Dry Sauna, Steam Bath or Hot Tub? What's the difference?-Sauna Facts

Dry Sauna, Steam Bath or Hot Tub? What's the Difference?

Dry Sauna

The sauna is an integral part of Finnish and Swedish culture. Most people have a home sauna and use it several times a week. The dry sauna generates a dry heat between 70 and 100 degrees Celsius (158 and 212 degrees Fahrenheit). From time to time water is thrown on heated stones to produce a thick cloud of steam that makes the sauna feel hotter. After spending about 10 to 30 minutes in the sauna most people take a cold shower or swim in the lake. During winter, believe it or not some people even roll in the snow!

Finnish and Swedish saunas are social affairs and may include family members, friends or business associates. They are always taken in the nude. Whether or not men and women take a sauna together depends on their relationships and to some extent, their age. Public saunas however are usually single-sex.

Swedish saunas have become popular in North America and are part of the facilities of many public swimming pools. Each pool sets its own policies on nudity. Some pools have certain periods for single-sex use when nude swimming and nude saunas are the norm. At other times bathing suits may be required in the sauna.

SteamBath or Turkish Bath

Steam baths have a constant humidity level around 100%. They are kept about 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). Many people prefer steambaths over dry saunas because the high humidity is easier to breathe and has beneficial effects on the respiratory system.

The Turkish bath is also known as hamam. It is a type of steam bath and the heat is much lower than in a Finnish or Swedish sauna. The steam would scald the skin if it was too hot, so steam baths are kept at around 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

Traditional Turkish baths are large buildings and serve as social gathering places as much as places to get clean. There are separate rooms for men and women, and the bath building is divided into three areas – hot, warm, and cool.

Hot Tub or Jacuzzi

The terms 'spa' 'hot tub' and 'Jacuzzi' are often interchanged and can refer to the same thing – a tub of water for 1 or more people that contains circulating water and/or water jets.

There are 3 types of hot tubs:

wooden barrels

fiberglass whirlpools

bathtub spas

The first type is made from wooden slats and has a water pump and filtering system to circulate and clean the water. It is usually installed outdoors and has benches around the perimeter so that people can soak comfortably with their heads just above water level.

The second type has high pressure 'jets' that create a whirlpool effect. The jets are useful for water massage or hydrotherapy. They are often installed at public swimming pools or health clubs. These are sometimes known as 'Jacuzzis' after the company that popularized them.

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◦ Sauna Versus Steam Bath
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Dry Sauna, Steam Bath or Hot Tub? What's the Difference?

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