Saunas induce perspiration and relaxation and have therapeutic benefits. Smoke, heat storage, continuous fire, and infrared are different types of saunas. Smoke saunas are traditional in Finland, but difficult to use. Heat storage saunas are modernized and hotter. Continuous fire saunas require constant maintenance of fire. Infrared saunas heat objects in the room and offer more health benefits.
A sauna is a heated room or small house intended to induce perspiration and allow for relaxation. Saunas are also sometimes used for therapeutic purposes. Saunas have been around for hundreds of years, and there are now many different types of saunas, including smoke, heat storage, continuous fire, and infrared.
Saunas originated in Finland, where they are still an important part of the local culture today. The most traditional form of sauna is the smoke sauna. Smoke saunas lost their popularity with the advent of new technologies, but were revived in the 1980s. They are preferred by some traditionalists, but disadvantages include difficulty of use compared to newer types of saunas, a long waiting period while the sauna heats up, and large amounts of wood required for combustion.
A smoke sauna contains a bunch of rocks and no fireplace. A fire is lit under the rocks, and when it goes out, the rocks retain some heat. Water is poured over rocks to create steam. While the smoke sauna is not as hot as many modern saunas, it is characterized by high humidity, which helps induce perspiration.
A more modern variant of the smoke sauna is the heat storage sauna, which includes some important innovations. The heat storage sauna has a fireplace, which reduces smoke, and a covered stone chamber, which stores the heat. These saunas are hotter than traditional saunas, but also humid. The heat source can be electric instead of fire.
Another type of sauna requires constant maintenance of a fire during use. This type, the continuous fire sauna, is characterized by a hearth, covered with stones, and a fireplace. The heat from a continuous fire sauna is comparable to that of a heat-storing sauna, but it only takes about an hour to heat up. Despite this advantage, continuous fire saunas are difficult and potentially dangerous to use because the fire must be maintained continuously. Some otherwise similar saunas that use electric heat rather than fire are safe enough to use in the home.
One of the newest types of sauna is the infrared sauna. This type of sauna works not by heating the air, but by heating the objects in the room. Infrared heat works like sunlight to penetrate the body with heat. Some people believe that the infrared sauna offers more health benefits than traditional saunas, and many users find that they can stay in an infrared sauna longer than a traditional sauna, allowing them to sweat more.
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