With regards to misconceptions in the bath and shower industry, the one where people think that steam showers and saunas are essentially, or even exactly the same thing is one of the biggest. The fact is steam showers and saunas have distinctions in areas including health benefits, heat emission and construction; distinctions to which you should pay close attention if you are considering adding either to your home bath environment. To help you better navigate the two products, the Talk Spas editorial team has put together the following list of the top 3 differences between steam showers and saunas:
3) Materials & Construction
One of the primary differences between steam showers and saunas is the materials utilized to construct them. Steam showers typically utilize a steam generator, like one made by ThermaSol, to pump moisture into an airtight enclosure often made of ceramic tile and glass. Since the moisture is intentionally trapped in the enclosure, typically the ceiling will be slanted to allow condensation to run down the side rather than drip directly down on you. Saunas on the other hand utilize stones placed under a heater to generate heat. The heat rises into a room, often made of wood and well insulated to trap the heat, where the occupant sits on a bench to enjoy the benefits of the heat.
2) Moist Heat vs. Dry Heat
The type of heat therapy you want to experience is a major factor in deciding if it’s a steam shower or sauna that is right for you. A steam shower produces moist heat and therefore doesn’t get very hot, as it would scald the skin. Saunas, with very low humidity and decidedly dry heat, can safely reach temperatures well beyond 115 degrees without causing any harm to a healthy individual. To a large degree, the choice of moist heat or dry heat is a personal preference as some people do not like the sensation of steam on their bodies and others cannot endure the rigors of dry heat.
1) Health Benefits
Without a doubt, both steam showers and saunas offer you a plethora of health benefits. The two have in common the ability to provide deep heat for pain relief, sooth muscles after exercise or other muscle exertion, and improve the body’s ability to repair muscles. However, it seems that steam showers have at least a slight edge when it comes to certain health-related aspects, particularly the ability to alleviate respiratory ailments. Sitting in warm and moist air offers results that are similar to a vaporizer for asthma, bronchitis, allergy and even cold sufferers. Plus, all the sweating caused by moist heat allows you to clean out your pores.
If you’re leaning towards a steam shower over a sauna, check out ThermaSol; they’ve been bringing steam therapy into their customers’ homes for over 50 years. In that time, they have been the leading innovator of steam shower technology and today they manufacture the only 100% digital networked steam systems in the world – the safest and most reliable steam technology.
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