body directly rather than heating the air. They run much cooler, often around 40 to 60°C, so sessions tend to be longer and the experience is milder. There are no stones and no steam. You’ll find them in gyms, wellness studios and homes, as they’re compact and run off a normal power supply. Some people love the gentler heat; sauna purists tend to say it isn’t the same thing.

Steam room

Not technically a sauna, but often grouped with them. A steam room is tiled rather than wooden, kept at a lower temperature of around 40 to 50°C, and filled with near-100% humidity from a steam generator. It feels hot and wet rather than hot and dry. Turkish hammams and Russian banya are related traditions with their own rituals.

Barrel and pod saunas

These describe the shape rather than the heat. Barrel saunas are cylindrical cabins, popular outdoors because the curved shape heats efficiently and sheds rain. Pod and cabin saunas are similar. Inside, most are traditional saunas with a wood or electric stove.

Which should you try?

For a first visit, a traditional Finnish or wood-fired sauna gives you the real thing, and most venues in our directory fall into that group. If you find high heat hard going, an infrared sauna or steam room is a gentler place to start. Whatever you choose, our first-timer’s guide covers what to bring and how to behave.

Browse saunas across the UK to find one near you.