Sauna, infrared sauna and steam room all make you sweat, but they do it at very different temperatures. Here is how hot each one gets, why a cooler steam room can feel just as intense, and what a comfortable range looks like.
Short answer
A traditional Finnish sauna is the hottest at about 160 to 195 °F (70 to 90 °C) with low humidity. Infrared saunas run at 120 to 150 °F (50 to 65 °C), and steam rooms are the coolest at 110 to 115 °F (43 to 46 °C), but near 100% humidity makes them feel just as intense. Start at the lower end, sit on a lower bench and let comfort, not the thermometer, decide.
Sauna and steam room temperatures at a glance
| Type | Air temperature | Humidity | Typical session |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional (Finnish) sauna | 160 to 195 °F (70 to 90 °C) | 10 to 20%, briefly higher after water on the stones | 10 to 15 min per round |
| Infrared sauna | 120 to 150 °F (50 to 65 °C) | Low | 15 to 30 min |
| Steam room | 110 to 115 °F (43 to 46 °C) | Close to 100% | 10 to 15 min, 20 at most |
| Portable infrared sauna | 110 to 140 °F (45 to 60 °C) | Low | Follow the maker, often 15 to 30 min |
| Hot tub (for comparison) | Water up to 104 °F (40 °C) | Not applicable | 15 to 20 min |
Where you sit matters as much as the setting. Heat rises, so the top bench is much hotter than the floor. If a round feels too intense, move down a level before you give up on it.
How hot is a traditional dry sauna?
Most traditional saunas run between 160 and 195 °F (70 to 90 °C). In Finland, 175 to 195 °F (80 to 90 °C) is typical, while many gym saunas are set lower, around 150 to 175 °F. The air is dry, with 10 to 20% humidity, until you throw water on the stones: the burst of steam, called löyly, raises the humidity for a moment and makes the room feel much hotter.
What is the ideal temperature for a dry sauna?
There is no single ideal. For most people, 160 to 180 °F (70 to 80 °C) is a comfortable range, and beginners can start lower. For reference, the men in the long-running Finnish KIHD study used saunas at an average of about 174 °F (79 °C). More detail in our guide to a good sauna temperature.
Can a sauna be 200 degrees?
Yes, in some places. Sauna heaters sold in the US and Canada are built with a high-limit cutoff at around 194 °F (90 °C) under the UL 875 safety standard. In Finland and elsewhere in Europe, some saunas run at 200 to 220 °F (95 to 105 °C). Hotter is not better, though: at those temperatures, rounds need to be short.
How hot is too hot?
Too hot is when you cannot breathe comfortably, your skin stings or you feel dizzy, whatever the thermometer says. Leave straight away if that happens. Sauna is not a contest: the Sauna World Championships in Finland, held at 230 °F (110 °C), were stopped for good in 2010 after a finalist died.
If you have heart disease or blood pressure problems, talk to your doctor before using a sauna. The NHS advises pregnant women to avoid overheating in saunas, steam rooms and hot tubs.
How hot is an infrared sauna?
Infrared saunas run at about 120 to 150 °F (50 to 65 °C). Their heater panels warm your skin directly instead of heating all the air first, so you start sweating at a lower air temperature. Sessions are usually longer, around 15 to 30 minutes.
You will sometimes read that infrared heats you from the inside. It does not: infrared light mostly warms the outer layers of your skin, and the warmth spreads from there. The difference is simply that less of the energy goes into the air. More in infrared vs traditional sauna.
How hot is a steam room?
Steam rooms are usually kept at 110 to 115 °F (43 to 46 °C) and rarely go above 120 °F, with humidity close to 100%. Even so, they feel as hot as a much hotter dry sauna, because your sweat cannot evaporate and cool you down. Steam also condenses on your skin, so it feels as if you are sweating even more than you are.
Why is a steam room not as hot as a sauna?
Humid air carries heat far more effectively than dry air. A steam room at sauna temperatures would scald you, so steam rooms are deliberately kept much cooler. That is also why sessions should stay short; see how long to stay in a steam room.
How hot do portable saunas, sauna blankets and hot tubs get?
- Portable infrared saunas: around 110 to 140 °F (45 to 60 °C) inside the tent. Portable steam tents are cooler but humid.
- Sauna blankets: most have heat settings up to around 160 °F (70 °C). Because the blanket is wrapped around you, what you feel depends a lot on the setting and how long you stay in.
- Hot tubs: the US Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends never going above 104 °F (40 °C) water temperature.
- Sauna suits: not a sauna at all. They trap your own body heat while you exercise. Using them to lose weight quickly is risky because it can lead to dehydration and heat illness.
For a side-by-side of home options, see the best sauna alternatives.
Measure the temperature yourself
The display on a sauna heater usually shows the temperature at its sensor, which often sits high on the wall near the heater. A separate thermometer at head height on your bench shows what you are actually sitting in, and a hygrometer shows the humidity, which is useful when you pour water on the stones.
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A large analog 2-in-1 gauge with big numbers you can read from the bench, showing temperature in Fahrenheit and Celsius plus relative humidity. Mount it at head height, away from the heater, for a realistic reading.
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How hot is a typical sauna?
A traditional sauna usually runs at 160 to 195 °F (70 to 90 °C), an infrared sauna at 120 to 150 °F (50 to 65 °C) and a steam room at 110 to 115 °F (43 to 46 °C).
Are saunas 100 degrees?
In Fahrenheit, much hotter. If you want something closer to 100 °F, a hot tub or a steam room is the gentler option.
Can I use a sauna and a steam room on the same day?
Yes. Keep each session short, cool down and drink water in between, and stop if you feel dizzy.
Is a sauna or a steam room better for your skin?
Both leave skin feeling clean and soft; see steam room vs sauna for skin for the details.
Sources
- Laukkanen T, et al. Association between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events. JAMA Intern Med, 2015
- Hannuksela ML, Ellahham S. Benefits and risks of sauna bathing. Am J Med, 2001
Editorial note: this guide is general information for healthy adults, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or take regular medication, check with your doctor before using a sauna.